Every Choice We Make Determines Our Quality of Life

As recently posted in the Emma Joy Weekly Newsletter

Life Can Get Better Overnight


Hey, everyone!


At the start of this new week, it's a possibility you need to be reminded that in many ways, the quality of our lives is completely contingent upon the innumerous choices we make on a daily basis.


I don't think it'd be wrong to suppose that 90% of people let life happen to them and are not proactive, accountable, or intentional with respect to building a better life for themselves. It could be that they don't know how or they are lazy. It could be they have been living a certain way for so long that they cannot even imagine having more order in their lives. It could be that they feel other people in their lives are the main reason their own quality of life suffers. Or maybe they don't want to make changes because they know that inevitably means they themselves will have to change and the thought seems daunting.


There are simple yet effective practices you can put into place to gain at least a little more control of your life.

Here are a few suggestions:

• A set bedtime
• Make your bed every morning
• Set up automatic pay for every bill and automatic savings to a separate account from every paycheck you receive
• Build an emergency fund (if you don't make a lot of money, just put five dollars per week away because it will add up)! Life is unexpected
• Take every thought captive (despite your feelings or how bleak a situation looks)
• Memorize Scripture and quote it to yourself daily
• Keep a food journal of everything you eat and drink daily (this will detail where you overspend, if you overeat, and whether you are increasing or decreasing your overall health with every bite)
• Keep a time journal of where your time goes each day (having a written record will encourage change where needed)
• Keep the temperature in your home and car comfortable at all times
• Daily read one paragraph or one chapter in a book (imagine the growth after one year, let alone a lifetime of reading!)
• List ten reasons you are grateful every morning, afternoon, and night (better yet, keep a running list in a notebook so you can refer back to it during times of difficulty and discouragement)
• Do a thought download when feeling any sort of negative emotion (take a ten minute break from what you're doing and write out every thought in a notebook. This will get the chaos out of your head and onto paper so you can think more clearly. By doing this daily or whenever needed, you can plan an hour each week to go through your written thoughts, notice common themes that keep recurring in your mind, identify what weighs heavily on you, then be in a place where you can know exactly what needs to be addressed). Imagine life without this exercise! Swirling thoughts in your head breed nothing but stress and chaos. It's like the concept of throwing up when you're sick with the flu. It won't necessarily cure you of the illness, but getting it out surely makes you feel better!
• Set timers for your social media and entertainment usage so you can track how much time you give to both daily and also set limits so you have time for other tasks you currently can't find the time for

"Success comes with consistency."


It's all about doing more of what feeds your soul and improves your life and stopping altogether what adds to your problems or keeps you from maturing and enjoying your God-given days.


There is no shame in asking for help and learning from others who may be further on than you in certain regards. If you'd like advice tailored to your specific situation, I'd be glad to help. You can write to me at emmajoyblog@gmail.com