5 Choices to Change Your Life

We make an average of 35,000 decisions in a day. That’s a whole lot of choices! If I tried to retrace my steps, I don’t think I can count more than 25 choices I made yesterday. Choices can be as inconsequential as: whether to pour my coffee first or my husband’s. But they can also be as consequential as: deciding who to hire to spearhead my marketing campaigns moving forward.

There are decisions that we make in between the two extremes: where should I park my car today? (this has actually allowed me to meet an amazing person last week); should I wear heels today? (I’ve actually broken a heel and had to drag my foot around on a broken heel all day). Then, there are 5 important choices that you can make today that will change your life.

1. Choose which side of the bed you wake up on. This past Monday, I told myself I must have woken up on the wrong side of bed. Why else would I feel so cranky, funky, and unmotivated? But in reality, I chose to keep myself in the funk all morning. Something finally hit me upside the head and told me to change. I decided to break that funk before a lunch meeting by doing some breathing exercises. Guess what? It worked. Apparently, it didn’t matter that I woke up in a funk. I was back to my old self by setting that intention and initiating change.
2. Choose 3 people you’ll speak with that day. So many of us wake up and before our feet even hit the ground, we check emails, social media, and news outlets. We let others’ agendas rule our day (or at least set the precedent for how our day will open up). Don’t let others choose for you who you surround yourself and connect with. Before you interact with anyone outside of your family that day: choose, commit, and schedule speaking to the three people you want to speak with that day. People that support you, make you come alive, and help keep you on track.
3. Choose to stand guard. Ultimately, it’s up to you what emotions you experience during the day. It’s not up to your team, your spouse, or your luck to determine how you feel. The easiest way to seize control of how you feel, is to stand guard at the door of your mind. What do I mean? You get to choose what thoughts enter your conscious awareness. That’s right – you do. Determine what’s worth taking up real estate up there in your brain. And be aware of sneaky intruders throughout the day.
4. Choose to do what scares you. This one’s so great, it made the list again this week. There’s something amazing that lives on the other side of your fear. If you’re scared, it means you’re on the right track to your dreams, visions, and everything you’ve ever wanted in life. Find what scares you sh**less and vow to do it with passion.
5. Choose your character. I don’t mean in a virtual game (or any kind of game, for that matter). I mean in life. What is your character made of? Think about the three words that you’d like your ultimate version of yourself to embody. Then make sure to make those words a mantra throughout your day. Mine are: bold, vibrant, and visionary. I live and breathe these words every day. In fact, I have three alarms that go off to remind me to choose my character, at 10:30 AM, 3:30 PM, and 7:30 PM. When that alarm goes off, I breathe in deep and imagine how that character would show up in that moment and throughout the day.