Skip NavigationReza Satchu, a serial entrepreneur and Harvard Business School senior lecturerReza Satchu
Ambitious people often find themselves succumbing to the “curse of optionality,” says six-time business founder and Harvard Business School senior lecturer Reza Satchu. They try so hard to keep all of their options open that they underperform or have decision paralysis and do nothing at all, he says.
By committing to one of your options, almost regardless of what it is, you can buck the trend. “Actually doing the thing that others won’t do,” Satchu tells CNBC Make It, gives you a “massive advantage” and can lead accomplishing your goals.
This struggle with commitment can look like taking on a bunch of projects at work, and then realizing you don’t actually have the bandwidth to complete them all to the best of your ability. It can show up as anxiety around dedicating yourself to the wrong project, Satchu adds: You’re constantly thinking “the grass is greener elsewhere.”
DON’T MISS: The communication skill that can help you accelerate your career growth
An absence of focus can make even the most capable people miss goals and deadlines, struggle with happiness and lack fulfillment in life and at work, says Satchu. Those with a higher mental acuity tend to need more time making decisions and drawing conclusions, found a June 2021 research paper from neuroeconomics researchers at the University of Zurich.
But you can be ambitious and committed at the same time with a couple of mindset shifts, he suggests:
Worry less about what everyone thinks
To stop ruminating about options, you should deprioritize what others think about you, Satchu says.
People preserve options because they’re afraid of looking bad. They think: “if I commit to something and I fail, I’m going to look really bad in front of my peers,” Satchu says. “There’s this dramatic insecurity around what other people think. The reality is, people don’t really care what you’re doing,” he adds. “You should care about what makes the most sense and worry less about what everyone else thinks.”
Satchu recommends dedicating 15 to 20 minutes every day to exploring an idea or passion you have — uninterrupted by thoughts like, “This has probably already been done before,” or “I probably can’t pull that off.” Simply immerse yourself in whatever research or practice is in front of you. This helps “train your brain to commit to small things,” and gets you into the routine of seeing something through.
Don’t view commitment as a loss
Choosing to do something and seeing it through doesn’t necessarily mean you’re missing out on a plethora of opportunities. Chasing different projects at the same time can often lead to burnout as you struggle to find out what your purpose really is.
Reframe that FOMO as a chance to build a competitive edge — to master something instead of knowing a little about a lot, says Satchu.
Speaking personally, he adds: “I’m quite happy to commit to things, because I know I have a competitive advantage over those that don’t commit … I know that the advantage I have as someone who’s committed versus someone who’s preserving options.”
Sometimes, you may need a bit of a push to reframe your thinking. One of the courses Satchu designed and teaches at Harvard Business School, called “Founder Launch,” requires students to sign a contract saying they’re committed to founding — not recruiting others to carry out an idea or searching for other options to bring a business to life.
“The vast majority of my students raise capital and launch, I believe, because they are fully committed, not looking left and right, not focused on other options,” says Satchu. “This is the thing that must work.”
It’s that commitment, often, that separates those who become successful with those who don’t.
Want to get ahead at work? Then you need to learn how to make effective small talk. In CNBC’s new online course, How To Talk To People At Work, expert instructors share practical strategies to help you use everyday conversations to gain visibility, build meaningful relationships and accelerate your career growth. Sign up today!
VIDEO03:41Why more international students are rethinking the U.S.Make It
About The Author
