How do you know if you’ve made a decision?

You might think it’s obvious that you’ve made a decision, but there’s a very subtle difference between thinking and making a decision.

Thinking can be along the lines of, I’d like to do that, or even I’m going to, both are thoughts but neither one is a decision. You see, a decision is always followed by action. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. If there’s no action then it’s only a thought, not a decision. While thinking is very important, it’s the deciding that moves you forward.

Why is it important to know the difference between a thought and a decision? Because so often people think they’ve made a decision, when all they’ve done is thought about what they want to do.

So how do you know that you’ve made a decision?

You see or experience a result from taking an action.

Decision making can be scary because it forces you to commit to an uncertain future, while thinking is an exercise you can do in the safety of your own mind. But, if it’s results you want, then eventually you’re going to have to move from thinking to deciding.

So the next time you’re thinking about doing something, convince yourself to take action, no matter how small, and do so as soon as possible. The more you get used to taking action right after you make a decision, the less time you’ll spend just thinking about doing, and actually doing.