One of the ideas I recently learned is that when it comes to making decisions—whether it’s about what you decide to eat, your workout schedule, financial issues, or more—it’s best to settle for a reasonable decision backed by logic while still considering the emotional aspect of being human, instead of striving for an absolutely rational decision. Going for the reasonable helps with consistency in sticking with your decision in the long term, makes it more comfortable to apply or adopt, and leads to overall happiness.

I found this especially true when working with my habit tracker, checking off certain habits I want to accomplish every day, such as exercise or “no sugar.” But on an extra busy day, when I’m on vacation with my family, or when there’s a special occasion where I’m offered a slice of cake at dinner, the rational decision to keep my streak on the habit list (and a better decision for my health) would be to decline that delicious piece of cake or go workout despite my loved ones wanting to spend time with me during the holiday. The reasonable option is that I can make up for those habits by skipping a day and getting back to it the next day. It helps with my happiness, relationships, and mental well-being. Understand that we’re just humans and emotional beings who need to adapt to the environment instead of sticking to rigid structures and sets of rules.