The Decision Muscle: How to Build Strength Through Everyday Choices

Let me think about this. I'm wondering about a situation in my life. Na hi idar na he udhar ka. But I have been wondering something about decision making. How important it is to make the right decision at the right time in life. 


You cannot make progress without making decisions. I like this idea. Think about anything that we've done. We've all made decisions in life. I mean it's such an important part of our lives. We cannot make progress without making decisions. So, it's obvious that we cannot make progress when without making a decision. Any decision in our lives, requires a lot of thorough thinking however once we make a decision only then we can progress in life. Take any progress in life, whether it's about getting married, or it's about switching a job, or it's about buying a new home, any decision in our life requires thorough investigation and then an action. But you only move forward when you make a decision. That's the thing that I want to communicate. 


Decisions are the hardest thing to make, especially when it is a choice between where you should be and where you want to be. 

This captures the emotional tug-of-war between duty and desire — a dilemma almost everyone faces at some point in life. On one side lies responsibility, stability, and logic — the place you should be. It might be the job that pays well, the path that others expect you to take, or the role you’ve grown into out of necessity. On the other side lies passion, dreams, and fulfilment — the place you want to be. It could be chasing a childhood dream, moving to a new city, or starting something completely uncertain but exciting.

The difficulty comes from knowing that each path comes with its own consequences. Choosing where you should be might give you safety but can also leave you feeling unfulfilled or stuck. Choosing where you want to be can feel exhilarating, but may involve risk, sacrifice, or going against the grain.

This decision-making process demands honesty, courage, and self-awareness. It’s not just about where you go — it’s about who you become because of that choice. And sometimes, the real journey is about finding a balance — shaping a life that honours both your responsibilities and your inner calling.



Decision-making is a skill, practice like you would any other. the more you flex the muscle, the sharper your choices become, leading to a life of increasing abundance. Now think about it. So basically it's a muscle that you keep on stretching in life. The more you stretch the muscle the better. The sharper your choices become, leading to a life of increasing abundance. 

So now the question is how do we practice our decision-making muscle practically? 

1. Make more small decisions daily: 

Take small decisions every day.

For example, questions like: 


1. What do I want to eat for lunch today? 

2. Do I really want to say yes to this meeting? 

3. Which task matters the most right now? 

2. Journal the why: 

After making the decision, small or big. Journal your why. For an example, what was the decision? What do I feel about it? What was my thought process for that? 

3. Use the 10/10/10 rule: 

You can use the 10/10/10 rule. You can talk about how do I feel about this decision in the next 10 minutes? How will I feel about it in the next 10 months and then what about 10 years. Once you think through this. You will know the long term perspective that goes along with this. 

4. Timebox the decisions: 

If it's a small decision, I usually decide within 5-10 minutes. If it's a big decision, I usually take time and then go ahead with the decision. That makes life a little easier. 

5. Review and reflect the decisions: 

Check what worked and what didn't. From the part of what didn't work, just improve that and see what can be done better. This way you will always keep improving and making progress in your strides. 

6. Play "What If" Scenarios

Intentionally run through 2–3 options before choosing one. Ask:

  • What would happen if I go with A vs B?

  • What's the upside/downside of each?

This improves strategic thinking over reactive choices.

7. Embrace "Wrong" Decisions

Instead of fearing wrong decisions, view them as feedback. Each “mistake” is just a rep in the gym. You either win or you learn.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lessons from MS Dhoni: Mastering the Process Over Results

Image
There are a couple of ideas I was having one was character related, take a character and talk about their quotes. Next was take a book and summarise them, since book summaries are also available on YouTube, I think a character summary would be a good way to start this new thread. The first character that I am going to talk about is one of my favourite sport icons, MS Dhoni. I personally feel like I have learnt so many things from him, in fact there are certain mindsets I got from Ms Dhoni that I applied in my life and got successful as well. So why not just start with Ms Dhoni? Purpose First:  One of the first things out there about him is this. When a reporter asked Msd about whether he'll be able to play when his daughter Ziva was born. He said that he's on national duty and everything else can wait. That's a big statement to make. This shows his mindset was totally about nation first and everything else later. He thought about playing cricket is what I get from this quot...
Read more

Step into the unknown

Image
 Embrace the unknown. There are so many things in life that we fear. Imagine that you fear a particular project, imagine you risk losing something, imagine you risk the loss of a friend, imagine you risk losing love, all of these are risks. But the point is we want to embrace the unknown. What is to life, if we never explore the unknown, if we never know about someone. I feel like it's important to embrace the unknown. It's important to go through the darkest of times together and then come out stronger. It's important to be yourself.  The more you go with the flow of life and surrender the outcome to God, and the less you seek constant clarity, the more you will find that fabulous things start to show up in your life. I love this, so going with the flow of life, and surrendering yourself to the outcome. That is what makes life interesting. Imagine going on a solo trip, you don't really know whom you will meet or how you will stay but with the flow of life you eventuall...
Read more

There's light at the end of the tunnel

I have always loved the idea that every story, whether in books, movies, or real life, is a journey—one filled with moments of difficulty, sadness, hardships, and battles that must be fought. But what truly makes a story special is not just the struggles it portrays, but the way it turns them into something meaningful, something that inspires. Think about your favorite films—the ones that leave a lasting impact. No matter how dark the night, no matter how lost the hero feels, in the end, things fall into place. The obstacles that seemed insurmountable become lessons. The heartbreaks become stepping stones. The failures become the very reason for success. And when the movie ends on a hopeful note, the audience walks out of the theater with a renewed belief in life, in second chances, and in the idea that no matter how tough things get, there’s always hope. That’s exactly what I want to contribute through this blog. A sense of belief that life, like the best Hindi films, has its fair sha...
Read more