If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Right?

Wrong. Waiting until it breaks is the worst time to fix it.

- the key employee quits
- you run out of cash and miss payroll
- faulty product costs someone their life

Like untreated cancer, problems metastasize and grow.
Big failures usually start as small, manageable problems.

Judgement requires knowing the right time to step in.

Key moments to step in (ranked latest to earliest):

7. When life falls apart.
Act only when the consequences are undeniable and urgent.

6. When damage becomes visible.
React once external symptoms start to show. Relationships strain, performance drops, health declines.

5. When discomfort sets in.
Life looks fine on the surface but you notice something’s off inside... stress, guilt, fatigue.

4. When imbalance begins.
Sense small cracks forming but they haven’t caused pain or disruption, yet.

3. When symptoms appear.
You see early signs or situations that could, unchecked, become problems.

2. When the pattern forms.
You understand how certain habits or choices are trending toward higher risk.

1. When the seed is planted.
You catch the thought, assumption, or decision that could grow into trouble and redirect it before it takes root.

One characteristic of expertise is spotting bad decisions sooner...
and learning from observation, not consequences.