Clarity of goal can be the most elusive of beasts. Knowing, with certainty from start to finish, how you plan to traverse the landscape on your way to success, is a rare gift indeed. Because instant gratification, unexpected, too good to be true opportunities, even self justification are the self sabotaging obstacles along the path that will, while you think you are questing for your prize, trip you up or send you down a rabbit hole towards a different outcome or in most cases, no outcome at all.
What I’m really talking about here is life, and the choice we make everyday and how sometimes, despite your best and clear intentions, our present life gets in the way of the life we dream of having.
But we do possess some tools in our arsenal that can help us navigate around these pitfalls. The ability to reason, self discipline and the ability to project in our mind, a probable outcome to a poor, in the moment choice, can be all that stands between achieving our dreams and living our best life.
Life is full of temptations. Seemingly harmless decisions that can take you farther away from the goals that you’ve set out for yourself.
I want to save money but those killer shoes are on sale.
I want to get healthy and loose weight but my partner wants to go for pizza and ice-cream.
I want to get up early tomorrow and work on my business plan but I’m having way too much fun dancing and drinking at the pub tonight.
These are all everyday common decisions, but to what end will they move you towards the goals you have set out for yourself? That is the question you need to ask yourself when faced with choices that don’t serve your greater plan.
It’s all about aligning the choices you make in your day to day life with how you want your life to be. If you experience regret, remorse or even worse – guilt, after making your choice, it’s probably not in congruence with the larger goals you have set out for yourself. The more often you choose instant gratification choices that insidiously chip away at the strength of your big goals, the longer it will take to achieve them, if ever.
It’s really a simple concept. Make choices now, in the present, that serve your future goal.
Get into the habit, no matter how seemingly small the decision is, of asking yourself one of these questions before you automatically go for the old default habit of choice:
- To what end will this choice take me?
- Will it get me where I want to go?
- Does it serve me and my dreams or goals?
- Does it fit the lifestyle I am trying to create for myself?
- Is the energy required (outlay of cash, loss of valuable free time) worth the momentary reward?
You don’t need to go through life denying yourself. You still need to live in the now. After all, that’s really all any of us have, is the present. But if you want something different for your future, something that requires a change of lifestyle, then the only way to get to that place is to consistently make choices now that move you to where you want to be.
You may have a clear sense of the life you are destined to create. You may even have the clarity of how you intent to get there, but to what end are the consequences of the choice you are making right now, currently in your life, getting you to the goals and dreams you want to achieve?
To what end are your choices taking you? Please share your comments and help keep the conversation going.
Sometimes the aggregate of all those momentary choices reveal a person’s actual goal.
True, but it is the choice made without thought to the big picture that stifles the dream.
I always think of the saying, “A moment on the lips, forever on the hips.” in this context.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts 🙂
These are great points. Sometimes deliberating between action is debilitating to no action!
Taking no action is still a decision. But sometimes it’s the best one to make. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this post. 😃
Some of things I deal with every day….I just decide to go with how I’m feeling and not fight it…or hate myself for doing it..
Your emotions are the best indicator of if you are making good choices . Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 😃
Asute observations. I think my own biggest challenge in terms of choices is remembering to prioritize the priorities rather than the daily chores that can consume life if we let them.
I have to accept the balance between a neat and tidy house and taking action on bigger goals. (It also helps to just leave the house to work from a coffee shop–that’s a choice I need more often–and leave the laundry for the bedtime round of chores).
Totally agree Sheree. We can easily fill our time with busy work. If you end the day tired but can’t really say what you accomplished, then you filled your day with busy work. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.
Great points! I am really working at being mindful of my choices– big and small. Congruent and discernment are some of my favorite words these days.
Mine too. Plus the words focus and clarity. Being clear about what you want accomplish and then focusing on that task. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and being part of the conversation.