Sense of Urgency

The $30,000 Decision You've Been Avoiding for Six Months

You know exactly what needs to change. You’ve known for months. Maybe years. The mediocre employee. The outdated pricing. The system that breaks every week. So why is it still being tolerated?

The Point

The cost of delayed decisions compounds faster than credit card interest. Every week spent waiting to fire the wrong person, fix a broken process, or raise prices is another week of bleeding profit, losing momentum, and reinforcing the very ceiling that keeps the business stuck.

Most business owners don’t have an information problem—they have an execution problem disguised as “waiting for the right time.”

The Story

Mark runs a three-bay HVAC company outside Phoenix. Eighteen months ago, his lead installer—let’s call him Jeff—started showing up late. Not every day. Just enough to notice.

Mark mentioned it. Jeff apologized. Things improved for a week.

Then the shortcuts started. Pre-inspection photos that were not quite thorough enough. Callback rates creeping from 2% to 4% to 6%. Customers mentioning Jeff’s attitude in reviews—nothing terrible, just… not great.

Mark knew. He knew. But Jeff had been with him since year two. Jeff knew the systems. Training someone new would take months. And what if no one better could be found?

So Mark waited. “After summer.” Then “after the holidays.” Then “once we get through busy season.”

Eighteen months later, Jeff quit to work for a competitor. No notice. Two commercial accounts followed him out the door.

Mark sat in his truck running the math:

• Lost revenue from Jeff’s callbacks: ~$18,000
• Lost accounts that followed Jeff: $47,000/year
• Cost to fix Jeff’s mistakes before he left: $8,200
• Opportunity cost of keeping him instead of hiring someone great: incalculable

Total damage from avoiding one decision: over $70,000.

The best part? Mark explained all of this while describing another employee he “probably needs to deal with.”

Eighteen months later, the lesson still had not landed.

“The most expensive business decision isn’t the wrong hire—it’s the six months you wait to fire them.”

The Lesson

Why Smart People Delay Obvious Decisions

Why this happens: The brain treats change as a threat. Keeping a mediocre employee feels safer than the uncertainty of replacing them. Raising prices feels riskier than staying stuck at break-even.

Quick prompt: What decision has been “planned” but untouched for more than 60 days?

Micro-action (≤15 min): Write down the decision and answer: “If a consultant were hired tomorrow, what would they say to do?” The answer is already known—it just isn’t being acted on.

The Compound Cost of “Later”

Why this happens: The upfront cost is visible (a difficult conversation, short-term disruption), but the ongoing cost of inaction (lost profit every single week) is ignored.

Quick prompt: What is the weekly cost of the delay—in real dollars?

Micro-action (≤15 min): Take the biggest delayed decision. Multiply the weekly cost by 26 weeks (six months). Write that number on a sticky note and put it where it will be seen daily.

The “Right Time” Trap

Why this happens: Many owners are waiting for permission that will never come. The “right time” to fire someone is the day it first becomes clear they are not working out. The “right time” to raise prices was three months ago.

Quick prompt: What would need to be true for this to be the “right time”?

Micro-action (≤15 min): Set a calendar reminder for 72 hours from now titled “Make the decision.” That is the deadline. Not to execute perfectly—just to decide and take step one.

Urgency Creates Clarity

Why this happens: Once action is finally taken, it becomes obvious that the fear was worse than the reality. The replacement is better than expected. The price increase goes more smoothly than feared. Urgency forces solutions instead of excuses.

Quick prompt: What decision has been delayed that, in hindsight, should have been made six months sooner?

Micro-action (≤15 min): Take the current delayed decision. Fast-forward six months. Write down what “future you” wishes had been done this week.

Try This in 10 Minutes

The Delayed Decision Audit

Grab a piece of paper. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Answer these:

1. What decision has been avoided for 60+ days?
2. What is it costing per week? (Real dollars)
3. What are you afraid will happen if you act?
4. What is actually happening by not acting?
5. If a $500/hour consultant were hired for one hour, what would that person say to do?

That exercise just saved $500 and six months of bleeding profit.

This Week’s Urgency Checklist

1. Identify the $30,000 delay – The decision being avoided that is costing the most
2. Calculate the weekly bleed – What inaction is costing in actual dollars per week
3. Set a 72-hour decision deadline – Put it on the calendar right now
4. Prepare step one – No perfect plan needed, just the first move
5. Tell someone – Accountability converts intention into action
6. Execute step one – Before fear can rebuild
7. Schedule step two – Momentum dies without the next move

Your Turn

Answer this honestly: What decision is being avoided right now that, six months from now, will be the one most regretted not making today?

Write a commitment:

“Within 72 hours, the decision about [X] will be made, and the first step will be [specific action].”

Not “think about it more.” Not “gather more information.” Not “wait until after busy season.”

Decide. Then move.

The business that is wanted sits on the other side of the decision being avoided. Stop researching. Stop preparing. Stop waiting for permission.

Decide. This week. Today, if possible.

Because the best time to act was six months ago. The second best time is right now.

For direct support in making these decisions faster and with more confidence, join gofuelcoaching.com and start operating with real urgency.