The 3 Best Questions To Ask Before And After Actually Making A Decision

There’s a popular phrase floating around the internet: You’re only one decision away from a totally different life.

If you’re looking to make professional progress, this can be a rallying cry and a potential turning point in your career. Because if you want something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.

And that starts with a decision.

The good news is you have the power to make a life-changing one.

The bad news? You might not know which is the right choice to make.

To help narrow the field, ask yourself these two questions before deciding:

1. What is the one thing I can do today that will have the most impact?

So often, we can get wrapped up in our imagined futures, overwhelmed by seemingly limitless possibilities. Or maybe a decision we’re considering may not carry much oomph in moving the needle.

When presented with multiple choices, a helpful tip is to ask yourself what is the one thing you can do right now that will produce the greatest impact in bringing you closer to your goal.

It’s important to note that this decision need not be a grandiose, sweeping gesture (though if you’re ready to do that, more power to you). Instead, the biggest changes often start with a small step in a new direction. And when that decision involves something you can do immediately, it gives you the much-needed momentum to keep going.

2. Does my environment support my decision?

Your environment, which includes your friends, colleagues, location, habits, and lifestyle, impacts you far more—for better or worse—than you realize; it always wins. You’ve likely grown and evolved, and what once worked for you has probably changed. As a result, you can’t make a significant, lasting change without altering some elements of your environment.

Here’s the thing: if you’re not changing it, you’re choosing it.

You’ll have a greater chance of success if your environment supports your decision. So if an aspect of your environment is holding you back from accomplishing what you need to do, let it go and replace it with something or someone aligned with your goals. The power of saying no to people and things that no longer serve you is that you can say yes to those that do.

And a third question to ask yourself after deciding:

3. How can I optimize my decision?

Spoiler alert: Decision making doesn’t end once you’ve made a choice. After you’ve decided, you still have an opportunity to optimize that decision by making adjustments.

Perhaps circumstances have changed, or the market has shifted, and staying on the same path doesn’t make sense. Or maybe a new opportunity has presented itself, requiring a pivot to take advantage of it. Rather than stubbornly refuse to deviate from your original decision, be flexible and adapt to the current conditions. If your decision is no longer working for you, or you feel like you made the wrong decision, you can remedy it by making a new one.

A decision is the starting point; the iteration of that decision is the never-ending journey to success.

Remember, you’re only one decision away from a totally different life. And by asking yourself these three questions, you’ll choose wisely.