During a recent, intensive, face-to-face mentoring session a couple of weeks ago my mentor questioned my obsession with being ‘overly prepared’ and informed to the point of saturation, when I am making decisions. I like to think I am a decisive person, and believe I make decisions very quickly, but on reflection she might have a point. I do obsess, do my research both on the web and through literature. Not unusual you might think but its the extent to which I undertake both that we were discussing. I believed it had come from the years I have spent doing two degrees. My mentor perceived it as me wallowing in my comfort zone, wanting an extensive array of evidence available at my fingertips because I eternally sought to justify my decisions. She suggested it was a confidence in my own judgement issue, or perhaps an issue in treating everyone else as “logical, rational thinkers” so they too would be convinced, beyond all reasonable doubt, that my decisions were good sound ones, in the same way that I am persuaded, with an armoury of logical, rational evidence. Food for thought! Does this say more about what persuades me than what persuades others??
Well, its time to bite the bullet and get a grip and in 2012 I will do just that; stop collecting interesting articles which may come in handy (just in case), clear those files on my computer which again may come in handy (just in case), clear those web sites from the favourites (just in case)! I have to say, it was going really well until I thought I would just read them before I deleted them………….. doh!
Have as much faith in yourself as others have in you. Looking forward to our next session to take stock and explore areas for the future. Happy New Year!