I bought the second house I ever looked at on the first day of looking when we weren’t really looking. It was a great decision. It was quick and decisive but not impulsive. We saw it on Sunday. I went back on Monday. I brought my parents to see it on Wednesday. I made an offer on Friday. A counter offer was accepted (which included being contingent on an inspection and an engineer’s evaluation,) on Friday night.
I was reminded of this by something that happened today. Last week I got a call from an internet marketing company. They offered me a $9.95 website evaluation. I said sure. Today I had a phone meeting with their sales manager. Long story short, he overwhelmed me with information for over an hour. And, then gave me the pricing with lots of confusing options and the let me talk to my manger thing. I told him I needed a night to think about it. He said he couldn’t do the special pricing tomorrow. I told him I would need ’til the end of business.
Here is where I did two smart things.
- I took a deep breath and reminded myself that prices don’t change day to day and that as excited as I was about what he was selling, there was something “used car salesman” about him that I didn’t like.
- I reached out for advice. With the house, I asked my Dad. For this I reached out to my coach. (Probably the two guys in the world I trust the most.) He immediately hooked me up with his web guy, who cut through the BS. Offered me a clearer explanation in about 5 minutes, offered to do more for me, and all for less than half the price. (And, he came with an unfathomably good recommendation from someone I trust.)
The moral of the story is that as ADHD’rs we can and do get caught up in the moment, both good and bad. I’m proud of myself that I’ve learned over the years when to give myself a metaphorical time out. I let the excitement subside and asked the right questions. Like, if he is so good at what he does, why does the first guy need the hard sell and the gimmicks? I found out when I emailed him that I was not willing to make this decision without thinking it over. He then showed his true colors by dropping the price again, talking to the general manager this time, telling me I only had a half hour to decide, calling and emailing repeatedly, and suggesting that I was acting unprofessionally.
Bottom line: a little time to step back and not get wrapped up in the moment allowed me to make a good decision and not an impulsive one. On the other hand, I’m still quick and decisive. I hired my coach’s guy on the spot. I guess it’s equally important to really know what you want and grab it when you find it.