Category Archives: Choices

We often think that we want an open road

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“We often think that we want an open road and the ability to choose any direction for ourselves. But sometimes, what we need is a tunnel that can reduce our choices and send us in a focused direction.”

—James Clear, American Author

Image from Unsplash by Daniel Jerez

The pursuit of endless possibilities often feels thrilling — a wide-open road promising freedom and self-determination.

Yet, in moments of overwhelm, too many choices can breed indecision and anxiety. Sometimes, what we truly need isn’t boundless options, but a tunnel: a clear path guiding us forward.

By narrowing our focus, we eliminate distractions and can pour our energy into meaningful progress. Constraints can be empowering, transforming what feels like limitation into a sharp sense of purpose.

EXERCISE:

Where might greater clarity and direction — a purposeful tunnel — offer you greater fulfillment than a wide-open road ever could?

Consider reading “The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less” by Barry Schwartz for additional ways to combat the overwhelming abundance of choices we all face each day.

At crossroad moments consider which response will best produce the outcomes you desire

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At crossroad moments consider which response will best produce the outcomes you desire.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Mike Enerio

Life is full of crossroads — moments when our choices shape our futures.

When standing before a big decision, pause and ask yourself: Which response will lead me closer to the outcome I truly desire?

Instead of acting on impulse or fear, step back, envision your goals, and let them guide you.

Sometimes, the brightest path isn’t the easiest or most obvious one, but the one that aligns best with your deepest aspirations. You have the power to choose not just your direction, but your attitude, as well.

Approach each crossroad with hope, clarity, and intention. Take a breath, trust yourself, and boldly choose the response that moves you toward the life you want.

EXERCISE:

Map your options using the Eisenhower Matrix: Categorize choices by urgency and importance.

This tool helps highlights which responses are most aligned with your goals and which are distractions, guiding clearer and more impactful decisions.

Friday Review: Choices

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Friday Review: CHOICES

What important choices have you made this year? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

“I am the me I choose to be.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Don’t ever work for someone you don’t want to become.”

 

 

 

 

 

There are many paths to the same destination. When one path is blocked, we simply choose another. How many WAZE are available to you at this moment?

 

 

 

 

Better waves make better surfers.

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“Better waves make better surfers. Are you on the right beach?”

—Seth Godin, American author, marketing expert, and entrepreneur

Image from Unsplash by Sincerely Media

Today’s quote reminds us that much of our personal and professional growth depends on the challenges we face, just as surfers improve by riding bigger, more challenging waves.

We, too, develop skills and resilience by stepping out of our comfort zones.

It goes further to ask a crucial question: Are you in the right environment to grow?

Many times, staying in a familiar but stagnant place limits our potential. Finding the “right beach” means seeking opportunities that push you, inspire you, and help you evolve.

Whether in your career, relationships, or personal goals, choose the waves that challenge you to become better, embrace the right environment, and watch yourself grow and transform into a stronger, more skilled version of yourself.

EXERCISE:

To what degree are you surfing better waves on better beaches?

What actions can and will you take to be even more intentional about your growth trajectory?

When you meet someone who doesn’t make excuses

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“When you meet someone who doesn’t make excuses, who doesn’t complain, who just rolls up their sleeves and grits their teeth, the difference is night and day.”

—Dan Cullem, Product Manager at Facebook

Image from Unsplash by dlxmedia.hu

The person described in today’s quote owns their circumstances, no matter how tough the game gets.

They don’t sit back and hope for change, they make it happen. That grit, that relentless drive, separates the dreamers from the doers.

If you want to win in life, start by dropping the excuses and embrace life’s rough edges to smooth your path in the coming days.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life would not making excuses or complaining make the biggest difference?

What gritty roll-up-your sleeves efforts will you take today to rise above your current challenges?

Sooner or later we all sit down to a banquet of consequences.

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“Sooner or later we all sit down to a banquet of consequences.”

—Robert Louis Stevenson, 19th Century Scottish novelist, essays, and poet

Image from Unsplash by Tim Pack

Today’s quote is a powerful reminder that our choices — big and small — ultimately shape our lives.

