An example: We have a Pitney Bowes stamp machine, but around the time I started, it had broken down. It was brought to my attention as something that we needed to fix, but by questioning the assumption as to whether we needed such a machine and the associated costs, I decided to let it sit for awhile. After a month of the machine sitting there broken and with not one complaint, it seemed likely we didn't really need it. We had a big mailing that we did for renewals on one of our products around then and prepared it with stamps and the help of my daughter, Katerina, and Debra's daughter, Natalie. We only do three or four of those a year. I've cancelled the contract and we're returning the machine, saving the company a small but significant amount of money.
This questioning of assumptions and the accompanying review of a given status quo is something I've always done regularly in my work. The decisions I make today will be questioned again, by me or whoever might be delegated responsibility for the subject matter, at appropriate intervals, whether months or years.
In my personal life, though, I'm not sure I've done enough of this. Obviously, I must have done some questioning, since I've moved from small business to big business and back again, as one of the larger examples. But when I think about other assumptions I have, I realize there are many that have gone unquestioned. For example:
- Do I care about whether I own or rent?
- What time should I go to sleep?
- When should I get up?
- Do I have the right hobbies, too many hobbies, too few?
- Should I really have a television or an Xbox?
- Is my car worth the payments?
- Should I plan my future more? How about less?
3 comments:
Questioning assumptions is a very mixed bag (imho). While it can be extremely useful in turning up motivations, it is terribly easy to get caught up in questioning everything. Even that isn't bad until it starts you running in little circles, looking for a place to start climbing out of the hole you could be digging for yourself.
You could use a GTD approach to avoid the trap. Hit it once when something new comes in, ask and answer "Why that?", then move on. Or am I questioning too much already?
:)
Clearly, knowing when to quit questioning and take some damn action is key. For example, I'm not going to bother questioning whether I should have the job I have right now because I started less than three months ago and already did that. I'll look at that again in three years or so, the commitment I've made to myself in terms of how long I think it'll take to do something really grand in the job.
As an absurd example, it would be pointless to spend time considering, say, should I continue to have arms? Slightly less absurd is the type of questioning of everything under the sun I see a certain youngest brother do. It's a process that leaves him effectively paralyzed with regard to meaningful actions or engaged in actions that appear largely fruitless.
Of course, that brings me back to what you said, doesn't it? Perhaps you were thinking of him while writing your comment?
don't they call that 'analysis paralysis'?
I think I am a victim
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