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24 February 2010

The High Cost of Doing Nothing

Cost is sometimes difficult to define. Here we are not simply discussing cost as it is about selling, but rather opportunity cost. The site, "Mentors, Ventures and Plans" defines opportunity cost as "the loss of the second-best alternative when a decision is made involving two or more choices." "Investing in Options" defines it as "To choose the best alternative means you can not choose the next best alternative. Opportunity cost is the next best alternative to be sacrificed to get anything you want. Opportunity cost can be seen as the road is not taken. "Inactivity, or doing something that is usually the highest price paid, and is often associated with high opportunity costs. Passivity is usually the worst decision you can make is made from a base of fear.

Many of us freeze when faced with decisions. For some reason the decision is complex, paralyzing and even painful for many people. It should not be this way. Take a decision is simply the act of choosing between alternatives. You must learn to weigh the consequences of all possible choices and choose the outcome that is best for you and everyone else involved. For example, your telephone bill when they come due, you can choose to pay it or not. There are real obvious implications for both offenses. The situation becomes more complex, however, because our human feelings into the picture. For example, you are offered a new job and must decide to leave your current position and move your family to a new location, hundreds of miles away ..

What we often do not realize is that delaying major decisions or simply not take a decision at all, acts that often affects us with the highest opportunity costs and the worst-case scenarios. Inactivity or lack of a decision is actually a decision, although infrequent in our best interest. In this case, unfortunately, we transfer control of our lives to external forces and circumstances. We are now positioned to be at the mercy of others and decision making. This is not your best scenario. There is often extraordinarily high costs of doing nothing.

Decision-making is actually a skill set that can be learned and refined. Like all other skills, which will enter into a new area as a beginner requires practice and use to improve. Remember that you will actually improve! Start small, with less important decisions that involve less than conclusive results and gradually make more decisions in matters of greater importance. Soon you will get if any problems in making decisions. Learn how to start small and work your way up, gradually extending your comfort zone in this area. A byproduct of learning these new skills is that your confidence will certainly improve as well.

Decision making need not be frightening. Think of it as a process that is your own, which may throw some external pressure that others can use. Tag your time, so get the facts and choose the outcome that works best for you. Do not allow yourself to fall victim to the high cost of doing nothing.

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