Choices

It is intuitive to think that choice is good – and that more choice is even better. But in some circumstances, this is not necessarily the case – both on the mat, and off the mat in the wider landscape of our lives.
Forty-four flavors of ice-cream; better or worse? Sometimes, having more choice just makes it much more difficult for us to make an actual decision. Think about it – you walk into a store looking to buy a new plasma TV – and you are bombarded with choices, different brands, different prices, different colors, different features – most of which, we know very little about. Does more choice, a greater amount of options, make our ‘choosing’ any easier … I think that it often just makes it far more difficult.
On the mat, or during any other ‘action-infused’ environment or circumstance, more choice just slows us down; this has been referred to as ‘MENTAL LOG JAM.
SO, when we are confronted with lots of options – and in today’s world, we have more available than ever before – how do we ‘prioritize’? We need to prioritize, so that when ACTION is required, we do something, we pull the trigger.
Well, on the mat for example, when we have say, half a dozen ways to pass the ½ guard, we should (if circumstances permit) choose the option that sets us ON THE PATH to our preferred side control attack. When we have options, and we have the wherewithal to choose, we should choose the option that sets us ON THE PATH to achieving a goal we have set for ourselves. We should choose the option that allows us to spend more time with the people we care about; we should choose the option that puts us one step closer to being where we want to be, or doing what we want to do.
When we choose – when we make decisions, we set ourselves ON A PATH – but where is that path going? And who else is on that path beside us? Every path we choose, sets off a series of consequences – which in turn, impacts on the kinds of choices that will be available to us as our futures continue to unfold. Choice begets choice – so cultivate the habit of choosing in a way that puts us on the path we would prefer … sounds simple, but I see many people making extraordinarily bad choices … when even the smallest choice sets us on the path leading to our future …
JBW