I have been thinking a lot lately about the cost of delayed action. Whether it is a delay to pursue a passion or a delay to make a change or pursue personal growth.   I thought about the many lost opportunity costs associated with not pursuing a path of personal leadership.

I was actually quite surprised just how many there could be. Here is a small list of possible lost opportunities:

1. The lost opportunity of loosing time – and that costing you.  If you are not producing – you are probably loosing both time and money.
2. The lost opportunity cost of scarcity vs abundance.  What decisions do you delay because you are in a scarcity mindset?  What decisions would you make if you knew you could not fail?
3. The lost opportunity cost of avoiding feeling things fully vs embracing all that is. What does procrastination, avoidance, overwhelm or confusion cost you?
4. The lost opportunity cost of trying to force something rather than being in practice and flow. What does it cost you when you are trying so hard to control things – and have things turn out a certain way – and what about the struggle to get everyone on board with your perspective?   What would it be worth to you to have it all be easier.
5. The lost opportunity costs of living from someone else’s values vs your life, your way. What has it cost you to follow the footsteps of mentors, relatives or even Santa’s values? What would it be worth to  you – if you were able to do everything you wanted on your own terms.
6. The lost opportunity costs of not pursuing your passions. What dreams have you left behind?  What has carrying around that sadness cost you?
7. The lost opportunity costs of not being effective, playing well. If you were masterful at each of roles and you were totally effective in those roles – how much would that save you?
8. The lost opportunity cost of not getting the support you need. Just the stress added to your mind body and spirit could rack up a long bill alone – not counting all the hours you might waist trying to “figure things out” vs getting knowledgeable support.   What if someone else  could do things better, faster and with more joy?
9. The lost opportunity cost of trying to get by on your own motivation or will.  Personal will-power isn’t sustainable. It’s proven out many times over in much of the goal setting that goes on today.  My point- it is even financially beneficial to be so connected with inspiration and purpose so that you bound out of bed in the mornings and are excited about your work and play.
10. The lost opportunity cost of  a life lived from a perspective mediocrity vs extra-ordinary.  Living life to just get by is costly to your soul and personal fulfillment.  It is the drive towards an elevated pursuit of mastery and aliveness and success that gives energy, joy and aliveness.
11. The lost opportunity cost of playing smaller than your pure potential.   If you hold back – what are you holding back from?   A raise in pay?  An opportunity for expansion?  Something that would get you seen?  All of these hold-backs have a cost associated with them.
12. The lost opportunity cost of struggling and not expressing. Struggle, holding back expression, playing small and getting caught in the grip of frustration and struggle are all things that cause drag in your joyful productivity.  Often avoidance tenancies come alive when you are experiencing some type of struggle.   Look at how much time you spend on things like watching TV or surfing the net as clues.  When the time you spend on non-productivity by passes a certain “enuf-rest-line”  the activity no longer becomes beneficial and it’s another way of keeping you from what you really want to do.
13. The lost opportunity cost of  distractability. If you are loosing focus or finding it difficult to focus there are definite lost opportunity cost associated with scattered thinking.  Dis tractability is at the tip of an iceberg of delayed decision making, disorganization, poor visioning.
14. The lost opportunity cost of lack of hope. One of the quieter aspects of personal leadership is a for ever renewing hope in things.   When you are not in connection with hope – there is a drag on your system.  Giving up and stopping short on things that are really important to you can be very costly behaviours.
15. The lost opportunity cost of your capacity. If you increased your personal capacity for things.  How much time, energy and resources could you save?  If you increased your capacity to feel a greater range emotions – what could you undertake?  If you increased your personal capacity for states of being like being courageous or being light – How much more could you influence?

The costs, both tangible and intangible  to you, your life or your business could  be immense  when you have been not operating from a place of  personal leadership. I challenge yourself to get out a piece of paper and estimate what these lost opportunities cost you personally in your life – and remember, opportunity costs are not restricted to monetary or financial costs: the real cost of output forgone, lost time, swag, pleasure or any other benefit that provides utility can be also be considered opportunity costs.