Hi Reader,

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Welcome to Rev Up for the Week, where each week I deliver a positive or productive idea for the week ahead. It's officially September, and one of the rare occasions when I'm actually writing this on the Sunday morning - yes, the school holiday juggle has been very real, and I can't wait to get back to my desk this week.

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I have a busy few weeks ahead, as I'm gearing up to the release of my new book, "KIND: The quiet power of kindness at work", which drops in the UK on 10th October (and slightly later in places like the USA and western europe, but hold tight). And after a few weeks snatching bits of work time where I can, I'm definitely feeling the pinch of being "the bottleneck" for lots of projects where my decisions or input are needed right now.

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It got me thinking about decisions. If you manage people, the chances are you're the bottleneck for lots of peoples' work, and your ability to make quick decisions is a crucial habit for success.

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A few years ago, I did an 'extreme productivity experiment' where for a month, I carried dice with me, and whenever I was stuck on something, or didn't know what to do next, I'd make the decision by coming up with two, or three or six options and roll the dice. I ordered food in restaurants with dice, decided on whether to have a night in or a night out, and made hundreds of other decisions this way. It was remarkably freeing: when you remove ego from the decision-making process (because "well it was the dice's choice, so you can't blame me OR praise me"), it turns out most things are pretty trivial. It's our sense of responsibility and ownership that adds most of the gravity.

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During that month of my 'Dice Man' experiment, about four or five people all shared with me an old Yorkshire saying, which has stayed with me to this day:

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You get a third of your decisions right

You get a third of your decisions wrong

And a third of your decisions don't matter anyway.

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What I learnt that month, more than anything else, was that what's more important than perfection is progress. If you've started, and have some momentum, then that's a better place to be than being stuck (and cumulatively more fuzzy about your options each day). Even progress in completely the wrong direction is better than being stuck because now you have the new data of those experiences to aid your next decision, you have other people working on it and realising it needs to change, and you have less fear or guilt about your own procrastination to fill up your headspace.

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I've probably told you before, but although I write these for you, I usually write them for me too. So this week as I jump back into the work after too many weeks of childcare (and a brief trip to the Olympics) my focus is very much on decisions - how can I free up other people to do their best work, stop being the bottleneck on things, and make it all happen.

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So if, like me, you're one of those reflective people who likes to ruminate over decisions, remember the rule of thirds: you'll get some right, you'll get some wrong, and a third didn't matter anyway. But whatever you decide, you'll have momentum. So come on. Get going.

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Have a great week,

Graham

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