Everything you do is a choice.
Just think about it: every day we’re forced to make literally hundreds of choices. What to eat, what to wear, which route to take to where we’re going, which social media posts to engage with, how to respond to people, what projects to work on for our business…..
And there is so much power behind each and every one of those choices.
Each choice you make defines who you are, creates your identity, who you want to be, who you become.
I’m not trying to freak you out.
I’m just keepin’ it real.
It can, at times, be super difficult to make choices. So we’ll try to avoid making a choice at all. This is usually done by either choosing everything, or choosing nothing.
Non-Choice #1: Doing Everything
Trying to do “all the things” is not a noble pursuit.
If you’re overwhelming yourself with multiple (probably unfinished) projects, tons of to-do’s, and by saying “yes” to everything that comes your way, that’s a choice.
There’s a difference between wanting to work hard in and on your business, and feeling obligated to do stuff, thinking you “should” be doing everything.
Whatever choice you do make, something else has to be given up. Every time you add an item to your to-do list, something else will get less of your time, energy and attention.
It’s impossible to know for sure what the outcome of your choices will be. A bit of faith, trust and a positive outlook goes a long way. Know that things will work out for the best, that everything happens for a reason, everything has a purpose. If you fail, or it doesn’t work out as planned, no doubt you learned something, and maybe even had a some fun along the way.
Instead of trying to do all the things, make a choice.
Instead of FOMO (fear of missing out), embrace JOMO (joy of missing out)! Joy in knowing that you’ve made conscious choices to focus on only the most important and meaningful stuff.
Non-Choice #2: Doing Nothing
Overthinking and overanalyzing are just forms of procrastination, and will get you nowhere.
As long as we avoid making a choice and taking action, it feels like all options are still available to us. But ultimately we lose out on those options and the choice is made for us.
To crush procrastination and inaction, accept the fact that not choosing is in itself a choice.
By taking action you will gain clarity around what you like / don’t like, what works / doesn’t work, and what’s best for you. It’s in the doing that you figure out your next steps and the path you’re most aligned with.
You’ll learn, you’ll gain perspective, you’ll become wise. With this experience, making choices becomes easier and easier.
With every choice there are a multitude of possible outcomes….take inspired action without being attached to the outcome. Remember: things will work out for the best, everything happens for a reason, everything has a purpose.
And all you have to do is take the smallest step. Do whatever excites you most, the thing that makes you feel so good, whatever thing you know without a doubt you can do. It will snowball.
There’s never going to be enough time to get everything we want done.
We always have to make choices, and prioritize our tasks.
Making choices will be easier if you shift your perspective about what you see as “obligations” to seeing them as “choices”.
Choice Affirmation
Instead of saying “I can’t _________” or “I have to _________”, phrase it as “I choose to _________” or “I choose not to _________”.
Write it down and say it out loud – doesn’t it feel so much more empowering?
Great advice. Now that I have a child, I’m constantly in turmoil about what “needs” to be done and what I realistically can get done, and is that actually “enough”.
Sounds like you are a super busy lady Jessica! I’m so happy you found this post helpful 🙂
Agree with Jessica’s comment above. Once you have a child (we have our 2nd due in June) you look at time management so differently. Sound advice.
So glad you like the post and congrats to you on your 2nd bundle of joy!
So true. I often have to make sure i’m not distracted by all those things I should be doing and then end up doing nothing at all. I feel like i’ve been super busy all day long but literally nothing got accomplished. This is why planning is my lifesaver. Sticking to my list helps me get stuff done.
Good for you Elizabeth *high five*! Planning a list can definitely help a ton to keep you focused 🙂
So much truth to this! I read a book called The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst and it’s all about this!
I have learned to choose what I say yes to and what I say no to instead of just saying yes to everything like I used to.
Ooooh I’ll have to check that book out – thanks for the reco Desiree! And YES to saying no – good for you! I’ve also written a blog post about this very topic called “Say No More Often” 🙂
I love the idea of trading FOMO for JOMO! Making decisions and taking action is the only way we learn. Otherwise we’re stuck in doubt and chaos.
You are so right about action is leaning – love it! Enjoy the JOMO 😉
I’m a big fan of daily intention setting. I think it’s a wonderful way to start the day!
-Madi xo
Yayyy for intention setting – SUCH a great way to start the day 🙂
I love this advice. It will help us be more accountable to the fact that our happiness is a choice we make.
Happy you loved it 🙂 Even the smallest, seemingly insignificant choices can bring more happiness to our lives!