There are times in our life where we are required to make a life changing decision that will determine our future in a big way. How do you know you have made the right decision? For me, I’ve recently had to make multiple life-changing decisions all at once, and it can sometimes seem overwhelming.

The process is far from easy and it takes every bit of energy and emotion you have to make a life-changing decision. You can become surrounded by the fear associated with your various options, although what I’ve found is that you must embrace this fear.

Use the fear to show yourself the enormity of what you’re about to commit too. Usually, fear means you’re on the right path and it’s just a matter of understanding precisely what you want and then taking action. At the same time, over thinking decisions can force you never to take action and grow unhappier by the day.

Below are the four ways you’ll know you’re making the right life-changing decision:

1. Your intuition tells you

Faced with a big decision, you’re best chance of making the right call is to listen to what your intuition tells you. Run the scenarios through your head and see which one your heart guides you towards the most.

Even try placing your hand on your heart as you do this exercise and feeling your heart beat. We are emotional beings, and our success is more reliant on our intuition than we think. Use this powerful tool to take your life on a different path.

In my own life, my intuition says to keep inspiring people even though there is no clear path to greatness just yet. The faith I have in my intuition and the results I have achieved this far are directly linked.

2. You feel it

Making a decision that changes your destiny will make you feel a certain way. You’ll find that you become more emotional, and you may even get a little teary-eyed with situations that normally have no effect on you.

Your body knows when you are about to make a big decision, and it’s up to you, to use what you feel to your advantage. Feeling is the ultimate thing we are all chasing. Our feelings are why we buy a new car, or a new house, or go on holiday; we’re chasing the feeling these things give us.

The feeling I had with my two major decisions recently caused me to have to make tough choices that would take away my so-called comfort. These decisions required me to be vulnerable and live out in the stormy weather for a bit while I regroup and get back on track towards success.

A feeling of uncertainty in these life-changing moments is fine, and it’s perfectly normal. You generally feel a tidal wave of feelings building up right before an important decision arises. When you finally make your decision, you will feel a sense of relief, but maybe not straight away.

3. Think about up until now and the future

You’ll know that you’ve made the right decision when you think back to all the events that have transpired up until now. If these events are mostly negative and don’t link up to your ideal vision for your life, then chances are you’ve made the right decision.

Then, think about the future if you don’t make this decision and take note of what you see. While going through this exercise, I saw more of the same pain that I had seen in the past. I realised that the only way to get beyond that pain was to make a very tough decision.

“The results of your life are not going to change unless you make a life-changing decision”

Of course, like any level of success, making the decision will be tough, and that’s cool bananas. Know that the present way you feel right after making a decision won’t last forever.

4. Ask yourself what the best case looks like

To tap into whether you’re making the right decision, ask yourself “what does the best case look like if I don’t make this decision?” The image you get in your mind will give you a good indication as to what the right decision is.

If the image makes you feel unfulfilled, or your not excited about it, then there’s a good chance that you are settling for second best. Life is too short to settle for second best.

Some points to remember once you’ve made your decision

So let’s assume you’ve made the tough decision- what next? Well, it’s now time to look beyond the decision and remember a few basic truths.

1. Remember that hard times don’t last forever 

It’s not difficult for your mind to make you think that hard times will last forever. This idea is rubbish, and you have to tell yourself that on a regular basis. Winter doesn’t last forever, and before you know it, summer will be back, and you’ll be back at your best again.

The only way we grow is to experience some significant pain once in a while. Think of your tough decision as another layer of muscle for your emotional intelligence that you can draw upon whenever you need to.

2. Look forward to a new beginning

I’ve found that rather than focus on the past, the best way to move forward is to visualise what your new beginning might look like. Maybe it’s the fresh air in the country that you move to or the new partner that makes you happier than everyone before them.

Focus your attention away from events that have already occurred, and onto more positive thoughts around the new outstanding life that you have guaranteed yourself by being vulnerable, and embracing your fear.

Many people avoid fear like the plague, but by making this bold decision, you have the opportunity to be one of the few that can use it for your own benefit, and for the benefit of those you touch.

3. Look forward to new people, friends, and mentors

Making a challenging decision gives you the gift of new situations. Along with these new situations comes the chance to meet many new people who could become your friends, lover, mentor, etc. Without making a tough decision, you may never have met these new people who could change the course of your life’s journey for the better.

“Think about all the people that inspire you and then use your tough decision to bring you closer to these people. Become relentless at being around people that lift you up and inspire you”

Know that you deserve these people in your life just as much as the next person. Remember though that these people can only show up if you are bold, and take action.

***Final thought***

In the end, the only person that knows if a tough decision is right is you. I’ve really battled with this whole process for a while, and I’ve only recently found clarity by embracing the points I’ve raised in this post.

You can become anything you want; you just have to get out of your own way, stand up tall, and be prepared to face into the hardest decisions that society tends to avoid. I have faith in you, and I’m sure you’ll make the right decision if you use what I’ve talked about as part of your strategy to conquer any obstacle that shows up.

What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever made and what did you learn from it? Let me know on my website timdenning.net and my Facebook.