I want to say “Thank you” for the overwhelming support I have received from readers of these articles who have taken time to let me know my writings have been helping transform their lives. The journey we have had together has seen us focus on attitude, building a reading library, making an impact on the world, to even building self-discipline.
This past week, I reflected on these articles and it led me to realize every single article comes down to one word – decision. Every second, of every minute, of every day, we must make a decision. When to get up, when to go to bed, what to eat, what to wear, these and many more are all questions that bombard our brain on a daily basis.
I have to question how we function and do not get overloaded with the millions of questions that arise daily. This thought process led me to the belief that our lives, as they turn out, are not because of bad things happening to good people or what some people deem as lucky breaks. Not at all.
I believe our lives turn out according to the decisions we make. A simple decision to sleep a little longer leads to having to rush to get to work, to having to put the pedal to the metal. The culmination of these decisions leads to a friendly meet-and-greet with a local police officer who kindly obliges with a complimentary piece of paper which impacts your bank account.
The next decision we make is to put blame on anyone and everything to justify the outcome of our initial decision. In life it is much easier to place blame on someone or something else than to realize the actual problem stems from the person staring back at us in the mirror. This may be a hard pill to swallow; we must be accountable for our actions and our decisions.
What separates a millionaire from a beggar? Believe it or not, decisions. Choosing to stay at a job you hate is a decision. Choosing to stay in an abusive relationship is a decision. Choosing to live in the body you hate is a decision. Neither the millionaire nor the beggar can buy more time, but both can choose how to spend it.
To make any kind of positive change in your life, you must think about the decisions you are making and how they are negatively impacting you and those around you. Experts say that humans are creatures of habit, both good and bad, but the reality is these habits we have formed are all from the decisions we have made.
When we think about the habits we have, they are all routines we have formulated in handling our lives. From the moment we get up to the moment we go to bed, most of us are living with decisions that have become habits over time. If you want to make the most out of your life, if you want to change the direction your life is headed in, I urge you to give a second thought to the decisions you are making on a daily basis.
What decisions are you making today that you need to change in order to be successful tomorrow? You must take the time to think about this question so you can begin living the life you were always destined to have. I suggest you look at your goals and form them as a question.
If your goal is to make $100,000 extra this year, pose this goal as a question. Take out a piece of paper and write down, “How am I going to make an extra $100,000 this year?” The idea of this exercise is to come up with 20 answers to this question. It could be reading a book or it could be calling more clients. Regardless of the answers you write, you must really dig deep to find the answer. By the time you get to the 20th question, you will find your answer. The answer is normally the easiest decision that we overlook because we live a life of habit. Go ahead; write out your goals in a question and make the decision to find your answer to living the life you’ve always wanted.
It doesn’t matter how young or old you are. Once you start making better decisions, you will start to notice a better way of life. Ultimately though, the first decision you must make is to start…today.
By: D. A. Slinkard
D.A. Slinkard is the manager of the Athens Staples store
