A study done at Cornell University showed that the average adult makes hundreds of decisions each day. This seems a bit far fetched at first glance. But upon further reflection, this somewhat bold statement makes some sense. The vast majority of choices we make is small and insignificant.
We can choose whether to like a post on Facebook. What hat will I wear today the blue or the green one? Will I have cereal or porridge for breakfast? You get the idea. These menial decisions take a second or two to make. We do not give much thought to them. Given that there are 43,200 seconds in a day, it is quite possible to make hundreds of decisions per day.
The more critical decisions take longer to make and could have significant consequences. For example, if you choose to buy insurance from Auto and General instead of Brokerlink Insurance, you could suffer significant financial loss if Auto And General decide not to pay out in case of a calamity.
The Power Of Choice
What determines the outcome of our lives? Many of the circumstances of our lives are not our choice. The color of our skin, in what country we are born, who our parents are, natural abilities and genetics are predetermined.
The question is, which one of the two has the most significant impact on the outcome of our lives, the predetermined circumstances, or the choices that we make? This is an important question.
An Example
Let us consider the life of Nick Vujicic. He is an international motivational speaker, best selling author, and an Evangelist. After high school, he went to Griffith University in Logan, Australia. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Accounting and Financial Planning.
Nick founded and is the president of an international non-profit organization. Six years ago he married his wife Kanae. They have two sons, Kiyoshi and Dejan. Nick was born in 1982 without arms and legs. The outcome of Nick’s life was definitely not a product of his predetermined circumstances. Nick made a choice to live life to the best of his ability. The mere fact that we can choose is powerful.
How To Choose
Generally, menial decisions are not crucial to the outcome of our lives. You do not have to spend a lot of time thinking about the color tie you will wear to work. It will not matter five years from now. Important decisions like, do you go to university after school or do you start working? Is it better to rent or buy a house? The outcome of these types of decisions must be based on research and careful consideration.
Discipline plays a vital role in making the right decision. Do I play outside with my friends, or do I go and study? Analysis Paralysis. Sometimes we tend to overthink a decision. Often our first instincts are the right ones. Sometimes a wrong choice is better than no choice.
Learning From Your Mistakes
It is better to try and fail than not to try at all. See failure as part of the learning process. If you are disappointed with the outcome of your choices, examine the reasons for the poor results. Use the knowledge that you have gained to make better decisions next time around.
Conclusion
Decisions are powerful tools by which we shape our lives. If we believe that the predetermined circumstances will shape our lives, then we will not use the powerful tool of choice. We must choose to accept that the outcome of our lives is determined by the choices we make.