The decisions we make during the course of our life is the primary force that directs our life. Daily we make thousands of decisions about a range of topics. We decide what we want to wear, what we want to eat, how we are going to respond to a certain situation, even doing nothing, procrastination, is a decision. There is a multitude of possible outcomes from the decisions we make, so it is vital to be aware of what we are consciously deciding to do, and the impact it might have on our future.

Before we can start evaluating our decisions and see whether they are producing the results we desire in life we first must understand what a decision is. And what exactly differentiates a good decision to a bad one?

Practically a decision is a choice; it’s a conscious or subconscious evaluation of a given situation and based upon that evaluation an action is taken. These evaluations are viewed through several filters of perception. These filters are usually our beliefs and values. We create our beliefs and values through our life conditioning, mostly due to childhood experiences or significant emotional events. Awareness is the first step for change, and being aware of the possible conditioned responses can be a way of altering your decision making process.

A good decision usually comes from intelligence, intelligence usually comes from experience, and experience is usually derived from mistakes made in the past. The difference of a good decision and a bad decision is intelligence. Intelligence is the ability to have hindsight on a specific topic. Intelligence is also the ability to understand ones own habitual tendencies, and how to overcome them. Being conscious of your possible life conditioning and your current intelligence factor can be a great way to improve your decision making. Being aware that there might be outside forces influencing your decision making (environment), and choosing to decide for your future, will positively impact the direction of your life.