It seems today that we spend our life making decisions. Go into a coffee shop and say “I’d like a cup of coffee”. See what happens. If they simply say “Your total is…” then I’ll give you a billion dollars. You have to pick your size, flavor etc. There are so many choices these days and they aren’t just in coffee shops. Small. Medium. Big. Jumbo. Extra Jumbo. One time, I went to the movies with a friend that always gets popcorn. Even if we’ve just come from dinner, she orders it. The cashier said “You can upgrade for an extra $0.75” and I started laughing. I said “A whole $0.75? Really. Seriously, do they have a meeting and tell you that you have to say things like that?” and he chuckled and then turned to my friend and said “So, would you like to upgrade for $0.75”. That confirmed exactly what I thought.

Sometimes making a decision is good. Sometimes it’s bad. Sometimes, it’s just about making the right decision for yourself in that moment. You don’t have to announce it to everybody. You don’t have to sky write it. Just make one that is realistic and rational for the situation.

We recently went out to dinner with out of town relatives and my mom asked my dad if they had a coupon for a free appetizer. Since my dad is great about filling out the on-line surveys (and rebates!), they had one. So in addition to the complimentary rolls, we received the awesome and gigantic appetizer in the picture. Potatoes covered in cheese and other yummy goodness. When it arrived, I had to make a decision: A) I could not eat anything. I was trying to be good!! I could stare at my family members as they enjoyed every single bite. All the while, I’m dreaming of what it must taste like and my taste buds watering. B) I could dig in and have an epic fork battle with my mom for the last bite and then 30 minutes after our meal was done, be overcome with guilt (and a stomachache) that I ate so much. I went with C) I could compromise. I mean, why did it have to be all or nothing?! So I ate just had a few bites so that I enjoyed it and I was still hungry for my dinner – which was a delicious and gigantic California salad I didn’t feel guilty. I enjoyed it and I was very satisfied with my decision.

With many things in life, there has to be a happy medium. I’m all for a compromise. Sure I might pitch a small temper tantrum, but in the end, I’ll make the right decision. You don’t always have to eat grilled chicken and steamed veggies when you go out. You also don’t have to get the double bacon cheeseburger and loaded fries. Sometimes, I simply don’t want chicken. Why not get a hamburger (minus the cheese and bacon) and steamed veggies. I’m trying to run a race here, not a marathon. Make whatever decision is best and don’t think twice about it.

When it comes to working out I can workout or not. If I make the decision to not workout – simply because I don’t want to – I end up sitting at home and feeling so guilty that I get a knot in my stomach and contemplate getting the antacids out of the cabinet. I try to justify to myself that I wouldn’t do good anyway or that I really and truly needed to go through our DVR and clear it out. Once again, I’m sabotaging myself. It’s the angel vs. the devil on my shoulder. I have never left a workout feeling guilty. I’ve also never left with a knot in my stomach.

It’s all very mind over matter for me. There have been times where I’ve been in the middle of boot camp going “Would anybody notice if I just pick up my keys and left everything else?”. Of course they would. What purpose would that do me? If you find yourself thinking or even wondering if you should go – do it. Go and make the decision to do what is your best. Don’t just go to watch other people workout. Get in there and burn those calories otherwise, you may end up laying on the couch feeling like Jabba the Hut and wondering why your clothes don’t fit. Been there. Done that. Got the gigantic T-shirt.

“Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that can change your life forever” – Keri Russell