The Cost of Indecision in Life, Leadership, and Major Decisions
My phone rang violently when I was driving on the interstate. My terrible instincts got the better of me and I had to answer it. On the other end of the line, a gentleman asked, “Is this Nick?” I always received spam calls so I was hesitant to say yes, I’m sure you understand. However, I sometimes liked to play the game of spam callers so I pulled the trigger and played the game.
“Yes, this is him.”
“Hey this is Andrew from Strada, I’m following up on our interview from last week and I have a proposition for you.”
This was going in a completely different direction than I was expecting. My thoughts scrambled to get into “professional mode” as I was racing down I4 at 90mph.
“Hey Andrew, I’m thrilled to hear about it, what do you have for me?”
“I wanted to get you into our CAD program to be an initial director, you know, the corner office, salary, benefits, etc. and you’d be designing our fire suppression systems in CAD for our installers and engineers to follow.”
There was a pause that lingered a little longer than usual.
“But, (there was always a pause then a but) you’d have to start out as an installer for at least a year and when you graduate from entry-level to the next step up, we can get you into that program.”
I replied, “How much is the pay for an entry-level installer?”
“$16 an hour.” I let that sit for a second before responding.
“I will gladly think about the opportunity Andrew, how long before I need to give you an answer?”
“Oh just by the end of the week, so about 3 days? I’ll call you on Friday if I don’t hear back from you before then, have a great day Mr. Swinehart.”
$16 an hour. You know, at the time that offer was presented to me, I was making $8 an hour working as a Go-Kart Team Leader so this was big bucks for me at the time. I also had just recently welcomed my first child into the world and I needed to talk this over with my wife.
The reason that this was even a decision to begin with was because we needed stability and money. I was finishing up my AA degree at Daytona State College and had the chance to pursue a Bachelor’s degree or jump into a career. It seemed like a very straight forward answer, until my phone rang again.
“Hello?”
“Is this Mr. Swinehart?”
“It sure is, may I ask who’s calling?”
“This is Marty over at the College for Education at Daytona State College. The reason I am calling you is because I reviewed your transcript submission for graduation for your AA and we thought you’d be a perfect fit for our program.”
“Wow, that’s rather amazing. Marty, what exactly is the College for Education? I’m not familiar with that.”
“I’m glad you asked. This isn’t some random call. Your grades, your classes, your test scores, your story, has stuck out to us. We are the College for Education that forges the next generation of teachers.”
“Like school teachers?”
“Yes, sir. Has that ever crossed your mind, being a teacher?”
“You know what, it has. I always wondered what it would be like being a teacher when I was younger. I used to imagine what my classroom would be like and how I would run it. But, I don’t even know where to begin with becoming a teacher. Wouldn’t I have to pick a specialty or something?”
“Kind of. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that allow teachers to change fields or add on more. The most important part though is getting that B.S. degree first with all the endorsements.”
“Well, I used to think I’d be a great elementary teacher but then I went through Physics in high school and thought I’d like to teach Science. Do you have a high school science program?”
“We do, it’s called Secondary Earth Science or Physics. But I don’t recommend that. Hear me out first. The district is changing guidelines and our Elementary program includes the new guidelines and endorsements meaning you can grab a job right away once you graduate. With the other option, you’d have to take extra courses to make sure you’re up to date on the new guidelines.”
“It’s a lot to think about Marty, how long do I have to decide?”
“As long as you need. I’m here for you in any way you need.”
What a decision I was left with. Pressure seems to be building with no relief in sight. When it rains, it pours. So I went home, dodging red lights and merging lanes to make it quicker. I slammed my car door shut to let everyone know I was home. It’s my way of signaling the family. My wife opened the door and I was greeted by my son with a huge half-gummy half-teeth smile, he just started crawling. I told her that I had the two craziest phone calls of my life and both were very different paths that would change our lives forever. Do I become a Journeyman Electrician or a Teacher?
We talked for hours. I told her what they said. She told me how she felt. She told me what she would do. I told her what I was thinking. Then we talked about our reservations about each option, weighing the pros and cons. It wasn’t an easy decision because one meant money and a life for my family now. The other meant delaying that start another few years while I finished college.
Sometimes the choice isn’t clear at the time and you have no clue what will arise from your decision. Pioneering that choice and being the first to take that step is most important. Make the decision that you feel you’d enjoy more. That’s what it is all about. Every decision will have good things and bad things coming from it. So which one are you less likely to regret? I can tell you from experience, after becoming a teacher, it opened doors I never thought would be possible.
Had I become an electrician, that would’ve been it. My life would’ve stayed still doing the same thing over and over again until I retired. What have I accomplished now that I know I couldn’t have done if I made the other choice?
I have 5 beautiful children that would never have been brought into this world. I taught Secondary Mathematics at Holy Cross Lutheran Academy becoming an instant student favorite teacher across the whole school. I became a Realtor part-time for the summer but jumped into it full-time and going on 4 years now. I have started 3 separate businesses and am looking to launch my 4th this year. I have coached two separate little league baseball teams for my two oldest sons and have created a new village for my family.
I can confidently say, life would be a lot different had I made the other choice. The pressure of that choice made it harder to make a clear decision too. Turns out, that CAD job never opened up and as soon as I had graduated college, teachers just received a pay raise across the entire state of Florida. It would have cost me more to wait with stability than to dive into the unknown and trust who I am and what I am capable of.
About the Author
Nick Swinehart writes about leadership and life through real-world decisions, where clarity, responsibility, and long-term thinking matter more than certainty. Drawing from experience in education, entrepreneurship, family life, and real estate, his work explores how people navigate complex choices without theatrics or shortcuts. His essays are written for those who value substance over noise.
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