It’s been said that every decision you make is a vote for the person you want to be.
By: Fit Method
Tags: Choices, Life Lessons, Decision Making

It’s been said that every decision you make is a vote for the person you want to be. Considering the staggering number of decisions we make every single day, it’s important to feel confident in your decision-making abilities; particularly for life’s big choices.

When I’m faced with a big decision, I make it a priority to get quiet. To reflect, to tune in to my thoughts- and to tune OUT other voices; whether they are voices of loved ones, social media, or the ever-present phone.

In the past, I’ve made my decisions primarily using logic. This rational approach sounds foolproof: create a list of pros and cons, weigh them out, and choose the most rational path. Easy, right?

Nope! More often than not, I found that my decisions made completely out of rationale were not ones I’d choose if I had the chance to do so again. I needed a better system.

Every year for as long as I can remember, I’ve decided on a theme, instead of your traditional “New Year’s Resolutions.” The year I created this system, my theme was “Structure.”

That year, about 15 years back, I sat down and created a list. I wrote down every single thing I could think of that would need to be in place in order for me to be the person I strove to be. This document became my Guiding Principals.

My Guiding Principals included eliminating things in my life that did not bring value, such as alcohol. They included welcoming things into my life that did add value, like Christianity. They hit on my career goals, travel destinations, income milestones, relationships, credentials…just to name a few.

I included details about my future wife, down to the color of her eyes. Funny story; my wife has brown eyes, and I put green eyes as my vision of the woman I’d love. Our first daughter was born with green eyes. There is power behind this system!

As the years have gone by, I’ve highlighted every piece of that list that I’ve accomplished. Career, check. Finances, check. Wonderful wife and family, check. And on, and on.

The obvious benefit to this list of Guiding Principals is that I had clearly identified goals, and a picture of the life I was working to build. But beyond that picture was the fact that I was no longer living my life reactively, but intentionally and proactively.

This list has become a grid through which I filter every single decision that I come upon. When something comes into my life; no matter how exciting or attractive, I look at it through this lens. Is this new thing, or experience, or opportunity moving me closer to the Principals on my list? If the answer is yes, then the choice is easy. If the answer is no, the choice is equally as simple, and I walk away.

I urge you, no matter how young or old you may be, to create your own set of Guiding Principals. Be clear on who you want to be and where you are headed. And make sure that every choice you make is in alignment with those Principals.

Your decisions will not only be easy to make, but you’ll never look back on a choice you made with regret. And that is the greatest gift you can give yourself.