I have been wrestling with a decision, tossing it over and over in my mind. Playing out the possible outcomes and I’m struggling to decide what to do. Have you felt this kind of indecision too? Are you facing a difficult choice with no obvious answer? Or a choice between two outcomes both of which look bad?

Perhaps you are thinking about moving house, changing jobs, starting a business, splitting up with your partner or letting someone down whom you love. Making important decisions is not easy. This morning listening to a motivational video on YouTube I heard the speaker say, “be the hero in your own movie!”

This idea struck a chord in me. I was a teenager in the mid-1980s and 1990s. My family used to sit together watching films on battered VHS videos recorded from the TV. We watched the same films over and over again. An Officer and a Gentleman, Top Gun, Dirty Dancing, Greece, Star Wars. We knew all the words and songs off by heart! I loved those films, and I loved those family gatherings.

I imagined myself flying the plane in Top Gun or climbing the assault course wall in an Officer and a Gentleman. Those early visions of hero’s, romance and manhood shaped much of what defines my character right to this day.

So, what does it mean to be the hero in your own movie?

I think the key is to ask yourself “what would the hero do in this situation”. How would they act and behave and overcome the challenge? Then, when you have answered the question go right ahead and do it.

Imagine yourself with their confidence and swagger, their enthusiasm and belief in themselves. Use their strength to overcome your own challenge and power forwards towards your goals. We only get one chance at life. Remember, we climb the mountain, not in giant leaps but one small step at a time.