Day 2: Every Choice Is a Vote for Your Future

I woke up around 5:00 a.m. this morning and, just like yesterday, reached over for my 30-ounce bottle of water before I even got out of bed.

One less decision.

One less opportunity to talk myself out of doing what I said I was going to do.

Then I sat down for my morning devotion and pulled my tarot card.

The Eight of Pentacles.

One of the messages I took from it was this:

Every choice you make is a vote for the future you're creating.

Every yes is also a no for something else.

Every decision moves you toward something or away from something else.

I couldn't think of a better reminder for Day Two.

After my water, I sat down to write yesterday's blog.

I'd given myself thirty minutes.

Instead, it took over an hour.

Pictures wouldn't upload.

Things wouldn't download.

Technology had other plans.

By the time I finished, I was already behind.

Normally that would've been enough to throw off my whole day.

Instead, I just kept moving.

I skipped my quick house reset and headed out for my walk.

Some things can wait.

The walk couldn't.

It was already 6:30 a.m., and the forecast was calling for 105 degrees.

Apparently everyone else had the same idea because the neighborhood was full of people trying to beat the heat before the sun really showed up.

By the time I got home, I finished my second 30 ounces of water and started making breakfast.

It looked like controlled chaos.

Coffee brewing.

Turkey sausage in the air fryer.

Eggs on the stove.

Bread toasting.

Putting dishes away , making my bed, and wiping down the bathroom counter in between everything else.

Somehow it all came together.

Breakfast was my norm.

Two eggs over medium.

Two turkey sausage links.

Half an avocado.

And a toasted slice of sourdough.

I took my breakfast and black coffee out onto the patio, finished reading my ten pages, and enjoyed a few quiet minutes before the day really got going.

At 8:30, it was time to set up for yoga.

Just setting up class had me sweating.

It was already unbelievably hot outside.

After yoga I finished my third bottle of water and got to work in my business.

Lunch was simple.

A spinach salad from the grocery store deli and one of those Better Bowls from Grocery Outlet.

So far I've tried the Chipotle Bowl and the Burrito Bowl, and honestly, they're both pretty good for days when I need something quick.

By lunchtime I'd already finished my gallon of water.

Actually...

I ended up drinking another 30 ounces before dinner because it was so hot outside.

The heat finally caught up with me that afternoon.

After lunch, I laid down on the couch to rest for a little while.

The next thing I knew...

It was 3:00 p.m.

Three hours had disappeared.

My first reaction was frustration.

I'd planned to record the first video version of my podcast.

Instead, by the time I got myself ready, it was already getting close to dinner.

My partner would be home soon.

My daughter would be home.

The quiet house I wanted for filming was gone.

The opportunity had passed.

Then came another choice.

Monday is supposed to be Meatless Monday around here.

I'd planned on making this spinach dishe i tend to order every time we go out for Indian.

I already knew exactly what I wanted to make.

But after losing those three hours, there just wasn't enough time.

I could have thrown my hands up and grabbed whatever was easiest.

Instead, I ordered a vegetarian pizza.

Two slices.

That was dinner.

Was it the meal I planned?

No.

Was it still a choice that aligned more closely with my goals than just saying, "Forget it"?

Absolutely.

Sometimes the best decision isn't the perfect one.

It's the best one available in the moment.

After dinner I cleaned up and finished my evening workout.

Lower body.

My favorite long-leg sequence.

By the end of the workout, the heat had completely drained me.

We called it an early night.

As I was getting ready for bed, I kept thinking about that Eight of Pentacles.

Every choice is a vote for your future.

Not just the big ones.

The tiny ones.

The decision to walk even though I was behind.

The decision to drink my water before I was thirsty.

The decision to eat the better option instead of the perfect option.

The decision to admit that three hours of rest was probably too much and to adjust tomorrow instead of beating myself up today.

Those are the choices that build a life.

Not perfection.

Just enough intentional decisions stacked on top of one another until they become who you are.

Today's Lesson

Every choice is casting a vote for the person you're becoming.

You don't have to vote perfectly.

You just have to keep voting in the direction of the life you want to live.