Renea embodies resilience and leadership and inspires transitioning military women with her two-decade military journey. As a certified Health and Life Coach and international bestselling author, she empowers others to reach their full potential.
Have you ever considered how much of your life is shaped by the small choices you make every day? These insignificant decisions can determine the course of your future and impact your goals, relationships, mental health, and overall well-being. We’re all just one situation away from a moment that could significantly change our lives—for better or worse.
So, how do you create a healthier, happier tomorrow?
Every day brings about change, which we welcome because it brings excitement and new opportunities. However, change can be challenging, forcing us to confront difficult truths or break habits that no longer serve us. Not all changes are easy to navigate, and habits rooted over many years take time to break. Certain patterns of thinking or behavior can seem almost impossible to shift. Yet, despite these challenges, our choices remain the driving force behind our ability to adapt and grow.
This idea is powerfully described in The Slight Edge, which explains that success and failure often stem from accumulating small, everyday choices. The concept is simple. However, so many people still cannot embrace it: every choice you make, no matter how minor, moves you closer to or further away from your goals. But what happens when the changes life throws at you become difficult to manage, and habits feel impossible to break? How do you stay on course?
Being mindful of your mental health and well-being is important. When life’s changes feel overwhelming, it’s easy to revert to old ways and settle for what’s comfortable, to fall back to unhelpful habits, or to make choices that don’t support your long-term well-being. This is where being intentional becomes so crucial. It takes being conscious of your actions that align with your values and goals. It’s choosing those actions that will help you to steer through life’s changes with greater resilience.
Equally important is the environment and relationships we develop. Having the right support system and a growth development environment can drastically strengthen our ability to make positive choices, especially during challenging times.
Five key reasons why making intentional choices daily matters
1. Preventing stress and anxiety
Everyday choices, such as how we manage our time, whom we spend time with, and what we consume, can either decrease or increase stress and anxiety. Poor choices, like neglecting self-care or overcommitting ourselves, can lead to burnout and overwhelm. However, intentional choices that prioritize mental health, such as setting boundaries and making time for relaxation, help prevent unnecessary stress.
Often, saying yes to every request at work, attending every social event, yes to every family occurrence, and yes to the community, and rarely saying “yes” to yourself can increase stress, leading to acute or chronic health challenges, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. However, setting clear boundaries at home and work, saying no to unnecessary commitments, and dedicating 30 minutes daily to engage in mindful stress-reducing activities can help manage stress levels, ultimately leading to a more stable and peaceful life.
2. Building emotional resilience
Life is unpredictable, and challenges are inevitable. Who we become today can prepare us to face these challenges with strength or leave us vulnerable. Practicing mindfulness and surrounding ourselves with supportive relationships and environments will promote emotional resilience that helps us bounce back from adversity. You may have experienced a sudden job loss after years of steady employment. Instead of letting this setback defeat you, imagine you’ve already been practicing mindfulness and self-development by reading books, attending workshops, and maintaining solid relationships with mentors and friends. When a job loss occurs, your emotional resilience is stronger; this is also where you rely on your network for support, stay focused on personal growth, and quickly adjust to the new situation to become more focused on the next steps.
3. Maintaining positive relationships
Imagine being around pessimistic and critical individuals that leave you drained after every interaction. Over time, you become aware of the impact such relationships are having on your mental health; however, for some, deciding to focus on expanding your circle with more positive, supportive people may be difficult, especially if the change is toward family and close friends that no longer support who you are becoming. The saying “birds of a feather flock together” is true regardless of the people we surround ourselves with, and being mindful of our relationships and how they can impact our mental health is vital to maintaining the right relationships. Positive, supportive relationships can uplift us, while toxic or draining connections can drag us down. Being intentional about who we allow into our lives and how we sustain those relationships ensures we have the right support system, especially during tough times.
4. Creating a nurturing environment
Our environment often plays a significant role in our well-being. Where we live and work can either support our mental health or undermine it. Cluttered, chaotic environments often intensify stress and anxiety, while organized, calming spaces promote relaxation and focus. Become intentional about creating an environment that will encourage a sense of peace and order.
Decluttering and creating a dedicated, tidy workspace and making your home a more calming environment with simple décor, plants, and soft lighting can reduce your anxiety, making it easier to focus and feel more at ease.
5. Choosing your hard: Embracing the work behind success
Sometimes, it’s easier to proclaim life as hard instead of deciding to do better; sometimes, it is easy to make excuses and blame others rather than accept responsibility and be more reflective. Sometimes, it is easier to take convenience and comfort rather than face our fears and embrace the unknown; the truth is that everything comes down to choice. Whether you do or you don’t, it’s still a choice. The key is understanding that you get to choose. You can work towards building better habits that lead to success or face the consequences of neglecting those habits. It’s the routine yet consistent actions you take every day that create lasting success. Over time, these actions lead to considerable improvements in your physical health and mental well-being.
Life is full of surprises and just one situation that can change everything: a promotion or a missed opportunity, a battle or a win over a health issue, a personal crisis or a breakthrough. While the future is unpredictable, we do have the choice to control how prepared we are for whatever comes our way. The small steps toward better health, investing in self-development, nurturing relationships, and creating a supportive environment can determine how you overcome these moments.
What is the one thing you can choose to do today, knowing that if you do it, it can make all the difference?
No matter what, start taking small steps to prepare you with a better approach to combat setbacks and embrace growth opportunities. The power to influence the outcome is in the small, everyday decisions. Remember, we are always just one situation away from a moment that could hugely impact your life.
Having accountability is key to staying on track and achieving your goals. You can make intentional choices that lead to lasting change with the right support.
Ready to take the first step?
Start your journey toward a life of resilience, growth, and fulfillment with the accountability you need to succeed.
Renea Jones-Hudson, Empowerment Coach for Military Women
Renea embodies resilience and leadership and inspires transitioning military women with her two-decade military journey. As a certified Health and Life Coach and international bestselling author, she empowers others to reach their full potential. Her dedication to mentoring young girls and pursuing doctoral studies highlights her commitment to lifelong learning and growth. Renea's journey is a testament to transforming challenges into opportunities for success. Renea's mission is to ignite a path of growth, wellness, and unstoppable success for women poised for their next great adventure.
Sources:
American Psychological Association. (2023). Stress management: How to strengthen your well-being.
Chopra, D. (1993). Creating affluence: Wealth consciousness in the field of all possibilities. Amber-Allen Publishing.
Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. Avery.
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2000). The truth about burnout: How organizations cause personal stress and what to do about it. Jossey-Bass.
McGonigal, K. (2011). The willpower instinct: How self-control works, why it matters, and what you can do to get more of it. Avery.
Olson, J. (2013). The slight edge: Turning simple disciplines into massive success and happiness. Greenleaf Book Group Press.
Siegel, D. J. (2007). The mindful brain: Reflection and attunement in the cultivation of well-being. W.W. Norton & Company.
