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We are known either for the problems we create or the ones we solve, which requires making decisions. However, good friend, making decisions can be difficult. How do you know it’s the right one?
“Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.”
Keri Russell
There is a part of me that is wise and all-knowing. Yet, when I fail to find what I need with conventional methods, I allow my wisdom to guide me. I have made seven major life decisions even when I wasn’t completely sure.
- Moving twice to another island for employment
- Changing careers
- Walking away from college
- Walking away from toxic relationships
- Pursuing my dreams
- Turning down a promotion
- Declining medical care
Besides your spirituality, one of the most important decisions you can ever make is to become your own boss. I’m talking about taking full responsibility for your life and not blaming others or your circumstances for past results or where you are right now. Taking responsibility for your own life is the fundamental step needed to change.
You’ll regret the decisions you didn’t make more than the decisions you made and got wrong, but learned from in the process, and went on to bigger and better things because of them.
Making Hard Decisions
The life of an entrepreneur is inundated with the daily challenges of decision making. You simply cannot avoid the decision-making process. The moment you decided to become an entrepreneur, you were immediately faced with having to make certain difficult choices.
You have got to develop and train your mind for these instances. Effective decision-making, notwithstanding the pressures of this life, is an acquired skill. Regarding our family relationships, spiritual lives, succeeding at work and maybe even launching a blog, we are all confronted with making hard decisions.
Perhaps you were confronted with having to ask some of the following questions:
- What possible motives are driving my decision?
- Is the pressure of time forcing me to make a premature decision?
- Do I have all the facts?
- Could this decision jeopardize my integrity?
- What biblical principles should inform my decision
- How should past experiences inform my decision?
- What is the collective counsel of my community?
- Have I considered the possible outcomes for my course of action?
- Is there a better option that would allow me to make a greater impact?
Where do we find the answers to such intriguing questions?
What Does Bible Say About Decision Making?
The Bible gives us guidance to help determine if we’re making the right choice.If you don’t mind being informed by scripture, the following three will help you to make decisions that glorify God and honor others.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).
God wants you to make wise decisions, so He has given you an open invitation to ask for wisdom Trust the Lord. Believe in him. And ask him to give you the wisdom you need.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
As Christians, we are not to copy the fleeting fashions of the present time, but to be wholly transformed in view of that higher mode of existence, in strict accordance with God’s will, that he has chosen.
“You may make your plans, but God directs your actions.” (Proverbs 16:9)
If you’re like me, you aspire for significance during your lifetime. Particularly, you want to be somebody, which requires that you must find something to accomplish. Most people subscribe to worldly standards and what others most admire, then set their hearts on becoming that, or accomplishing it.
The hope is that once they’ve accomplished this milestone, they will be somebody and hopefully fulfilled. However, God wants us to consider His will and plans ultimately in our lives. We are encouraged to say, “Lord, if it is Your will, I will do this – and may it be for Your glory and to advance Your agenda and purposes on earth.”
Making Decisions About Blogging Mentors
I definitely desire to live a purpose-driven life. Accordingly, I have challenged myself to harness the power of making decisions that may greatly impact my future. My wisdom and knowledge since my college days have come via mistakes or mentorship, the latter being my preference. That’s how I obtained my MBA (mentors, books & association). Therefore, I truly appreciate having wise counselors around me to teach me life lessons.
We all know people who seem to succeed in everything they do. They are movers, doers, leaders, and conquerors. They always seem to be ahead of the game.
Certainly, there have been many influential business persons whose successes inspired me to start my own blog. These are my mentors. I am guided by their experience and genuine interest in my well-being. Following their example means exercising good judgment in my decisions.
Particularly, I closely followed the steps of several professional bloggers when I made the decision to build a profitable blog. It was my decision to step into my “A Game.” Please allow me to introduce you to:
Amy Porterfield
Amy Porterfield teaches business owners, educators and entrepreneurs the profitable action steps for building a highly engaged email list, creating online training courses, and using online marketing strategies to sell with ease. You are sorely missing out if you have yet to subscribe to the top-ranked, Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast
Andrea Bolder
Andrea Bolder helps bloggers and online entrepreneurs build stand out brands and grow their income. I made the decision to purchase many of her courses and since then have slayed my funnels and leveled up my list.
