Today is April 17 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “How often do consider best versus right when comparing between options?”
Successful people spend a good deal of time comparing their best option to the right one.
This is an important stepping stone to use as people will often be blinded by the allure of the “best” of something instead of the “right” one.
This is often the case with the selection of what college to attend or major to select. People believe that they need to go to the best school.
The best school provides the best education and the best opportunities to get the best job for the best career to have the best life.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Successful people know that identifying the right option, not the best one, is the stepping stone.
The latest research regarding this topic can be found in Malcolm Gladwell’s book David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and The Art of Battling Giants, who noted: “We strive for the best and attach great importance to getting into the finest institutions we can. But rarely do we stop and consider whether the most prestigious of institutions is always in our best interest.”
That type of thinking can be applied to almost anything in life.
When making a decision, are you focused on the best option or the right one? Do you have the self-awareness required to choose the right one?
If there are advantages to going to the best school, are there disadvantages? If one has a critical eye and an open mind, there usually are.
It is also important to remember that others will disagree with your view on what is the best option compared to the right one.
As Coach Herb Brooks said when building the U.S. 1980 Olympic hockey team: "I'm not looking for the best players - I'm looking for the right ones." Selecting the right players allowed Brooks to build a team that would go on and upset the Soviet Union and eventually win the gold medal.
How often do consider best versus right when comparing between options?”