Just because you announced something once does not mean you have to abide by that for the rest of your life. A past choice that no longer serves you is best discarded. I can recall a statement made in a moment of pique. “Well, I ‘m never going there again.” When I realized it was an overreaction, it would have been foolish to stick to my guns.

As we get older, many of us tend to get set in our ways. That makes sense in some cases. We’ve experienced so much that we’re unlikely to find something new that’s better than the best we’ve already found. In other cases, willingness to change is exactly what we need to grow.

It’s sometimes said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. If that’s true, the benefits of growth extend to the people around us. For me, that’s motivation; I’d rather raise the average than bring it down.

How do you decide whether to stick to your guns or embrace a new choice?