The difference between having a good day and a bad day often boils down to the tiny little decisions or choices you make at any given moment. Our choices are forks in the road that determine which path you will go down and where you will end up at the end of the day.
Have you ever noticed how one step leads to another and then another one and yet another, until you find yourself in a situation and you ask yourself, "How the heck did I get here?" We have all heard the expression of being led down a garden path. It's kind of like saying you got somewhere but don't even remember the steps you took to get there.
Every day we are faced with numerous choices where you decide which direction you are going to go in. In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear calls these crucial junctures decisive moments. You are constantly making little decisions about whether to choose A or B. Inevitably, whichever choice you decide on will determine the next step and ultimately how your day will go.
For example, I had been proud of myself for staying away from snacking on sweets and junk food: until yesterday, that is. I suddenly began craving something sweet. I yielded to my hankering and made the crucial decision of walking over to the Bulk Barrel at the nearby mall. This was obviously a decisive moment which inevitably led me to the next step. I was well aware of the fact that once I got there, old temptations would raise their irresistible little heads and lure me into buying candy that I hadn't indulged in for several months. And I was right. I ended up buying three types of gummy treats. You're right, not 1, but 3! You can easily predict what further path that took me down; an evening of Netflix bingeing while chewing on tooth-decaying gummy treats!
Now, conversely, the same holds true for decisive moments that propel your life in a desirable, positive direction. This morning, I put on my workout clothes and the next logical step was to do my cardio workout with Amy on You Tube. This is the first step towards a healthier, fitter body and my overall goal of well-being in general. Had I not taken that first step of putting on my workout clothes, it is much less likely that I would have engaged in my exercise program. Making one small step in the direction you want to go can have the same ripple effects as a negative one.
Turning off a freeway ramp will lead you down the specific road that it merges onto.
Each day is made up of hundreds of tiny decisive moments. The initial choice you make in every instance determines what the ultimate outcome will be. The choices you make in that moment will determine the road ahead, the day, the month, the year, and eventually your entire life.
Be aware of the many little forks in the road. Choose the off-ramps that will take you down the road that leads in the direction that you want to go in