Making HEART-Centered Decisions
Exploring the HEART-Centered Decision-Making Model™
Moment by moment, we have an opportunity to make a decision. Literally—every moment.
Coffee or tea?
Leave now or later?
What’s for dinner?
Should I call them?
Which project should I focus on?
Beyond these small, everyday choices, we also face decisions that are life-changing, moral, and even life-saving. This is especially true in our world today—for both adults and children.
Every decision has an outcome. Each moment and choice we make shapes our lives. As you look within, take a moment to notice: What kind of life are you creating?
Circumstances may reflect the decisions you have made, or they may serve as an integrity challenge—inviting you to align with your heart despite the storms life brings. Sometimes, challenges may not be caused by our choices, but rather they offer an opportunity to decide how we will respond.
The Call for HEART-Centered Decisions
Many people have become disconnected from their hearts when making decisions, leading to a growing need for a shift—an urgent call to make HEART-centered decisions.
Over the years, I noticed a process naturally unfolding in my own decision-making. It wasn’t until 2021, while teaching a children’s yoga class on decision-making, that I realized this process formed the acronym "HEART". Since then, I have integrated HEART into my life, shared it with my coaching clients through my HEART-Centered Decision-Making Model™, and written a children’s book, The Superpower of Your HEART, along with a teacher’s guide (superhero training), so that ALL ages can access this powerful, essential strategy.
I hope this strategy model reminds you to “check in with your HEART” before taking action—not only by using the acronym but also by reconnecting within, rather than reacting from the mind or external pressures.
HEART is a mindfulness-based practice that anchors you in the present moment, helps you tune into how your body responds to a choice, and creates space to make decisions that benefit both yourself and others. Personally, this strategy has even helped me navigate moments when I was stuck in panic and anxiety spirals, shifting me into clarity and intentionality.
What Does HEART Stand For?
The HEART-Centered Decision-Making Model™ (Video)
H - Health (Video)
How are your body, breath, emotions, and thoughts in this moment?
This step brings you into the present and helps you recognize how your body is communicating with you.
E - Environment (Video)
Do you need to make a change in your surroundings to support your decision?
Look for anything that POPS (People, Objects, Place, Self) that you can shift to create a more supportive environment.
A - Affirmation (Video)
What affirmation can you say to support yourself?
This step catches negative thought loops, sets an intentional purpose for your decision, and provides motivation to take action.
R - Response (Video)
What are your options, and how do you choose to respond?
Here, you identify the possibilities and consciously choose your response.
T - Transform (Video)
How did you or your experience transform because you followed your HEART?
Before or after taking action, reflect on the shifts. Did your choice support your desired outcome? What lesson did you learn? What would you do differently or the same next time?
Invitational Practice:
As a Heart-Centered Changemaker, I invite you to integrate the HEART strategy—or even just one part of it at a time—into your daily life. Begin to “check in with your HEART” to make the moments count.
Additionally, for those of you who support children (teachers, parents, counselors, social workers, etc.), you can explore my children’s book and the supportive Superhero Training companion guide!
The world is counting on us to embrace the superpower of our hearts—ALL of us.
Ready to embrace your HEART’s superpower, too?
Want to embed the HEART-Centered Decision-Making Model™ into your life, classroom, or organization?
The Butterfly Within Me Sees, Honors, and Values The Butterfly Within You,
