How to make choices that lead to happiness
When you’re not sure what choice to make, here are three models you can use to help:
1. Does this choice align with my goals?
What are your long term hopes? If you’re like most of us, they probably include things like: great relationships, a loving community, health and well-being, making an impact on the world, happiness. How will this choice support or detract from these goals?
2. Does this choice help me to grow?
Some choices look really scary and require a lot of courage to make. It can be all too easy to keep choosing to stay in a place that’s no longer working for you. Growth is a good frame because it helps us to both acknowledge the fear and to make the leap when we are ready. It also grounds us in what we need. Only you know what growth means for you. Sometimes it means saying yes and sometimes it’s saying no.
3. Will it have a positive impact?
Our choices don’t happen in a vacuum; what we choose to do has an impact (sometimes a profound one) on other people and the world around us. Zoom out and consider, how is your decision affecting others? Is there a way to make it a win, too, for the people around you? How will it enable you to contribute more positively to your own life and the world around you? This lens of responsibility helps us to make the choice that works not just in the short-term, but also in the long-term.
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