Choose Your Own Adventure: The Power of Everyday Decisions
How the small, daily choices you make in quiet moments shape the direction of your entire life.
Most People Think the Big Moments Change Your Life
Most people think the big moments are the ones that change your life: the promotion, the move, the degree, the relationship that begins (or ends). But when I look back, my life has really been shaped by something quieter: the daily choices that stack up when no one is watching.
Did you know? Harvard Business Review notes that the average adult makes roughly 33,000 to 35,000 decisions each day, from what to eat and wear to how we respond under pressure. Those choices can feel small in the moment, but they quietly shape the direction of our lives.
I often think of those old “Choose Your Own Adventure” books. You would reach the bottom of a page, pick an option, and suddenly find yourself on an entirely different storyline. The first book in that classic series, The Cave of Time, was published in 1979 and written by Edward Packard. What I love about the concept is not the nostalgia; it is the reminder that agency lives in the next decision. Life is very much like that.
One of my biggest “turn the page” moments came in March 2017. I decided to pursue my bachelor’s degree at Western Governors University while raising two children under the age of two, adjusting to a move to a new state, and managing the demands of a new promotion.
On paper, it was the perfect season to wait. In reality, it was the season when I needed to prove to myself that I could continue choosing growth, even when it was inconvenient.
That decision carried me through two additional cross-state moves, a pandemic, a divorce, and multiple job changes. By May 2023, while raising a 7- and 9-year-old, co-parenting, working full-time at a Fortune 50 company as a Chief of Staff, and trying to remain present as a friend, sister, and daughter, I decided it was time to pursue my master’s degree.
In the middle of all of it, I finished what I started because I kept making the same choice on ordinary days: show up again.
That is the part people rarely see from the outside. The outcomes—the diploma, the title, the “overnight success”—are simply the final pages. The real story is written in the decisions that come before them.
The Power of Choice
Choice is where influence begins. Not the kind that comes from a job title, but the kind that comes from deciding what you will stand for, what you will pursue, and what you will no longer tolerate.
When we become honest about our choices, we stop living on autopilot and start building lives we can recognize as our own.
Here is what I have learned about the power of choice:
- Every “yes” is also a “no.” Saying yes to your education, health, family, career, faith, or peace often means saying no to comfort, approval, distractions, or older versions of yourself.
- Small choices compound. Just like in an adventure book, one seemingly insignificant turn on page one can lead to an entirely different ending.
- Our choices become our patterns, and our patterns become our lives.
The question I continually return to is simple:
Is this decision taking me where I said I want to go?
Building Resilience
It is not only about making the initial choice. Often, it is about making the same choice repeatedly—sometimes multiple times a day—to continue moving forward even when life becomes difficult.
Because the truth is: life will be life.
In our own “Choose Your Own Adventure” stories, there have likely been obstacles and moments of doubt that each of us can reflect upon. In those moments, we build resilience.
Have you heard the story of José Hernández, the NASA astronaut who was rejected by NASA 11 times?
Around 2017, his story inspired me during a recorded interview. Today, you can also read about his journey in his book.
Despite repeated rejection, Hernández remained unwavering in his commitment to becoming an astronaut. He used each setback as an opportunity to improve his qualifications, learn, and grow. His story teaches us that resilience is not about avoiding adversity. It is about how we respond, adapt, and continue moving forward despite it.
Eventually, Hernández flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-128 in August 2009, spending 13 days in space.
Personally, I was told “no” eight times before receiving my “yes” to become a director. Sometimes I was told there were “better fits.” Other times, I was informed the selected candidate already had a degree. Sometimes, I received no explanation at all.
Giving up would have been easier.
But what is meant for you will not miss you.
And rejection often reveals something important:
- an opportunity to learn
- an opportunity for humility
- a new possibility
- a new relationship
- a different perspective
I have learned that “fake it until you make it” is terrible advice.
It is not “fake it until you make it.”
It is:
FACE IT until you make it.
- Get told no? Get curious and try again. FACE IT.
- Receive a disappointing assessment score? Learn from it and try again. FACE IT.
- Lose your patience with your children? Apologize, grow, and do better next time. FACE IT.
FACE IT.
Over and over again.
Improving with every step forward.
As we build resilience, we learn to face our challenges directly, understanding that each one can make us stronger and wiser.
Embracing Uncertainty
Choosing our own adventures requires embracing uncertainty.
Rather than fearing the unknown, I try to view it as part of the excitement. The stories we tell ourselves about what is possible—or about what could go wrong—shape how we show up in the world.
We can challenge those stories.
Simon Sinek often speaks about the relationship between nervousness and excitement. Physiologically, our bodies respond similarly to both emotions. The difference lies in how we interpret and respond to those feelings.
We choose the narrative.
Often, we must make decisions without having the full picture. But uncertainty can become an opportunity for growth, learning, and transformation.
Take Oprah Winfrey, for example.
She accepted a small role hosting a struggling Chicago talk show called AM Chicago. At the time, she could not have known that it would eventually evolve into The Oprah Winfrey Show, transforming daytime television and helping her become a global media leader.
Her journey was filled with uncertainty, risks, and obstacles. She overcame personal hardship while navigating a highly competitive industry. Yet she remained resilient and willing to embrace the unknown.
She eventually expanded her influence by founding Harpo Productions, launching a magazine, and creating her own television network.
Embracing uncertainty often opens the door to innovation and growth.
Just as Oprah did, we can approach each season of life as an opportunity to learn, evolve, and create a meaningful path forward.
The unknown is not a barrier.
It is an invitation to lead with courage.
Moving Forward
As we move forward, let us choose our own adventures with confidence, resilience, and open hearts.
Harness the power of choice, recognizing that you have the ability to shape your story and respond to life’s challenges with determination and grace.
Build resilience, because it is the foundation that will carry you through every twist and turn.
Let each setback become a stepping stone.
Let each challenge strengthen your resolve.
And embrace uncertainty, because it is often within the unknown that we discover our deepest growth, courage, and potential.
Wherever you are in your story, step boldly into what comes next.
Your life is still being written.
So pick up the pen—and choose the next page intentionally.