It encourages us to see every decision as a seed planted for the future. Some yield sweet fruit, while others may bring lessons wrapped in challenges.

The “banquet” is not just about judgement — it’s an invitation to take responsibility and learn from our actions.

In the process of coaching, we focus on intentionality, choosing wisely, acting with integrity, and embracing accountability.

When we reflect on our daily choices, it’s helpful to ask: What kind of banquet am I preparing for myself and other?

Your future self will thank you for the care you take today.

EXERCISE:

In what ways do you accept and demonstrate accountability and responsibility in your personal and professional life?

How does embracing these qualities provide a banquet of positive consequences for yourself and others☹?

When you find yourself at a fork in the road

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When you find yourself at a fork in the road, do you decide or slide?

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Caleb Jones

Today’s quote prompts us to reflect on our decision-making processes.

In life, we often encounter moments in which choices must be made. Deciding involves taking control, weighing options, and moving forward with intention.

Sliding, on the other hand, can lead to missed opportunities and regret by mindlessly staying the course we happen to be on.

Embracing decision-making empowers us to shape our futures and grow from our experiences.

By choosing to decide, we assert our agency and move closer to our goals, fostering personal growth and fulfillment.

Our choices define our journey.

EXERCISE:

Where are you at a critical juncture in your life?

Where can intentional decision making versus passively drifting through life’s choices make all the difference?

“I choose to make the rest of my life the best of my life.”

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“I choose to make the rest of my life the best of my life.”

—Louise Hay, late American motivational speaker, author, and AIDS advocate

Image from louisehay.com

Louise Hay’s life was marked by remarkable transformations and achievements. Born in 1926 in Los Angeles, California, she overcame a troubled childhood to become a pioneering figure in the self-help movement.

Noteworthy facts about her life include:

    • Her early struggles included poverty and considerable physical abuse from her stepfather and a neighbor.
    • After a career with many jobs, she moved to New York in the 1950’s and became a successful fashion model.
    • Her spiritual awakening followed a divorce after 14 years of marriage. At that time, she discovered the First Church of Religious Science, which influenced her to the concept of the power of positive thinking.

Faced with a cervical cancer diagnosis, she chose alternative methods of healing. Her methods included an intensive program of affirmations, visualization, nutritional cleansing and psychotherapy.

Other notable efforts included AIDS support, publishing success, and her numerous philanthropic efforts until the age of 90, which have inspired millions of people around the world.

EXERCISE:

Check out Hay’s most  notable book, You Can Heal Your Life to help you make the rest of your life the best of your life.

When we can lay down our fear and anger and choose responses other than aggression,

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“When we can lay down our fear and anger and choose responses other than aggression, we create the conditions for bringing out the best in us humans.”

—Margaret Wheatley, American writer, speaker, and management consultant

Image from Unsplash by Ditto Bowo

To what degree are these times bringing out the worst in us as humans?

How much fear, anger, and aggression have you seen in the media and your communities over the past several months?

Consider Victor Frankl‘s statement: Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

EXERCISE:

In what ways can you choose to keep a cool and level head in these turbulent times?

How can you mindfully choose more appropriate responses to the hotheads around you, to bring out the best in yourself and others?

When you don’t know what to do, do nothing, be still

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“When you don’t know what to do, do nothing, be still.”

—Oprah Winfrey, American talk show host, TV producer, actress, author, and media proprietor

Image from Unsplash by Riccardo Annandale

I found myself with a case of writer’s block with this quote.

Thinking of interesting and pithy things to pen on a daily basis is confronting when you have a lot going on in the rest of your life.

Being still in a world that moves so fast is a challenge.

How can we get anywhere or accomplish a goal if we don’t make our intentions real through action?

Feeling stuck in this moment, I decided to do nothing, as Oprah suggests.

Suddenly, a light bulb moment struck.

Being still is doing something that leaves space for other somethings to show up. And so this post came to be.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life would stopping in your tracks and being still allow something unexpected and new to show up?