What’s Worse Than Inaction? Embracing Decisions and Learning
Written on
Chapter 1: The Perils of Inaction
Inaction is often a greater enemy than making the wrong choice. My mentor shared a powerful insight with me today:
“There’s no such thing as regressing in life. Every action, even if it’s a misstep, propels you forward. You learn from your errors and adjust your path. The only way to truly move backwards is to do nothing at all.”
This advice resonates deeply, especially in a world where we strive to make the perfect decision, trust the right individuals, and take the most appropriate actions. Yet, the most productive course of action might simply be to choose something—anything—and commit to it wholeheartedly.
People frequently offer reassurances such as, “It’s okay to fail” or “Mistakes are part of the journey.” However, when our mistakes impact others, they often question our judgment.
“Why didn’t you get it right from the start?”
While this may stem from their lack of understanding, we often internalize their criticisms. It’s crucial to recognize that our intuition isn't infallible. Even when our instincts are spot-on, we might second-guess ourselves based on the advice of those we view as more knowledgeable.
It’s amusing how this dynamic unfolds. We all possess an innate ability to sense the right choices, which enables us to advise others, even on matters we haven’t personally experienced. Often, our insights are accurate, but without the credentials or achievements to validate them, others might disregard our guidance.
On the surface, people may nod in agreement, but internally, they might not value our contributions.
Ultimately, two key lessons emerge:
- Trust yourself—act on what you initially planned.
- Just because you haven’t achieved visible success doesn’t invalidate your beliefs about it.
The Concept of Control
A significant idea in psychology is the "locus of control," referring to where one attributes responsibility for life events.
An internal locus of control means you believe your outcomes stem from your actions and character. Conversely, an external locus of control suggests that you think your results are influenced by external factors, such as luck or others’ behaviors.
Ideally, you want an internal locus of control for successes while recognizing external factors for failures.
What does this mean?
When you succeed, it’s a reflection of your capabilities and efforts. If you fail, it might be due to a lack of information, which you can seek to remedy. Alternatively, it could be due to unforeseen circumstances, prompting you to avoid similar situations in the future.
However, it’s important to avoid excuses. Acknowledging that something was beyond your control is valid, but it shouldn’t stop you from taking corrective action.
This aligns with the Serenity Prayer:
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
You don’t need to be religious to appreciate the wisdom in this message. Reflecting on these concepts can provide clarity as you navigate your path forward.
If you found this reflection valuable, consider joining my email newsletter to receive updates on future articles. I might even share some free resources down the line!
Also, if you haven’t subscribed to Medium yet and wish to support my work, using my link for signing up will help me continue creating insightful content!
In this video, titled Doing Nothing is Far WORSE than Choosing the "Wrong" Next Decision, the speaker emphasizes the importance of taking action and learning from mistakes rather than succumbing to inaction.
Chapter 2: Embracing the Learning Process
The next video, The Only Thing Worse Than Being Wrong…, explores the implications of fear in decision-making and encourages viewers to embrace their mistakes as opportunities for growth.