Making a decision

Today’s column is an excerpt from my book “Is there a job waiting for you?” (Nine weapons you can have so that job will look for you). This is the first of nine chapters I wrote to help our graduating students and young professionals. I think it’s high time to focus my advice to the country’s future workforce. And so starting this week, consider this as a mentoring series.

PICTURE this out: In 100 individuals enrolling in a primary school, more or less 50 of them get a chance to go to high school and roughly 25 of this number are able to pursue college education. Only 10 finally get their diploma and then take board exams if applicable. I got news for you: Only 1 out of 10 graduates that we produce is employed.

I have learned that “no” is the hardest word that you could ever find in a dictionary. On the other hand, “yes” is the softest. This, I think, is the primary reason why people get into so many troubles—they give so many yes. They compromise without analyzing first. The reason is the very definition of failure: Trying to please every one.

These small things matter big in the end. You can always disagree without being disagreeable. So learn the value of saying no. The bottom line: You must make and manage your decision.

Majority of the corporations today look for individuals who have the capacity to decide and manage the decision that they make regardless of their position. In other words they look for people who have the will and the sense of responsibility to get the job done and get it done right.

Choosing a degree to take in college is a major decision. I decided to take engineering. And during college I realized that I made the wrong choice. Logically, starting with a wrong equation makes the whole process wrong that eventually gives a wrong result. I had to think and for the second time, I had to decide.

Shortly after that, I decided to stay with one condition. I needed to redefine my life’s equation. This time, I would rather finish my engineering degree but I must always keep my options open, get myself involved in extra-curricular activities and grab the opportunities in place. Most importantly, I must manage my decision.

Making a decision for me is not just an art. It is a personal discipline. I meet a lot of successful people every day and whenever I ask them what changed their lives and how did they make it to the top, many of them answer: “I made a decision and managed it.”

Motivational speaker Francis J. Kong, founder of Company B, who is now the president and CEO of Funworks, Inc. is one of the people I look up to. When I first heard Mr. Kong talking about one of his darkest hours, I immediately concluded that by making a decision and managing it, he became successful.

He spent six years in high school—the reason why he is always asked by his schoolmates from what batch he belongs. Imagine a successful people staying that long in secondary education.

Making it short, he wasted two years of his life inclusive of summer classes. He wasted his energy and effort doing nothing that could have added to his personal growth that time. A varsity player he was, he didn’t care much on academic learning. He just played well and thought that alone would work. He was comfortable.

One time, he realized that he was going nowhere. He looked back and saw mountains of failures and disappointments. He understood the life of a loser. And he knew that he was one of them. That was never enjoyable.

To me, he had an option to decide. So, right there and then, I think he made a very wise decision—to turn the situation upside-down and live the life of a winner. And he made it.

It took him one decision to change his life’s direction and destination. He decided to become a winner. That started it all. And if you are going to trace the events after that, you’ll see how he managed his decision. We cannot change our destination overnight. But at anytime, we can change our direction leading to our destination.

He began studying his lessons despite temptations from his friends he calls “chicken and ducks.” He made himself an eagle soaring high—alone. He did whatever it took for his decision to totally work. He paid the price of his decision. Until he graduated reaping almost all the awards a San Sebastian student can get.

I always put an emphasis on what the poor and the rich have in common. In fact, this separates their social status. I describe it as the greatest equalizer unseen by many people. I call it a choice. Or better yet a decision. And it is always personal.

If you don’t make a decision, you just actually made one. And I tell you that deciding not to decide will make you someone living someone else’s decision. And one day, you’ll wake up wondering and asking yourself what have just happened or what could have happened differently if I made a choice which I think were right.

Make a decision right now. Manage it. For there are only two options left for you to get that job waiting for you: Become a winner who decides and manages a decision or a loser who let other people and situation decide for him.


Buddy to the top,

LLOYD A. LUNA