by Debbie Ruston, Columnist & Featured Contributor
[su_dropcap style=”flat”]I[/su_dropcap] HAVE THE SIGN BELOW IN MY HOME It’s just one of many positive, encouraging words or phrases that I have scattered about our home. This is a visual reminder of the power of a seemingly simple decision that has affected every single aspect of my life. If my husband and I had not fallen in love, our lives would be totally different than we know it today. We would not have our children, our home, our community, our families, our friends or our work. We would not have the 30+ years of wonderful experiences and memories. Everything would be different. Everything we have experienced together, is a result of that one, initial decision. There have been many decisions since, that are all connected to that one decision. Some have been good decisions, some have not…but combined, they have all worked as stepping stones to create the amazing life we are living.
Just as I did in my personal life, something I learned many years ago in business, was to get very clear on what I wanted, and only make decisions that support my goals. This is a simple concept that many miss as they analyze and complicate the process of decision making.
As I was learning to make this an automatic part of my thinking, I used a question each time I was making a decision – “will this decision bring me closer or further away from my goals?” This question makes it very easy to make the decision, because, if it is bringing you farther away from your goals, it is like a red flashing light you are making the wrong decision.
If you determine the decision is bringing you further away from your goals, it is a sign to either change your decision to support your goals, or re-evaluate your goals and choose something you are willing to be 100% committed to.
If you determine the decision will bring you closer to your goal, you know you are making the right decision and then must follow through.
In order to follow through with this thinking, you must be willing to:
Push through fear
You may be fearful of something you haven’t done. When I first became an entrepreneur and trainer, I had to get over the fear of speaking. I distinctly remember the feeling of extreme fear, and started that talk from stage with the words “I feel like I’m going to be sick”. Actually it wasn’t quite that polished, but I got through it and proved something to myself. Although I was scared to death, I learned I could feel that fear inside, and DECIDE to take the action anyway. This was a powerful experience and the first step in many to become comfortable speaking to large groups.
Push through uncertainty
When you are striving towards a goal, there will often be times that you feel uncertain about your ability. You may doubt yourself and feel you don’t have enough knowledge. We are fortunate today to have unlimited resources to learn. The internet has made it possible for anyone to research and learn to improve their knowledge. When the desire to learn is strong enough, the decision to learn is easy. A tip – successful people are always continuing to learn and grow themselves.
Make the commitment
Many will put off making a decision because they are afraid to make the commitment required. One of the most powerful things a person can do is make a commitment to themselves and keep that commitment no matter what. When you learn to follow through and keep the commitments you make to yourself, it builds confidence and self esteem.
Take action
This is what brings it all together. Without action, nothing happens. Great ideas are of no value without action.
Successful entrepreneurs have made a habit of making bold, powerful decisions that support the direction they want to go. There are still fears and uncertainties, but those that create success have learned to push through and take action anyway, despite those fears and uncertainties. This teaches you that those fears and uncertainties were much bigger in your mind than they actually were in reality.
