Can it wait?

Wise words from Slow Leadership:

One ‘trick’ that has served me well (when I have remembered to stick to it) is always to interpose a delay between making a decision and implementing it—even with such minor matters as responding to e-mails or accepting invitations. There are very, very few decisions that cannot wait 24 or 48 hours before action. The main reason for haste is usually only your own eagerness to get started or get a problem over with.

That small time gap can be just enough to allow for second thoughts. Responding quickly to someone who makes you angry means your response will be driven entirely by the emotion of the moment—without space for considering what that might do to a long-term relationship important to you both. Jumping to implement a course of action easily causes you to become committed. By the time you see your choice is not quite as good as you thought, it’s too late to pull out.

Ever wished you had taken this approach…?