“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s an age-old question that you’re asked early in life. What some fail to realize is how much power you have in determining your future and in making your dreams a reality. The fact is, everything you do, the achievements you realize, and the person you become can all be traced back to one thing…choice. Make your choices carefully — for they will become your destiny.

Not All Choices Are Created Equal

Next time you forget that you’re the captain of your ship, think about the choices that you make every day and the impact they have on your life. For example, do you:

• Surround yourself with positive role models or negative influencers?
• Satisfy your needs or try to please everyone else?
• Set high expectations or settle for mediocrity?
• Keep your promises or break your commitments?
• Crave instant gratification or invest in your future?
• Grumble about things or work to make them better?
• Live in the present or relive the past?
• Listen to your conscience or fall victim to temptation?
• Forgive and forget or harbor anger?
• Accept personal responsibility or make excuses?

It’s your choice: what to think, how to spend your time, who to be.

The Choice Is Yours

Making a choice requires more than selecting between option A or option B. Here are seven factors to consider:

You determine your fate. Some people let things happen; others make things happen. The choice is yours.

Choices are tradeoffs. By definition, a choice is an either-or decision. As such, every time you choose one direction, you’re also choosing not to take an alternate path. In other words, saying “no” to one idea enables you to say “yes” to another.

Choices are influenced by your attitude. Your view of the world can significantly impact the choices that you make. The fact is, we are blinded by filters that distort our thinking process. Be aware of these filters and the impact they have on your decision making.

Choices are not equal. Do you put first things first or treat everything as a priority? If you treat everything on your plate equally, you won’t have adequate time or resources to address the important things.

Choices don’t have an expiration date. Choices are easy. The tough part is living with them. While some of your decisions have short-term consequences, others will shadow you for life. That’s why it’s important to achieve balance between your short-term desires and your long-term goals.

Choices have consequences. Some days you’ll make good choices; other times you won’t. That’s life. It’s important to accept responsibility for your decisions rather than shifting the blame to others. Accepting responsibility will instill humility, boost self-reliance, and emphasize the importance of making good choices.

Not to decide is to decide. If you don’t take the bull by the horns, the decision will be made for you. Your choice.

Your Life Is Determined by the Sum of the Choices That YOU Make

The future you get depends on the choices you make. Period. No one’s going to force you to go to the gym, invest in your personal growth, or save for retirement. Additionally, you can choose to be an honest person, surround yourself with positive role models, and live a healthy lifestyle. Or you can choose an alternative path. The upshot is, you are bound by the consequences of your choices. It’s your life; own it.

One of the choices that you make each day is determining how to spend your time. The truth is, we all have 24 hours each day. Do you spend your time on things that matter most to you, or do you squander it and lack enough time in the day? The fact is, you begin each morning with a blank canvas. It’s your life. You choose what you make of it. Get the picture?

Do You Make Good Choices?

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Additional Reading:
20 Choices that Will Determine Your Destiny
The Easy Way May Be the Hard Way
Choices Are Easy. The Tough Part is Living with Them
Are You Blurring the Difference Between Right and Wrong?
Dilemma: Have To vs. Want To
May the Best Person Win
Inner Peace Is a Choice

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