With election day fever in full swing, it’s easy to feel like political drama is never-ending. Many of you might expect this blog to be about who to support in the presidential election—but it is not.
Instead, I want to talk about a different kind of vote, one you cast every single day.
This vote is the daily choices you make that shape who you are. In my opinion, as important as elections are, these everyday votes are far more influential on the direction of our lives.
While governments play a role in shaping society, they have much less control over our personal outcomes than we often give them credit for. Living through more presidential elections than I care to count, I can’t recall one that wasn’t labeled as, “The Most important election of our lifetime.”
I also cannot remember one president, left or right, that made more of a difference in my daily life than my personal daily votes—the votes we cast toward becoming the person we want to be.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, champions this idea of daily voting: One trip to the gym won’t make you a fit person, but it’s a vote in that direction. Making your bed in the morning doesn’t automatically make you organized, but it’s a vote for living with more order. A one-time donation to people in need doesn’t make you a philanthropist, but it’s a vote toward becoming that type of person.
Each small action is a vote, and the more votes you cast in a certain direction, the more you start to see yourself as—and become—that type of person.
As Clear puts it, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
So as election season heats up, remember that the most powerful vote you cast isn’t necessarily republican or democrat -. It’s the vote you cast each day toward the person you want to become.
What votes are you casting today?