Why being decisive is the secret to your success and well-being

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Indecision negatively affects your mental health, physical health, relationships, and career. There is a difference between taking pause to consider options, beneficial self-reflection, and indecision. Indecision can lock you into ambivalence. It can keep you ruminating. It’s analysis paralysis. 

Bob Proctor argues that sharpened decision-making skills will improve every aspect of your personal and professional life. Everything comes down to the decision to do or not do. Decision leads to outcomes. Outcomes lead to livelihood. 

The decision to start the new eating plan. The decision to follow it. The decision to follow the workout routine. The decision to follow the skincare regimen. The decision to wake up verses hit the snooze. The decision to take the job, go on the date, buy the shoes, take the trip…Everything comes down to decision. 

If you’re indecisive you will not only never grow, but you will miss out on opportunities. Think about what indecision has already cost you? Time, experiences, money/savings, stress…

“𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘓𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘴. 𝘐𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴.” ~ 𝘍𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘈𝘴𝘭

Over the next few weeks, we will explore why indecision affects so many; how to make decision when decision fatigue is subsuming you (as it is so many right now); how to improve your decision-making skills; why decisiveness is related to self-esteem and self-awareness; and the risks of logical thinking.

The nutshell: the ability to make a decision quickly and firmly is the secret to living an extraordinary life. This doesn’t mean you won’t get it wrong. It means you will sometimes, and you will learn from it, move on and move up (more on that later). 

For now, start small. Pick one or two lower-stake issues that you need to decide on. Set a 10-second timer. Start the timer. When it dings, make a decision.

References

Latham, A. (2015) Forbes

Legg, T.J. (2017)  Healthline

Páez-Gallego, J., Gallardo-López, J. A., López-Noguero, F., & Rodrigo-Moriche, M. P. (2020). Analysis of the Relationship Between Psychological Well-Being and Decision Making in Adolescent Students. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 1195. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01195

Proctor, B. (n.d.) Proctor Gallagher Institute