Angie Gensler
Angie Gensler teaches busy entrepreneurs like you how to start and grow a profitable online business without the hustle or tech confusion. I decided to invest in my online business education and benefited from several of her trainings.
I particularly enjoyed her 12 Month Social Media Content Calendar, Secrets of a 7-Figure Entrepreneur. Pinterest Design Templates, Pinterest Traffic Trifecta and her Viral Pin Formula eBook.
Cindy Bidar
Desiring to work less, earn more and build a wildly successful business, I made the decision to follow Cindy Bidar. I suggest you grab her Operations & Marketing Checklists to help you create standard operating procedures and systems for your online business. You’ll also learn how to leverage your list-building efforts to create long-term, profitable relationships with her Business Success Funnel Bundle.
Darren Rowse
Darren Rowse is an Australian blogger, speaker, consultant and founder of several blogs and blog networks, including ProBlogger.com and digital-photography-school.com. I got hooked on his resources, firstly when I discovered 31 Days to Build a Better Blog – a practical month long challenge for bloggers wanting to take their blog to the next level. I wanted to learn the Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income, so I decided to purchase his book, aptly entitled ProBlogger.
Dave Foy
The wizard behind DesignBuildWeb.co, Dave Foy teaches non-coder graphic designers how to build beautiful, responsive, custom designed WordPress websites—the easy way. I personally learned how to create a high-converting opt-in landing page with WordPress & Elementor. I decided to enroll in No Fear Funnels to flatten my learning curve and gain a competitive advantage.
David Risley
If you’ve been blogging for a while then surely you have heard of Blog Marketing Academy which is managed by David Risley. Just like I am, he’s just your average maverick who decided he didn’t want to go down the path most traveled. Yunno, get good grades – go to college – get a good job. His Online Business Roadmap covers all kinds of topics and various aspects of online business. So, treat yourself to some goodies.
Jennifer Maker
She’s a designer, maker, crafter, teacher, and a bestselling author Jennifer Maker is the lady behind the crafty fun! Each week she shares a fun craft tutorial in The Great Maker Show. But if you’re ready to build your list with freebies your readers will love then make the decision to grab her LIST LOVE Master Course. This was the inspiration for creating an awesome resource library.
Jon Morrow
Jon Morrow knows blogging and in my opinion is undoubtedly a blogging success story. He managed to pull away from humble beginnings, transforming himself into one of the world’s most successful bloggers. And get this – he’s effectively paralyzed from the neck down. He’s written the most read blog post on Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger. Consequently, I decided to subscribe to SmartBlogger (previously Boost Blog Traffic). This blog makes him over $100,000 per month and I’m following his lead to make money blogging too.
Jonathan Milligan
An author, blogger, speaker and career coach, Jonathan Milligan teaches Entrepreneurs how to build a portable lifestyle business through blogging. He focuses on the L.I.F.E Model: Lifestyle • Impact • Financial Freedom • Effort
He is the quintessence of resourcefulness; hence, I decided to follow his wisdom over at BloggingYourPassion.com Do you desire to learn How to Start and Operate a Blog as a Business, or Use Content Upgrades to Skyrocket Your List? Are you interests in learning How to Create a Membership Site in a Weekend or How to Write an Epic Blog Post to Rank High in Google? Do yourself a favor and meet him here.
Kim Garst
Kim Garst is an Online Business Strategist, social selling pro, and international best-selling author, and one of the world’s most retweeted people. Famous for her red-framed glasses, she also simplifies Marketing for service-based entrepreneurs. I made the decision not to miss out on her Online Business Training. I wanted to build, grow and scale my business so I decided to subscribe to her blog
Leslie Samuel
Leslie Samuel teaches you how to Become A Blogger, create content, inspire others and change the world with a blog. It was an easy decision to follow Leslie because this dude’s enthusiasm is happily contagious. His blogging podcast, Blogging with Leslie is the one you can’t afford to miss!
