Easy choices, hard life. Hard choices, easy life.

~ Jersey Gregorek

Discipline equals freedom.

~ Jacko Willink

These two quotes embody the idea that making decisions for the long-term often has benefits over short-term decisions.

Save money now, to build disproportionately greater wealth in the future.

Eat well and exercise now to build a body foundation to sustain longer-term.

Make the ethical, ‘good’ decisions now for better mental health long-term and probably better relationships and more opportunity.

Since the coronavirus pandemic started, my eating patterns have changed. I regularly buy foods that I wouldn’t normally bring into the house, at least not as often.

Perhaps instead of this being a form of stress eating, it is a questioning of what the long-term future holds. If I hold a fear of the future, then why bother eating well for that long, vibrant life?

I can take this idea so many places. What does this mean for poor communities who face regular violence and live in settings that do not build hope?

But on a personal level, I’ve stumbled into something that feels like a better balance than I had before. Instead of obsessing over what I’m eating, I eat closer to what I want, when I want. I am still mindful to eat real, whole foods. Sugar is still minimal. At the beginning of the pandemic I would often have ice cream in the house, now I’m over that, but occasionally I will buy a pint when I really want one – and then eat it over days rather than gorging to sickness (which I sometimes did when eating it felt guilty).

Instead of “hard choices, easy life; easy choices, hard life” – maybe it should be “smart choices, easy life; impulsive choices, hard life.”

Spend money on things now that bring you most joy, while structuring your major expenses in a way that allows you to set money aside for the future.

Find the healthy, nourishing foods that you LOVE and prepare foods in ways that bring joy, while not being overly strict.

Move your body in a way you love.

Learn who you are and stay true to that person, enabling yourself to be in a position to make those ethical, moral, ‘right’ decisions at all times because you will feel better and draw more people to you.

And yes, this may still require discipline in moments as Jacko says, but when you have systems in place it takes less and less discipline.