The Power of Decisions.

In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” Theodore Roosevelt

Every positive change and every shift in the direction of our lives, whether it leads to success or failure, begins with a clear decision. Decisiveness is the habit that separates the successful from the rest. It’s what takes a goal, an idea, from an abstract wish and transforms it into a concrete, actionable plan.

The vast majority of us drift through life without making clear decisions about how we want to spend our time. We procrastinate, delay, and avoid choosing a specific direction, hoping things will somehow work out. The reality is, without a decision, a singleness of thought, nothing happens. Whether you want to lose weight, change careers, spend more time with your family, or pursue your dreams, it all starts with one pivotal moment: the moment you decide to do so.

The Power of Decisiveness

Decisiveness is essential for effective time management, and it’s the key to turning dreams into reality. When you make a decision, you’re taking the first step toward committing your time and energy to something specific. It’s not just about making a choice, it’s about taking control of your future.

If you want to lose weight, don’t just wish for it, decide to lose weight. Decide how much you want to lose, what your new eating habits will look like, how many times you will go to the gym or go for a walk / run. Decide what clothes you will wear once you have reached your target and how you might celebrate. Decide how you will maintain the weight loss, what does your new self think about, value? How will it affect your world, what in your ecology will it change?

If you want a new job or a more fulfilling career, decide to pursue it. If you want to spend more time with your family, make the decision today to start prioritising them. Decisiveness is the ignition that turns your goals into action. It sets you on the path to achieving your dreams. 

Time-Wasters: The Silent Thieves of Opportunity

One reason many of us struggle with our time management is that we haven’t truly committed and made the decision to becoming highly productive in every area of our lives. Often, we let time slip away on distractions like social media, trivial conversations, or mindless television. These “natural time-wasters” rob us of our potential and hinder our ability to achieve meaningful goals. These habits, often ingrained from childhood, can quietly drain our days of purpose and progress.

The truth is, many of us waste time without even realising it. We fall into routines that don’t support our long-term aspirations. If you want to make the most of your time and build a life filled with satisfaction, the first step is to consciously decide to stop wasting it. Take a hard look at where your time goes each day: where are the weak points? Where does time slip away unnoticed? Once you’ve assessed this, you can begin to add up all the minutes that could be redirected toward personal growth. From my own experience, this self-evaluation can be eye-opening.

Consider, for example, the time spent on mobile phones, a relatively new time-waster. Back when I was a teenager, mobile phones didn’t even exist. When we sat on a train or bus, or waited in line for a coffee, or spent time with loved ones, we didn’t have a screen to distract us. We engaged in conversations, read the newspaper, observed our surroundings, and even had time for quiet reflection. Imagine that!

Now, I encourage you to ask yourself, How could I use the time I spend on my mobile to add value to my life? Start by looking at the screen time report on your phone. This feature can show you how much time you spend on social media and other online activities. If you haven’t enabled it, I recommend turning it on and reviewing your usage after a week. You might be surprised to discover just how much time is slipping away without adding any real value. It’s a powerful wake-up call.

Next, calculate how much an hour of your time is worth based on your salary. For example, let’s say you work a typical 9-5 job, amounting to 40 hours a week, over 50 weeks a year (allowing for two weeks of holiday). That’s 2,000 working hours per year. If you earn £50,000 annually, each hour of your time is worth approximately £25.

Now, consider a recent study in the United States that found the average person spends around 3 hours and 15 minutes per day on their phone. This time is often spent scrolling through social media, reading news, or checking emails, activities that don’t necessarily add value. Based on our example of a £25 hourly rate, those 3 hours and 15 minutes equate to £81.25 of your time each day. Over the course of a week, that’s £406.25, and in a year, a staggering £20,312.50 or at the time of writing, $26,100. Imagine what you could accomplish if you invested that time and value in developing new skills, building relationships, or working toward your goals.

When you’re spending quality time with family or friends, try turning off your phone or putting it on silent. Practice the discipline of setting it aside and being fully present. Family time is essential for happiness, mental health, and well-being; don’t let your phone intrude on these precious moments. Be known as the person who cannot be contacted when you’re spending time with loved ones, a person who values presence over digital distractions. That’s time you’ll never regret investing in those you care about.

Finally, use this exercise to calculate the cost of your time and the impact of your phone usage. It’s a valuable exercise that can help you understand just how much time is quietly slipping away and how reclaiming it can transform your life.

Once you realise the true value of your time, you’ll find it easier to break free from time-wasting habits and focus on what truly matters. By being intentional with your time, you’re not just managing hours, you’re actively designing a life filled with purpose, fulfilment, and growth.

Deciding to Live with Purpose

At the core of effective time management is the decision to live with purpose. This means making intentional choices about how you spend your time, ensuring that your actions align with your values and long-term goals. When you commit to living purposefully, you stop letting external factors, such as mobile phone use, office distractions, obligations, or societal pressures, control your time. Instead, you become the architect of your schedule and the creator of your future.

Living with purpose isn’t just about checking off tasks on a to-do list; it’s about cultivating a sense of meaning in your everyday actions. When you decide to live this way, each moment becomes an opportunity to move closer to the life you truly want. You start to see time as your most valuable asset, not something to be wasted or idly spent, but a powerful tool for shaping your destiny.

By reflecting on your daily choices, you can recognise which habits, activities, or distractions are pulling you away from enjoying life to the full. For instance, mindlessly scrolling through social media or watching hours of television may provide temporary pleasure, but it likely doesn’t contribute to long-term fulfilment. On the other hand, investing time in learning new skills, building meaningful relationships, or improving your health can propel you toward a more rewarding future.

Once you’ve identified what’s holding you back, you have the power to make a decision. Deciding to live with purpose means actively eliminating habits that don’t serve your goals and replacing them with actions that do. This conscious decision-making process is what separates people who are merely busy from those who are truly productive and purposeful.

Embracing the Freedom of Decision

Deciding to live with purpose isn’t just about discipline, it’s about freedom. The freedom to choose how you spend your time, the freedom to focus on what matters most, and the freedom to shape your life in a way that brings you joy and fulfilment. This freedom comes from understanding that you are in control of your choices, and by making intentional decisions, you take charge of your future.

Too often, we feel like we are prisoners of our schedules, constantly overwhelmed by tasks and commitments that don’t serve us. However, when you live with purpose, you reclaim your time and, with it, the freedom to design your life according to your own terms. This doesn’t mean every moment of your life needs to be hyper-productive or goal-oriented, rather, it’s about ensuring that your time is spent in ways that enrich your life and bring you closer to your vision of success.

Aligning Actions with Intentions

When you decide to live with purpose, every action becomes intentional. You approach each day with clarity, knowing that the decisions you make have the power to shape your reality. This means choosing to invest your time in activities that reflect your deepest values, whether it’s spending time with loved ones, pursuing personal development, working toward professional goals, or simply taking care of your health and well-being.

Living with purpose also requires setting clear boundaries. When you prioritise what’s important, you naturally need to protect your time from distractions or demands that don’t align with your goals. By setting boundaries, you ensure that your time is dedicated to what truly matters, preventing burnout and fostering a more balanced, satisfying lifestyle.

Time is limited, and the clock is always ticking. But you have the power to decide how you will spend each minute. Will you waste it, or will you use it to create something meaningful?