The Importance Of Taking The First Step

Life can be summed up in a series of decisions. Some don’t really matter, while others require a lot of effort (leaving your partner, declaring you are angry with someone, asking a friend to give us back the money we loaned them, etc.) because they put us in an awkward position. ,”between the devil and the deep sea”.

However, as the years go by, we realize that there is no other solution than to deal with adverse situations as they come. And the sooner we solve our problems, the easier it will be to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves in life.

For this reason, it is important to take the initiative and take the first step in the face of any situation. This is a good way to keep control over ourselves and our life, as well as the fact that we will live free from stress and worries.

In fact, many people have been successful because other people in their environment have taken the initiative and been able to take the first step with conviction and energy. Ask Michael Jordan’s agent, who before accepting a deal with the Chicago Bulls decided that the world-famous player would deserve a salary of $52 million a year. After long, difficult and “aggressive” negotiations, Jordan agreed to receive an annual check for $30 million, not bad, right?

This is just one example, but for sure you will find many others in any area of ​​your life (love, friendship, work, free time, etc.). For this, we will reveal the benefits of “taking the first step”:

More self-confidence

It is normal for it to be difficult to take initiative at first if you are shy or withdrawn, especially in a completely new situation for you. However, after doing it once, you will learn about the way and the next time it will be less difficult. Finally, it will really be the “usual soup”. This is true both when it comes to asking someone out for the first time or when you need to negotiate during a job interview. You already have “no” before taking the initiative, so you have absolutely nothing to lose.

The third or fourth time you succeed, you will feel that you have really achieved your goal, with the dose of satisfaction and self-esteem that this implies. The best thing to “take the first step” is not to think much, but to act directly. Remember that “nothing ventured nothing gained”.

Decision and self-confidence

We have seen what are the benefits of taking the first step and taking the initiative. However, many people are likely to ask themselves: “How do I take the first step?”. First, non-verbal communication is very important. Before taking the initiative in any situation, therefore, make eye contact with the other party (without annoying or boring the other). Then, try to present your arguments as clearly as possible, without doubts or hesitations. In this way, you will give an image of great security and self-confidence.

Finally, it is also important to be a little flexible and democratic, whenever possible, because very often your interests will be in total conflict with those of the other person. For this reason, the best thing is to come to a compromise from which both sides are satisfied. Also because, otherwise, you would be the only winners and in the long run this becomes boring, don’t you think?

Photo courtesy of udra11.