Life is built from choices. The better your choices, the better your life.

But how can you improve the choices you make?

The reason we make bad choices is because we forget our values. We forget the things we really care about in the long term and we let what we want in the moment make the decisions.

instead of going for a walk you eat a snack or have a drink or turn the TV on. You know it’s better to go for a walk but you allow your short term thinking make the decision. Looking back you’ll wish you made the good decisions but in the moment you make the wrong ones.

When someone you look up to gives you guidance something changes. Because you respect them you listen and you choose to do the right thing. You’re able to take back control and make better decisions.

There are three steps to taking back control: 1. Put powerful reminders of how you want to be in places you’ll see them. Reminders to be grateful, appreciate the moment, to make the most of your day, to be disciplined, to work on your dreams instead of watching TV.

2. design your environment to make good habits appealing and easy. Put your running clothes ready to get changed into in a place you’re going to go in your house. Make it as easy as possible to do the good habits.

3. don’t over commit. Say you’ll go for a five minute jog or do five minutes of work. Five minutes is better than none and if you can do five you’ll probably do more. When the commitment is small and easy you make it more appealing and less daunting. The key is to make good habits as easy as possible.

here are those three steps again: 1 put reminders from people you respect in places you’ll see them. 2. Make good habits easy. 3. Commit to just a few minutes.

want some ideas for powerful reminders of good habits? Go to thewisestwords.com.