Reza Satchu, a six-time entrepreneur and senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, says ambitious people often succumb to the “curse of selectivity.” They try to keep all options open, he says, so they underperform, paralyze their judgment, and end up doing nothing at all.
You can buck the trend by committing to one of your options, pretty much whatever it is. “You actually do things that other people don’t do,” Satchu told CNBC Make It, giving him a “huge advantage” and potentially helping him achieve his goals.
Struggling with this commitment can be like taking on a ton of projects at work and then realizing you don’t actually have the bandwidth to complete them all at full capacity. That can manifest as anxiety about committing to the wrong project, Sachu added. “You’re always thinking, ‘The grass is greener elsewhere.’
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A lack of focus can cause even the most talented people to miss goals and deadlines, lose their sense of well-being, and feel less fulfilled in life and work, Sachu says. A June 2021 research paper by neuroeconomics researchers at the University of Zurich found that people with high mental acuity tend to take more time to make decisions and draw conclusions.
But with a few mindset changes, he suggests, you can be ambitious and committed at the same time.
No need to worry about what everyone else thinks
To stop ruminating about your options, Sachu says, you need to prioritize what others think of you.
People save their options for fear of looking bad. They think, “If I try something and fail, I’m going to look really bad in front of my colleagues,” Sachu says. “It creates a dramatic anxiety about what other people think. The reality is that people don’t really care what you do,” he added. “It’s better to worry about what makes the most sense and not worry about what other people think.”
Sachu recommends devoting 15 to 20 minutes each day to exploring your ideas and passions. Don’t let thoughts like “I’ve probably done this before” or “I probably won’t be able to do this” get in your way. Just immerse yourself in the research and practice at hand. This helps “train your brain to work on the small things” and develops the habit of seeing things through to completion.
Don’t see commitment as a loss
Choosing to do something and seeing it through doesn’t necessarily mean you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities. Chasing different projects at the same time can make you struggle to find out what your true purpose is, which can lead to burnout.
Reframe that FOMO as an opportunity to build a competitive edge, an opportunity to master something rather than know a little about a lot, Sachu says.
On a personal note, he added: “I’m very comfortable committing to things because I know that I have a competitive advantage over people who don’t commit. As someone who commits, I know that I have an advantage over someone who keeps their options open.”
Sometimes you just need a little nudge to reframe your way of thinking. One of the courses Satchu designed and teaches at Harvard Business School is called “Founder Launch,” which requires students to sign a contract committing themselves to starting a business rather than recruiting others to implement their idea or exploring other options to make the business a reality.
“I believe that the majority of my students raise money and start businesses because they are completely committed, not looking left or right, not focusing on other options,” Sachu says. “This should work.”
It’s often the commitment that separates those who succeed from those who don’t.
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