This morning when I woke up, I saw these numbers on the clock: 4:44.

A number of thoughts scrolled through my mind. I’d love to stay in bed. I’m still tired. Do I really want to get up?

And then: It’s Tuesday. I missed my blog post on Sunday. If I don’t get up now, I’ll miss this blog post, also.

And again: I’m tired. I’d love to stay in bed. Do I really want to get up?

Every day, we have a thousand choices like thisone. When to get up, what to eat, how to prioritize our work. Whether to make that phone call, send that email, finish that task.

Most of them, we make without being fully conscious of the consequences.

An example: when I went to Chicago for a conference last week, I packed running clothes. My plan and best intention: to run… at least once.

So it’s Friday night, and I’m socializing with colleagues and new friends in the hotel lobby.

I am aware of the late-ness of the hour; I am aware of our plan for a 7:30 am meeting before the conference resumes.

I am not thinking about this: the longer I socialize, the less likely l am to get out of bed early enough to run.

I watch my colleagues say goodnight at fairly reasonable hour.

I stay up.

By the time I finally go to bed, the possibility that I’ll get up to run has completely diminished.

A thousand small choices every day. Individually, they may seem inconsequential. Cumulatively, they shape the direction of our lives, who we become.

A choice to stay in bed today may only mean that I post later or that I scramble as I start the day with my daughters.

This choice repeated might mean a neglected or abandoned blog, lost productivity with work, less time to connect with my girls before they go to school.

I don’t get all the choices right but today, at least, I got up on time.

Tell me something! What daily choices do you struggle with? What do you do to stay focused on making the right choices? What recent successes can you share?