Let’s face it, many of us don’t make the best decisions in life. We all suffer from this. Whether it be a minor decision that barely impacts us, or a large decision that impacts ourselves and our surroundings. We make more individual decisions on a daily basis than we even realize. Making better decisions can increase not only our own quality of life, but that of everyone around us as well. So what can be done to improve the results from the decisions we make? Let’s take a look.

Where to Start

It’s incredibly simple to look at results of a decision from an outsider perspective and analyze how things went wrong. But when you’re looking at it from the inner perspective, when the moment of challenge arises, it can be a much more challenging task. As the age old expression goes, “hindsight is 20/20,” and it is absolutely true. We like to think we’re specialists at handling problems because we can see something from a distance and believe we can understand exactly why things proceeded the way they did. But when we’re faced with a decision in the heat of the moment, things can be dramatically different and more difficult.

Luckily there are habits we can take on that will allow us to adapt to situations easier and make better decisions as we live our lives. I’ve adopted these habits myself and I’ve found my quality of life monumentally better. I feel much happier and more content with the things I do in my life. Many of life’s most successful achievers such as Donald Trump and many successful millionaires in life have also adopted these habits with great success. If you find yourself wanting to achieve or accomplish more in life, or just want to yield better results from the decisions you make, heed this advice. These aren’t even my own tailored habits, nay, these are taken from many of the most accomplished individuals of our time, and even generations past. Here are 7 habits that lead to better decision making in life.

1) Focus on What You Have Control Over

The great, and wildly successful, Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can do a thing, or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” Our intent is everything. If you visualize something hard and long enough, you can ascertain it. But when you think something is impossible, you make it so. This is what Ford meant in his quote. Whether you think you can or cannot do something, you make it so by your belief. So focus on what you CAN do, not what you CANNOT. This is massively important to be emphasized and is arguably the most important habit to get into when attempting to make better decisions.

2) Be Pro Active

So you’ve gotten into the habit of thinking and focusing on what you can do. Now what? It’s simple, take action. Be PRO active, not RE active. Unfortunately, the world will not come to us. We must set out our intentions first, and then put forth the efforts that must be done to achieve the results we are after. We all want certain things in life but only a fraction of us actually attain these things. If you take on the habit of being proactive, it becomes much easier to make better decisions.

3) Read and Learn

Many people tend to think that after we finish schooling we are done educating ourselves. This is not the correct way to look at life. Instead, think of life as an on-going experience and opportunity to constantly be learning. The greatest leaders are readers. That is almost always the case. If you’re not a reader, listen to audio books. We’re lucky enough to live in an era where digital audio books are a click away. We can learn almost any language or skill we want from the comfort of a computer chair or even from our own mobile phone. Learning is monumentally important and it’s something we can and should be doing every day. When you know more, better decisions can become clearer to you.

4) Don’t Be Afraid of Change

The fact of the matter is, we all have the strength to thrive in the most challenging and demanding elements that life can throw at us. It’s just a matter of reaching deep within ourselves and pulling out that inner strength. It begins with analyzing what we’re doing, then changing the things that aren’t working.

Another lesson that Henry Ford taught us is, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” This rings true on so many levels. If you’re too comfortable and afraid of change, you won’t progress. Change isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It leads to new beginnings. And the truth is, you need to close one door for a new one to present itself. So fear not, my friend. Walk through that door and don’t be afraid to open up the new one. It’s necessary to get over your fear of change in order to feel strong enough to make good decisions.

5) Begin with the End in Mind

Lending itself to habit number one, begin with the end in mind. What this means is pretty simple in theory, but in practice, it can be much different. Successful people will often begin their day with a clearly defined list of things they plan to accomplish. This can be as simple, or as extravagant, as you want it to be. But I feel it’s better to live your life with bite size tasks in mind. When you approach life with a clear goal in mind, it becomes easier to make the best decisions.

6) Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

As important as it is to read and improve our mind and knowledge base, it is equally important to keep our bodies active, healthy, and in working order. Get your heart rate up, go for a walk, play a sport, exercise. Do whatever you find enjoyable to stay active physically. It’s incredibly important and the future version of yourself will thank you for it. Invest in yourself and your physical well-being… really, you’re worth it. A Healthy Body is required for making good decisions and good decisions will lead to a healthy body.

7) Get Used to Being Uncomfortable

The sad condition of our world and society today is becoming comfortable and stagnant. It’s actually hard-wired within us. Bruce Lee once said, “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” We have the ability to do amazing things in this life but it begins just outside of the realm of comfort. This can be one of the most difficult habits to get into, as people truly like being comfortable. But the truth is… being uncomfortable is quintessential for growth and better decision making.

To Sum it Up

Knowing these habits won’t make you a successful person overnight. But implementing them over time will most certainly make your quality of life better, and eventually lead to better decision making. All great things take time so don’t feel discouraged if you don’t see the results instantly. Rome wasn’t built in a day after all. But time has shown that many of the greatest thinkers and achievers in history have used most, if not all, of these habits to become amazing individuals and decision makers.

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