What's the correct choice?
Recently I have been thinking about the choices people make, myself included.
I find peoples natural inclinations or decision making interesting, on a personal and professional level people make decisions every day of their life.
While it may not seem all that important, how often do we stop to think about what this decision will actually cost? Do we consider the opportunity cost of our breakfast options every morning? Or getting to bed on time consistently?
Do we stop to consider the tasks we forget at work or that are pushed off and neglected, perhaps the ones that are difficult or we don't have the time for?
I write this piece to provoke a response in the reader, to have just one person stop to think about their daily decisions.
In the span of the day, we are lucky enough to have so many options available to us, so many things we could prioritise.
At the end of every day how many of us take a moment to think of the accumulation of our choices today? If they were ones that would propel us forward in our most valued pursuits.
Of that group of people who actually reflect on the choices they made, who will try to quantify the overall effect of the choices they made.
Recently some events in my personal life and reading about the greats have caused me to question the decisions I make.
To keep things simple, let's consider at every moment of our existence when a choice is presented to us. We have two options to consider.
The easy choice and the hard choice, this isn't anything new here.
We are drawn to the easiest choice, and we are all the narrators of our own story. I don't doubt that we are creative enough to quieten our reflection on why the easier choice was the correct decision for ourselves.
We will avoid the harder choice, the one that requires us to expend physical and mental resources, the choice that requires effort, consistency, failure, more failure and if you’re lucky some success along the way.
I don't have some secret mental hack or 30-second daily meditation that easily changes the decisions we select every day.
I just have a question.
If we know that the consistent difficult choice is the one we should make, doesn't that remove all other options?
If you could attempt to move in an upwards trajectory for the goals you set for yourself, could something as simple as knowing that the decisions you will be presented with, the difficult option of the two will most likely be the better long term option.
Does that not make the process so much easier?
- Should I pay attention to this lecture or spend time on social media?
- Should I pick up an extra shift this weekend or complain about my finances?
- Should I go for a short walk or push myself and run?
The harder choices are not easier for a reason, it differentiates people.
But doesn't knowing that the harder choice is most likely the correct option, make it just that little bit easier?
You essentially have a formula to know how to achieve your goals, to achieve mastery or success.
Consistently make the harder choice, it's not easy to do.
That's why it's the harder choice, but perhaps that's why it could be easier.
If you’re unable to consistently make those difficult choices, do we logically have any reason to be fed up with our outcomes?
Why feel frustrated about our situation or lack of success?
When presented with the choice of being better, of overcoming adversity did you take the challenge?
Or did you deceive yourself and quantify why you didn't need to change and be better?
You have the option to change what happens, but it's easier to sit back and not attempt what its requirements are.
Its easier to explain to others why it was an unrealistic goal or unachievable outcome. Then to actually attempt something for the chance of success.
I mean what really is the opposite of success? its not failure, its the lack of trying in the first place. To have success you actually have to attempt something and have the chance to fail. Failure is more successful than just not trying.
Would love to read your thoughts.
