The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want. ~ Ben Stein

Have you ever made a decision that quite literally changed your life?

A while back, I had a conversation with one of my clients in regards to a decision she made that changed her life in less than 6 months. The decision was quite simple really. It was whether or not to take a call from a business coach.

That one decision was monumental, however, because it said to the Universe that she was ready to invest in herself.

It got me thinking. What impact does making a decision really make in our lives? Are there steps to the decision making process?

Over the years, I have found there are basically 6 steps involved in the system of making a decision:

Step 1: Define the Challenge

This is all about clarity. You have to get clear and know the outcome you want the decision to work its way toward.

I want to be in a size 4.

Step 2: Do the Research

Sometimes this requires out-of-the-box thinking. Search for alternatives to getting to the outcome you want. The obvious choices aren’t always the most beneficial for you. Set up criteria that will enable to get you the results you want.

There are a ton of weight loss programs out there. My criteria is fast, healthy and life changing. Inch loss is more important than scale losses.

Step 3: Evaluate the Alternatives

This is probably the most important part of the decision making process. You need to evaluate all the alternatives that you find in the research stage to determine what fits your criteria.

I found that hCG gets it off fast, has healthy results, and has a tendency to work on inch losses more than scale losses.

Step 4: Make the Decision

After all of your research and evaluations of the alternatives, the time comes to make a conclusion.

I am going to do the hCG Protocol.

Step 5: Just Do It

Making the decision means absolutely nothing if you don’t implement. So take Nike’s advice and JUST DO IT!!! It’s important at this stage that everyone involved in the implementation of your decision knows the implication of your decision.

I am deciding to do the hCG Protocol so I need to ensure my partner/family/workmates know that things will be a bit different.

Step 6: Review

As your decision is being implemented, you need to constantly monitor how it is going in relation to the results you want. Are there new decisions to make?

How am I doing? Am I losing the weight in the time parameters I set? Am I losing the inches that I want? Do I need to take a break?

These 6 steps might seem like a lot of work for decisions that need to be made in a hurry. But with practice, you will find you go through the steps effortlessly and quickly.

The payoff comes when you conquer the challenge you set yourself in step one.