Deciding to Decide

This month the APLS Blog Carnival is focused on decision making. Deciding to live a sustainable life is a big decision, which is made harder by the fact that is then followed by many smaller choices. How do people decide where to focus their time and energy? What are those areas of focus? And what drops off in the meantime? Below are my (past and current) answers; be sure to check The Good Life on March 18 to read about the decisions others have made.

When my family first made a conscious decision to live a greener, more sustainable life, it was made up of only two people – my husband and me. At that point our top priority was saving money so we could pay off our debt. For us that meant scaling back across the board, exploring the world of thrift stores and used cars, and finding hobbies that didn’t involve expenditures. Having such a clear cut objective made lots of decisions easy and helped us make many of changes to our life.

While not nearly as straightforward as our earlier priority, this desire has also proved helpful to my decision making. For example, as I thought through our daily activities, I realized I wanted to focus on what goes into our children. The food we give them now will have a lifelong impact on their health and growth since it serves as the building blocks for both. We concentrate on reducing their exposure to pesticides, insecticides, and other chemicals designed to kill by using organic options wherever possible. We go for high nutrient options, including eggs laid by true free range chickens and grass-fed beef, to protect them from the common shortages of key vitamins and minerals. And, as I learned more, it led to investigating and utilizing local sources as I became concerned about the network that supplies our food.

While we’re deeply concerned about food, I know this is not the top priority for everyone. Nor should it be since the circumstances each individual faces are unique. The important thing is not what one decides but is instead the fact of making a decision and using that decision to guide life choices. Repeating what one did the day before is tempting, especially when time is short and energy is low. However, taking a moment or two to step back and consider what is important and then building a life based on those decisions is infinitely more satisfying.

What decisions have made the biggest difference in your life?

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