Tag Archives: making choices

Reality Check: Do You Have a Happiness Sweet Spot?

Posted on July 23, 2023 by RealityCheck

When Goldilocks visited the three bears, she did a couple of experiments before she found the bowl of porridge that was not too hot and not too cold. She looked for the “just right” sweet spot for porridge. The idea … Continue reading →

Posted in Choosing Perspective | Tagged choosing actions, choosing influences, examining options, making choices, need satisfaction | Comments Off

Reality Check: Having Trouble Getting Started?

Posted on June 18, 2023 by RealityCheck

Wait, delay, and put it off. For some people, procrastination is practically an identity, as in, “I’ve always been a procrastinator and that’s just who I am.” This is fine, until it’s not. Putting off can ultimately result in poor … Continue reading →

Posted in Choosing Behaviour | Tagged choosing actions, examining wants, making choices, motivation | Comments Off

Reality Check: Ups and Downs of People Pleasing

Posted on May 14, 2023 by RealityCheck

Jo is upset. She would like to please her friend Maggie but if she does, she’ll end up unhappy with herself. Maggie is insisting that Jo spend essentially all of her free time with her. We all know that no … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged "should", dissatisfaction, examining wants, making choices | Comments Off

Reality Check: Make Something Good Happen

Posted on January 5, 2023 by RealityCheck

The transition from one year to the next often motivates us to make a change, preferably for the better. Maybe you want to set out on a new adventure or improve a relationship. Holidays often include opportunities to get together. … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal Freedom | Tagged choosing actions, dissatisfaction, examining wants, making choices | Comments Off

Reality Check: When You Need To Say No

Posted on January 5, 2023 by RealityCheck

Somewhere, sometime, someone is going to ask you for something. They may ask for your time, your help, your money. You want to say “No.” There are many valid reasons to decline. Maybe you feel stretched too thin. Maybe you … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged "should", anxiety, conflict, making choices | Comments Off

Reality Check: The Reality of Tradeoffs

Posted on December 18, 2022 by RealityCheck

Choices often require tradeoffs—we give up one thing to have another. We do this so frequently that we’re often not aware of it. For example, if you’ve driven around today, then you made a tradeoff. You traded off the safety … Continue reading →

Posted in Control and Choice | Tagged choosing actions, examining options, making choices | Comments Off

Reality Check: When the Choice Isn’t Clear

Posted on August 14, 2022 by RealityCheck

How do you make decisions? We’re influenced by experience, preferences, perhaps trustworthy advice. And there are emotions, too. When we’re feeling fearful, angry or resentful, we likely won’t make the same decisions as when we are brimming with confidence, love, … Continue reading →

Posted in Control and Choice | Tagged choosing actions, conflict, examining options, making choices | Comments Off

Reality Check: Baggage Handling

Posted on August 7, 2022 by RealityCheck

When we’re young and excited about accumulating stuff, it’s hard to imagine that someday, we’ll view those once-precious objects that we struggled to acquire as just taking up space. The more room we have for stuff, the more stuff we … Continue reading →

Posted in Choosing Perspective | Tagged choosing thoughts, discouragement, examining wants, making choices, perception | Comments Off

Reality Check: Distinguishing Events from Responses

Posted on July 31, 2022 by RealityCheck

“The pandemic affected almost every aspect of our lives.” Like you, I’ve heard statements similar to that over recent years. It’s been said both in casual conversations and in media. This time, for some reason, it struck me as being … Continue reading →

Posted in Choosing Perspective | Tagged anxiety, blame, choosing influences, examining options, making choices | Comments Off

Reality Check: Auto-Pilot and Conscious Choices

Posted on June 19, 2022 by RealityCheck

The traffic light turns red. We stop. Well, most of us do, anyway. Did the traffic light make us stop? Not really. We could have gone sailing through, possibly causing injury and mayhem. But we choose not to do that … Continue reading →

Posted in Choosing Behaviour | Tagged choosing actions, choosing influences, internal & external control, making choices | Comments Off