#75Hard Day 40: A Simple Tool For Making Better Choices 

▶️ We often face difficulty trying to make decisions that are in alignment with our goals if the immediate outcome for making that decision is different in the future versus the present.
▶️ For instance: We are trying to make better choices with our eating habits in order to improve our health outcomes, but those positive outcomes are too far off to overcome the immediate reward of an indulgent choice. We are trying to pay off credit card debt, but the annoyance of preparing our lunches for work is not as easy as paying more than we should for takeout every day. The little bit of effort required to get out of bed in the morning early enough to get our workout in keeps us from the work out that would actually energize us more later in the day.
▶️ Each of these decisions has a more immediate pleasant outcome, but it is at the detriment of the postponed larger or more compelling pay off we really want.
▶️ So how do we remove the feeling and emotion from the choice and act in alignment with what we really want, being that the outcome is so far off it isn’t as compelling as the immediate gratification?
▶️ Sit down and think about how you will feel as a result of the two decisions. Actually feel those feelings and emotions. Think about how you will feel physically and emotionally about the result of each choice.
▶️ When we put ourselves into that future self moment, it is easier to make the choice that will produce the outcome we desire, even if it is delayed and we have to sacrifice an immediate benefit of the less favorable choice.
▶️ This also helps with decision-making in terms of setting goals. Sit down and count the cost of what it will take to get what you think you want. Is it really worth the sacrifice of time, relationship, energy, maybe even your value system in order to achieve it? The last thing you want to do is to reaching out come only to realize it wasn’t worth the sacrifice it took to get there.
▶️ Everything we choose to pursue comes at the cost of focus in other areas of our life. Certainly there are things well worth the investment, but we must count the cost in order to know for sure.