Whether you believe in destiny or not, choices are the core of our existence. Every day we make choices: it can be something simple like picking out the right outfit or something more complex like a career decision or choosing a partner. Our current life is a sum of all the choices we made in the past. Our future depends on the choices we’re making in the present. Not everybody has the same opportunities and not everybody is presented with the same choices but our choices define us more than our circumstances. We can let them lead us to a better life or to a life of regret. It’s entirely up to us.
How To Live With No Regrets
When choices made in the past hunt you and don’t allow you to evolve, you may feel overwhelmed but, if you want to improve your life, you have to let go of the guilt and regret. We all make mistakes, bad choices are mistakes and, inevitably, they make us regret our decisions. However, no one makes mistakes on purpose. The bad choices you made in the past are part of your learning experience so there’s no point in living with regrets. Look at your bad choices with kindness and know that, at the time, you thought you’re doing the right thing. Learn from the past and learn how to make better choices in the future but don’t punish yourself for it.
How To Make Better Choices
You don’t have to feel guilty about your past choices in order to learn how to make better ones; you do, however, have to be willing to make better choices. Many times people do the same thing and expect different results but if you truly want to improve your life, you have to change your ways. Take responsibility for your choices and remember – life is unpredictable but the way you react is entirely up to you.
Analyze The Situation
Outline the issues you’re facing to be sure you’re not distracted by things that shouldn’t influence your choices, such as peer pressure or other people’s expectations.
Process Your Emotions
Before choosing what you want to do, allow yourself to feel. When you make choices, you want to be rational but you can’t be rational if you suppress your emotions. Good decisions are made when your heart, spirit, and brain are synchronized.
Do Not Overthink
It’s important to be open and consider multiple options but it’s not at all recommended to overthink every single choice you make. Overthinking leads to self-doubt and the outcome of self-doubt is rarely a good choice.
Ask Your Body
What do you feel in your body when you are imagining making a certain choice? Do you feel “light” or “heavy”? Do you feel “expanded” or “contracted”? These are very reliable preferences to tell you what decisions are good for you.
Be Objective
Sometimes, a good way to know if you’re choosing the right thing is to remove yourself from a situation. Pretend that someone else has to make the decision. What would you tell them? You gain perspective when you picture someone else having to make the choice that you’re struggling to make.
Visualize The Outcome
Every choice has pros and cons but, when the pros outweigh the cons, you know you’re on the right path. Visualizing the best and the worst possible scenarios can bring you peace of mind because you’ll know what expect.