“What got you here, won’t get you there.”
Experts estimate we make up to 35,000 choices a day. Many are mundane, while others are more complex and life-altering. Regardless of the complexity, each decision you make affects your life in some way. Sometimes you feel that impact immediately, while other times it affects future results.
Every day the choices you make contribute to whether you progress or stay stagnant. Your choices determine whether or not you will achieve your goals. Feeling indecisive? That’s even worse. If you aren’t choosing for yourself, someone else is choosing for you. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to be in the driver’s seat of my own life.
It’s essential to be intentional about your choices.
When it comes to bold, life-altering choices, fear or the need to get it right can create barriers that prohibit you from moving forward. If you let it, that fear will stop you in your tracks, and you’ll live with the status quo. On the other hand, when you empower yourself to make the best choice you can with the information you have, you’re more likely to achieve the happiness and success you deserve.
Tips to Make Empowering Choices
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Determine what’s right for you.
Often, the fear of making the “wrong” decision makes making any choice more challenging. Who determines if it’s right or wrong anyway? You do! What do you want? You are the only one who can decide what is right for you. Sure, there’s the possibility it could cost you time, money and energy. Luckily for us, those resources can be replenished. Most decisions aren’t permanent anyway, so if you change your mind down the road, or decide to tweak things, you can. If it doesn’t work out the first time, I guarantee there was a lesson to be learned from the experience. Remove the label of right or wrong and making decisions becomes easier.
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Put fear in its place.
Fear is normal. It’s our reaction to circumstances that are either uncomfortable or even painful. However, if you let fear hold you back, it can stifle your ability to make productive choices. A simple way to know if fear is getting in your way is to ask this question:
“If fear didn’t exist, is this the choice I’d make to get me closer to what I want?” Depending on your answer, alter the choice to ensure you’re taking the necessary steps to achieve your goals. Fear can only stop you if you let it.
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The choice is always YOURS.
Accepting a path that someone else chooses for you, or the path you think you should do, will not lead you to the happiness and success you deserve. I’ll ask you the same question I did in tip #1: What do you want? It’s important to be the one making choices that affect your life. Living a life of “should” or a life that others think you should live, will never get you to a place of true happiness.
This is not to say that you should never compromise or listen to others’ opinions because your choices affect your loved ones as well. Be mindful of the choices you’re making and the influence they have on others, and ultimately, you must make decisions based on what is right for you. If not, you risk a life of regret and unhappiness. Trust me, that’s not a fun place to be.
In order to create the life you want, it pays to be decisive—to be in control of your decisions and intentionally make those that create the best outcome.
Choose to live life on your terms. When the decision belongs to you, your follow up decisions and perseverance to achieve your goal come much more natural.
Even with your own choices, you may experience struggle, discomfort, and stress for a while, but if you’re tackling a path you desire, the journey is worth it.
If you’re ready to make a bold choice and find yourself holding back, let’s talk. Email me at lauren@coachwithlauren.com.