Optimistic Idiots vs. Pessimistic Workaholics

I remember in the long, long ago, in a data center far away, not wanting to make a network change because I was too busy dealing with other stuff. The DC owner basically said something (that I wish he was wrong about) that remains true to this day about my business:

“You know Vlad, it’s never going to get easier than it is right now.”

I’m a firm believer in the free will: you are the only one stopping yourself from doing something. When confronted with a problem you have two choices: deal with it or ignore it.

The optimistic idiot in you tells you that things always work out and you just need to relax and the universe (or god or karma) will take care of it. The pessimistic workaholic attacks the problem right away, plows through it without regard for anything other than the outcome.

Naturally, the answer is somewhere in the middle.

Very few people tend to be in the middle. This is something I’ve gotten to learn in the business world by interacting with thousands of CEO’s. The more timid folks that are just evaluating things and trying to sit back while things shake out are typically facing the same issues related to financial issues, growth issues, marketing issues, etc. Their response to issues is to tear stuff down and try to rebuild it in a way that causes less friction and less problems. The guys on the opposite side of this spectrum are usually ADD-ridden monkeys with bags under their blood-shot eyes.

Somewhere along the scale is where winners and losers are separated. What it tends to come down to is action vs. doing nothing. People that do nothing are quickly passed by the people that move quickly. Yes, sometimes moves go in the wrong direction, decisions backfire, change is not always positive – but it always beats doing nothing!