Crack What do you want? Snap What will you be? Pop Where are you going? Bang Will, you make it? Shatter And you are lost.

The pressure is overwhelming. You are just trying your best. Everyone’s telling you it’s time. What if you’re not ready. 

It’s estimated that the average adult makes more than 35,000 decisions per day, (Psychology Today) some of which are simple. Such as do you want jam or butter on your toast? What app do you want to scroll through mindlessly on your phone?

Remember you still make these decisions even when you choose not to get out of bed. It may feel like each decision is the weight of the world on your shoulders but do you really consider them all 35,000 times they cross your mind?

How often do you shoot down your choices? Murder them in cold blood. How often is that what’s best for you?

Sometimes saying “no” can be a good thing. According to ‘PsychCentral’ it provides you more time to rest in your schedule, it may give you more time to engage in activities aligning with your life goals, and it sets healthy boundaries.  

Though oftentimes especially as high schoolers it is easier to say “no” to different opportunities than it is to take risks. Things such as doing homework, using proper hygiene, or hanging out with friends can feel close to impossible. Why is that?

According to Clayton R. Cook, associate professor at the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota, in the psychology program, there are three main reasons we have trouble doing things that seem simple. 

The first reason is due to our inability to imagine the long-term consequences of our actions. We may understand that what we are doing is bad for our health but it is difficult to change an attitude unless there are immediate repercussions. 

The second reason is wanting to fit in. Our society constantly makes out high schoolers to be lazy, unhappy, and trouble makers. It is often easier for us to be what others expect of us than to do something that would make us stand out and make us feel like we are doing it alone.

The third reason is the lack of motivational factors. People won’t change their way of life without reason. If the incentives in your life aren’t good enough it’s easy to close off. 

In my opinion, as long as you feel some longing or direction towards a choice, even if it is more difficult, you should try for it. 

Most decisions have a safety feature you can lean on if they become too difficult such as switching to an easier class in school. You also have tutoring options in high school and most colleges.

If you are struggling with finding the motivation to get out of bed or come to school you can always leave school early or push yourself to do school online if necessary. 

There are many fallbacks in life. Making a choice is never the last option. 

We all know the saying older people preach “when one door closes another door opens.” Life is never that exact but the fluid nature of always having fixes or changes the saying alludes to is true. 

You are never weak for changing your mind or taking an easier route in life as long as it makes you happy. But if you are holding back for fear of getting burned you’ll never get the chance to feel the warmth of a flame in this cold world.

There have been people who have tested this, one of my favorites being ‘Jia Jang’ who accomplished what he called “100 Days of Rejection.”

Mr. Jang wanted to be an amazing businessman but had a fear of rejection. He decided in order to become a business professional he needed to combat this despite how hard it was for him.

He chose to attempt a difficult feat and try to get rejected for 100 days straight but he didn’t accomplish this. Many things he asked for, people were willing to give if he asked in the right way but he wouldn’t have known this if he hadn’t made that choice.

Some days he gave up and ran, making his success rate a little lower than it would have otherwise been at 51 yes’ and 49 no’s, but that is still 51 chances he otherwise wouldn’t have gotten. 

Decisions are awful and it can feel like you’re giving away your life each time you make one but they are also what fuels the passion in your heart.

Even just making one harder choice each day could dramatically improve not only your mental health but your life in general health.

I believe that you can do this. You will be alright.

Cho, Jeena. “Why We Struggle to Do Things That Are Good for Us.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 14 June 2016, https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeenacho/2016/03/11/why-we-struggle-to-do-things-that-are-good-for-us/?sh=462446047d17.

“How Many Decisions Do We Make Each Day?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/stretching-theory/201809/how-many-decisions-do-we-make-each-day.

Margarita Tartakovsky, MS. “How and When to Say No.” Psych Central, Psych Central, 14 June 2021, https://psychcentral.com/lib/learning-to-say-no#when-to-say-it.

TEDtalksDirector. “What I Learned from 100 Days of Rejection | Jia Jiang.” YouTube, YouTube, 6 Jan. 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vZXgApsPCQ.