The Power of Daily Choices: Shaping Your Future, One Decision at a Time

If you repeated your actions from the last month, for the next 12 months

what would your life look like?

This is a question I would often ask my clients. It's not meant to create guilt if they haven’t been doing their best, nor to create joy for those who have been extremely disciplined. Instead, it's designed to shift our natural inclination toward short-term, instant gratification and help us think about the long term.

We don’t always consider the long-term effects of our actions because the outcomes are not immediate. If they were, we'd likely act very differently. Imagine if choosing not to work out and instead sitting to watch TV instantly caused joint and back pain or a 10-pound weight gain. What if eating a burger and fries resulted in an immediate heart attack? Or if getting into an angry argument with your spouse led to an instant separation?

While this isn’t reality, thinking this way highlights how much our behavior would change if the stakes were immediate and high. Conversely, imagine if going to the gym resulted in instantly losing 10 pounds, opting for a less processed meal gave you a clean bill of health, or choosing to forgive your spouse instantly improved your relationship. These outcomes would make our choices seem like no-brainers.

Reality of Immediate vs. Delayed Outcomes

Fortunately, unhealthy behaviors don’t produce immediate detrimental results, and unfortunately, healthy behaviors don’t provide instant positive outcomes. This delayed cause-and-effect can make it challenging to see the long-term importance of our daily choices.

However, this also means you don’t need to beat yourself up over occasional indulgences. Enjoying a burger and fries, having a relaxing TV day, or sleeping in doesn’t instantly negate your health goals. In fact, these moments can help maintain a balanced lifestyle, allowing you to stay consistent with healthier behaviors overall.

The Compounding Effect of Daily Choices

The key is to recognize that while occasional indulgences are perfectly okay, it’s the behaviors we practice consistently that shape our future. Just as small, positive actions can compound over time to create significant improvements in our health and well-being, negative behaviors can accumulate and lead to adverse outcomes.

Now Consider this again: If you repeated your actions from this month for the next 12 months, where would you be?

Practical Steps for Positive Consistency

1. Set Realistic Goals: Aim for small, achievable changes rather than drastic overhauls. This makes it easier to stick with positive behaviors long-term. Setting realistic goals helps you build momentum and confidence. For example, instead of vowing to work out every day, start with three times a week and gradually increase as you build the habit. To dive deeper and find the driving forces that keep you motivated for the long term, try the activities on my website: "Dear Present Me" and "Finding Your Why". These exercises will help you discover deeper motivations and set meaningful goals.
   

2. Build Healthy Habits: Incorporate regular physical activity, balanced nutrition, and adequate rest into your daily routine. These habits form the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. Simple actions like taking a daily walk, eating a vegetable with every meal, and ensuring you get 7-8 hours of sleep each night can have profound effects over time.
   

3. Practice Mindfulness: Be aware of your choices and their potential long-term impacts. Mindfulness helps you make more deliberate, thoughtful decisions. But don’t beat yourself up if you find that maybe you haven’t been doing as well as you wanted. Control what you can and make changes moving forward. Reflect on your decisions without judgment, and focus on the present moment to guide your actions.
   

4. Allow Flexibility: Understand that occasional indulgences are part of a balanced life. Don’t strive for perfection; strive for consistency. Consistency plus simplicity is the equation for long-term success. Allowing yourself to enjoy treats occasionally prevents feelings of deprivation and helps you maintain a sustainable healthy lifestyle.
   

5. Seek Support: Surround yourself with positive influences and seek support from friends, family, church, or a community that shares your health goals. Having a support system can provide encouragement, accountability, and motivation. Whether it's joining a fitness group, participating in a church wellness program, or simply having a workout buddy, support can make a significant difference.

Your daily choices have a major impact on your future. By focusing on consistent, positive actions and allowing yourself occasional treats without guilt, you can create a balanced, healthy lifestyle. Remember, it’s not about the occasional indulgences, but the consistent choices that shape your destiny. Make choices today that your future self will thank you for.