I was seated at my desk, preparing an on-line purchase for items that I cannot find locally. One for which I was not willing to shop in the city, an activity that I am beginning to find particularly challenging when I got hung up on - for God’s sake - a $7 purchase that I couldn’t get past. I put it in my cart, I took it out of my cart. I proceeded to “Place Order” and backed off when I read that it would be shipped separately from the rest. More packaging, I thought. Not good for the world. So I placed my order without it, and when the acceptance notification came in, I discovered that the other six pieces would be shipped on three different dates anyway. “Poof!” I said, “There goes the planet!” I sat back and stared at my screen. Now what? And then I heard it. A little voice in the back of my head. “For heaven’s sake, Liz. Commit! Either you are in all the way, or you’re out.”
I wasn’t really surprised. I have always been a ditherer. The trait of hesitating, vacillating, oscillating, overthinking, chewing up, and thoroughly dissecting a move before I make it has been of benefit in the past, but only when somewhere at the end of all that pondering, I actually made a decision. Of course, taking that final step is the most difficult part of any process, and it is especially so if one is focused on eliminating all possible foreseeable negative outcomes that one can think of first. It isn’t possible, by the way.
There is no absolute right way for anything. No matter what you do, no matter who you consult, crystal balling the future is a guess at best. Harbour Landing was based, and built-in 2017, on a forecast of 650 children, but now has an enrollment of well over 900. How could anyone have predicted that so many people would not mind building their homes on marshland and that immigration would exceed expectations? The school board gathered as much information as it could, but at some point, it, and the province, had to make a decision; move forward or continue with delays and consultations. The same held true for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon as well as the Regina Bypass. Just think of all the people who must have been involved. Those who, sooner or later, whether they all agreed - and that was highly unlikely - or not had to accept that to accomplish something they had to pick a point in their deliberations and commit!
There is a difference between “commitment” and “commit”. Commitment means that you are dedicated to following a path or obligation, but you can do so without ever having to take a stand. For example, you might feel a commitment to a specific political party, and yet when faced with a choice between going to a rally or heading to a movie, choose the latter. You are still going to support that party - you believe in them and what they represent - but you didn’t really have to put yourself out. To commit means giving them your vote, your “X,” making a decision that will have an impact on something, somewhere, regardless of the outcome - positive or negative. It is a leap of faith, a move that Dave reminds me is a choice made; it cannot be undone, only learned from. And then you must let it go because if you don’t, you will drive yourself absolutely nuts.
Sitting at my desk, I not only heard my little voice, but I also listened. I just put that brain of mine in neutral, forgave myself for the upcoming extra packaging transgression, found the $7 item, popped it in my cart, headed to “Purchase” and “Placed” my order. Drawing a line in the sand, stepping over it and not looking back is hard sometimes, but it is necessary, and it is only a decision away. Commit and move on.
- Liz Cameron
Disclaimer: opinions expressed are those of the writer
