Analysis is definitely one of the top five qualities that separate me from others. Not that I'm great at it, just that I lean heavily that way. I'm almost always willing to develop a spreadsheet to study what's happened or project what will.
It goes beyond numbers. When crucial decisions need to be made, my mind leaps back and forth on either side of the yes/no line, rustling up the pros and cons. It's not infrequent that I change my conclusion.
Analysis is a gift - it helps make sure that buildings aren't shaky, that a company stays solvent, that planes fly safely. But it's also a breeding ground for the fearful to slip into "analysis paralysis," where someone falls behind because of the hesitancy to make a mistake or the obsession with picking the best path.
Like any characteristic, it needs to be embraced but not too tightly. Too much of the world is gray. Too many times the 5% nagging worry isn't worth our energy to resolve. Too often we lose faith that God will take care of things within the great plan of creation.
Sometimes, perfect effort means devoting ourselves fully to the thought for a while, and then knowing when to take an educated leap of faith into the unknown.
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