THE MALADY: Are you spinning your wheels but not gaining traction? Stuck on pause? Can’t decide which way to go? Are you stuck in a state of 6’s and 7’s where you just can’t get into action on anything? 
You may be suffering from something you’ve never even heard of; it’s called a Chronic Maybe Syndrome, and it means being stuck in the middle and not being able to decide or act.
This malady could be the worst enemy a salesperson can have.
Misdiagnosis of the symptoms of Chronic Maybe Syndrome (or CMS) can significantly jeopardize successful rehabilitation, but with correct evaluation and proper treatment, the recovery of the disabled individual is virtually guaranteed.
CMS is a disease characterized by an inability to make up your mind, leading to the incapacitating condition of being unable to get into action toward the accomplishment of your objectives. It is a malady which substantially limits your life activities and is far more common than previously thought. For the salesman or woman particularly, it is the kiss of death. CMS has ruined more sales careers than any other single factor. It’s deadly and even worse, it’s contagious!
THE SYMPTOMS: Often the symptoms are fear-based: fear of making a mistake or failing; fear of being embarrassed or fear of appearing foolish, stupid or different; feelings of anxiety, agitation, nervousness, worry, unease, concern, and stress are also common manifestations.
Other symptoms are based in real or imaginary loss: loss of position, possessions, altitude, friends, repute, status, standing, money or anything of value.
At the bottom are the symptoms based in apathy; despair; frustration; hopelessness; indecision, feeling paralyzed, thinking without action, feeling nothing matters, doubt, indifference; second-guessing, disinterest, feeling stopped, stuck, motionless, lack of feeling, lethargy, inertia, and depression.
Anyone has had some of these symptoms, but if your life has become a steady diet of them, you’re on your way down, with all flags struck.
THE CAUSE: The cause of chronic maybe syndrome is not difficult to understand. It is simply this: before you can decide, you must understand.
The complete process is: before any action takes place you must have made a decision to do so; before you can decide, you must have some understanding of the elements under consideration; before you can understand anything, you have to be able and willing to observe what it is that you’re looking at.
Simply, it breaks down to these four elements taken in sequence without skipping any one or taking any of them out of order.
It’s just like walking upstairs; just put one foot in front of the next until you get to the top and the final step is easy to take.
a) observe
b) understand
c) decide
d) act
There is however one other final factor underlying everything above; it is the most important quality a salesperson can have. It is the factor of initiative.
This opens the door to the accomplishment of the four steps above. And what is initiative exactly? It is simply 
the willingness to do the right thing, without having to be told to do it.
We all know that water doesn’t flow uphill, similarly, it often takes courage, foresight, planning, determination, resolution, hard work, and dogged persistence to go against the flow, carve out a new career or a new life.
Like a 747 jetliner taking off, it takes far more thrust and velocity to get that massive machine off the ground than it takes to maintain that speed once it has climbed to cruising speed. You have to knock off living a “I wish or I want” type of life, and start coming face to face with life; and observe it without flinching, avoiding, hiding or pretending.
Being stuck in a maybe is a trap – and like a magnet, it attracts more maybes to it. There is no initiative when you’re life is “stuck on pause.” When you’re stuck on maybe and indecision, your life is passing you by while you’re in a deep apathetic slumber, pretending not to notice or to care. But, the truth is that you’re always better off making a decision (even if you change it later) than to live your life stuck in a maybe.
The factors of individual initiative (thrust) and self-discipline (velocity), plus a willingness to experience whatever is necessary to accomplish anything worthwhile are all that is required to be free of chronic maybe syndrome.
Now that you can see what is really going on and understand what needs to be done about it, the decision should be easy. It’s time to act. Now!
Your career and your life depend upon it.
daniel w. jacobs
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