Choosing a college is one of the biggest decisions we make early in life, but sometimes the moment that shapes that choice happens when we least expect it.
My wife and I have two sons in their early twenties who still live at home. One of the things we do for family time is watch old movies with the boys—classics from the 80s and 90s they’ve never seen.
Some of the movies haven’t held up over time. Our memory of a “classic” isn’t always as good as we remember. But most of them are just as enjoyable, and it’s neat to pass those memories on to the boys.
Last week, we watched Titanic, James Cameron’s epic love story about Jack, a third-class passenger on the ill-fated ship, and Rose, a first-class passenger who was already on an ill-fated journey before she even boarded—the engagement to a self-absorbed, controlling jerk.
Of course, Jack gets his ticket by pure luck. He wins two tickets for himself and his friend in a poker game. They’re elated at their good fortune, and there are plenty of clever lines about how this trip is going to change their lives.
When we hear those lines, it’s ironic because we know how the movie ends. But they’re right in one important way: one small decision can have a lifelong impact, not just on us but on the people around us.
A Flat Tire Decision
As a senior in high school, I had my college plan mapped out. I knew where I was going and what I was going to major in. After graduation, I had a job lined up at a summer camp before heading off to college.
Then my friend got a flat tire.
While we walked around the mall waiting for her tire to be fixed, she started telling me about her college in Texas. She was older than me, but we had been friends in high school. Her boyfriend was with her that summer, and she had met him in college. As they talked about how much she loved the small campus where everyone knew each other, I found myself getting excited.
It was a conversation that could have happened anytime that summer, but it happened that day because of a flat tire.
The more I looked into that college, the more I knew I wanted to go there. In early July, I called my parents and told them I was switching schools. I had never been to Texas and had never seen the campus, but I knew I wanted to be there.
Call it luck if you want—I call it divine intervention—but that decision became a pivot point that changed the entire course of my life. I met my wife in college (I used to hang out with her and her boyfriend, but that’s another story), and I made connections that led me into fundraising. My personal life and professional life both grew from that single decision.
Of course, we understand that choosing a college is a big decision with long-term impact. But I didn’t think about it in those terms when I was changing the direction of my life.
This is why Plan Smart is such an important part of what I talk about with Wholistic Productivity. I know the power of decisions—and the power of indecision that becomes a decision—and I want people to have a clear strategy for their big dreams.
You don’t have to think, “Oh my goodness, this decision is going to change my life forever.” But you should at least look at the possible outcomes and weigh the pros and cons.
I love my crossroads story about the flat tire that changed the course of my life. It reminds me that the decisions I make have impact. If I hadn’t gone to Texas, we wouldn’t be showing our boys classic movies like Titanic.
I probably wouldn’t have gone into fundraising, which means I might not have learned as much as I did about goal setting. There probably wouldn’t be a Wholistic Productivity Planner, podcast, or coaching program.
You wouldn’t be reading this blog.
It’s easy to say we’re going to plan smart when making major life decisions. But I think there are many more opportunities for us to stop, consider, and plan before we act.
Because the outcome can be life-changing.