Meera Kothand
Meera Kothand is an Email Marketing Strategist and Amazon Bestselling Author. She simplifies email marketing so that you can create a tribe that’s addicted to your zone of genius. I fully believe in the vision I have for my blog. Consequently, I was in search for the easiest way to explode my list and turn them into loyal followers. Therefore, I easily made the decision to enroll in Profitable Email System to seduce them to purchase from me using Meera’s 5-Step Activation Process
Michael Hyatt
If you’re ready to secure the clarity, confidence, and tools you need to win at work and succeed at life, then look no further than Michael Hyatt. I initially became intrigued with his suite of products by the sheer value derived solely from his leading blog. However, I made the decision to tap further into his wisdom, particularly investing in Platform University to shore up my brand.
Monica Froese
If you’d conduct a simple online search for Monica Froese, you’ll discover that she’s a successful entrepreneur… mother… rebel at Redefining Mom. She firmly believes that women do not have to choose between their careers and family. I wanted to copy her success and decided to enroll in several of her courses. Particularly, Elementor Funnel Templates, Pin Practical Funneling and Pin Practical Influence, which helps me to strategically leverage affiliate marketing on Pinterest.
Rosemarie Groner
Rosemarie Groner is better known as The Busy Budgeter. She teaches you how to effectively manage and organize your budget, your home, and your life… even if you’re chronically disorganized. These topics resonated with me so I decided to giver her Inbox access to ensure I remained current on the matters. An Elite Blog Academy graduate, she covers how to make money quite well.
Ruth Soukup
New York Times bestselling author Ruth Soukup is dedicated to helping people break through fear and create a life they love. Through her top-ranked Do It Scared(R) podcast and her popular blog, Living Well Spending Less, she provides easy-to-follow guidance for following your dreams and reaching your goals.
When I decided to launch my blog, I wanted a comprehensive, step-by-step and proven framework for creating a successful, profitable online business. That was the basis for deciding to enroll in the transformational Elite Blog Academy.
Ryan Robinson
If you want to learn how to start a blog and grow a profitable side business (while keeping your day job) then you must visit Ryan Robinson. I made the decision to model my blog after Ryan’s owing to his free, yet valuable in-depth guides, courses and podcasts. So, let Ryan teach you how to get your first 10,000 readers and generating a six-figure blogging income via Built to Blog, a meaty resource.
Sara Morgan
Sara Morgan blogs at XO Sarah.com. Her mission is to help her target audience – female solopreneurs – to simplify their strategy, show up confidently + earn more with digital products. Well those were precisely my goals, so guess what? I decided to grab a few of her courses.
Becoming a Productive Solopreneur early in my blogging journey was especially important for me. I enjoyed her eBook – How to Grow Your Email List with a Free Challenge, which is a strategy I’m currently leveraging. Lastly, if you end your workday feeling overworked or guilty for falling behind, then 7 Productivity Hacks for Solopreneurs is what you’re looking for.
Suzi Whitford
Growing up, I was surely a Momma’s Boy. So, that was primarily the reason why I made the decision to investigate Suzi Whitford, who blogs at Start A Mom Blog. She shares a step by step simple guide how she’s made over $1Million with Blog By Number. I discovered her intentionally and have not regretted my decision to level up my education via most of her digital trainings. Some of my favorites are, List By Number, eBook By Number and certainly Course by Number.
Tracie Fobes
Another successful blogger who’s ready to help you learn how to run a profitable blog is Tracie Fobes. She sold her first site for 6 FIGURES. So, she caught my attention. I made the decision to model certain aspects of her website regarding site navigation. Check out her Resources and Blogging Resources pages, which are neat and simple. Subscribe to her trainings by clicking here.
Yaro Starak
Yaro Starak was perhaps the first blogger who made me believe that one could actually make money blogging. He is the blogger behind Entrepreneur’s Journey and Blog Mastermind. I decided quickly to download and read his Blog Profits Blueprint. Thereafter, I made the decision to copy the online business model he leveraged to make a million dollars. That Business Model: Start A Blog • Grow an Email Newsletter • Sell Your Own Digital Products.
