Too many of us wait around to “find our passion” or “figure it out” instead of simply picking one idea and getting to work.
As Elliott Hulse says (I’m paraphrasing):
There is no right decision, you pick an idea and MAKE it right.
Meaning, all of the options are generally equal, but it’s up to you to pick one and make it the right decision for your life.
Back quite a few years ago when I was trying to pick the college I wanted to attend (I applied to 10 and got into 5), all new areas in the country opened up as an option.
I was debating between staying in Michigan or going to college in either Colorado, California, or New York.
At the time it was insanely stressful and I was always worried about making the “wrong” choice.
The thing is, I had to decide. I finally decided on Colorado, and I’ll never know what would have happened if I picked the other states, but making the decision instead of wallowing in indecision is what ultimately mattered.
Once I got here, I was able to make it the right decision through hard work.
That’s the thing I need to continue to remember: every decision can be made right.
I continuously find myself waiting until some fictional day when I’ll have a decision “figured out” and I’ll know exactly what choice to make. Instead, the best thing is to just decide and get to work.
Yes, some decisions require thinking and time, but once you make a decision, see it through. Too many people make decisions, break them, make a new one, break them, and end up going in circles.
Whether it is workout programs, career choices, new living locations, jobs, relationships… whatever it is, you will get miles ahead if you get started.
This website is one perfect example of this exact problem. There were endless things I could write about when it came to living a virtuous, strenuous life. However, I allowed those options to consume my action steps and instead of simply writing consistently, it has sat here waiting to be brought to its true potential.
Now that I’ve remembered the simple virtue of decisiveness, that will never happen again. (The virtuous life can solve most of the problems we encounter in life.)
When you pick one and put forth the consistency required to make it start to come to life, that discipline bleeds over into other areas of life.
Back when I worked as a personal trainer at my college gym, I noticed time and time again that when my clients were consistent with working out, they started to stay consistent in the other areas of life that mattered.
Currently, I’m at a career crossroads, and I am not sure which path to pursue yet.
To deal with this, I’ve started a new workout program and I’m simply going to increase the amount of days I go and put in consistent effort.
Every time I stay consistent with my weight lifting, all kinds of new opportunities come my way and decisions become clear because I made a decision in one area of my life and put the work in.
I’m not much into the woo-woo aspect of life, but it’s amazing how much clarity comes through simple action in one direction. Like Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”
I’m not saying you have to figure out every decision in your life, I’m saying by simply picking one area of your life and making one decision, that will clear up all kinds of mental blocks in your way.
Sometimes life gets confusing simply because there are too many undecided options in our lives. Too many options can limit our overall happiness. Here’s a great article on this exact topic from the Art of Manliness if you feel like this is a problem in your life.
It’s as simple as a decision.
The Strenuous Life Manifesto 