Fast to Decide, Slow to Change

Henry Ford is one of the most interesting figures in modern history.

He managed to rise himself from illiteracy, poverty and ignorance in the span of ten years, and within twenty-five years had become one of the most successful businessmen in history and one of the most powerful figures in the World at the time.
One of the keys to Ford’s meteoric rise to success came in his decision-making ability. 

Ford was always fast to make his decisions and put them into action, but was always slow to change them or stop his plans.

This ability can be found in many of history’s successful people.
John D. Rockefeller was always patient and planned long-term. Once he had his plan established, he was fast to put it into action. He was slow to change these decisions – weathering an onslaught of criticism and adversity that would have crumbled the progress of most people. It was because of this refusal to back down, and slow approach to changing his plans and decisions, that allowed Rockefeller to become the wealthiest self-made man in history, as well as history’s greatest philanthropist.

How can we apply the lessons of these two men?

Make your decisions fast. Don’t procrastinate. Seize the day. Proceeding with a 10% rate of effectiveness, is better than never proceeding at all while searching for an effectiveness rate of 100%.

Be slow to  change your decisions. Correct persistence is the one thing that is guaranteed to work, given enough time. If you keep to your goals/plans/decisions, you will benefit in some form or another. The only way to never progress or achieve nothing, is to give up.

The world is full of people who could’ve been great, had they been slower in changing their decisions.

Ask yourself: Where would you be now if you kept to the decisions you made? The plans you laid? The goals you set? Your promises to yourself?

The answer should be motivation enough to make your decisions faster, and be slower in changing them.