Mr. Achievement - Stanley F. Bronstein - Personal Development BlogPersonal Development Blog of the Founder of the Achievement IQ Movement and Creator of the Laws of Positioning

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Measure twice, THEN cut once. (Carpenter’s Maxim)

Some Definitions

Measure - the extent, dimensions, quantity, etc., of something, ascertained esp. by comparison with a standard. The act or process of ascertaining the extent, dimensions, or quantity of something.

Twice - Two times, as in succession. On two occasions; in two instances. In twofold quantity or degree; in double the amount or degree.

Cut -To penetrate with or as if with a sharp-edged instrument or object. To divide with or as if with a sharp-edged instrument; sever; carve. To trim by clipping, shearing, paring, or pruning.

Once - A single time. Even a single time; at any time; ever.

Maxim - An expression of a general truth or principle.

What Am I Getting At Here?

The point I would like to expand upon is that we often take action, based upon our INITIAL thoughts. We don’t always think things through TWICE before we act.

Now, this places me in an interesting situation. I pride myself on being able to react to situations faster than practically anybody around me. I often do that by summing up a situation ONCE and then acting AT ONCE.

Guess what, 95% of the time that works well for me. HOWEVER, I ran into a situation over the past week where that did NOT work well for me. It was one of those 5% times.

I’m Talking About The EXTRA 5%

If we want to increase the likelihood that our decisions are correct ones, then SOMETIMES, we need to pause for a second and think twice before we act.

Very few people ever bother to think even once before they act, yet I’m suggesting that we should think twice. Why?

High Achievers Do What Others Do Not Do

Quite simply, the highest achievers in our society are willing to do things others are NOT willing to do.

They will take an extra step, often in times when others are not even willing to take a single step.

THAT is what will set you apart.

How To Get Started

It’s simple JUST BECOME AWARE of what I am saying here. By becoming aware that sometimes it is a good thing to think twice before we act, we automatically increase the likelihood that we will exercise better judgment in certain situations.

The question is then, do you agree, or do you not? Do you have any examples in your life? If so, please share them with us.