The Loneliest Job in the World

Running a business is lonely. I don’t mean occasionally; I mean always. It is the one thing most directors I know will never actually admit out loud.

In my younger days, I dealt with that pressure the worst way possible: I hid from the big decisions. I put them off, hoping they would somehow resolve themselves if I just waited long enough. They never did.

Here is what nobody tells you. When you carry a decision you haven’t made, one you know in your gut you should have dealt with, it follows you home. It sharpens your edges, keeps you awake at 3 a.m., and stops you from being your normal self. The cruellest part? It would have been so much simpler if I had just dealt with it.

Over 45 years, I’ve watched the genuinely successful people do something most avoid. They go into a quiet room, sit down, and work through every option, every consequence, and every angle. They don’t come out until they have a clear plan.

It sounds simple, but it isn’t. It takes real courage to sit alone with a difficult problem and not run away from it. Is there something you’ve been putting off? Not a small task, but a real, heavy decision? Give it an hour today. Just you, a quiet room, and the problem. You might surprise yourself.