Visit any flight school, flying club or FBO and you'll hear many "go or no go" discussions. Rarely will you hear a "need to or want to" discussion—and yet the correct answer to this fundamental decision is the one that can keep you alive and thriving. You say you've never had to make this decision? Let's take a quick look at it— before we discuss the other decisions made prior to each flight.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/flight-safety/proficiency/defining-the-decision-factors