There is a single mental move you can make that, in a split second, will solve most of your problems. It has the potential to improve just about any personal or professional circumstance you encounter… and it could literally propel you down the path to phenomenal success.
We have a name for this. It’s called making a decision.
Decisions, or the lack thereof, are responsible for many missed opportunities and in some cases, the death of an idea. Entrepreneurs who have become very proficient at making effective decisions, without being influenced by the opinions of others, seem to live an enchanted life and enjoy six, seven or even eight-figure incomes.
However it’s not just your income that’s affected by your decisions – your whole life is influenced by this immutable power. The health of your body and mind, your relationships, your social life, the well-being of your family… all are dependent on your ability to make effective decisions.
The word “decide” is from the same family of words as suicide, which means “to intentionally kill oneself”. So when you make a decision, you have to kill off one option in order to move ahead with another. You literally have to leave something behind and sometimes part of your past.
We resist the idea of strategic focus. It’s easier to move forward with a list of 10 or 20 ideas than to do the hard work of deciding which one or two deserve our undivided attention, our true focus.
I’ve never been able to understand why that process is so difficult for us. I’ve studied and attempted to understand multi-tasking and what I affectionately call Shiny Object Syndrome.
By deciding to focus on only one or two of our pet projects, it feels like we’ve “killed” our bright and shiny ideas. By limiting our options, we feel like we’ve given up our precious flexibility.
But even in a world of abundance, we have limited cognitive ability. That is, each individual can only handle so many tasks, objectives or strategies.
We trade off focus for flexibility. Of course, with flexibility comes the never ending juggling of projects, priorities and tasks and the reduced likelihood of accomplishing any of them.
When we focus, we can achieve a lot, both individually and collaboratively and have the satisfaction of accomplishment.
Use the following 4 Point Decision Making Process the next time you are making a decision and see how it feels to ‘kill’ off one option and move forward with the one that inspires and empowers you.
The 4 Point Decision Making Process
- Do I want to be, do or have this?
- Will being, doing or having this move me in the direction of my goal?
- Is being, doing or having this in harmony with God’s laws of the universe?
- Will being, doing or having this violate the rights of others?
If the answer to the first three questions is yes, and the answer to the last question is no, make the decision and get moving.
Dan LeFave is the “Prepare for Success” coach, No. 1 best-selling author, speaker, habit-changer and the creator of the online program Live Without Limitations – Five Easy Steps to Release Old Limitations and Balance Your Life. He has been profiled on radio shows, in magazines, articles and podcasts, from Manhattan to Vancouver. Dan’s motto is, “Thoughts become untangled as they pass through your lips and over fingertips.” Visit his website.
