What Road Are You On?
Author: Carol Gegner

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side, of course! That age old question continues to delight young children. In their eyes it’s a simple question with a simple answer.

Adults on the other hand have fun complicating the chicken’s decision to cross the road by asking more questions. What’s the chicken’s objective? Are there alternatives to take into consideration? What are the consequences of crossing the road? What is the tradeoff if the chicken crosses the road?

In your life as well as in your business you travel on many different roads. Sometimes those roads lead to a fork or a crossroad requiring you to make decisions about what path to take. Life is more than just crossing the road.

If you are on a straight two-lane road, your decisions might be simple. Like the chicken all you need to do is get to the other side. The answer doesn’t require a discourse about the path you are taking. You make hundreds of decisions everyday without giving much thought to them.

What if the road you are currently on is a major thoroughfare with lots of intersections. Do you change your direction and make a turn or continue on your present path? What happens if you come to a fork in the road? These decisions are more difficult than just getting to the other side.

Sometimes making decisions is like working a jigsaw puzzle. All you need to do is find the one missing piece that fits in just the right spot. Other times decision-making is complex and tests your ability to find several solutions or deal with ambiguity.

When you need to make a major decision do you become a doubting Thomas? Crazy thoughts start to enter your mind. Your internal voice is saying, “this will never work” or “what were you thinking.” Your self-doubt creates a mental paralysis and you do nothing!

Or do fears set in and take over? How many times have you not done what you wanted to do because you feared failure, rejection or criticism? Self-doubt and fears are universal and experienced by everyone at some point in their lives.

The good news is you have a choice about how to handle your doubts and fears. You can let your fears and self-doubt control you or you can learn how to control them. Successful people have learned how to do the latter. It takes courage to be successful. Mark Twain wrote that courage is not a lack of fear or absence of fear. Courage is the control and mastery of fear.

Making decisions is a fundamental life skill and you really want to make the right decision. However, your fear is your decision will be wrong. You start waffling back and forth creating space for doubts and fears to grow.

Do you stay in your comfort zone and only cross the road to get to the other side or take a risk by changing your direction and trying something new? Holding on to the status quo seems easier but it’s not always the best decision. Find your courage and master your fears so you can take a new road.

According to Brian Tracy, the Laws of Success tell us (1) to be bold, take action and the universe will provide forces to help us achieve our goals; (2) act as if it is impossible to fail by imagining success is guaranteed and (3) follow the Nike saying “just do it”.

Don’t let fear and self-doubt keep you from having the life and business you dream of creating. Get behind the wheel, start your engine and remember to follow Yogi Berra’s advice. When you come to a fork in the road, take it!








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Carol Gegner is President of Executive Coaching and Consulting Systems and she publishes Keys to Success, a FREE monthly ezine. You can subscribe at http://www.coachexecs.com and receive a FREE report on Goal Setting for Success.

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