Imagine sitting down with a successful small business owner and asking how they achieved their success. Their answer? “I made a bunch of good decisions.” While that may sound obvious, the key insight is that success stems from a consistent series of quality decisions. But what defines a good decision, and how can we make more of them? The answer lies in habits. Strong habits lead to good decisions—like focusing on business development, making sales calls, following up with clients, and avoiding distractions. These actions aren’t one-off choices; they’re habits that shape outcomes.
However, many people struggle with habits because they approach them with the wrong mindset. Take food choices, for example. When faced with the option of a healthy turkey sandwich or leftover pizza, the pizza often wins. Objectively, the turkey sandwich is the better choice, but it feels like denial. The shift in thinking comes when we stop seeing good decisions as saying “no” to something enjoyable and start seeing them as saying “yes” to the person we want to become. Choosing the turkey sandwich isn’t about denying pizza—it’s about affirming a goal like feeling better or getting fit.
This reframing applies to business too. You’re not building a habit of avoiding distractions; you’re building a habit of staying focused on priorities. You’re not just asking for sales—you’re building a habit of growing revenue. It’s not about denial; it’s about direction. The successful entrepreneur made good decisions because they adopted a mindset focused on choosing a future that works. They weren’t rejecting the present—they were embracing who they wanted to become. That’s the secret: build better habits, reframe your choices, and stay on a path toward a future worth living.