The world we live in is a world where a lot of options abound. Right from the very little things like buying a cloth, to even a much bigger thing like choosing a career path, people are often flooded with hundreds of options and possibilities. People tend to think that they are happier when they have these opinions. However, what they fail to understand is that having too many options can actually put someone in a mental trap. Imagine you waking up in the morning and spending about 30 minutes of very important time just deciding on what to wear. Even after making the choice, you will still be considering if you made the right choice, or if there was a better option. This also happens in other aspects of life, and it can hinder people from moving forward. This is why you have to master the power of the final choice.
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I have come to discover that when people are not fully committed to what they want to do, they will always keep an "exit" door in their mind. For example, imagine someone who wants to start a new business, yet thinking that if the business does not work in 3 months, that they will just go back to their old job. This will make them not to be fully committed. That is, they will just put one foot in, and another foot out. If things begin to get tough, your brain will simply tell you "look for the exit door." Then you will waste the energy that you would have used to solve the problem to plan your exit. Having too many options does not actually make you safe, rather it divides your attention, and may even make you to fail at the end.
There are times that the only way to succeed at what you are entering into is to burn the bridge behind you. Some weeks ago, I watched a movie, even though it was science fiction, but it taught me some very vital lessons about life. In the movie, the military troops went for an attack, so when they landed in the enemy land, the captain burnt their own aircraft. Every soldier was surprised by what he did. Then he told them to look at the smokes coming from it. He went further to tell them that the only way they will be able to get back home is if they defeat the enemy and take possession of their own aircraft. By the act of burning the bridge behind them, the captain set them on the path of absolute clarity.
Every soldier already knew that their own fate was in their hand and that there is no running back and no other option apart from winning. That is, they had absolutely zero exit door. This made them to put in 100% of their efforts, zeal, motivation, and courage to fight. They fought so hard because they knew that their survival depended on it. The kind of discipline and focus they employed had never been seen among them. At the end, they conquered the enemy and they were on the way home with the enemy's aircraft. On their way home, the captain made a statement that I still remember, he said "we won because we had only one option, which is to win." In life, when you give your 100% to what you do, you have a better chance of succeeding at it.
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There is an adorable thing that happens with total commitment. When you make a final choice, the internal debate in your mind will stop. You will no longer be wasting your time and your willpower on questions like "should I keep doing this?" "Is their something else I should do?" "Is there a better pathway?" It is at this point that you will begin to focus on what you are doing, and give it your undivided attention. When you stop looking for alternative paths, it will be easier to build the path that you are in. You will become more resilient. Even when you meet obstacles on your way, you will not begin to think that they are results of wrong paths, rather you will see them as the stepping-stone for success. When you choose a path, it will become easier to succeed at it than hopping from one path to another.
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