Choice Points
Behaviour change can be a challenging thing that we all struggle with. Changing diet or the amount of exercise we do to stay fit and healthy is one probably most of us are familiar with. Or sometimes we make decisions about how to behave based on fears and anxieties and it can be tough to make different choices, even if we know those choices will lead to better outcomes for us. I’m thinking of those difficult conversations we put off, or turning down opportunities because we worry we won’t be up to the task. It’s often a topic that can arise in therapy, where people are reflecting on themselves, what they want in their lives, and the effects of the choices they are making.
The idea of choice points, and becoming aware of them, is one concept that can help us with all this. A choice point is that moment in time where we could go either way; the easy, well-worn way that has a sense of giving in to it, or the harder, less familiar way that may require courage or determination. Knowing that a choice point is upon us can give us the opportunity to create enough space for ourselves not just to take the usual option, it helps us gather the internal resources needed to make a different choice. It may require an initial discomfort or effort on our part, but in the longer term we will reap the rewards and benefits, not least of feeling good about ourselves.
So perhaps next time you have a choice, see if you can stop long enough to remind yourself that you are at a choice point, and see if that helps you make better choices for yourself.