It's About Choices

Things have been rocky lately, to say the least. Yet, I'm lucky enough to have people that help me bounce back (or try to) when the road gets a little rough. This time in life is meant for learning lessons. Granted, we spend our whole lives learning, but what we figure out (or don't figure out) now will ultimately influence where our careers start and how they grow.

During a conversation today, a wise man who I'm starting to consider a pretty good friend said, "Kelly, it's about choices." A lot of our conversations have stuck in my mind lately for many reasons, but this line stands out especially.

In four words, he got a message across that has been trying to get through my thick skull for years.

Choose. Prioritize. What matters most? Your health should come first, even if today's corporate world seems a bit too fast for that. And by health, I don't mean avoiding colds. I mean cultivating healthy habits, relationships, and outlooks.

If I had a dime for every all-nighter I've pulled because of procrastination or panic, I'd be on my way to getting my car paid off. After those stressful late nights and caffeine-induced crazes, I always felt drained, exhausted. Was it a smart thing to do? At times it was the only thing I could do. I'm sure many of them were unnecessary, though. I was dumb enough to make that choice, though.

Now, I sit nearing the end of an incredibly stressful week. Some of it, I couldn't avoid. A lot of it was self-inflicted, and unnecessary. This stage of life is going to be stressful, if you do it right. You make so many choices in early adulthood. Some of them are dumb. Some of them require careful establishment of your priorities. A lot of the time, your choices influence you a lot more than you'd think.

So, I leave you with the same advice I got earlier today, during a pretty serious conversation. It's about choices.