One of the speakers at last weekend’s Extreme Leadership Summit was Darren Hardy, publisher of SUCCESS magazine and author of The Compound Effect.  What really stayed with me – as I continue on my forever journey to lose/maintain my weight – were comments he made relating to choices.

Success is a result of small, seemingly insignificant, day-to-day choices.  

A hamburger or a salad? Water or soda? Fruit or ice cream?

The challenge, according to Hardy, is that we are immediately rewarded for our bad choices. The cheeseburger is delicious, the soda is refreshing, the ice cream is yummy.  If we make the good choice, we get nothing. Well, except for better long term health.

Sleep in or workout? Take the stairs or the elevator? Park near the door or far away?

At the time we are making the choice, the results are invisible to us.  One workout does not make us fit.  One trek up the stairs will not improve our conditioning. An extra hundred steps will not make me a size 10!

What’s easy to do is also easy not to do.

So true.

In the middle of his excellent presentation, Hardy asked,

“What do unsuccessful people have in common with successful people?”

“They both hate to do what it takes to be successful. The successful people do it anyway.”

I’m trying to be fully present to each and every choice I’m making, focused more on the long term reward than the short term gratification. Since listening to Darren speak, I’ve taken the stairs everyday, all day at work (I’m on the fourth floor). I’ve been deliberate about what I’m eating – even to the point of sharing – cut it right down the middle – one of my favorite peanut butter eggs with my husband!

I’ve lost 7 pounds this week. Maybe I’ll call it the “Choice Diet.” I could be on to something.

What choices are you making today?