Employing Patience in Making Decisions
Patience is a trait that I observed which all of my blogging role models share. It teaches that long-lived accomplishment is possible only when you are willing to wait while taking massive action.
It has taken me four years to get traction with my various blogs. Yet, I remain confident that my time for hitting those targeted goals is destined to come. Nonetheless, I keep pushing until its arrival.
I acknowledged early in my blogging journey that taking measured risks was wise. Playing it safe only limits your ability to achieve greatness. Are you willing to take risks that are well thought-out?
Good buddy, I agree that going fulltime into blogging is a big career move. Actually, it may even be a gamble because you are going into the unknown. But when you consider the potential growth from the opportunity, you might be convinced to take the jump.
When you are able to quantify the benefits, it is easy to take the calculated risk.
Yet, you must also avoid allowing heightened emotions to come into play when making important decisions. Having a stable mind and a soul at ease makes decisions sincere.
Any external factors that interrupt your thought process are hindrances to wise decision-making. So, take your time with decisions until you are in a neutral mindset.
Looking back at my blogging investments (particularly regarding my education), I now recognize that wise thoughts lead to wise actions. I am fulfilled by the decisions I made after carefully thinking through them. It is a blessing to have the consciousness to make a wise decision.
“The Only Person You Are Destined to Become Is the Person You Decide to Be“
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Develop Decision Making Power
If you’ve worked in the corporate arena then you certainly made your fair share of decisions. So, I challenge you to employ your corporate or office skills in your personal life, side hustle or blog launch.
Here are some benefits of becoming more decisive and practical steps for making better decisions faster in every aspect of your life. I’ll use blogging as our example.
The Benefits of Becoming More Decisive
- Chase Your Dreams. One of the major benefits of making conscious choices is that you can shape a life path that reflects your values and priorities. The world needs your genius and for you to come alive. Discover your niche and take massive action. Don’t Quit! Otherwise, you may find yourself drifting through whatever circumstances come along!
- Save Time and Energy. Making decisions more quickly frees the time that gets wasted going back and forth over the same options. It also eliminates the stress, confusion and anxiety that you may feel about making blogging mistakes.
- Embrace Your Confidence. Your family’s future is waiting on the other side of your fears. You can leave a legacy that outlives you. Taking greater control over your life and developing your decision-making skills builds your self-confidence. This creates a positive momentum because it’s easier to make decisions when you believe in yourself and your abilities.
- Be Bold. Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. Therefore, every decision is an opportunity to learn more about yourself and the world around you. Sure, the choices you make reveal your character. Learning how to monetize your blog maybe during a crisis can be transformed into a willingness to learn from adversity. You’ll also gain valuable feedback about areas where you can improve.
How to Become More Decisive
- Encourage Yourself. Once you make the conscious effort to become more decisive, you’ll recognize opportunities to be more pro-active throughout the blogging world. It can be scary to invest in an expensive online course, so remind yourself of the advantages of leading a more intentional life.
- Ensure Due Diligence. Making reliable decisions requires the correct information. Get your facts and figures straight by doing some research on your own to maximize a satisfactory return on investment.
- Evaluate the Pros and Cons. For complex decisions, it’s often helpful to draw a grid. Plot the pros and cons and assign them a value based on their importance to you. Real life dilemmas may be more complicated than simple math, but this exercise gives you a good outline for what direction to take.
- Start Small. Get a gradual start with making quick decisions in areas where you feel confident and where the consequences are relatively minor. Outsource small projects for your blog or enroll in your mentor’s free mini course to sharpen the saw.
- Scale Up. Work your way up to more significant decisions as you build confidence in your abilities. Ascertain if you are ready to create your first digital product or membership site. Learn to trust your judgment and accept any consequences or criticisms that may arise.
