results and the sum of all choices

I was recently in the office of one of my coaching clients who had just successfully paid of all of his debt. Every dollar. Nothing but assets left on his balance sheet. Weird. But was he ever happy and did it ever feel great to be in his presence that day.

I am not out of debt at the moment and it is my goal for sooner rather than later, but I did get a glimpse into what it might feel like to be debt free. I caught the buzz.

I then realized the difference between my client and me, at least in this area, is the history of financial choices we have both made. In the period leading up to the retirement of his debt, he made different choices than I would have made, and in fact did make. Thus his results are different than mine and results speak.

Just before the New Year, I had drifted enough from my ideal weight that I got to the point that I was ready to do something about it.

Now, 8 weeks later, I have shed 4 pounds–a nice half pound per week pace. One pound is 3500 calories and so the weight loss was due to a calorie deficit of about 250 calories per day.

In this case my results also reflect my choices, notably the choice to work out every day and the choice to cut the bulk of the flour, starch and sugar out of my diet, which are both becoming permanent habits and lifestyle changes. I make these choices dozens of times per day and am making ones that work relative to my weight loss goals.

The achievement of bigger goals requires larger strings of more constructive choices. It's the proportion of constructive and destructive choices that ultimately determines whether I reach my goals and how quickly I reach them. Like everyone else, there are areas where I'm making choices that support my goals and areas where I'm not. I'm learning to make different financial choices now, fueled by the increasing connection I'm making to being debt free. For better or worse, I am the sum of my choices.