Every day you make a choice, it is a decision that leads you to one path over the other. You may have to select from two or more options, at times, you may weigh the pros and cons, sometimes you may leave it to chance but many times you will select the most easiest of them all. Does the easy one have to be the right choice? Most often it is not, as it is one we make by giving in to comfort and convenience.
The Daily Choices
We find ourselves succumbing to our desires, to things that often cost us the real happiness of doing what we really want to do and know in our heart what we should do. The day begins by presenting you with a set of choices- wake up to your alarm or snooze it, either go for a run or choose to sit around, give in to something tasty or eat a bunch of fruits, then on to work, sit long hours in one place or take periodic walk breaks, rely on drinks and foods to keep you awake and kicking or exercise your will. It is a constant battle of will and wits. One that demands courage and persistence.
This is not something that is obtained with the toss of a coin, it requires you to carve yourself inside out, to reconsider the expedient and opt for the right. The rewards of which are far more greater, but not immediately experienced. This makes it a more difficult path in this age of immediacy and instant gratification. With the 18-50 year old incarnations roaming around with a brain having the psychological conditioning of a 12 year old, it is much more than a simple task of planning and a to-do list.
The Best Gift You Can Give Yourself This Year
We choose easy ones over the right ones, the easy ones are often those that have immediate sense of rewards in the form of pleasure, joy, feel-good boosts, or temporary energy replenishment, much like the sweets or the drinks that we rely on. It is the toughest choice because it is not the most convenient and comfortable. But in reality, it is the choice to take back the control of your life.
In the words of leadership author Robin Sharma,
Discipline allows you to do all those things you know in your heart you should do but never feel like doing.
To get want you really want, being strict with yourself is the key. Deep down there, each one of us know what we really want, we have an inkling which we can sense every moment and every time we choose not to walk that path. Self-discipline is the best way to manifest that wish into a reality.
By being stricter with yourself, you will begin to live life more deliberately, on your own terms rather than simply reacting to life the way a leaf floating in a stream drifts according to the flow of the current on a particular day.
This is not a short-term goal, but a lifestyle choice that will determine the quality of your life. A simple and robust mechanism, with no on/off switch, but a path, of greatness and virtue, for yourself and others. One that will help you to set clear goals, manage your time effectively, treat people well, perform tasks without procrastinating.
Effective, fulfilled people do not spend their time doing what is most convenient and comfortable. They have the courage to listen to their hearts and to do the wise things.
After all, every single choice we make daily, each one throughout the day, accumulate and build up together to form the person we are, our achievements, our progress, and our health over a period of time.
The quality of your life ultimately is shaped by the quality of your choices and decisions, one that range from the career you choose to pursue to the books you read, the time that you wake up every morning and the thoughts you think during the hours of your days.
– Robin Sharma, Who Will Cry When You Will Die
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