Creating success; micro choices

I like to workout, but I really like working out at night; I sleep better, I clear my head from a full day, and there aren’t too many people at the gym. I should also share that I LOVE doing cardio workouts! My gym has a lot of cardio options and I feel so alive when I do 60 minutes of cardio. I put in my headphones, cue up a 90’s sports anthem playlist, and visualize myself back in college running a fitness test. And since I get to control what goes through MY head you better believe I picture myself coming in first Every! Single! Time!

While I love cardio, I don’t feel the same way about lifting, urgh, I dread it. I know I need to lift to stay healthy, so twice a week I force myself to do it. But on my lifting days, I choose to listen to a podcast. I enjoy learning and I have found the lifting goes faster if my mind is engaged. 

A few nights ago I was lifting and I learned a new term from the podcast I was listening to. They were talking about “micro aggression” which basically refers to little negative things that build up over time. For example, let’s say an athlete jokingly says to her best friend/teammate, “you are the slowest person on this team” and they both laugh about it. And this happens day after day and they always laugh about it until one day when it just isn’t funny anymore. And on that day there is a blow-up and feelings are hurt. It’s called micro aggression because it is something small that repeats and builds up over time. 

But then they introduced the term that was new to me; “micro choices.” This phrase refers to the little positive choices we repeat over time that move us in a healthier direction. I love this because I think successful people are intentional about taking small steps to create the environment they want. People with a negative mindset look at the situation they are in and are often overwhelmed by the big steps it will take to get from where they are to where they want to be. However, successful people are able to break that process down into small steps and own their journey. They are purposefully making micro choices that eventually lead to big change.

So maybe the first micro choice to consider what is taking up space in your mind. How you think about things matters. I know this to be true because a lot of micro choices have led me to believe that during my 60 minutes of cardio I am actually freaky fast!

I believe that intentional micro choices will make a difference for you. Start with your thoughts, shift to your words, then focus on your actions, and lastly enjoy the success that YOU created. 

Micro choices for the win.

Molly Grisham, mollygrisham.com
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