Making the Right Choices, Moment to Moment
A common misconception that many of us share is the belief that success is a cohesive state of being that we will eventually claim as our own. In other words, we are under the false impression that we will one day take a giant leap from unsuccessful and frustrated to rich, happy and successful.
It may surprise you to learn that success is instead a process of making the right choices. It rarely (if ever) happens in one fell swoop. Rather, you go from making mostly poor or destructive choices to making better choices more often.
Take a look at the three stages below, and note the progression of a success-mindset:
| Poor Choices – Procrastination – Self-doubt – Defeatism – Resignation | Results – Lack – Stagnation – Frustration – Victim mindset |
| Better Choices – Self-belief – Trust – Hope – Taking small actions | Results – Growing confidence – Optimism – Exhilaration – Eagerness for more |
| Still Better Choices – Building confidence – Believing in abilities – Taking bigger actions – Identifying true passions – Willingness to risk more | Results – Greater progress – Accomplishment – Deepening belief in oneself – Freedom – Growing SUCCESS! |
Again, this is a PROCESS. It is virtually impossible to start with a mindset of lack and powerlessness and leap immediately to a mindset of success and accomplishment.
Right now you may be feeling that it will take forever to get where you want to go in life. You may feel that the challenge is too big, the road is too rocky, and the obstacles are too intimidating. Not so!
Luckily for us, this type of process creates its own momentum. We start by making small changes both mentally and physically. We begin strengthening our desire for more, believing in ourselves and our capabilities, and taking small steps toward the lives we truly desire – and BOOM! More and more opportunities begin to appear before us.
As we grow in confidence, we begin NATURALLY gravitating toward choices that will support our deepest desires. We begin feeling an urge to do the things we know will create success, rather than shying away from them as we did in the past.
Do yourself a favor and avoid looking at the big picture, at least while you are just getting started. Instead, narrow your focus so you are looking at each teeny, tiny step you take along the path to success. Focus ONLY on these little steps and remind yourself that every decision you make (no matter how small or inconsequential it may seem) will serve to move you closer or farther away from your desired result.
Make a promise to yourself right now that you will begin listening to your intuition about which choices are right for you. Reinforce your awareness about how your actions determine your results, and vow to consistently make better and better choices until the process becomes more natural.
Question every move you are about to make. Ask yourself, “Will this help or hinder my ultimate objective?” Do this not only with every ACTION you contemplate taking, but also every INACTION you feel drawn to.
Keep in mind also that there are no right or wrong answers here, only what works best for you. For example, you may feel a desire to sit on the sofa and watch television for several hours in the evening. This can be both a positive and negative choice.
If you feel burned out from working too hard and need some downtime, taking a break is a positive choice.
If you are procrastinating on taking action and using the television as a distraction, it’s a destructive choice.
Again, use your intuition (listen to your gut feelings) to determine whether you are making choices that will make you successful. Brutal honesty with yourself will be required, I won’t kid you. It is astounding how easily we can fool ourselves and justify destructive behavior.
The only person we hurt when we do this is ourselves. There are no “success police” that will force us to make better decisions. We will receive no citations for laziness and procrastination. (Actually, the results we experience are worse than any citation we could receive.) It is up to us what we do with our time and talents. It is up to YOU what YOU will do with YOUR time and talents!