For all of us life starts in a similar way, however through our decisions we change it with lasting effect. Decisions can bring you closer to your goals or lead you much further away. Think about this: Everything exists in your life, because at first you have made a decision on something. Decisions are the roots of all your results. You make your decisions and your decisions make you!
“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
The tricky thing
Primarily it is not about whether your decisions are wrong or right. In the first place, it is rather about discovering when you really make a decision. They are usually intertwined with behaviour and habits so it often seems a decision would be out of your control. [In at least half of the decisions you make,] you are not even aware of making them in that moment.
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Further, you need to keep in mind that large decisions do not necessarily produce the largest effect. Were you bitten by an elephant sometime in the past? Probably not. But how about a mosquito? – It's the small things in life that sting you! For most of us it is the frequency of small inconsistent decisions which is of paramount importance. These are the decisions about which you think on the whole they make no difference. These are the small things that derail you on your path to success. The danger is, especially these seemingly unimportant little things can dissuade you from the course to success very easily, because they are the ones you are not used to dedicate attention to.
A few simplified examples: You are buying a large bottle of lemonade and a big bag of crisps. Suddenly, after you have eaten the last crisp you realize you have just killed a full day of healthy diet – and you were not even hungry. Or you catch yourself watching a pointless TV show for two hours. Or you are not starting to prepare for the important presentation and rather spend time surfing the web. What happens here? You allow yourself to make a decision without thinking. And as long as you make your decisions unconsciously, you are not able to transform your inefficient behaviour to productive habits. It is time to wake up and start making empowering decisions!
100% self-responsibility – you remain in control
We are all self-made men and women, however only the successful among us acknowledge this. If you are aware of it and always see yourself as completely autonomously and responsible for yourself and for all the experiences and decisions you make and how you react upon them, you own the power!
“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month.” - Theodore Roosevelt
It might sounds obvious to be self-responsible but if you look at most of the people in the world, there is so much finger-pointing and accusation and people expecting from somebody else or the government to solve their own challenges. Not taking responsibility may be less demanding, less painful and you always can 'protect' yourself with an excuse. It is more comfortable for sure, but there is always a price to pay – you give away your personal power.
You certainly may not be able to influence all the circumstances happening to you, however you on your own are responsible for what you do, don't do and how you deal about things happening to you.
This relieving mindset can revolutionise your life completely. Circumstances, luck or 'the right moment' are no longer of particular importance. Everything depends on you. It doesn't matter what somebody else is saying, doing or not doing – you are still 100% in control of yourself and your thoughts.
“Freedom is the will to be responsible to ourselves” - Friedrich Nietzsche
If you realise this, you can steer through your path to success completely independently, and it will be much easier for you to escape your own imaginary limits and excuses.
