When my children were teenagers, we would often say to them, “Make good choices” as they headed out on a date or to an event. Thankfully, they usually did.
We all make choices every day—thousands of them. Most of them seem insignificant, but they all matter.
Whether you turn left or right out of your driveway makes a difference. What you have for lunch—and where you have that lunch—could matter greatly. What you say to your co-worker—or don’t say—makes a difference. Whether you make a phone call—and who you call—could have substantial ramifications.
Everything matters because everything we do—and don’t do—affects everything else.
Our success or failure is ultimately determined by the choices we make.
If that’s the case, you would think that choosing wisely would be a valuable skill to learn and improve upon. But I don’t see a lot of instruction or support in making good decisions.
Being more conscious of our choices is a great place to start.
In thinking about choices, most people tend to think of the big ones. And certainly there is a difference between choosing which newspaper to buy and whom you will marry.
But small things add up. The aggregate of our decisions makes them significant.
I can choose to have a second helping at dinner today. And that won’t make much of a difference. But if I do that daily, the result will be added pounds in a fairly short period of time.
And seemingly small choices can turn out to be very big indeed. I made a small choice 17 years ago when I decided to go to an event. At the time, it seemed unimportant. However, since I met my wife, best friend and business partner at that event, that decision was quite significant indeed.
So I think the first step in making good decisions is to be aware that they all matter.
And it’s important to realize that we ALWAYS have choices. It might not seem like it, but we do.
We may say we have to go to work or make dinner for the kids, but we are CHOOSING to do these things—whether it feels like it or not.
As I look at the freedom and the choices I have available to me today, I realize that it’s mostly because of the good choices I have made and I am very grateful. And if I look at where I DON’T have as much choice, it’s due to the not-so-great choices I made.
The better choices we make, the more freedom and choice we will have throughout our lives.
And if we’re paying attention, if we’re thinking, noticing, questioning, contemplating and observing, we will make better choices.
They won’t all be right—there’s no way for that to happen. But by being more conscious of our decisions, we will make more helpful than hurtful choices.
Our mission here at SuccessNet is to inform, inspire and empower people to be their best—both personally and professionally. We rarely tell you what to do. Our intention is to give you tools, information, share ideas and help you have more insight so you can make better choices.
When selecting your goals, deciding who to spend time with, what to read, watch or support, be sure to honor your choices—and choose wisely.
“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
Recommended Reading
Best Life Book Series
The path to your best life is through your Compelling Core Values, your Empowering Purpose, your Meaningful Mission, your Vital Vision and your Solid Goals. And this series has a book for each of them. Pick out individual ones or get the whole series.
