About this quote

Strong emotions can steer decisions until they feel like fate. If you've snapped at a colleague or blown a budget in a heated moment, you know how one mistake makes the next choice easier. Ask yourself: what small trigger turned my action into a pattern? Notice the tight chest and quick breath, pause, and choose one different action to stop the slide.

When to use it

• Work: After a heated budget meeting, I wanted to fire off a sharp email; I closed my laptop and slept on it instead.
• Family: When my teenager slammed the door, I felt my anger spike and wanted to punish them; I took five deep breaths and asked to talk calmly later.
• Sport: During a close game I lost my temper at the referee and nearly got ejected; I sat on the bench to cool down and avoided a bigger mistake.
• Money: After a terrible day in the market I was tempted to sell everything in panic; I stepped away and reviewed my plan the next morning.