The Importance of Desperation - And How to Harness It
How many times has someone said to you: "You're being rash"?
Maybe it came out a little more mildly: "Don't rush your decision."
Or: "Why don't you take a few days to think about it?"
I can safely say that I've heard these statements – or some variation – two dozen times a year for the last five decades. (So, roughly 100 times!)
In life, we're often encouraged not to make rash decisions. But what if I told you that we absolutely need to make rash decisions? What if I told you that the one thing people try to avoid – being desperate and rash – is exactly what each of us needs, to become our most successful selves?
Believe it or not, making rash decisions is exactly how I got to where I am now — celebrating my 28th year as CEO of Balancing Life's Issues, a global training company that reaches more than one million people a year.
You’re likely still wondering how being rash can help you attain any sort of success. Well, my company, our Fortune 1000 clients, our 12 full-time employees, even our three-legged dog/mascot Dunkin – are all here today because I made a rash decision to start a company out of desperation 28 years ago.
You see, overnight, I became a single mother – with three children who needed food on the table.
And despite my Ivy league education and many learnings in business school, I found myself desperate. It caused me to make one of the best decisions of my life to start a company that enables me – and 12 others - to be self-sufficient and successful. Would we be here if I had taken time to analyze with a fine-tooth comb the exact moves I should make, the obstacles I could face, or the doubts I may have had? Not a chance. Excuses are bred in the time we take to overthink. Desperation doesn’t allow for such a luxury — what a blessing that can be.
So, I encourage you, just like I encourage the millions of people we speak with every year, to ask yourselves: What are you desperate for? Are you desperate to change your financial situation? Personal relationships? Relationship with yourself?
Six years ago, Daymond John, the founder of Bombas, made a rash, desperate business decision to send an email to all 13,000 of his contacts (even his ex-wives and girlfriends!) to announce his new sock company. Many of them bought from him that day, and today the company is valued at over $100 million dollars.
About 10 years ago, I met a woman who knew that her husband had been cheating and gambling. But she stayed in the relationship for years. It was only when she learned that he had gambled away her home – and their daughter's college savings – that she felt desperate enough to walk away and make a big change in her life. Today, she leads business development for a Fortune 100 company; her daughter just finished her second year of college, and I'm proud to call her my good friend.
So the next time you're feeling desperate or rash: Don't avoid it. Embrace it. And ask yourself: What amazing outcome can I create out of this less-than-amazing feeling?
You might just surprise yourself.
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