MAKE UP YOUR MIND

MAKE UP YOUR MIND

Make up your mind to act decidedly and take the consequences. No good is ever done in this world by hesitation.
Thomas H. HuxleyEnglish biologist (1825 - 1895)

I think it’s important to ponder over important decisions. You certainly want to gather all the facts, and don’t want to rush when you are contemplating open heart surgery or writing your will. These are important decisions that will have long lasting and life changing effects on your life and well being.

That being said, not all decisions carry this level of import and consequence, yet I come across people every day that seem to weigh and agonize over all their decisions equally. Strangely, It seems to occur in direct proportion with the times I am behind them in line and most in a rush.

I try to be a polite kind of guy, but my patience and goodwill can only be stretched so far. I find myself screaming in my sub-conscious…”Come on people, make up your freek’in mind.” You are not taking out a mortgage on you house, just decide, what toy you want with your happy meal.

Now, I hoping my readers can help validate my feelings on this. Am I the only one that gets pissed off in these situations? Do these people have any common courtesy, or are they suffering from some kind of learning disability. It seems even the people that are waiting on them, are rolling their eyes in disgust.

Listen, if deciding weather you want sugar and cream in your coffee is such a brain freeze moment, maybe you should have thought about it for 15 minutes or so, before you got ahead of me in line.

I think the worst part is that these “non-deciders” are completely oblivious to the painfully obvious signs of impatience that everyone around them are exuding. A quick look around detects, foot taping, eye rolling, yawning and the all to familiar international signs to pick up the pace: the wrist roll (palm-in), or the middle finger (with eyes wide open as an exclamation point).

I often run into the “decisionally challenged” at the pharmacy: I have to wonder, Are they picking up a prescription or going thru medical school ?

Non-deciders seem to be particularly prevalent at a hotel concierges desk, after all those polite and knowledgeable people are there to help, Right.. but after waiting in line for 15 minutes behind the same person, I have to wonder if they are making dinner plans, or retirement plans.

So, how can we politely deal with the decision-challenged people we encounter everyday. Sometimes these folks just need a gentle nudge to get their brains back in the game. They can be identified when they make the statement “On the second thought” (for the 4th time). No, need to be rude, after all we all have moments of indecision from time to time. I’ve devised a few methods to aide in their decision making process, not dissimilar to the closing techniques that salesmen use:

Phrase you question so that a simple Yes or No will suffice
Positive affirmation: “I think you would really enjoy the rice, its really quite good
Pre-Emptive acknowledgement: Nod your head yes, as they answer
I’m assuming you want that with fries ?

Acknowledge the rest of the people that are waiting in line: I’ll be with the rest of you 20 people
in a moment.
Take all the time you need to decide. Would you mind if I helped the next person in line…”Next”

I was going to write a few more paragraphs on this subject, but I just couldn’t make up my mind. Sometimes it seems it easier to convince another person of what they should do, then to make up our own minds ?

Gotta run, it’s almost noon, and I have to start thinking about what I want to make for breakfast tomorrow morning.
P.I.B.