How many choices did you make today?  Have you ever thought about that question?  Research points to the average adult making approximately 35,000 choices every day. Taking 16 hours as the average time people are awake each day that means we are making 2187 decisions an hour.  Let’s break that down further and say that only 0.5 (half of 1) percent of those choices are critical and life affecting.  We are still left with at least 1 life affecting critical choice every hour we are awake.  I don’t know about you but that is a sobering thought for me.  So how do you make choices?

I find my choices can easily be broken up into 2 categories.  Choices built on schemes and choices built on themes.  In examining my choices these are 5 points I find in each of them.

Choices that are built on schemes

1. It is made for the primary purpose of personal gain.
2. It is made with little thought for future sustainability.
3. It is made with little council of others.
4. It is made based on unrealistic promises and fantasies.
5. It is made regardless of what it costs others.

Several days ago I read an article talking on schemes and themes.  This quote from that article really impacted me.
“You graduate from schemes to themes when you have a vision that helps people. ~James Altucher”

The vision we have for our company is “Technology well connected, Customers well informed, Communities well served”.  As I look back over the years I see how the creation of this vision has transformed my leadership from one filled with choices built on schemes to one with choices built on themes.

Choices that are built on themes

1. It is made for the primary purpose of others gain.
2. It is made based on future sustainability.
3. It is made only after the council of many others.
4. It is made based on truth and facts from experience
5. It is made only after counting and considering the costs for all.

Having a vision brings purpose and clarity to the choices that you make. I leave you with this quote from Alice in Wonderland.

“Alice came to a fork in the road. ‘Which road do I take?’ she asked.
‘Where do you want to go?’ responded the Cheshire Cat.
‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered.
‘Then,’ said the Cat, ‘it doesn’t matter.”

Choose wisely, give freely, lead lovingly!

-Winston