The Power of Choice – Learn How to Choose Your Way to Success.

Written by Matt Wegner

Founder and Lead Counselor, Matt Wegner Coaching, www.mattwegnercoaching.com

Have you ever been caught in a rut? Many people reach a point in their careers, relationships or financial situations where they just can’t seem to get traction. They spin their wheels for days, weeks, months or even years without seeming to get anywhere. Would it surprise you if I said they may be there by choice? That’s a pretty bold statement!

Allow me to explain. How many of us know someone who is constantly complaining about their situation? Everything is someone else’s fault. There is always some set of circumstances that happened to put them in that situation. This person is always just on the edge of success, if only someone would change a specific variable in their life. Then they would have success. Let’s look at the following statements for examples.

- “If I made more money, I wouldn’t live paycheck to paycheck.”
- “If my spouse would listen to me, we wouldn’t fight so much.”
- “If interest rates were better I would have lower payments.”
- “If I had more time I would exercise more.”
- “If I wasn’t so stressed, I would eat healthier meals.”
- “If my boss wasn’t so hard on me, I would be more productive at work.”

Do you see a pattern here? The pattern can be summed up in one word: blame. These statements are examples of blaming other people or things for our problems. The harsh reality is that we are where we are because of our choices. At some point in our lives we made a choice that led to us being where we are. A friend of mine once said it this way: “Every day you wake up with a choice. You can choose to get better or you can choose to get worse.” By definition, if you don’t choose to get better, you are choosing to get worse.

Let’s change the statements a little and see what happens when you choose differently.

- “I’ll sacrifice a little and work hard to raise my income level so I don’t have to live paycheck to paycheck.”
- “I’ll focus on listening to my spouse so I can understand her wants and needs.”
- “I’ll save up for the purchase so I don’t have to borrow money and pay interest.”
- “I’ll start scheduling my time better so I can make exercise a priority.”
- “I’ll plan out my meals ahead of time to ensure I eat healthy when I do get stressed.”
- “I’ll work at improving my productivity to help my boss be successful.”

By choosing a different approach to our daily situations, we can literally choose to be successful. Instead of sitting in our rut complaining about the lack of opportunities, we can choose to make our own opportunities. I have often heard a rut defined as a grave with both ends kicked out. Making the wrong choices can truly turn that rut into a grave. But making the right choices can help you find a way out of the rut.

What choice will you make?

- Matt Wegner

Matt Wegner is a Certified Financial Counselor with the heart of a teacher. Matt helps people in all walks of life take control of their financial destinies by teaching them the mechanics of making sound financial decisions. Find out more about Matt at www.mattwegnercoaching.com