📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

The Power and Peril of Your Daily Choices Your daily decision-making can determine your sucess, or failure, in business and life.

By Jeff Shore Edited by Dan Bova

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You are free to make choices. You are not free to escape the consequences.

I first heard the late Howard Hendricks share this wisdom nearly 30 years ago and it remains one of my favorites quotes to this day.

Related: If You Want a Better Outcome, Take Better Actions

I taught it to my children. In fact, I forced them to memorize it when they were young. As adults, every one of them can recite it back from memory (not kidding!).

As a life philosophy, Hendricks' quote points to the imperative of personal responsibility. It speaks to self-accountability (or, sometimes, to a lack thereof). Viewing the world through this lens provides powerful context for deciding between delayed gratification or the instant variety.

In essence, your daily choices become the very foundation of success or failure in business and in life.

Entrepreneurs will also find a profound lesson in this quote:

You determine your own consequences in life by your choices ... both positive and negative.

Related: How You Can Stop Making Bad Decisions -- Now

Here's how you can apply these lessons to business:

  • Are you particularly pleased with your customer satisfaction scores? Examine your best practices and appreciate the choices that led to the positive consequences. Go do more of it!
  • Wondering why you are behind on your revenue goals? Consider how diligently you have worked to fill your sales pipeline. What choices need to change on a daily basis to achieve better consequences?
  • Wishing you had more referrals? Ask yourself how willing you are to get out of your comfort zone and strike up those key conversations. What choices can you make this week to deliver more referrals next month?
  • Feeling good about your own personal growth and development? Awesome! Think back on the countless hours you invested in arriving in the place where you stand today. Celebrate those choices -- keep moving onward and upward.

Evaluate your choices, build great consequences and go change the world.

Related: The 4 Factors to Making the Best Decisions for You

Jeff Shore

Entrepreneur, Sales Expert and Author; Founder of Shore Consulting

Jeff Shore, of Shore Consulting, is a sought-after sales expert, speaker, author and consultant whose latest book, Be Bold and Win the Sale: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone and Boost Your Performance, was published by McGraw-Hill Professional in January 2014.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Science & Technology

Brand New GPT-4o Revealed: 3 Mind Blowing Updates and 3 Unexpected Challenges for Entrepreneurs

Unveiling OpenAI's GPT-4.0: The latest AI with vision, auditory, and emotional intelligence abilities is revolutionizing industries. How will it affect your business?

Social Media

How To Start a Youtube Channel: Step-by-Step Guide

YouTube can be a valuable way to grow your audience. If you're ready to create content, read more about starting a business YouTube Channel.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

The Music Giant Behind Beyoncé, Harry Styles and Adele Bars ChatGPT From Using Its Songs

The world's largest music publisher sent letters to more than 700 companies demanding information about how its artists' songs were used.

Leadership

You're Reading Body Language All Wrong — And It's Putting Your Next Business Deal On The Line. Decode Non-Verbal Cues By Following These 5 Steps.

In the intricate dance of business meeting negotiations, the nuances of communication become the fulcrum on which decisions balance. For the astute entrepreneur, understanding body language is not just a skill; it's an imperative. However, relying solely on isolated gestures can be deceptive. To truly harness the power of non-verbal cues, one must grasp the concept of "clusters."

Growing a Business

Clinton Sparks Podcast: The Struggles and Fame of Rapper Lil Yachty's Entrepreneurship Journey in Hip-Hop

This podcast is a fun, entertaining and informative show that will teach you how to succeed and achieve your goals with practical advice and actionable steps given through compelling stories and conversations with Clinton and his guests.