Think Harder

Whenever someone gives me a task and says, “It will only take five minutes,” I automatically think, “from what?”  That’s five minutes I’m not spending elsewhere.  Is that time better spent, or not? Opportunity cost is the measure of what is given up in pursuit of another interest.  It’s a nearly impossible thing to quantify completely.  Most of us do it instinctively to some degree with every decision we make.  

There are a couple of poor tendencies that can challenge the effectiveness of our instincts.  First, the tendency to doubt your current venture, what you’re pursuing now, leads one to over-value other possible opportunities, be they known or speculative.  This leads to a lack of commitment, over analysis, poor focus and enthusiasm.   The other challenging tendency is to doubt the value of other possible opportunities.  A lack of imagination, confidence or self-worth can keep one from instinctively assuming great opportunity exists outside of a current venture.  This can keep one stuck in a failing effort, afraid to pursue the unknown.

Consider this – the cost of analyzing opportunity cost.  It erodes time, attention, focus, commitment from current ventures.  It takes time and emotion to constantly think, “What else is out there?”  Hesitation comes with a huge cost.  How much?  Not sure.  That’s gonna require more analysis!  In this case the opportunity cost is the failure to make the prospect right in front of you great.  While you’re engaged in a constant analysis of what else is out there, trying to control a projection of infinite possibilities, with infinite variables, with infinite possible changes to the outcome, based on infinite uncontrollable circumstances… well, you’re not pursuing the current given interest with full focus and enthusiasm. Use your instincts!  Check them only against these two things:  Am I confident there are other worthy opportunities?  And, do I clearly understand the worth of my current pursuit?  If you significantly undervalue either, you’re in trouble.  You can question infinitely, analyze into inaction, and commit only to considering alternatives forever. You can get caught in an opportunity cost loop, analyzing speculative nickels until the currency changes.  Or you can trust an instinct.  Decisions have to be made.  Investments have to be made.  Sacrifices have to be made.  Make them.  If you’re unable to act because of opportunity cost analysis, well, then you really have no opportunity at all.

To my faithful readers I don’t need to explain that I’m referring to love as much as business.

So you’re not really looking. You just didn’t get around to deleting your profile.  Did you forget, or do you like having an extra line in the water just in case?  Do you like those recruiters calling you just so you know they’re still out there?  Whether in work or in your personal life, if you don’t take some risk in the opportunity you are currently engaged in, you will never be at your best.  At what point do those distractions become the reason your current commitment doesn’t work?  Is it your boss, or your divided loyalty that keeps you from accomplishing something great?  Is it your lover, or your inability to give them your all that makes you insecure in your relationship? 

Try this:  Quit taking recruiter calls.  Quit texting that other attractive person.  Quit turning someone’s advances down with, “I can’t. I’m busy,” and instead say you’re in a committed relationship.  Quit working on your resume and start working on work.  If you don’t commit, you’ll always have another rationale for your failure.  But you won’t really know if it’s a commitment problem until you’re in it 100%.  Whether or not it’s literally Monster.com and Match.com, try pulling yourself off the market completely.  Vest in your commitments openly and fully.  Then see how well it pans out.  Performing at your best in your work or in love is the surest way to protect your success long term, whether it’s in that relationship or the next.