Impulsivity has gotten me into trouble many times. It’s put me into situations that could’ve been handled better and has allowed my emotions to gain control over the direction of the outcome. When you act without a clear head, you tend to question yourself more once the damage is done.

You see, impulsivity feeds off your need to have authority. If a situation is headed down the opposite path you wish, then you automatically assume the best course of action is to step in and force it down the one you want. I’m all for making your own decisions but what’s your usual process of getting to that point? When you reach the end of that specific path, you have to ask yourself whether you wish you would have done it differently or not.

Impulsiveness is the enemy of deep thinking

Harvey F. Silver

I don’t know how many times I’ve regretted how certain events played out in my life because of my decisions that were made without thought. There was no examining the situation, switching different perspectives, or anything that could’ve slowed my mind down and forced me to breathe. In that moment, it was strictly about getting my say and doing it my way.

This kind of behavior has consequences. It can hurt the people you love, it can rob you of opportunities that would have benefited you greatly, and it always reminds you of the fact that you can’t turn back time. You may think you’ve taken back your power by simply reacting when really, it demonstrates the loss of self-control. It tricks you into believing you have the upper-hand, blurring out the gravity of the choice you just made.

Impulsivity feeds off your need to have authority.

An extra second or two of blocking out your emotions can make all the difference. With that being said, I’m also proud that I’ve had moments where I’ve taken the little extra time I needed before making a decision. Instead of regretting it, I get to be grateful for the crisis that was averted.

We’re bound to find ourselves in a position where the next 60 seconds determines what path we’ll start walking on. We owe it to ourselves to take a deep breath and make the choice we wouldn’t change if given the freedom to do so.