Goals vs Decisions: The Mindset Upgrade That Supercharges Achievement
Most people aren’t failing because they lack discipline, talent, or ambition.
They’re stuck because they’re operating from a mindset that leaves too much room for hesitation.
I see it every day in golf—and just as clearly in life.
Two people can work just as hard, practice just as often, and want success just as badly, yet experience wildly different results. The difference usually isn’t effort. It’s commitment at the identity level.
This distinction shows up in a simple but powerful way:
goals versus decisions.
🎧 Audio Insight: Jeff’s Commentary on the mindset behind achievement
The Difference That Changes Everything
Most people set goals.
Fewer people make decisions.
The difference is subtle in language, but massive in impact.
A goal leaves the possibility of not.
“My goal is to break 90.”
“My goal is to lose 20 pounds.”
“My goal is to make $100,000.”
Each phrasing leaves the outcome in the future—something you hope for, something you might reach someday.
A decision is different.
“I’m breaking 90.”
“I’m losing 20 pounds.”
“I’m earning $100,000.”
One hopes.
The other becomes.
A goal asks, “Could I?”
A decision says, “I am.”
Why Goals Often Fail
We’re conditioned to set lofty goals, fall short, and then console ourselves with,
“Well, look how far you came.”
It sounds noble, but it quietly normalizes not getting there.
We begin to see goals as things that exist just out of reach—distant, maybe someday, nice if they happen.
But when you begin to live as a creator rather than a chaser, you see that life isn’t about hoping. It’s about choosing.
A decision doesn’t leave room for negotiation.
It’s a declaration of identity—a statement of who you are, not what you’re trying to become.
Why Decisions Work
Neuroscience backs this up.
Research on implementation intentions shows that when people make specific, actionable decisions, their likelihood of follow-through nearly doubles.
Likewise, studies on identity-based habits show that lasting change happens when we shift from outcome-based goals (“I want to break 90”) to identity-based choices (“I’m the kind of player who breaks 90”).
When the decision is made, the behavior starts to align.
The Golf Connection
Golfers do this all the time, usually without realizing it.
One player steps up thinking,
“I hope I don’t miss this putt.”
Another steps up thinking,
“This putt is dropping.”
Same skill.
Different state.
The first leaves space for doubt.
The second embodies belief.
Jack Nicklaus famously said,
“I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp, in-focus picture of it in my head.”
He wasn’t hoping for success—he was deciding it.
I see it constantly in coaching. Two players with the same skill set can have completely different results—not because of talent, but because one has decided to trust it.
Decision creates commitment.
Commitment creates clarity.
And clarity creates performance.
Making the Shift
The power is in the shift:
From hoping to knowing.
From wishing to doing.
A goal lives in the future.
A decision lives in the present.
A goal keeps you talking about what you want.
A decision makes you act as if it’s already true.
When you declare, “I’m breaking 90” instead of “My goal is to break 90,” you start showing up differently. Your focus sharpens. Your choices take action. Your energy follows conviction instead of fear.
You’re no longer chasing a possibility.
You’re inhabiting a reality.
The Lesson
Goals leave wiggle room.
Decisions lock you in.
Goals are external.
Decisions are internal.
Goals live in the future.
Decisions shape the present.
The shift is subtle—but profound.
You stop hoping.
And you start creating.
Reflection — On the Course
Where are you still “hoping” for outcomes instead of deciding them?
Before your next round, choose one intention—a score, a mindset, a behavior—and phrase it as a decision.
Reflection — Off the Course
Where in your life are you treating goals like distant hopes?
What would change if you turned that goal into a decision today?
Quick Exercise — The Decision Reframe
Take out a piece of paper and write down three goals you currently have:
“My goal is to eat healthier.”
“My goal is to get a promotion.”
“My goal is to break 90—or whatever number excites you.”
Now rewrite each one as a decision:
“I eat healthy.”
“I am a leader worthy of promotion.”
“I’m breaking 90.”
Read each statement aloud and notice how it feels in your body.
A goal creates distance.
A decision creates identity.
And when you begin living as though your decision is already true, your thoughts, habits, and behaviors naturally align to make it real.
Mantra
“When I decide, I become.”
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