You Are One Decision Away From a Completely Different Life

One decision away... At any point in time, you are one decision away from a completely different life. Let's discuss what this means, with examples.

If there's anything life has taught me, it's that you're always one decision away from a totally different life.

When I think about certain things that exist in my life now, I can remember the specific point in time when my thoughts and decisions aligned in order to produce the result that I experience now.

Perhaps you also relate to this. Maybe you can think of specific decisions you made that changed the trajectory of your life.

Or maybe there's something that you really want to achieve, and you're hoping for the magic switch that will transform your life forever.

Well, all decisions start with thoughts. And thoughts are powerful.

So you may be much closer to your desired outcome than you imagine.

Let's explore 6 scenarios where you might be one decision away from a completely different life...

6 Ways in Which You Might Be One Decision Away From a Totally Different Life

1. The decision to stop

One major decision that can change the trajectory of your life is the decision to stop. For example, the decision to stop smoking.

Depending on what you're stopping, the decision to stop can be triggered by a variety of reasons. Usually when you make the decision to stop a bad habit, it's because you realize that a bleak future awaits if you continue with the habit.

At some point, the pain of staying the same grows stronger than the pain of change, and you decide that you want more for yourself.

Remarkable things can happen when you decide to stop perpetuating habits and thoughts that no longer serve you.

2. The decision to start

Usually, getting rid of a bad habit involves much more than stopping.

It also involves a replacement, the decision to start something.

For example, the decision to start building a healthy habit, like exercising or eating a more balanced diet.

When you make the decision to start doing something that will positively impact your future, you find that you are literally one decision away from a completely different life.

There's many times in my life when I recall making the decision to start. For example, the decision to start writing a new style of content, even if I couldn't predict how well it would do.

It takes courage to start something new, but without someone making the decision to start, many of life's greatest innovations would never have come to be.

3. The decision to let go

Sometimes the biggest thing that's preventing you from living a different life is a grudge, or a deep-seated feeling of resentment.

That's why the decision to let go, or to forgive someone can be one of the most powerful decisions you ever make in your life.

Someone once said that "not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die".

How true that is!

You can't progress in life if you are holding on to bitter memories from the past. You can't change what happened, so you might as well let it go.

Forgiving someone does not mean that you condone or approve their actions, it just means that you are giving yourself the freedom to move on and be at peace.

However, if you do forgive and make peace with the person who has wronged you, you may find that you are able to reignite a relationship, and that renewed relationship could literally change your life.

4. The decision to switch

The decision to switch is another example of how you can be one decision away from a completely different life.

Sometimes we make decisions, and even if we know better later, we don't change them, for fear of looking stupid.

But some of the best outcomes have resulted from people being willing to adjust decisions that they had originally made.

I frequently talk about how important it is to fail fast.

Failing fast means trying something, giving it your all, but being willing to pivot if it doesn't go as planned.

There is no shame about being wrong the first time, all that matters is that you learn from your mistake and change course as needed.

Many people have prolonged their failure simply because they didn't have the courage to admit that they were wrong and try something new.

I know it's a difficult balance - deciding when to quit versus keep trying - but if you have a persistent internal feeling that it's time to switch things up and change strategy, you're likely right.

5. The decision to commit

On the flip side, the decision to commit to something can be equally as powerful.

This is especially true if you're the type of person who typically jumps from idea to idea.

One of the most definite ways to fail is this:

Start something new today
Start something new tomorrow
Repeat

We usually heavily underestimate the amount of time and effort and that is required to achieve our goals.

But in order to gain traction with anything in life, you have to stay consistent enough to let your efforts build on each other.

Interestingly, the value of commitment doesn't necessarily lie in committing to a specific strategy, it lies in committing to the goal.

That's why you can change strategies while keeping the goal the same.

If you stay driven and committed to achieving a certain outcome, you will eventually succeed, even if you fail repeatedly.

Why?

Because it's impossible to beat a person who never gives up.

If you're struggling with consistency, sign up for my 21-Day Goal Execution Challenge here.

6. The decision to raise your standards

How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?

Let me tell you something: if you demand more from yourself, you will get more.

The decision to raise your standards can totally change your life.

Think of a D student who decides to take their education more seriously instead of wasting your time goofing around in class.

Can you imagine the impact of that decision, months and years into the future?

Not only will they get better grades, they will get more out of their learning experience, which will have a greater impact on their options and decisions after graduation.

Each day, we all can make the decision to raise our standards, whether it relates to what we expect from ourselves or those with whom we associate.

Once you make the decision to raise your standards, you will never look back.

Final Thoughts

Decisions always come in pairs.

One decision leads to another, starting a chain reaction every time.

That's why you're always one decision away from a totally different life.

I hope this post helped you reflect on the various ways that our decisions can have a mighty impact, even if they start as just a thought in the moment of conception.

Now I have a question for you:

What decision do you have to make to get closer to your current goal?

If you think carefully, you can likely find the answer.

All the best!

Roli Edema