How To Make Decisions That Lead to a Better Life

Your decisions create your life. Empowerment happens when you become aware of the importance of your day-to-day choices. This is not to say that external factors don’t matter or that the actions of other people are irrelevant. However in the end, you have to decide what you are going to do in each circumstance you find yourself in—your job, your relationships, your community. Those decisions and their outcomes are the basis of your current life. If we don’t like where we are in our lives, or want more or better we have to DECIDE to take a different path. Some people are scared of the idea that they alone are responsible for how their life is unfolding. Other people however feel liberated to realize that they can really improve their lives by making new decisions.

A lot of times we are afraid to make REAL decisions. We hem and haw or try to hedge our bets. We’re not 100% sure what the "right" choice is. There may be an opportunity waiting for us but we don’t act because we can’t immediately see it. In the midst of all our waffling we stay stuck in a situation that we have either outgrown or that is emotionally, physically or financially unhealthy for us. Motivational speaker Les Brown says, "Either you run your life or life will run over you." He’s not saying that life is hard but that you must decide the path of your life or deal with the consequences of "not deciding." By not deciding how you want to create your life you’re leaving it to other people and to outside forces to determine your future.

Let’s look at two co-workers in the same department of a company that has been going through financial difficulties for nearly a year. Jill decides she needs to get a new job at a more financially stable company. In the coming months she updates her skills and her resume and eventually lands a new position. Her co-worker, Jack constants debates leaving but is really unsure of his marketability. He justifies his inaction by saying that he doesn’t want to appear disloyal to his employer. Three months after Jill left the company files for bankruptcy and closes its doors. Jack’s very angry that now he has no job, no health insurance and no savings. In the same circumstance, Jill made a decision about her life and reaped the benefits of her choice. Jack however failed to make a decision about his future and suffered the consequences of his choice.

The Latin origin of decide means "to cut off, to kill off." In short, making a decision is about cutting off other options...doing whatever it takes to achieve your goal. This means that REAL decisions are firm. If you have a plan a, b, c and a host of contingencies, you have not made a decision Real decisions are also made quickly...but NOT rashly. You carefully weigh the pros and cons and then you decide what you are going to do. You can make quick decisions when you crystal clear about what you want. In order to do that you have to align your values with your goals.


This key question to ask yourself is: What is in MY highest good? (not for my spouse, my children or friends) This may sound obvious, but when you’re struggling to make decisions, it may not BE obvious. To reconcile your values with your goals, you must define success for yourself. For you is success: making money?; having more free time to spend with your family?; having a more fulfilling life?; unleashing your passion, or something else? Once you identify what you TRULY care about you can more easily decide which activities/actions will get you closer to your goal and which will not.

This week think about a situation that is requiring you to make a decision NOW. Think about why you are avoiding making a decision. Consider what your life will look like in 6 months, a year or five year don’t decide to change course—if you continue to do nothing. Once you make a firm decision, you will open yourself up to new possibilities that will help you to create a new and exciting life move full of love, joy and prosperity.