This is week three in the series covering the book The Seven Decisions by Andy Andrews.

This week’s decision is the Active Decision.

“My future is immediate.  I will grasp it in both hands and carry it with running feet.  When I am faced with the choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act!”

Without action, we can’t move anything forward.

Often, we get stuck because we’re trying to figure out what action to take, but being stagnant doesn’t serve us.

I love this quote from the book:

“You weren’t given the ability to make right decisions all the time, but you were given the ability to make a decision and make it right!”

It’s better to do something versus nothing. By taking an active step forward, we’re putting things in motion. We can calibrate from there, and keep things moving.

Another quote from the book:

“It drives me nuts when I hear people say, ‘But I can’t always do my best work.’ If you can’t do your best work, then do your second-best work. But whatever you do, move! Get going!”

Those are words that I need to hear often.

I sometimes wait until I feel inspired before I begin. But if I just start, even if I don’t know where I’m going or how to do something, I will figure it out as I go.

I never, ever figure something out by doing nothing.

Fear

One big reason we don’t act, is because we’re fearful.

Andy Andrews says, “Fear is nothing but a misuse of the creativity God instilled in you.”

He gives a two step process for overcoming fear:

1. Identify the fear. Get clear on what it is you’re afraid of.

2. What if fear wasn’t a factor? What would you do if you weren’t afraid to mess up, be embarrassed etc.

Somewhere recently, I heard the advice to be slow making decisions that are long-term and difficult to get out of – things like getting married or buying a house.

For things that can be easily (or more easily) reversed or calibrated, don’t deliberate very long. Move forward.

A decision not to act is also a decision.

Practice Becoming a Person of Action

In February of 2020, I was feeling stagnant (I know…the timing of that feeling!). I felt like I’d been seeking too much advice and I was looking for approval from various people before I acted.

I decided to do a secret “Take Charge” challenge for myself.

My guidelines were:

• Make a decisive decision everyday without seeking advice or approval.
• Make a decision as early in the day as possible.
• Make at least one decision each day.
• Record it and put a sticker on the calendar each day I follow through.
• The experiment is to be secret until the end of the month.

In my journal I also wrote a couple notes to myself including, “Stop fiddle farting around” and “You are fine without advice or suggestions.”

The decisions I made each day seem small as I read them back. Some are a bit cryptic and I’m not sure what they were about.

But here are the lessons recorded in that journal:

• To take charge more and be less passive.
• To trust my own instincts.
• Decisions move things forward.
• Decisions lead to action.
• It’s interesting to see things on the decision list move from idea to reality.

Four years later, I still think about that “Take Charge” month.

Questions to ask yourself

You can think of specific goals or categories of your life when pondering these questions, or just take them more generally.

What’s an action I can take today to move things forward?

Where do I feel stalled or stagnant? What action will move things forward again?

What problem am I experiencing right now? What action can I take to solve that problem?