The Simple Power of Daily Choices
I once mentored someone who was very engaged and eager to learn. They listened intently to our discussions and made changes to improve their chances of success. However, over time, their interest seemed to fade. One day, I asked them if they had read the materials, and they said no.
And it got me thinking. So easy to read. It requires a few minutes and it clearly helps.
But life got in the way and the reading stopped.
Often, the difference between a life of fulfillment and one of regret boils down to the seemingly insignificant choices we make daily.
It’s easy to walk a mile. It’s easy to eat an apple. It’s easy to have a meal together. But here’s the catch: it’s also easy not to.
Take reading, for instance. Reading a page of a book takes a couple of minutes. It’s easy. Yet, it’s equally easy to skip it. But think about the knowledge accumulated by reading a page daily. In a year, that’s a couple of books. In a decade, it’s a library.
I read once that if you read five books on a subject you’re a world expert. Why? Because so few people have done it. Amazing that you can be a world expert on a subject with a little applied discipline.
The Ripple Effect
Drinking a glass of water every morning? Easy! Skipping it? Just as easy. But one keeps you hydrated, potentially boosting your energy and health over time. The other? Not so much.
Every action has a consequence, albeit not always immediate. The effects of our decisions, good or bad, ripple out over time.
The Discipline Difference
Achieving success isn’t always about grand gestures or major decisions. It’s more often about discipline. Discipline to do the easy things consistently. Discipline to resist the temptation of skipping what seems like a small action.
The Future You
Imagine two futures. In one, you took all the easy-to-do actions. Walked that mile. Ate that apple. Read that page. In the other, you didn’t. The trajectories of these two futures are startlingly different.
So, ask yourself: Which future do you want?
Then remember, it starts today. With that easy thing you either choose to do or choose not to.
Life doesn’t always ask us to make massive leaps. More often, it quietly offers us small opportunities to make a difference. To ourselves. To our future. To the world.
Embrace the easy-to-do. Because, in the long run, it’s those choices that will define your journey.
Image Credit: Natalie Kinnear
