The Legacy of Choice
As we blend into another week of the pandemic lockdown, I am reminded of the impact of the past choices I have made in shaping my current experience. For one thing, I chose to pursue a demanding professional career and then another to start a family. Two big choices which in addition to a plethora of other options, some big others seemingly inconsequential, have all come together to shape my current experience.
As I look forward to another week of juggling home-schooling with work and keeping my home functioning and looking after myself, I am minded to ensure that I keep making good choices today. The choices I make will inevitably have a ripple effect beyond the moment. For example, if I decide to do my laundry on the weekend, I won’t be scrambling to get clean clothes for the kids during the week or deal with overflowing laundry baskets in addition to all the other 101 things I will invariably have on my plate! A simple analogy but one that I believe resonates even into more significant decisions.
The trickle effect of all past choices and decisions culminates in shaping our present realities.
Yes, there will be external factors that materially impact that chain of cause and effect. Still, our lives are never really lived in silos, and we can’t make choices in isolation without being cognisant of the future impact.
My decision to change employers just over two years ago has shaped my ‘work’ experience in the age of Covid-19. The choice of schools to which I send my kids has impacted the level of support and resources available to me to help with home-schooling. And, the choice of whom I married has shaped with whom I am sharing this lockdown. It is all connected!
In today’s busy world as we juggle competing demands, it’s easy to feel pressured to make instant choices both big and small ones. We often get caught out in the moment without taking a moment to consider any long term implications.
Going back to my earlier example of doing the laundry, yes I can push myself to do it now or say, “it’s been a busy week, I’ve just done some cleaning, and I am tired, so I’ll take a break now and do that later”. However, by choosing not to do the laundry now I have deferred the work on the hope that I will be less busy and/or tired later. This assumes that I’m in complete control of my time, but what happens if the kids need a snack and there’s another toileting accident to deal with (a gripe for another day)?
All of a sudden it’s 8.50 am on Wednesday. All the pink dresses are in the laundry basket, little miss sunshine is refusing to wear any of her other dresses, and my negotiation skills are being tested by my 3-year-olds’ indomitable will and other things have to shift to accommodate the drama, causing another ripple of cause and effect that leaves me exhausted by Friday!
Now, I am not suggesting we don’t take a break or that we become automatons ruthlessly executing tasks, if anything, this pandemic has thought me to be kinder to myself. Yes, I need structure and plans but I also need to be able to adapt quickly when those inevitable curveballs come calling. By ensuring that as much as possible I keep making informed choices, e.g. not to stress about ‘A’ now but being aware that it could mean that I have to plan for ‘X’ and ‘Y’ in two days I am increasingly better equipped to deal with the legacy of my choices because they don’t ‘all’ take me by surprise!
Today’s choices are crucial in defining tomorrow’s experiences
so wherever you are, make great choices that make your tomorrows happier and more fulfilling. I’m choosing to plan a bit more this week so I can be less stressed/ frazzled. I’ve got excellent simple meals planned out, set myself little tasks that I can knock off each day, and get that feel-good feeling from ticking things off, and most importantly I am choosing to have a bit more fun with my family, laugh more and worry less about the pandemic!
