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Thursday, October 23, 2025

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The Review

Cicero’s words remind us of a timeless truth: while we fear mistakes, it is hesitation—not error—that robs us of progress. Time doesn’t pause while we deliberate. Opportunities slip away when we delay.

A wrong decision can be corrected, learned from, and even used as a stepping stone toward success. Indecision, however, breeds nothing but stagnation. It consumes time, drains energy, and leaves us with regret for the chances we never took.

In today’s world, where choices seem endless and the pressure to “get it right” is high, Cicero’s wisdom is even more relevant. Action creates clarity. Waiting for certainty only ensures missed opportunities.

Expanded Meaning for Today’s Reader

• Action Breeds Clarity: We don’t need perfect knowledge to move forward; action itself creates understanding.

• Regret of Inaction: Most people regret the chances they didn’t take far more than the mistakes they made.

• Time as the Real Cost: Indecision steals our most valuable resource—time.

• Opportunities Are Fleeting: Life moves on whether we act or not. Doors don’t stay open forever.

Cicero lived in the volatile final years of the Roman Republic, where hesitation could mean political downfall or societal collapse. His warning wasn’t just philosophical—it was practical. Leaders, citizens, and individuals alike needed courage to act decisively. That same courage is what we are called to today.

Key Takeaway

Don’t let the fear of making a mistake paralyze you. Mistakes teach, refine, and move you forward. Indecision leaves you standing still. As Cicero taught, indecision is the true thief of opportunity.

📚 Resource List: Overcoming Indecision & Embracing Action

Books

1. The War of Art — Steven Pressfield

2. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less — Greg McKeown

3. Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work — Chip Heath & Dan Heath

4. Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway — Susan Jeffers

5. The 5 Second Rule — Mel Robbins
   

Articles & Essays

• Why Indecision is Worse than a Wrong Decision — Harvard Business Review

• Analysis Paralysis: Why We Can’t Make Decisions — Psychology Today

• Action Bias: Why Doing Something Is Better Than Doing Nothing — Farnam Street
  

Practices & Tools

• The 2-Minute Rule: Decide instantly on small actions.

• Pros & Cons Matrix: A weighted list to balance analysis with movement.

• Decision Deadlines: Give yourself a firm cut-off for choices.

• Daily Reflection Journal: Track lessons from decisions made.

• Visualization Practice: Compare the outcomes of acting vs. not acting.

Quotes for Reinforcement

• “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” – Theodore Roosevelt
  

• “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” – General George S. Patton