>> Originally published on LinkedIn on December 31, 2015

I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions—I tend to find that people use them as over-the-top, ineffective solutions to “fix” what they consider to be their most serious flaws. But this year, I’ve stumbled across an infectious idea that’s tweaked how I approach daily situations. It’s so simple to employ that I’m going to give it (and I guess by proxy New Year’s resolutions) a try.

In 2016, I'm going to do what I think is best.

Now you’re thinking, “What’s so revolutionary and forward-thinking about that?”

And my answer is this: Nothing, but if you think carefully about it, you probably aren’t doing what you think is best all day, everyday.

If your New Year’s resolution is to learn a new skill, do you truly think it’s best to only spend one hour a week trying to learn it?

If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, do you truly think it’s best to take that day off from the gym when you don't have a real excuse?

If your New Year’s resolution is to spend more time with your family, do you truly think it’s best to always be head down, tapping away on your smartphone at the dinner table?

We cheat, in small ways, daily. We’re human and with that, we’ve grown accustomed to the belief that we cannot be perfect and that we will make mistakes. This new year, I’m looking to challenge that way of thinking.

What if before every decision, big or small, you asked yourself the simple question: “Am I doing what I think is best?” If the answer is yes, please go on and continue with whatever you were doing. If the answer is no, then dig deep and think about a solution that you believe to be best. If we are only doing things that we truly think are best—assuming we trust our judgment and have a track record for thinking logically—how can we go wrong?

In 2015, I’ve caught myself procrastinating on social media, skipping gym days and wasting time not pursuing side projects of interest. I’ve rationalized. I’ve been too tired or too busy. In short, I’ve done plenty of things that I knew were not best.

In 2016, I’m taking a stand. If I believe it to be best, then that’s what will be done. No exceptions. No excuses. I refuse to fall victim to procrastination, peer pressure or indecision. I will make decisions because my gut feeling—that little angel sitting on top of my right shoulder—has gotten me this far and he deserves more power in my daily choices.

I first grasped this concept in a trivial situation one evening after work (necessary background: I’m in a group chat with two of my buddies from high school where only topics of the utmost importance are discussed including, but not limited to: the intricacies of modern romance for single guys in big cities, what’s for dinner and upcoming travel plans).

So, that evening, I messaged the group during my commute home with an innocent question: Should I go to the gym after a long day of work or should I continue binge watching more episodes of “Friends"?

Expecting a definitive answer, I was surprised when I instead got a provocative one.

“Do what you think is best.”

It caught me off guard. When I first asked the question, all I wanted to do was spend the evening relaxing, watching Joey Tribbiani run around with a Thanksgiving turkey stuck on his head. I had just spent two hours sitting in traffic on the 101 and was exhausted. However, I knew—deep down—if I made the decision to watch TV instead of going to the gym, I knew it wouldn’t have been what I thought was best.

I asked my friend why he responded that way and he said he was just listening to advice from New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. I did some research and in interview after interview after interview, Belichick emphasizes that every decision made on and off the field is “what we [the team] think is best.” Even though I’ve been a New York Giants fan all my life, I started to think that Belichick was onto something.

So, Belichick in mind, I decided to go the gym because it was what I thought was best. Thinking about this trivial decision in those terms ultimately made me trust my gut and act on it. It forced me to realize the better best choice based on the set of principles I’ve chosen to live by (in the case of this decision, the importance of being healthy).