Think First or Do First

Karen approached me for a role. She goes, ‘I’ve been doing Payroll since before you were born.’

Tasha said, “I wish I could be confident like you.” I told her it’s not confidence…

There are times when you need to think first and times you need to just take action. Both have pros and cons, and you likely lean more towards one way or another. I lean more towards taking action, personally. Yes, it’s gotten me into trouble more than once, but I’m also successful because of it.

Times to Think First:

1. When making a big decision

2. When deciding to enter into a new business relationship

3. When making most financial choices

4. When speaking to someone you hardly know that can control your career. Also, don’t ruffle feathers

It’s better to think first in these situations because they will likely have a large impact on your life. You need to make sure you have all the facts before you enter into something that will impact you negatively. I’ve written this before, but if someone takes 5 minutes to get to know you, that’s the information they’ll have to tell someone else. Think about if that’s the right person to be speaking on your behalf.

Times to Do First:

1. When you need to get outside your comfort zone

2. When thinking only makes you go in circles, a.k.a. analysis paralysis

3. When no one else is

4. You do it routinely, like driving a car. You don’t need to spend 30 mins thinking about turning the car on.

It’s better to ‘Do First’, or take action, in these situations because nothing will get done otherwise. If you’re afraid to speak in public, the only way to get over it is just to do it. The way to stand out at work is to do the things no one else is doing, and then do it well. (For other ideas on standing out, read this) Leaders don’t do the things everyone else is doing.

To all the Karens: I just look young. Sorry, but my brain still works and I’m probably older than you think I am. I get back problems, too.

To all the Tashas: Confidence comes when you believe in yourself. No one is confident all the time. Learn from failing so you can be confident at the right time.

No one is going to think first all the time, and no one can get away without thinking (although, sometimes you might wonder about certain people.) The general rule is that if it’s important to you and/or the business, take time to think about it. If there’s no consequence in choosing red or blue, pick orange. What happens might surprise you.