When you are making changes, small choices make all the difference. Daily you may find yourself living with the effect of your choices. The results of the choices can range from feeling overwhelmed to feeling out of control or becoming unhealthy. These effects are all symptoms of your life slowing down and eventually coming to a screeching halt. It’s not possible to attain an ideal life using the same thinking and actions that got you where you are now.
There will be times when you may not feel like going the extra step to make the best choice in a given situation. Those are the times when you will need to remember how each choice impacts the next. Remind yourself of why you are making specific choices throughout the day.
Henry Grayson, author of Mindful Loving: 10 Practices for Creating Deeper Connections and Use Your Body to Heal Your Mind, says that each day when he takes supplements he says aloud the reason he is taking each one. By doing so, he not only reminds himself of the benefits of each supplement, but he sets in motion the intention to improve specific aspects of his health.
Mary Jones, a woman I worked with, was making changes to improve her health, lose weight, and regulate her mood. She learned that if she skipped breakfast it placed her at risk of overeating later due to getting too hungry, affected her interpersonal relations at work, and hampered her mental acuity and mood. Before eating each meal she began to say, “I am eating to provide fuel for my brain and body, increase my energy, improve my memory and enhance my mood.”
Researchers have found that how you begin your day has a psychological impact on the rest of the day.
If you start the day making mindful choices, it leads to more mindful choices. We know that for those who have a goal of improving their health and well-being, it is easier to stay on track if you are already doing well on any given day. Many find that if their choices are not supporting their overall health and well-being. It’s easy to simply continue on this path the whole day, vowing to start over the next day.
Think of every mindful choice you make as adding another layer to the foundation you are building whether that foundation supports your health, personal growth, relationships, or career. Consider each action you take toward your ideal life as:
- strengthening your resolve
- building momentum
- preparing you for the next choice
- moving you closer to what you truly want in your life
Your Action Plan: Commit to taking one small step this week towards your ideal life. If you’re comfortable with sharing which action you plan to take share these in the comments. Your action may inspire and encourage others. Additionally, stating your intention is a teeny step towards a mindful choice. You can do this.