Decisions

We’re faced with thousands of choices every day. But after you’ve weighed the choices, you have to make a decision. Which means our days are really just a collection of decisions. Let’s assume you sleep for eight hours. That means you have 57,600 seconds in the day, and you are making decisions for the majority of those seconds whether you realize it or not.

One study sought to figure out how many daily decisions. PBS explains:

Researchers at Cornell University estimate we make 226.7 decisions each day on food alone. And as your level of responsibility increases, so does the multitude of choices you have to make. It’s estimated that the average adult makes about 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day. Each decision, of course, carries certain consequences with it that are both good and bad.

So what is guiding your decisions? What are you basing your decisions on? It has to be something.

It recently hit me that I make a lot of decisions that don’t align with my goals. I decide on the choice to take the day off from working out, or I decide to skip putting time into my writing or embroidery. But being healthy and being creative are my two overarching aspirations in life. So by looking at two choices and making the decision to actively do something against my goals, I’m making decisions that aren’t aligned with the outcome I want. 

That doesn’t mean you have to make the “hard” decision every time or that you need to do something that feels wrong. We’re just people and sometimes we need to rest. That’s OK! But what you should do is evaluate two things:

1. What is your North Star? What is driving your decisions? If you can’t think of it, then spend some time figuring out what to align your decisions toward. Point yourself in the right direction for you.
2. Take stock of how often your decisions align with that North Star. If it’s more often than not, great! You’re on the right track. If not, then you know you have 35,000 opportunities today to get back on track. Then 35,000 more tomorrow.

If you need help figuring out what your North Star is, think both big and small. Do you want to be a more engaged parent? Do you want to be a more thoughtful friend? Do you want to be kinder to work colleagues? Do you want to embark on a learning journey that you feel will be enriching? Do you just want to be a bit more tidy? Think about Future You and what that person looks and feels like. What lifestyle does Future You live? What decisions were made today to get Future You to that place?

And with all of this, be kind to yourself. Life goals and desires change as time goes on. Your goal right now may not be your goal in a few months or a few years. That’s why it’s good to check in with yourself to see if your actions are lining up with your desired outcome at the time. 

This week, evaluate your decisions. Spend a day watching yourself and how you’re deciding between several choices. Then calibrate them to be 1% Better for Future You.

With gratitude,

Natalie