Trust your next decision

Plus, how lifestyle choices in your 30s affect long-term health

Author

Jay Shetty
April 17, 2025

“How do I make better decisions?”

Good decisions require awareness, intention and a desire to pursue your core values. Just by asking that question, you’re on the right track.

Let me ask you something. What was the best decision you made last year?

Don’t overthink it. Go with your gut. First thing that comes to mind.

Alright, hold onto that while I ask you another question: what was the worst decision you made last year? 

Same idea. Stick with the first answer that comes to mind.

Now, I have follow-ups:

  • For your best decision, did it turn out well?

  • For your worst decision, did it turn out poorly?

Chances are, you just responded “yes” to both. Why am I so sure? Well, it’s because we don’t really have a framework for evaluating our decisions. We’re not taught in school what good or bad decision-making looks like. We mostly judge our decisions based on the outcome.

Something you did turn out great? Well, that decision must’ve been awesome, right? And if it turned out poorly for you, that’s because you made the wrong choice.

Well, it’s not so simple.

If you speed through a red light at a busy intersection but don’t get into an accident, does that mean you made a good decision? If you lawfully wait at a red light, but a driver smashes into you from behind, did you make a poor decision?

See what I mean? Just because things turned out well, doesn’t mean it was a great decision and vice versa.

Your best decisions are the ones that are made with intentions that are aligned with your values. Your weakest decisions are the ones that, well, aren’t.

Today, I want to discuss how we can make more good, strong decisions and fewer not-so-good ones so we can feel great about what we decide, regardless of the outcome.

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Choosing vs. Deciding

The first step to better decision-making is intention. I like to make this distinction when it comes to how we act: choosing versus deciding.

Choices are determined by our feelings.

Decisions are based on our core values and priorities.

Choices are influenced by external factors.

Decisions are reflective of how we feel internally.

When you’re tired and pick up your phone to scroll social media, that’s a reactive choice with not a ton of intention, right? You’re likely doing it out of habit or because you’re bored. 

A decision might be to go lie down for 20 minutes instead because being well-rested is one of your priorities.

If somebody honks at you in traffic, a choice would be to voice your frustration. A decision would be to keep your composure and practice safe driving.

It’s the difference between giving into your impulses and digging into your inner wisdom.

And hey—sometimes our impulses are correct. You don’t need to thoughtfully consider whether or not to remove your hand from a hot surface. But if all you do is choose, you’ll miss out on opportunities to align your actions with your values. Only by acting in alignment with our values can we truly live our purpose.

Our job, then, is to try to aim for as much decision-making as possible and minimize the choosing we do. 

Try this: Write down a recent decision you made, big or small. Now, analyze it. Did it align with your values? Your priorities?

This exercise isn’t about assigning blame or feeling guilty. It’s about developing a sense of awareness so you can move forward with clarity. As with all things, awareness is key. With time, it will lead to even better decisions.

If you want to learn more about how to make decisions that align with your purpose, check out this episode of my podcast from a few years ago.

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author
Host of the On Purpose Podcast
Creator of the Jay Shetty Certification School

Community Challenge

Sometimes we find ourselves repeating the same actions over and over, and need to be intentional about making a new decision to interrupt the pattern. What’s something you do a lot that you wish you didn’t? Reply to this email right now and tell me a new decision, rooted in your core values, you can make instead. I can’t wait to see your responses.

Last week, I challenged you to be honest about which phase you were in: learning, experimenting, performing, struggling or thriving.

Reader Joel is entering a totally new phase in life, learning to embrace himself. “As long as I embrace what I’m feeling, and keeping it real, with honest feeling and more openness, I feel like I can conquer the world, or at least my city,” he says. It sounds like you’re in a really beautiful moment, Joel. Thanks for sharing.

Reader Jen is in a place I know all too well. Jen writes, “I think I’m in the experiment/struggle phase. I’m writing a book and have writer's block. In place of quitting, I’m going back to learning and reading the how-to books, as well as similar books in my style, to see how successful authors told their stories.” Don’t quit, Jen; you’ve got the exact right mentality. The moments you want to quit are the times you absolutely need to dig deeper.

For everyone else who is lost or struggling right now, I hear you. See if you can adopt Jen’s mentality and understand if there’s more to learn or experiment with right now before you give up.

Now on ‘On Purpose’

On Monday’s podcast episode, I chatted with Dr. Vonda Wright, an orthopedic surgeon and researcher who specializes in active aging and longevity. We had an eye-opening conversation about losing weight, gaining muscle and feeling youthful as you age. Dr. Wright's insights are absolutely life-changing.

The good news is that it’s never too late to start living your healthiest life. The best time is right now. Dr. Wright explains the habits you can get started on today to stay sharp and maintain a healthy weight. (This podcast is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for medical advice.) Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Also on ‘On Purpose’: Have you found it difficult to make new friends? Are your existing friendships changing as you get older? We talk about friendships all the time growing up—but rarely do we talk about the difficulties of finding and maintaining adult relationships. This episode is all about letting go of friendships that no longer serve you and cultivating meaningful connections that matter. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Don’t Miss Me on Tour!

I’m thrilled to announce my first-ever On Purpose LIVE tour.

Join me for engaging conversations with a surprise celebrity guest, wellness expert or influential leader in each city. I will also guide audiences through live meditations, share groundbreaking insights and create powerful moments of inspiration designed to deepen connections, spark growth and foster learning at every stop.

Limited tickets and VIP packages are on sale now at jayshetty.me/tour. I hope to see you there! 

Reflect & Respond

If you could instantly improve one aspect of your decision-making, what would it be?

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