In this week’s blog, I have incorporated a little story. It has its roots firmly based in the experiences of some of my clients – parts of it are real life truths. Other parts are written to raise your curiosity. This story perfectly captures a silent battle we all face — the battle between decisiveness and doubt.
There was once a personal trainer named Emily. She wasn’t new to the game. She’d built a solid base of loyal clients, knew her craft inside out, and had dreams of opening her own studio in Manchester. Not just any studio — a space filled with energy, transformation, and a growing community that would thrive under her guidance. A space with not only 1:1 offerings but group sessions, with other types of exercise taught by guest instructors, with mini retreats and other wellness offerings.
But she sat at her kitchen table one rainy Wednesday, staring at her notebook where she’d written:
> Lease my own studio or rent a community space?
Two choices. Both exciting. Both terrifying.
And there it was — the fork in the road.
Emily did what many of us do: she spiralled into overthinking.
What if the studio fails?
What if I commit and it drains my savings?
What if I rent a community space and it’s not always clean or available?
What if no one comes?
What if I’m not cut out for bigger decisions?
What if… what if… what if…
She felt stuck, paralysed by possibility and fear in equal measure.
Here’s the thing: decision-making in business is not just about strategy.
It’s about mindset.
It’s about the stories you tell yourself in those quiet moments when no one is watching. It’s about the way fear sneaks into your thinking, wearing different disguises — self-doubt, imposter syndrome, the need for perfection, or the exhausting desire to predict every single outcome before you act.
I see this daily in fitness and wellbeing businesses.
Brilliant coaches, trainers, therapists, teachers, instructors – with so much potential – hesitating at the fork in the road, not because they lack skill, but because their mindset is fogging up their vision.
Why Decision-Making Feels So Heavy
Decision-making feels hard because every choice feels like it carries your entire future on its shoulders. Especially when you’re growing a business. You’re not just making choices for now – you’re making choices for your future clients, your finances, your family, your freedom.
That weight is real. And when your mind is crowded with fear-based thoughts, you magnify the risks while minimising the rewards.
It’s a mindset trap called “loss aversion” – your brain hates the idea of losing more than it loves the idea of gaining. So you play it safe. Or worse, you sit in indecision limbo, exhausting yourself mentally without ever moving forward.
The Cost of Indecision
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: indecision is a decision.
It’s a decision to stay where you are.
It’s a decision to stay small.
It’s a decision to delay your growth.
Every time you postpone a choice, you’re spending your most precious resource: time.
And for fitness and wellbeing business owners – who are already juggling clients, content, admin, personal life, and trying to squeeze in their own workouts – time is gold dust.
When you’re stuck in indecision, opportunities slip through your fingers. Potential clients go elsewhere. Momentum fades. Confidence erodes.
It’s like trying to stand still on a treadmill while it’s still running — exhausting, frustrating, and ultimately, unsustainable.
Mindset Shifts for Powerful Decisions
So how do you break free from this cycle?
How do you, like Emily, face the fork in the road and choose your path with confidence?
Here’s what I guide my clients through:
- Understand: There is no perfect decision.
- Reframe fear as excitement.
- Zoom out.
- Trust your future self.
- Move, then refine.
Perfectionism keeps you stuck. Every path has unknowns. Trust that you’ll learn and adapt along the way. It’s not about making the perfect choice – it’s about making a choice and then making it work.
Physiologically, fear and excitement feel very similar in the body. Flip the narrative. When your heart races at the thought of opening a studio, it’s not just fear – it’s aliveness. Let that energise you.
Most decisions are not as final as they feel. Get some perspective. Ask yourself:
What’s the worst that could happen?
What’s the best that could happen?
Be curious. How likely or unlikely are those things to happen? Give your ego some evidence that things can be ok. Give yourself permission to test it and see.
One of the biggest mindset breakthroughs is recognising that future-you will have more knowledge, experience, and resources. Make the best decision you can today, trusting that future-you will continue to build on it.
Decisive action builds clarity. Rarely does clarity come before movement. Take the step, get feedback from reality, and adjust as you go.
So, what happened to Emily? Here’s one possible answer.
She took a deep breath and chose to start with sessions in a community space first. It felt like a smaller leap than opening a studio immediately, and it allowed her to test her new programmes, build her audience, and grow her revenue without the overheads of being committed full time to one space.
Twelve months later, with confidence (and cash flow) rising, she signed the lease on her dream studio.
Because she’d already built momentum, the transition felt natural. Not forced. Not frantic.
And that’s the beauty of decision-making with the right mindset: it builds layers of courage. Each decision strengthens the next.
In conclusion…
Your business is a series of decisions stacked on top of each other. Some will be big and bold. Some will be quiet and foundational. But all of them matter.
And here’s what I want you to remember, especially as a fitness or wellbeing business owner: You already know more than you think.
Your intuition, your experience, your vision – they’re all guiding you. Trust them. Recognise when your mind is playing tricks on you, keeping you stuck in the loop of indecision. Break the cycle by choosing action over overthinking.
Decisions create momentum. Momentum creates progress. And progress? That’s what turns your business dreams into reality.
So next time you’re at your own fork in the road, don’t freeze.
Take a breath.
Choose a path.
Back yourself fully.
Because no matter which route you take, you’re always building the future of your business – one decision at a time.
Until next time,
Best wishes
Philippa x