- Create A Timeline. Daily self-discipline is required outside of the office. So, set your own timeline to prompt yourself to action. If you want to invest in a custom theme for your new blog in a few years, start now to make financial decisions that will give you the savings you’ll need to achieve your goal.
- Face Your Goliath. You’ve tossed around the ideas of starting a podcast and your YouTube channel far too long. The fear of making mistakes can be a barrier to becoming more decisive. Be gentle with yourself but move ahead even if you’re nervous. Mistakes are a part of life and, in the long run, you may learn more from failures than from victories.
- Blog Your Passion. Simply follow your heart. The decisions you make in your blogging journey are successful if they bring you more happiness and contentment. You may find more gratification in starting a travel blog than in becoming a travel agent. Rational analysis is helpful, but you want to feel good about whatever choices you make.
Becoming more decisive will help you get more out of life. Take a pro-active approach to making life choices that you can be proud of.
Avoid Indecision and Overthinking
The quality of your decisions affects the quality of your life. Making better decisions is one of the most effective ways to enhance your life. However, making a good decision requires actually making decisions.
Too many people avoid making decisions, or they spend far too much time and energy making decisions. Download the FREE guide to discover 8 Tips to Avoid Indecision and Overthinking.
Making a decision isn’t a race, but what are you going to accomplish by waiting if you already have the information you need to decide?
Be clear on your purpose and values. Avoid the need to be perfect in your decisions. Make a wise choice and get busy living your life.
How to Make Good Decisions
Successful entrepreneurship is not just about making decisions; it is about making the right decisions. You have to weigh the situation properly, consider all the moves like on a chessboard, and make your move wisely. There are so many ways to make the right decisions. Here are a few:
Put Aside Emotion
You have to set aside all emotions when trying to decide on a matter. Emotions can affect not just the spirit of the decision, but how quickly you make it. Even when you think your decisions are based on logic, they are often steered by emotion.
If you become easily irritated, this can lead to impatience, and rash decision-making. While if you are fearful, your decisions may be obscured by uncertainty, and caution, and it might take you longer to choose.
Involve Others in Your Decision Making
Building trusted relationships is a wise approach to establishing a successful business. Hence, asking for input from those who matter most draws them in to the decision-making process and helps them feel “ownership” for the decision. Others may include:
- Family members
- Your peers
- A mentor
- Your Blogging Mastermind group
- Business Partner or Associate
Ask others:
- “What do you think?”
- “Who else would you recommend I ask?”
- “What am I missing?”
- “Who will this decision affect?”
Make Smart Decisions Faster
You’ve heard the saying, “success loves speed!” Practice making smart decisions faster and stand by them. Nobody enjoys following a slow and indecisive leader. They drain all progress and are not taken seriously.
You have to train yourself to analyze and evaluate problems quickly and to offer effective solutions to the problems. As a coach, consultant or mentor, this will certainly increase your perceived value when you can overcome problems that may be stumbling blocks for others.
In Summary
For some, starting a blog may come easily. However, managing and ensuring that it remains profitable is a lot harder to do. To maintain a business takes a lot of responsibility and the skill of making decisions quickly and effectively.
You must employ discipline and be ready to make hard and tough decisions. Eventually, you will realize that each decision you make is in consideration of the rest of your life.
Efficient decision making takes practice, and you have to get used to discomfort and temporary inconveniences. To be a leader in your personal life and entrepreneurial pursuits, you have to commit to making difficult decisions promptly.
Get comfortable making the hard decisions. Study more to learn about what the Bible says about decision-making. Subscribe to credible and qualified mentorship. Employ patience and intentionally develop your decision-making muscles. Purposefully avoid indecision and overthinking and you’ll soon establish a reputation for making impactful decisions.
Did I provoke your thoughts or caused a bit of introspection? Do you have a reputation for making good decisions?
Share your thoughts in the comments, and if your decision-making process could use a little help, grab the 8 Tips to Avoid Indecision and Overthinking resource below.
- Who do I spend the most time learning from?
- How regularly do I apply learned life lessons to my decisions?
- How often am I required to make hasty decisions on the job?
