Category Archives: Choosing Behaviour

Reality Check: Choices in Conflict

Posted on February 9, 2019 by RealityCheck

What does it mean to win a conflict? Does it mean that you prevailed on the issue, i.e. got your way? Does it mean that you are recognized by others as the clear victor while your opponent is humiliated? Perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in Making a Change | Tagged choosing actions, conflict, improving relationships, perception | Comments Off

Reality Check: To Grow Accountability

Posted on January 26, 2019 by RealityCheck

I have many good intentions. Perhaps you do, too! Those intentions include plans for what I will do for others as well as what I need or want to do for myself. They range from lofty to mundane; from developing … Continue reading →

Posted in Choosing Behaviour | Tagged choosing actions, dissatisfaction, helpful, persistence, self-evaluation | Comments Off

Reality Check: Structure for a Satisfying Life

Posted on January 12, 2019 by RealityCheck

The upside of dissatisfaction is that it can be a useful motivator to drive improvement. That’s grasping at straws to find a positive spin, isn’t it? Seriously though, if we had no dissatisfaction, why would we ever improve? One area … Continue reading →

Posted in Choosing Behaviour | Tagged choosing actions, examining wants, need satisfaction, self-evaluation | Comments Off

Reality Check: Choosing Happiness from your Money

Posted on December 3, 2018 by RealityCheck

There are many more important things than money: health, family, relationships, personal growth, just to name a few. Money isn’t even mentioned in the choice theory list of five basic needs: security/survival, love/belonging, power, freedom, and fun. However, while money … Continue reading →

Posted in Choosing Behaviour | Tagged choosing actions, examining options, fun, happiness | Comments Off

Reality Check: Greater Expectations

Posted on November 12, 2018 by RealityCheck

I’d caught the tail end of a conversation about math scores and a possible connection with the practice of moving students along in grade level regardless of whether they’ve mastered skills. It’s possible that I misunderstood. I’m sure what I … Continue reading →

Posted in Helping Others | Tagged learning, need satisfaction, persistence, power | Comments Off

Reality Check: Your Menu Choices

Posted on November 4, 2018 by RealityCheck

If you want something to grow, it’s generally a good idea to feed it. Don’t want more? Then don’t feed it. That reasoning seems to hold true for the waistline; what if we apply it to emotions? Noreen looks back … Continue reading →

Posted in Making a Change | Tagged examining options, fairness, frustration, making choices | Comments Off

Reality Check: The Available Choices

Posted on September 17, 2018 by RealityCheck

Are you ever in a situation where you have no good choices? It’s especially difficult if you can picture the perfect choice. You wish that option was available; you might even mislead yourself into believing it exists, when in fact, … Continue reading →

Posted in Choosing Behaviour | Tagged conflict, examining options, examining wants, improving relationships, making choices | Comments Off

Reality Check: Indecision, Imperfection, and Kale

Posted on August 13, 2018 by RealityCheck

My plan this year was to plant a nice bed of kale. I envisioned a continuous supply of fresh kale for lovely, nutritious salads. Buying the kale seeds was easy. But I couldn’t decide where to plant them. It was … Continue reading →

Posted in Choosing Behaviour | Tagged examining options, making choices, persistence | Comments Off

Reality Check: Relaxation and Everyday Anxiety

Posted on July 8, 2018 by RealityCheck

Last time, I mentioned that Dr. Martin Seligman has a couple of suggestions to lower everyday anxiety levels. One is progressive relaxation, also known as progressive muscle relaxation. This technique is hardly new; apparently first described nearly a hundred years … Continue reading →

Posted in Choosing Behaviour | Tagged anxiety, total behaviour, worry | Comments Off

Reality Check: Influencers, Helpers, and Heroes

Posted on March 18, 2018 by RealityCheck

We may never know the effect of extending a small kindness. In fact, we could perform a genuinely heroic act and never learn the result. We may not even know whether anyone noticed. Being helpful and kind is more satisfying … Continue reading →

Posted in Helping Others | Tagged choosing actions, confidence, encouragement, gratitude | Comments Off