Choices: What I Choose Determines my Success…Daily!
There’s one thing that every single one of us has in our possession when we wake up on a daily basis that will make or break our fat-loss plan…
“Choices”
We all have the option to make good ones or bad ones.
– The choice to eat healthy…or to eat unhealthy…
– The choice to exercise…or to ‘skip it’ and be lazy…
– The choice to give your best…or to take the easy-way-out.
And since our lives are a collection of “days,” the choices we make, ultimately, define who we are.
Our character, our habits, our integrity, our hearts, our health, our minds…even our bodies become a reflection of the choices we make daily.
So I want to quickly share a kind of silly, yet very powerful tool I use daily to stay on track with fitness and make better choices.
I call it the “Win List,” and it hangs on the wall at the bottom of our basement stairs, where I keep my backpack, cooler, tennis shoes, etc.
Choices: Make a list every night
Every night before bed (except on Fridays and Saturdays) I spend 15 to 30 minutes to make sure the first four things on my “Win List” are taken care of:
– Food and cooler is prepared and packed (food in fridge ready to go, water bottles are filled)
– Supplements are prepared and packed (shaker, protein powder, greens, essential fatty acids, amino acids etc.)
– Gym bag is packed: extra shorts, sandals, (this is for sauna time after exercise where I review my goal cards etc. that you see n the bullet points below my Win List)
– Scripted tomorrow’s schedule and To Do list (I always do my best to plan out my entire day and time block for everything possible – including exercise. If you don’t “plan” your day…somebody else will do it for you.)
Then I spend my weekdays trying to fulfill the bullet points below where it says, Completed today’s Win List:
Although this list is very private to me, I wanted to share it so you can develop your own “Win List” type of system.
For example, my wife Karen uses three simple tools.
1: A wall calendar for all her planning…
2: A backpack where she packs all her workout gear, her water bottle,
and whatever supplements she may need, etc.
3: A sticky note system on the dashboard of her car for important
reminders…lol.
Hey, whatever works!
It helps her stay on track and make better choices on a daily basis just like my “Win List” helps me make better choices.
Sometimes we “rock it out,” other times we STINK and totally blow it. But it’s little tools like these that help us stack the deck in our favor.
Listen, there’s no way ANY of us are going to be perfect with our daily choices, but if you find some type of “Win List” system that matches YOUR personality and lifestyle…
…You’re way more likely to make BETTER choices day after day after day.
This whole thing got started when I was reading a poem from Max Lucado about “choices” to my wife.
I told her, “This poem describes the person I strive to be every day of my life. Sometimes I make good choices and do “ok”…sometimes I make bad choices and fail miserably. But this who I want to be.”
I proceeded to read it out loud and she completely lost it…
She could hardly even talk after I read it to her. It was that powerful.
So I decided to post this poem in the “P.S.” of this email for those of you who are interested in making better “choices” in your lives.
I’ve been reading it every day now because I think it’s a game-changer.
Karen and I always love to hear if stuff like this resonates with you.
Please comment and leave us feedback!
Keep going strong,
Shaun
P.S. I want to give you a quick WARNING about this poem. It’s DEEP.
It talks about God and Max Lucado is a Christian author.
And although I would never want to offend anybody, I’ve personally benefited from reading content, quotes, and literature from other beliefs and religions all my life.
So whether you’re Christian, Jewish, Muslim, a non- believer or anything in-between, I truly believe we can all benefit from the core values described in Max’s poem.
And if this stuff isn’t your cup of tea, that’s fine too…
Hopefully you can still benefit from creating your own “Win List” based on your values and priorities in life.
Lastly, “thanks” to Max for writing this poem on Choices. It’s inspired me like no other.
I CHOOSE LOVE…
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness.
I choose love.
Today I will love God and what God loves.
I CHOOSE JOY…
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.
I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…the tool of the lazy thinker.
I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings,
created by God.
I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I CHOOSE PEACE…
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I CHOOSE PATIENCE…
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world.
Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so.
Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for
a moment to pray.
Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments,
I will face them with joy and courage.
I CHOOSE KINDNESS…
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.
Kind to the rich, for they are afraid.
And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I CHOOSE GOODNESS…
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one.
I will be overlooked before I will boast.
I will confess before I will accuse.
I choose goodness.
I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS…
Today I will keep my promises.
My debtors will not regret their trust.
My associates will not question my word.
My wife will not question my love.
And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.
I CHOOSE GENTLENESS…
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.
I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL…
I am a spiritual being….
After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.
I choose self-control.
I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be impassioned only by faith.
I will be influenced only by God.
I will be taught only by Christ.
I choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control. To these I commit my day.
If I succeed, I will give thanks.
If I fail, I will seek his grace.
And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.
What are your daily choices?
When God Whispers Your Name
By: Max Lucado
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