If you are like most people, you are caught up in the responsibilities of daily life, and in the process, have a laundry list of things that you tell yourself that you "have to" do. The list probably includes basic chores like doing the laundry, going to work and walking the dog. It may also include social and recreational activities, such as figuring out plans for the weekend, returning the call of a certain family member or friend or finding time to play a tennis match or go golfing. As our list grows and grows (which it tends to do in our fast-paced society), we begin to feel overwhelmed, and our level of stress and unhappiness at the long list of responsibilities increases. We often feel like we don't have a moment to relax, and wish we didn't have to get so much done this week.
The good news is -- you really don't have to! You can choose to complete the task, or you can choose not to. Look at each task on your to-do list. Chances are, without you even realizing it, many of these tasks align with your values, beliefs and desires. For instance, you choose to walk the dog when it's cold outside because you love animals and want to take care of your pet. You choose to go to the gym because you value your health and a good physique. You choose to go to work because you value having a stable income. On the other hand, choices such as staying in an unrewarding job, going to sleep too late, eating or drinking too much, or not taking enough personal time may not align with your values, beliefs and desires, but you may continue to engage in these actions or inactions daily without questioning whether they fit within your personal values, beliefs and desires.
Getting back in touch with your authentic values, beliefs and desires is the first step to choosing your life, and the simple act of changing your vocabulary from "have to," to "choose to," will empower you to re-evaluate your life and all of your decisions. Every time there is an action to take (i.e., it can be as simple as whether to get up at 6 a.m. on a given morning), ask yourself, "Do I choose to do this?" By asking yourself this question, you are taking ownership over your choice and are more likely to question whether or not this action that you perform on a daily basis aligns with your values, beliefs and desires (and intended consequences). Once you are able to clearly see what is most important to you, you can decide whether you want to continue down the same path or choose to do something different.
That's the exciting part -- you can always choose to act differently at any point in time. This momentum of taking active control of the decisions in your life can be quite transformational. You will begin to find that work, chores and social activities are more enjoyable and rewarding as you will have a clear sense of why you are making the choices in that certain moment and will see the benefits that you are gaining from each decision.
Make an active decision to "choose to" do everything in your life today and empower yourself to create the life you deserve.
The world is full of possibilities, and I would love to hear what you choose to do today.
xo
Erika
For more by Erika Nicole Finn, click here.
For more on happiness, click here.