The Next Right Decision
The Next Right Decision (AKA the NRD) is a tool designed to help people understand the influence their decisions have on the way that they feel. The quiz gives points for healthy decisions that a person can make. It is designed to encourage better decision making through awareness. You merely take a very brief survey everyday to help track your decisions.
A few years ago I decided it was time to be a healthier, a better version of myself. With many issues, destructive behaviors, and negative physical and mental health a major change was needed. However, changing “everything” about me was so overwhelming I didn’t know where to begin. And in hindsight, really a remodeling was necessary, not a total tear-down.
To make things more simple for the much needed improvement (ok, it was (is) pretty much a mid-life crisis), I listened to the words and advice of a mentor, coach, and friend, Kent Butler. We were counselors together years ago. He would tell his clients in substance abuse recovery, “just make the next right decision!” This bit of wisdom stuck with me. Something I would pass along, but never was incorporated as life philosophy or practice personally. In my life change, it has worked wonders and I am in a better place than I ever imagined possible.
After speaking with my awesome colleague at Colorado Mountain College, Kimberly Carmitchel she had a really cool 60 Day Wellness challenge that she used with her class that motivated me to do something similar. When my Health Psychology class got super excited it fired me up to make this something awesome. It will always be evolving and improving with the addition of other healthy decisions. This project is a work in progress and will be updated and evolving!
Why the Next Right Decision?
It is so easy to get overwhelmed by behavioral modification and improvement. Eat healthy, exercise, practice gratitude, read, communicate, stay hydrated, do yoga, being positive, spiritually fulfill yourself, improve sleep, break years (or decades for me) of maladapative thinking and behaviors. Exhausted yet? I am. So many things to change, and for me, worry about. It needs to be simpler, don’t set out to change everything, start with the Next Right Decision. Simplify. Life is about choices, just make the Next Right Decision.
The bad news: You are going to make the wrong decision, it is going to happen, pounding a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, getting angry, taking a turn to negative town.
The awesome news: you have another decision in front of you right now. Don’t let one bad decision turn into twenty bad decisions. Just make the next right decision. Even if the wheels come off completely and you have a bad day, week, or month, righting the ship has to start with a single next right decision, so make it now!
How do I know what the Next Right Decision is?
This is tricky and may not always be easy to determine. For example, some days the Next Right Decision is to go for a 5 mile run. However, if you just ran a marathon or have an injury the NRD is to rest, let your body recover. Most days the NRD is to have a healthy salad over a cheeseburger and beer. However, every now again a cheeseburger and beer with some friends is a great decision, especially after a hike or day on the ski hill exercising!
It is not about being perfect and always knowing what is the NRD, it is about choosing to be healthy and being aware of how decisions impact feelings. What is the right and healthy decision for one person, may not be the NRD for another person. Understand your limitations and that all people are unique. Listen to your body and what it needs, consult a doctor with any questions you may have about your physical limitations or specific health concerns. Be honest with yourself about what is truly the healthy and right decision. This can vary from day to day. Wanting to make the healthy decision is a huge part of growth and happiness.
Can I participate in the Next Right Decision?
Yes. The NRD is for you. Consult with a doctor about any physical limitations you may have and ways to adapt. But get out there an be safe, kids talk with your parents before doing anything.
What’s with the points?
Some people are motivated by tangible, quantitative point based systems. Here is a break down of the scoring system. So the NRD awards points for next right decisions that are made. These are designed to bring about awareness of good decisions and incentivize people to make multiple next right decisions. While the points are important, the goal of the NRD is for people to understand that the decisions made impact the way you feel. More right decisions, the better you feel. Plain and simple. Use the points as a motivator, but do this to be a better version of yourself. Hopefully, this can create a long-term, sustainable, happier, healthier, awesomer you! The scale of the system ranges from 0-100, zero being unhealthy and destructive, 100 being healthy and productive.
Take things a step beyond
Using the NRD is great and will likely bring about awareness of your decisions. However, connecting this to how you feel is even more beneficial. The best way to do this is by connecting decisions and mood.
Step 1: Take the Feel Awesomer Mood Meter (FAMM). This will give you an idea of how your current mental health is. (0-100, 0 is feeling crappy, suicidal, dark, negative and 100 being very mentally healthy, fulfilled, joyful, etc.)
Step 2: Take the Next Right Decision (NRD). This gives you an overview of your decisions and how healthy (or unhealthy) you have been.
Step 3: Keep a log or journal of your scores. Keeping track of your scores will help you recognize how correlated and connected decisions and mood are. For each day write your FAMM and NRD scores down. See if any trends or patterns start to manifest. To really nerd out on this keep a spreadsheet with a correlation!
Correlation is a statistical measure that measures the relationship between two variables. For example, height and shoe size. As height goes up, so does shoe size, a positive correlation. As one variable goes up so does another 0-1. Zero is no connection and one is a very strong connection.
A negative correlation is when one variable goes up, the other goes down (the more alcohol you drink the lower your judgement is) 0 to -1. It is merely identifying a connection between two variables. This could help in recognizing any connection between decisions and mental health.
This is a great activity to improve self awareness and hopefully encourage positive decision making. The longer you track these two variables the more accurate any connections will become. Use this to grow and become healthier.