Puzzle Pieces: How Small Choices Lead to Big Victories

…until a person can say deeply and honestly, ‘I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday,’ that person cannot say, ‘I choose otherwise.’  ― Stephen R. Covey

 

Sometimes we tend to think that success is like an apple hanging in an orchard, ready to be taken at any time. Success, though, is more like a puzzle: Every piece is essential in solving the big picture. Little triumphs en route to your big goals help you achieve your long-term success.

Your daily choices ― whether you cross the street at the pedestrian lane, whether you go out on a particular Friday night, whether you get a tattoo ― might seem very trivial and inconsequential, but added altogether may ultimately determine your success.

Here are a few tips that will help you make moment-by-moment choices to help you reach your goals:

Never take your eyes off the prize.

Whenever you make a decision, always ask yourself “Is this going to bring me one step closer to my goal?” If the answer is “No,” proceed at your own risk. The choice, after all, is still with you, but if you’re going to get off-track, do so with awareness.

Be the Turtle. Life is more of a marathon than a sprint. We have seen all too many people lose sight about what really matters because of their haste in reaching their goal.

Aim big but strut your baby steps.

Celebrate when you win small battles. Give yourself a breather from all the stress. Have a massage. Treat yourself to a nice dinner. Wave the victory flag and let yourself enjoy your small moments on the way to a big goal.

Positive reinforcement will give you motivation to keep going and will inspire you to do even better in the future.

Be in the moment.

If you aren’t clear with yourself and aren’t present in the moment ― really aware of your thoughts, feelings, and how they interplay with your surroundings ― it’s much harder to make the small choices that lead you in the direction you want to go.

If you’re going through life staring at your phone, you’ll miss out on a lot of small opportunities and decisions that might help you reach your goals much faster and easier.

Let me hear from you. What do you do to make the right moment-to-moment choices?

For more information:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns3N-fNiXb4
•https://www.mindsets.com/html/developing_a_success_mindset/making_the_right_choices_moment_to_moment.htm
• https://www.thefeelgoodlifestyle.com/willpower-discipline.html
• https://www.inc.com/ilan-mochari/rationalizing-celebrations.html