“Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.”
~ Napoleon Bonaparte

You know what I’ve found to be one of the biggest obstacles to achievement, progress and real success? The ability to decide. And not a half-ass decision, but a real committed decision where you commit to something and then go and do it.

When I decided to leave my full time job in 2008 to pursue a full time career as a coach, it was one of the most gut-wrenching decisions I’ve ever made. It was a difficult decision and maybe the craziest decision I’ve made ever - at least that’s what my parents, my family and most of my good friends were telling me.

They thought I was nuts. To leave a really good-paying job to go and chase some dream to become a successful entrepreneur was insanity.

It turns out it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I absolutely love what I do and I’m having a blast doing it.

So, how about you? Are you looking for something new? Are you feeling stuck and unsure how to get around it?

When you make a decision, any decision, what you’re really doing is moving your life in a new direction. Because the Universe will always find an abundance of opportunities to conspire and create your reality once you decide.

Decision is the Starting Point

When you don’t decide what you’re really doing is “holding up” your creativity. You’ve delayed the flow of current in your life. It’s just like you might pause a movie to go and get some popcorn. The move doesn’t start again until you hit “play.”

The way you hit play in your life is by making a decision. As soon as you make your decision the Universal Movie Projector of your life will conspire to make it happen for you.

Now here’s the other side of the coin. It’s a myth that many people have been brainwashed to believe; that if you just wait long enough and be patient, the right opportunities will show up on your doorstep.

There is some truth in that statement, but here’s the other half that nobody seems to speak about. It’s that opportunity only comes knocking once you decide what it is you want. The reality is that the sooner you decide, the sooner you will be flooded with new opportunities.

I can tell you from my own personal experience that opportunities only show up when you make a committed decision. Only then will you see new opportunities that weren’t there before.

Making the Wrong Decision Helps Too!

Decision is the starting point. Being able to make good decisions - often enough - will always bring you new opportunities. You might not always make the right decision, but making a decision is more important than not making any decision at all.

Would you like to know why?

The more decisions you make, the more contrast you experience. The more contrast you experience, the greater the variety in your life. The greater the variety in your life, the easier it is for you to decide what you like and what you don’t like. The easier it is for you to decide what you like and what you don’t like, the easier it is for you to decide what you really WANT.

You see how this works?

By actually becoming a master in making decisions, you get clearer on what you want - and not only that. You also get what you want much faster.

But you MUST decide.

The problem is that many people are afraid of making the wrong decisions. They don’t want to look stupid or make a mistake. Because of they did make a mistake, their friends and family might think they were a failure.

Sound familiar?

Now here’s what you must realize. You’re decisions are not just about you. They impact everyone in your life.  So when considering your decision, you want to bring in a broader perspective so that you get clear on what it is you’re really trying to do.

5 Questions to Help You Make Better Decisions Now

You can gain a broader perspective on your decisions by asking these higher level questions:

1. What’s the best way to handle this so that everyone wins?

2. What’s the most creative way to create a win-win solution?

3. How can I do this so that everyone benefits?

4. What can I do to make this work?

5. How do I feel about this decision?

Anytime you make a decision ask these five questions. Not only will it get you out of your head and into someone else’s - it will give you a broader perspective of what you’re trying to do, it will help you clarify your direction and help others too.

Do you need to make a decision right now?  How do you do it?  What questions do you ask yourself? Continue reading…