3 habits of people who are skilled at making big decisions and handling change

• Susie Moore is a life coach and the host of the self-improvement podcast, "Let It Be Easy."
• She says people who are skilled at making big decisions have three habits in common.

As a life coach who's worked with high performers for nearly a decade, I understand the magic of habit when it comes to making life-changing decisions and seeing them through.

Motivation might get you started, but habits keep you going. When you observe someone who shifts gears and gets into great physical shape, switches industries and thrives in a new job, or begins to prioritize consistent time for self-care, their habits are the foundation for this success.

Here are three habits of people who are successful at tackling big changes.

1. They form a clear vision of their future

I love to do a "future you" exercise with my clients where they visualize the future version of themselves at the end of the year.

In this exercise, I ask clients: "If you look back on a successful 2022 — one that you're truly proud of — what will have happened this year?"

Consider:

• Whom will you have met?
• Whom would you be spending time with?
• How much money will you have made (and saved)?
• What will have changed in your career?
• Will you have traveled, and to where?
• How's your overall health and wellbeing?

Then I encourage my clients to revisit this specific version of themselves for five minutes every morning as a reminder of what they want to achieve. Connecting your daily actions to your larger vision will help you stay focused and keep everyday challenges from derailing your goals.

For example, if you set a goal to meet more successful people in your industry, revisiting that goal will encourage you to reach out and network more regularly or attend more industry conferences and events.

2. They stick to a decision and avoid backpedaling

There's an old phrase, "The road is paved with flat squirrels who couldn't make a decision." It teaches us that once you begin to make a decision, you should commit to it fully — you can't just cross the road halfway.

In most cases, our commitment to a decision is equally important, if not more important, than the decision itself.

When making a life-changing decision, such as starting a business, moving cities, or changing industries, just deciding is what matters. Constant hesitation will lead to decision fatigue — the deteriorating quality of decisions made after too much back and forth. Playing ping-pong with different choices can make us feel tired, defeated, and sometimes even irrational.

Real success is based on your commitment and follow through, rather than having a flawless idea or making a flawless move. If someone decides, for example, to go all-in on a side hustle and leave their job, being committed to their new venture and having self-confidence matters more than having the perfect original entrepreneurial idea.

"All-in" energy is powerful. Once you make up your mind and stop overthinking, your attention and focus is channeled in one direction.

3. They stick to a clean mental diet

It's no coincidence that millionaires are militant about their time and what noise they allow in versus what they tune out. And they're always learning — because education is a lifetime pursuit.

The global average amount of time people spend on social media each day is about 147 minutes — almost 2.5 hours. If you want to spend your time more wisely, see how you can cut down your time online or make it more productive.

Just like "you are what you eat," you are what your brain consumes, too. If you upgrade what you give your attention to, you'll upgrade your life.

Try swapping a reality TV episode with an interesting podcast or TED Talk, giving yourself a daily social media time limit, or picking up a new book to inspire more reading.

Making life-changing decisions may always be challenging for some. If you want to be successful at it, know that you'll have to see the decision through, maintain a clear vision of what you want to see happen, and align your daily habits with that goal.

Susie Moore is a life coach, author, and host of the top-rated self-improvement podcast, "Let It Be Easy."