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Say you want to make a change in your life. What do you do?

Will simply deciding to change your life someday make it happen?

Probably not.

Will putting that decision in writing make it happen? Maybe, but probably not.

To make a significant change in your life, you've got to go about it the right way, or else it will fall by the wayside like a wish to start your own business, stop smoking, or learn another language. There's a world of difference between wish making and decision making. Decision making is the key to success.

The word decision actually means to cut off all other options. That's pretty decisive. For many different reasons, some people have a really hard time with decision making. Maybe they're afraid they'll get themselves into a bad situation with no way out. Maybe they fear they'll fail, so they don't even go for it. Maybe they're worried about what other people will say.

Even though many people would certainly say they wish they could make more money, be happier, get along better with others, get in shape, or live in a healthier way, for most people, it's always just a wish. Moving from wish to decision is crucial for anyone who wants to make a big change.

We make decisions all the time, whether we're aware of it or not. Some decisions are made in auto-pilot mode, and that works well in some cases, but not in others. When you engage in a bad habit, you're making a decision to continue self defeating behavior. When you engage in positive behavior, you decide to do that, too. We make decisions based on our thoughts and emotions. Then our decisions bring about our actions, and our actions bring about results.

So how do you do what you need to do? You start with a committed decision. What do you want? How do you plan to get it? What's involved, what's required of you in order to move forward toward your goal? One decision you make stays the same during the whole journey toward your dream ' that decision is your goal, what you're aiming for, what you want.

On the way there, you've got a host of decisions to make, too. Each day, you decide what attitude you'll have, what you'll do with your time and energy, how you'll talk and think about your goal, what tactics you'll engage to move forward. Each decision you make automatically cuts off lots of other options.

One of our clients, Pam, decided to start a Network Marketing business last year. She decided that within a year, she'd be at the level where she'd get paid to drive a white Mercedes-Benz. She decided that she'd build her business by building a team of other motivated consultants. She decided that she'd do whatever it took to get to her goal, even if it felt uncomfortable. She'd do it even if it felt hopeless. She'd do it even if she didn't feel like it.

Each day, as she got ready to work her business, she knew what to do. This is because her decision determined her 'to do' list. She'd cut off her other options ' it wasn't an option for her to spend the day watching reality tv. It wasn't an option to quit after ten people in a row said, 'No thank you.' Now, a year later, she's right on the edge of qualifying for that car! If she'd been wishy-washy all along, she'd probably have quit. Making a decision and sticking with it has been her key to success.