

There is no one big choice you can make
that will propel you to your goals.
Who you are, where you’re
going and what you achieve are determined by countless
choices and decisions you make every day, many of them
so small you may not even be aware of them. For example,
each morning when you wake up, you can choose to be:
Cheerful
- Gloomy
- Rude
- Courteous
- Loving
- Hateful
- Cooperative
- Obstinate
- Positive
- Negative
- Carefree
- Cautious
The idea is to realize that every choice,
no matter how insignificant, influences
your path in life. The bottom line: the
better your choices, the better your chances.
You may know someone who always seems
to make poor choices, then wonders why
life turns out the way it does. Maybe he
hasn’t set clear goals or priorities.
Maybe he suffers from low self-esteem.
Maybe he just doesn’t stop and think
before acting. Whatever the reason, making
poor choices is a habit that can be changed
just like any other.
Are you cognizant of your choices and
how they affect your life? Assess your
own choice-making habits with this quick
quiz:
Which statement is most accurate for you?
a. I have a pretty good
idea of what I want my life to look like
in five years.
b. I’m not sure
of my goals, but I’m working on them.
c. I’m waiting
to see what everyone else does before making
any big decisions about college or career.
Before making a big decision, I:
a. Research the facts.
b. Go with my gut.
c. Ask my parents
for advice.
When it comes to risk, I:
a. Weigh the potential
pitfalls against the benefits.
b. Don’t worry
about it too much; you only live once.
c. Avoid it at
all costs.
When I make a mistake, I:
a. Correct it and learn
from it.
b. Vow never to do it
again.
c. Try to hide
it.
How did you do?
- If you picked mostly a’s, you
tend to have a healthy, constructive
approach to making choices.
- If you picked mostly b’s, you
are aware of the importance of your choices,
but you may need to work on your decision-making
process and how you react to outcomes.
- If you picked mostly c’s, it
may be time to get serious about your
goals and the choices you make to achieve
them.
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