It is generally accepted wisdom not to rush into anything. It is also important take time to understand the options and implications before committing to any course of action. I actually encourage people not to rush into anything because it seems a great idea at first glance. Then there are the instances where the longer you take to act, the more you lose or the worse things get.
illustration - kkalyan, flickr (cc)
Once you’ve established that there is a niche, or great opportunity, the longer you can the more it gets out of reach. Innovation and ideas have a life span. The longer you take to ‘attack’ an available share of the market, the harder it will be to fight competition later. If you’ve assessed and realized the opportunity, act now!
In relationships, it is the longer you take to apologize and own up for your part in a stalemate, the harder it will get. In fact, this perpetuates more conflict and complications. Things tend to escalate and you knock heads. You deal with things but fail to get to the bottom of them all because you took too long to address the initial seed. The longer you take, to address issues the unhealthier the relationship will be. The longer you take, the more vulnerable your relationship will be and the more toxic the smallest of issues can be. Act now.
The longer you take to address the slack employee or teammate, the longer the vision suffers. The more the people you ought to be serving suffer. Leaving the slackers to be may be the sure guarantee of the death of your purpose. Leader, there will be a time you will have to guard your vision from your team. When the team threatens the vision by being slack or otherwise do not wait any longer.
The longer the leader takes to address his own slackness and complacency, the longer the organization or team will faces its demise. The longer you maintain the status quo the higher the chances are you will be irrelevant very soon. Constant innovation and challenging yourself as an individual and team is a must if you are to stay relevant. Maintaining where you are is not progress and may be the start of your demise.
The longer it takes you to start on the new project while you’re still motivated, the harder it will be for you to build momentum later…
There are instances it is prudent to tread carefully. Then there are instances you have to act swiftly. Consider some of the things highlighted… Don’t live in ‘I will do’ but ‘I am doing!’
I’d love you hear your thoughts!