Meggin’s Current Articles

Make Decisions That Affect Your Life and Then Make a Plan

28th April, 2010 - Posted by Meggin - No Comments

Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. – William Jennings Bryan

In life, “A door must either be shut or open.” (Anonymous); I think that means we need to determine which doors we want to shut and which ones we want to open. For the purposes of this article, let us consider those doors you want to deliberately keep open instead of letting them just slam shut (or gradually close).

Maybe you want to decide to keep the doors open to certain experiences, people, things, behaviors, attitudes, practices, strengths, and more. If so, I recommend that you get a door jamb or a prop of some kind to make SURE that the door stays open. It makes sense that your door jamb is actually a plan you need to put into place (no matter how rudimentary at this point) for how you are going to keep particular doors open. Let’s think about some examples:

Do you need to set up date night with your honey? Will that happen magically or do you need to establish a plan to make that happen?

Do you need to get a walking partner to keep you on track with your walking plan? Who should you call? And how about calling him/her today?

Do you need to hire someone to clean your house so that you can continue to enjoy a productive environment, free of detritus? Might there be people who would be happy to fill this role for you?

Do you need to enroll in a class to increase your skills in one or more areas so you can stay on the cutting edge? Where might you take such classes? Is there a website you can access – today – to learn more?

Do you need to call a friend to set up time for lunch? If you want to keep up your relationships, this is one way to do so and it takes deliberate actions on your part. Don’t trust this to chance.

Do you need to join a group that gives you a weekly boost of instruction, direction, and energy? Then get out there and do so!

It is your life – and it is your decisions that help to make your life what it is. Make a plan that involves these decisions. Surely you don’t want your decision muscles to get flabby. H.W. Andrews encourages us by saying,

Not all of your decisions will be correct. None of us is perfect. But if you get into the habit of making decisions, experience will develop your judgment to a point where more and more of your decisions will be right. After all, it is better to be right 51 percent of the time and get something done, than it is to get nothing done because you fear to reach a decision.

Decide to keep the doors wide open to what you want in your life. Then make a plan so your decisions become a reality.

Flora Whittemore said, “The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” We explored that idea related to our decisions and our lives in five sessions (all of which are recorded and available). You are welcome to visit

** http://stayingpositiveinafreakedoutworld.com/Materials.php where you’ll see them listed.

We’re having a great time with the Staying Positive Society!

(c) 2010 Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D. | The Ph.D. of Productivity(tm)