Decisions empower us a tiny bit more each time we make them

Bezos is a billionaire because he would rather be wrong than slow.

In several of his annual letter to shareholders, he explains that many decisions and actions are reversible and don’t need extensive study.

Most of our decisions should probably be made with somewhere around seventy percent of the information we wish we had, he says. Because if we wait for ninety, in most cases we’re probably being slow.

The other thing the richest man in the world says is that if you’re good at course correcting, being wrong may be less costly than you think. Whereas being slow is going to be expensive for sure.

Jeff’s philosophy deeply resonates with me. I have always been someone who decided things rather quickly. It’s just how I’m wired.

Find something that’s good enough. Meet my own standards. Stop looking. Let the infinite other available choices become irrelevant. And get on with my life. The right choice will be the one I make, and the right path will be the one I take.

There’s no sense going through life regretting every single decision you make just because it might not have been the best possible option.

Now, have there been moments in my life where greater deliberation probably would have benefited me? Of course. And that’s okay. I forgive myself for such missteps.

Because at a certain point, you have to put away your desire for a different past and focus on the present.

What about you? Would you rather be wrong or slow?

The funny thing is, for a society that’s so obsessed with speed and instant gratification, somehow our culture snubs its nose at fast decision makers. People who take action on less than complete information are portrayed as careless and cold and inconsiderate and impatient.

In fact, many people participate in something called decision theater, just to avoid the scorn of those with an allergy to speed.

Do you remember being in school as a kid, finishing your assignment before everyone else in the class, but not walking up to the teacher’s desk to turn it in, for fear of being judged? As if you needed to put a few extra numbers on your work so it look like you thought about it longer?

Story of my life. Students, friends, colleagues, teachers, professors and coworkers have always resented my ability to decide and finish things quickly. They don’t trust speed. People look at me with the eyes of shame, as if to say:

Scott, there is no way your work could be that good if you finished that fast. Let me see it.

But that’s just it. It’s not about being good, being right or being the best.

It’s about being fast. It’s about taking action and finishing. Even if you don’t quite know what you’re doing. That way you can use your velocity and momentum to your advantage.

Remember, the pursuit of perpetual improvement is overrated.

Constantly searching for perfect solutions leads to frustration, or, worse yet, inaction.

Whereas decisions empower us a tiny bit more each time we make them.

What decision have you been avoiding for the past six months?