At every fork in the road, we have a choice.
What's less obvious is this:
When you don't make a choice, you're still making a choice.
Delaying is choosing. Hesitating is deciding.
Putting it off until you feel ready is an answer.
And every single one of those moments, be it big or small, shapes the path that unfolds next.
I think we like to believe that only the major decisions matter. The job offer or the relocation or the career pivot.
But that's not how it works.The small, daily choices are where the real shaping happens.
Do you speak up in the meeting or stay quiet?
Do you put yourself forward for the stretch opportunity or wait until you feel more prepared?
Do you have the difficult conversation or let it slide another week?
These feel minor in the moment but they're not.
Every time you choose (or choose not to), you're opening certain doors and closing others. You're building a pattern and teaching yourself who you are and what you're capable of.
This is compound interest at its finest.
When you invest in yourself early, the opportunities that come your way start to change.
Because today's choice doesn't just affect today. It dictates the options you'll be gifted down the track.
Choose to stay quiet now, and you reinforce the story that your voice doesn't matter.
Choose to avoid discomfort now, and you strengthen the muscle of avoidance.
But choose to speak up, even imperfectly, and you practice something different.
Choose to lean into the stretch, and you build tolerance for growth.
It's like any muscle - the more you use it, the stronger it gets. The stronger it gets, the easier it becomes to use it when the problems become more complex.
So when the big decision finally arrives, you're not starting from zero.
You've been practicing all along.
This is why I tell my clients not to wait for the perfect moment to start showing up differently. Start now. Start with the small things.
The email you've been avoiding.
The boundary you've been afraid to hold.
The idea you've been hesitant to share.
How you practice in the small moments determines what you'll do in the big ones.
The trajectory of your life is shaped by thousands of small decisions that compound.
Each one is building you towards a version of yourself that either shrinks or expands.
On the topic of choices, I’ve created a swipe file of my best decision-making frameworks.
Want a free copy?
Reply to this email with ‘Choices’ and I’ll send it over to you.
Erica
Executive & Leadership Coach
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