Bad Choices Rarely Happen By Accident

I was browsing the internet the other day looking for hair product. I didn’t have an urgent need for it, but was distracting myself from a task I needed to do and didn’t really want to do. Eventually I saw something that caught my eye – or more likely eased my dissatisfaction – and bought it. That “product” turned out to be a scam. I did eventually get my money back but that isn’t the point. The point is that I made a bad decision in the moment, that was based on the bad choice of distracting myself. I wasn’t paying attention to what I was engaged in because my attention was mostly on avoiding doing something else.

Most of us these days fall for some scam or another. Some scams are worse than others. This one wasn’t that bad. But I’ve made other poor choices that were much worse.

Why?

Because I was distracted and not paying attention;

Because I was anxious and felt driven to choose;

Because I couldn’t make up my mind and ended up choosing out of frustration;

Because I was afraid I’d miss out.

Those are only a few reasons I make bad choices. Mostly, it’s me deciding that I MUST get something done.

Here’s what I do more often now: Other than the occasional event like the one above, I don’t make quick decisions about things that matter. If it can’t wait a few days then it isn’t worth it to me. I don’t make decisions when I’m emotional or stressed, waiting until I feel calm and emotionally balanced to choose. And, I ask myself if what I’m choosing truly lines up with what I want for my life. If it doesn’t, then I don’t need it.

My poor choices have become less frequent because I’ve learned to trust myself in how I decide. How do you make bad choices, if you do?

Quote of the Week

Sometimes it takes a wrong turn to get you to the right place.
― Mandy Hale

Why we make bad decisions

Announcements

Maryanne Nicholls is a Registered Psychotherapist.  To find out more, gain access to her weekly newsletter, meditations and programs, sign up at www.thejoyofliving.co . 

If you’re interested in the topic of avoiding burnout for people who do too much, you may be interested in checking out my youtube channel.