Life is about choices. Each day we are faced with choices. Sometimes they are the same choices as yesterday. It doesn’t matter what you want to change in your life, you will be facing many choices on the way to your goals. Things will pop up each day, throughout the day, being prepared ahead of time will help you make the better choice.
Whatever the situation, making choices is not a one size fits all type of decision. Let’s say you’ve made the choice to lose weight. Every day you will be faced with choices that will either keep you on track or lead you astray. Will you have fruit instead of cheesecake? Will you choose vegetables instead of pasta smothered in tomato sauce? Will you choose to exercise or skip it?
So you make the better choices today, great! However you need to realize that you will be faced with the same kinds of choices again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next…and so on. Some days you may not make the better choice. Being aware that you will have to continue making daily choices can help your resolve and help you get throught the moment of decision.
If you sleep late, put off working on a project, grab a donut or flop in front of the TV instead of doing something productive, remember you made those choices. Habits can be hard to break, but it’s ultimately you who decides in each situation which choice you’re going to make. It’s you who decides whether or not you will make a choice that leads you closer to your goals or farther away from your goals.
Peer pressure can also lead you to make bad choices. We tend to think of peer pressure being exclusive to teenagers, but the truth is we are all subject to peer pressure. How many times have you gone on a diet and as soon as you get together with friends they try to coax you into having dessert? They tell you to “live it up a little, you can get back on your diet tomorrow.” It’s in those moments when we usually cave in and have the dessert. Even though it was your friends who lead you to the wrong choice in that moment, it’s still your responsibility to own up to the fact that you made the choice.
Start thinking more about the choices you make. Make the decision to make better choices each day. Also, realize that sometimes things will pop up that you aren’t prepared for. But if you make a conscious effort to always be aware of the choices you make, you can stick to making better choices, despite peer pressure or what’s going on in your life.
What choices have you made lately that were in line with your goals? How about the ones that were not helping you reach your goals?