I’d like to talk about my older cousin, Marcus, who runs a small catering business in Manchester. He’s easily one of the most decisive people I’ve ever met, whether it comes to major life moves or tiny everyday choices.
In his professional life, he has to make snap judgements all the time, such as changing a menu at the last minute if an ingredient isn't fresh, or negotiating with local suppliers on the spot. But this trait spills over into his personal life, too. A couple of years ago, he decided to buy a second-hand delivery van within about twenty minutes of viewing it, and whenever we go out for a meal, he looks at the menu for roughly ten seconds before closing it and knowing exactly what he wants.
As for how he does it, Marcus mostly relies on his gut instinct combined with past experience. He always says that overthinking creates unnecessary stress. Instead of weighing up every single pro and con for hours, he focuses on the main priority, like whether a vehicle is mechanically sound or whether a holiday flat is within budget, and if the key criteria are met, he just pulls the trigger without second-guessing himself.
To be honest, I really admire his approach. I tend to suffer from a bit of indecision myself and can spend days agonising over minor things, so watching him is quite refreshing. That said, I suppose it can occasionally backfire, because once or twice he’s ended up with a sub-standard hotel room by booking in haste. Overall, though, his decisiveness saves him an enormous amount of mental energy, and I genuinely try to adopt a bit of his mindset whenever I feel overwhelmed by choices.