Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

We constantly make choices in our lives.

In fact, it’s estimated that we make as many as 35,000 decisions a day. That’s a choice about every two seconds if we assume an average of seven hours of sleep.

And here’s the thing—most of those choices are made without any conscious thought. Why? Because we are operating on autopilot.

Did you jump out of bed when the alarm went off this morning, or did you hit the snooze button?

Did you consciously choose that action… or did you do it out of habit?

If you hit the snooze button, did you consider the consequences? Or simply react?

I can’t tell you how many times I used to automatically hit that snooze button—again and again—only to create a rushed, stressful morning. That stress didn’t stop there. It carried into my commute, into my day, and into how I felt about myself.

And along with it came frustration, guilt, and that familiar thought: “I know better than this.”

 

How We Think

Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist known for his work on decision-making, describes two systems of thinking.

System 1 operates automatically and quickly, with little effort and no sense of control. This is the thinking behind habits—like hitting the snooze button without even realizing it.

 System 2 is slower, more deliberate, and requires conscious effort. This is where we pause, think, and choose intentionally.

When we engage System 2, we create a very different outcome.

Instead of a rushed morning, we might choose to wake up with enough time to move through our day with ease—feeling calm, prepared, and confident.

Same moment. Different choice. Different result.

 

Your Choices Matter

One aspect of Modern Consciousness® is making thoughtful decisions that align with your intentions, values, and goals.

The thousands of decisions you make each day accumulate into something much bigger.

• They shape your experience.
• They shape your results.
• They shape your life.

Are your choices supporting the person you want to be?

Or are they pulling you further away from how you want to feel and live?

 

What Are You Tolerating?

Here’s another way to look at your choices:

What are you tolerating in your life?

To tolerate means to allow something to exist—even if you don’t like it—without taking action to change it.

When you think about it that way, it becomes clear:

If you’re tolerating something, you are choosing it… whether consciously or not.

Take some time to reflect about situations you may be tolerating in your life. It could be something small, like clutter or unfinished tasks. Or something bigger, like a relationship dynamic, ongoing stress, or a situation that leaves you feeling drained.

Bring your awareness to it.

Write it down.

Then begin asking yourself:

• How does this situation make me feel?
• Why does it make me feel this way?
• How is this serving me?
• What happens if I continue to tolerate it?
• What happens if I choose to change it?
• What would that change look like?

You may be surprised by what comes up.

 

Not everything you tolerate needs to change.

There’s a difference between healthy tolerance—which supports relationships and growth—and tolerating something that quietly pulls you out of alignment with yourself. The key is awareness. Because once you see it, you have a choice.

If you’re ready to take a deeper look at how your choices are shaping your life, I invite you to explore my Clarity Sequence.

Because if you don’t truly understand where you are, it’s difficult to intentionally choose where you want to go next.

 

Positively empowering you®,
Stacie