The Choice Point

Imagine walking through a forest and you come to a fork in the road. One path leads you towards your dream destination but is a winding and treacherous road. The other path is smooth and straightforward, but leads you further away from your destination. Faced with that choice point, what would you choose?

This is a metaphor for the choices we make in our everyday behaviour. We make lots of different decisions everyday and sometimes they become so automatic that we don’t realise that they have become bad habits or unhealthy coping strategies that take us away from the person we want to be.

Challenging situations are a key time where we’re faced with that choice. Maybe you’ve had a hard day and would ordinarily reach for a cigarette. Maybe there is a social event coming up that you would usually avoid.

Take a second to think about your values and the kind of person you would want to be. What are some of your strengths? What kind of life do you want to live?

Now think about what small decisions you could make that move you towards the outcome you want, behaving like the person you want to be.

The next time you face a challenging situation, take a moment to pause and imagine yourself at that fork in the road. Consider which path you want to take, and what would help you be the best version of you.