1) You are the key to the foundation so if you aren’t convinced then the choice isn’t made.  Don’t make choices to please others or because someone else tells you “it’s the right choice”, you have to believe the choice is right for you and have belief that you can achieve it.  Without this, you are not going to make the commitment needed.  Get real with yourself – why this choice and why now?

2) Share the burden  – spread the load. Get support in place to ensure your success, don’t wait until you feel like quitting – get it in place before you begin.  Let someone know how much this choice means to you, how much you want to stick with it and succeed with seeing it through.  Choose carefully – be kind to yourself, this is a supportive role, not a critical or even an objective one.

3) Set yourself up for success – sometimes making choices means changing the people or situations around us.  If spending time with a certain group of friends will not support you in building the strong foundations you need for the success of your choice, you may have to stop spending time with them.  If having a drink as soon as you get home has become a habit, you may have to change your routine and replace that habit with a new activity to achieve your choice.  Plan these things in advance, and you strengthen your foundation and increase the chance of sticking with your new choice.

4) Tell people about your choice.  Let other people know that you’ve made a choice and you create instant accountability.  It’s not always wise to share your choice with the world, but telling a few people you trust ensures you have other people involved in sharing the load, overcoming excuses and avoiding procrastination – tell people who are prepared to hold you accountable, not those who will tell you you’re doing a great job.

5) Keep the plans in view.  An architect is always surrounded by plans, overseeing the growth of a project from page to reality.  Create your own visual plans to connect you with your choices and keep them in view.  A mood board, with images and words that remind you of what you will achieve when you’ve made this choice, anything that connects you with the positive outcomes that you are going to create.

6) Take ownership of your choice. Acknowledge that you are responsible for it and whatever it creates.  You can choose to adapt your choice, stick with your choice or move on to a new choice.  It’s up to you.  Keep hold of that ownership when you succeed or when you fail; it is your choice and the outcome is your responsibility. Once you truly own your choices and remove blame from others, you can make significant change.

Put some Choice Foundations in place today and start on one of your choices.