Life is full of decisions—both big and small. Daily we make choices–some reap blessings, others bring messes. The hard part comes in not knowing the outcome.

It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are. – Roy Disney

It sounds simple but can we identify our values on any given topic? Do we know where we stand and why? To know where we’re heading begins with knowing where we want to be.

With a daughter in high school, the topic of choices is a frequent discussion around our house. Colleges. Classes. Careers. Volunteer time. GPA. Time management. Knowledge. We talk about her passions and what she wants to do for a career, and then work backwards. What does she need to do to pursue this particular goal? What choices need to be made today to ensure that goal is reached?

Choices as a parent aren’t any different. We need to assess what is important to our family and determine what we want to instill in our children and then work backwards. We discover what we need to do to pursue a goal and decide what choices to make today to ensure that goal is reached.

Just remember, whatever the situation or whatever the goal, our choices today make up our future.