|
Litchfield wasn’t in the office when the discovery was made; only the head accountant.
Litchfield received the chilling new on a Sunday afternoon. The accountant told him that the Admiral had flown into a terrible rage. He had stomped and cursed and branded Litchfield a thief, traitor, and scoundrel.
Litchfield knew the consequences of defying the Japanese Army. They were grim. He would be fling into the Bridgehouse! The name alone filled people with fear. It was a torture chamber. Litchfield had personal friends who had committed suicide rather than be taken to the Bridgehouse. Other friends had died in the Bridgehouse after only ten days. Now it seemed Litchfield himself was destined for the chamber of horror.
Litchfield went to the typewriter in his room in the Y.M.C.A. He wrote out two questions. The first: What am I worrying about? The second: What can I do about it? He had used this technique for years whenever he had a problem. Now, the answers might save his life. Writing down the answers to these questions clarified his thinking.
He wrote that the problem was that he was afraid that he might be thrown in the Bridgehouse.
“What,” he asked himself, “would he do about it?”
He spent hours answering the second question. He came up with four possible courses of action and weighed each one.
One, he could try to speak to the Japanese Admiral. But the Admiral spoke no English. He could use the interpreter, but this might only irritate the Admiral, for he was an irrational and cruel man who would rather let the sadists in the Bridgehouse deal with interrogations.
Two, he could try to escape. But his chances were slim. The Japanese kept track of him all the time. He had to check in and out of his room at the Y.M.C.A. If he did get caught trying to escape, he would be shot.
Three, he could stay in his room and never go near the office again. But, if he did, the Admiral would become suspicious. Soldiers would be sent to get him and they would throw him into the Bridgehouse.
Four, he could go down to the office on Monday morning as usual, pretending that nothing was wrong. Perhaps, the Admiral would have cooled off by then. Perhaps, he would be too busy to remember. Or, perhaps, the Admiral would give him a chance to explain why he made the omission in the list.
After long deliberation, the fourth option appeared favorable. It offered him the best chance of survival.
As soon as he had made the decision and made a commitment to follow it, a wave of relief swept over him. Exhausted, he went to bed and slept well.
When he entered the office on Monday, the Admiral was there, smoking a cigarette. He glared at Litchfield but said nothing. Six weeks passed, and still the Admiral did nothing to bring up the topic. Then—the Admiral was sent back to Tokyo.
Make a decision and act on it. It could even save your life.
Galen Litchfield’s experience illustrates the importance of arriving at a decision. He was caught in a no-win situation. Any decision could have been the wrong one. There was no way for him to resolve this dilemma. However, not making a decision is also a decision. It is choosing to act impulsively, and not rationally. There are also consequences to this.
The failure to arrive at a decision causes a person to go round and round and round in maddening circles. The person ponders over the same information over and over. It is this failure to grasp a problem that creates nervous breakdowns. Once a decision is made, a clear, definite course of action opens up. Once a decision is acted on, a flow of courage and energy opens up new possibilities.
There is no guarantee that the decision is correct. Not making a decision, however, can result in disaster. If Litchfield had not made a decision, he would have been nervous in the presence of the Admiral. This may have been seen as an admission of guilt. The result: the Bridgehouse.
In your own life, you can arrive at a decision in a baffling situation by writing down four steps.
Step one: Write down what the problem is.
Step two: Write down what you can do about it.
Step three: Decide, or choose, what to do.
Step four: Act on it as soon as possible.
This method should not be underestimated because it is so simple. It is efficient, concrete, and strikes at the root of the issue. Decision-making puts an end to an endless loop of fact-finding and increasingly bewildering analysis. Once sufficient facts are in, and once sufficient analysis has been done – make a decision and act on it.
Decisions are powerful because they lead to action. Action is a positive effort to resolve the problem.
Sometimes problems do go away on their own. Sometimes they need decisive action. Sometimes you need to wait to get more information. But whether you decide to ignore, act, or wait – do decide rather than wallow in uncertainty.
Seldom are decisions life and death issues. Often enough, you have to make the wrong decision so as to later on arrive at the correct one. It is not possible to be wholly accurate, but it is possible to find the right route by taking all the wrong ones first.
It is self-destructive to refuse to confront a situation. When you deal with it, you’re on your way to resolving it.
Above all, decide. Waite Phillips, one of Oklahoma’s most prominent of oil men, once said. “I find that to keep thinking about our problems beyond a certain point is bound to create confusion and worry. There comes a time when any more investigation and thinking are harmful. There comes a time when we must decide and act and never look back.”
Once you have made a careful decision based on the available facts, swing into action. Avoid hesitation, reconsideration, retracing your steps. Follow the advice of William James: “When once a decision is reached and execution is the order of the day, dismiss absolutely all responsibility and care about the outcome.
P.S. Remember, stay the course. If you can keep up with each issue, you'll develop an irresistible momentum toward a life of happiness, success, and contribution. |