Even without a spiraling pandemic in the background, now is the time of year when it can be hard to focus. You have the usual holiday distractions on top of year-end deadlines, budget projections, weather disruptions, an uncertain tax landscape and a new administration moving into the White House.
At times like these, it’s not easy to stay sane. Donald Miller, author of
Miller argues that a lot of our mental energy is consumed by “analysis paralysis,” the inability to commit to making a decision. We tend to spend more time in the analysis-paralysis state than we need to. But, if we could stop being confused about things and just start making decisions, why don’t we do so? It comes down to three things:
1. Making the right decision can require a lot of heavy mental lifting.
2. Making the right decision involves change.
3. Making the right decision can make us less likeable.
While all of these are valid reasons to feel conflicted, they’re also reasons that cause us to procrastinate about making important decisions. And frankly, we can waste a lot of time feeling confused about things that are actually quite clear.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the decisions you’re feeling confused about:
1. Underperforming team members
There are probably some members of your team that you’re not sure about retaining for another year. They’re not doing anything wrong, per se, but they’re disappointing you because they’re not showing up for work mentally and don’t seem to be engaged. It might seem like a tough call on the surface. Those underperformers are often nice people with families. You’re likely just procrastinating about what you know you need to do next — you need to find them a new home. Doing so will allow for new energetic, productive members to join your team.
2. Clients who aren’t the right fit
We all have clients that may not be a great fit for our firms. It can be tough to reconcile when those clients have been with you a long time and/or they account for a lot of your revenue. Trust me; you’re doing yourself and your client a disservice by not aligning them with a firm that better meets their needs, and yours. Show clients like these how you can create more value for them by following your process and your policies (which may include raising their fees to match the value you’re providing) — or else you must help them find a better home ASAP.
Moving from confusion to action
Whenever I feel confused, overwhelmed or stuck in analysis paralysis mode, I simply ask myself this one question: “If the answer were obvious, what would it be?" It’s not hard to arrive at the solution quickly when you use this framework.
Here are a few more ways to push yourself through the tough decisions and tasks:
- Force yourself to get started. Getting the rock up the hill is the toughest part about any decision or change behavior. Put your shoulder into the challenge and get started today! Once you do, the momentum starts building quickly.
- Be open to change. Many people in our profession don’t like change, whether it pertains to ourselves or to our firms. If this is what’s getting you stuck, it may be time to reframe the way we think about change. After all, change is almost always what leads to growth. For more about adapting to change, see my article, "
Becoming an anti-fragile CPA ."
- Follow your instincts. We all have well-liked, longstanding employees who may be marginal performers. We all have high-paying, but difficult clients who may be better served elsewhere. It can be tough to cut them loose. But the longer you procrastinate about doing so, the worse the situation will get. Don’t lose a lot of sleep agonizing over what to do. Just follow the obvious path — let them go. They’ll be happier in the long run, and so will you.
- Remind yourself it’s not a popularity contest. When it comes to making tough decisions, it’s more important for firm leaders to be trusted and respected than it is for them to be universally well liked. Adopting this philosophy is the only way you can move forward as a firm. It’s not a popularity contest; it’s a business decision.
By the way, the decision-making process I’ve outlined above also works for parenting, home purchases, relocation decisions and other seemingly tough decisions that keep you preoccupied. Again, just ask yourself: “What would I do if I weren’t confused? What would be the obvious answer?”
By following the most obvious path, you will no longer feel stuck. You’ll feel a great sense of relief and free up your mind for the more productive and enjoyable things in life. As Miller would say, “If you confuse, you lose.”
Don’t let yourself fall into that trap again.
