Can you give me an estimate?

This is the question we finally ask once we've realized something needs attention—an upgrade, a replacement, an improvement we can no longer ignore.

We can see it's fallen into disrepair or gotten shabby. Maybe it worked beautifully for years. But now? Now we need to make a move.

I'm talking about countless things here. The house. The car. The website. The business model. The product line. The examples are endless.

So we decide to do something about it—or more accurately, we decide to consider doing something about it. And where do we typically start? With the cost of improvement. Makes sense, right?

We ask, "Can you give me an estimate?"

Then we get the answer and find ourselves right back where we started: hesitating because the cost seems too high to justify.

Here's what we rarely consider at that moment: we're already paying a price. It's the price of waiting. Every day we don't make a move adds to the real total cost.

We do this in so many areas of our lives. Maybe we're asking our questions in the wrong order. What if we started with: "What is this costing me right now?"

Apply where needed.