As long as we hold the belief that our life is controlled by outside forces we will be tempted to make excuses. Our self-sabotaging inner voice will say; "there's nothing I can do about it" or "it's not my fault, what can I do."
The only way to eliminate such destructive self-talk is to take full responsibility for everything. We must make a decision to grab hold of the controls of our own life and never hand them over to anyone else.
One of the most common reasons why people's decisions don't lead to the results they hoped for, has to do with understanding what it really means to make a decision. The term "decision" is so loosely applied these days that oftentimes what is being described is not a decision at all, but simply wishful thinking.
Decisions that have the power to change your live in a moment always come with a total commitment to producing an intended result. However, if your decisions do not lead to action, then they really do not lead to anything except frustration.
Being committed to following through on a decision does not mean being inflexible. As we begin to take action we will learn by experience how to make adjustments that bring about our intended result. This is part of the skill of making decisions.
Understanding the power of our decisions to improve the quality of our life means that we should carefully consider the consequences of any decision we make, before we commit to it. This is one of the keys to gaining control over your life. Rather than making decisions based on immediate gratification, consider the long-term results and resist the temptation of a quick fix.
Many people avoid making decisions because they are afraid of failing. For a skilled decision-maker, there is no such thing as failure, only results. If we commit to a decision and follow through with action, we will produce results. If we do not produce the result we want, then we learn from the experience, make adjustments and continue taking action. Making a commitment means we are willing to persist until we produce the results we want.
The only failure comes from giving up. If we give up because we did not produce the results we wanted, them the learning process stops. Learning and adjusting is how we reach our goals. Every effort increases our knowledge and the result is, we learn what works and what does not. This process increases our skill level so we can make better decisions as we continue learning.
Often times the hardest step toward achieving anything in your life is making the decision to do something about it now. Think about some area of your life that has been stalled because a decision needs to be made. Could you make that decision today, right now?
Start by re-examining the situation and give yourself three possible choices of action. Quickly think about the motives and consequences of each choice. Now pick the one that you think will produce the best long-term result. Do not over analyze the situation; in your heart you know which choice is the right one, so make it.
Now make a total commitment to following through on your decision. Start by taking immediate action. Continue taking action and making adjustments until you achieve your intended result. You do not need to know every detail of your action plan before you begin. Taking action helps you find solutions, so go ahead and get started today.
My name is Jonathan Wells and I believe that the simplest way to a life of personal success and prosperity is to learn what the core principles of success are and how to apply them in your life. I call these key principles Advanced Life Skills. To learn practical steps that you can begin taking immediately to reach your goals and improve the quality of your life, please visit my blog at http://AdvancedLifeSkills.com/blog
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