If you believe the internet, the average person makes more than 35,000 decisions every day. I have no idea if that estimate is accurate. If it is, it equates to one decision made every 1.6 seconds, for those lucky enough to get eight hours of sleep each night. In any case, you and I make a lot of decisions.

The sheer volume of decisions we face would make our brains implode if we carefully considered each one. Instead, our brains have developed shortcuts or rules of thumb called heuristics.

Heuristics help us make decisions quickly, but they can’t always be trusted. Without self-awareness, our heuristics become biased, leading to systematic errors in our decision-making. We need to evaluate our thinking on occasion, educate it as needed, and refine or redefine our heuristics, based on new information.

A good place to start is thinking carefully about how you see the world and who you let educate your worldview. Of all the decisions we make every day, this choice is the most important.

Sometimes people come to me feeling deeply distressed about the stock market — even when the stock market has been performing well. I often find that they spend a lot of time watching cable TV news or trolling caustic internet news outlets. They’re surprised when I tell them the real problem is their media diet, not the markets. If they turn the media off, they usually find their outlook on life and investing improves, especially if they also work to intentionally focus on constructive thoughts.

As we begin the New Year, I’d like to propose an experiment. For the next 28 days — enough time to establish this as a habit — make a conscious effort to remove negative media from your life and fill your mind with constructive thoughts instead. When negative thoughts press on your mind, try asking yourself the following questions and ponder the associated quotes. When these quotes get stale, go online and find some new ones.

1. Where is my focus right now?

“The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.” — Russell M. Nelson

“The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances. We carry the seeds of the one or the other about with us in our minds wherever we go.” — Martha Washington

2. Are my expectations realistic?

“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just ordinary people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old-time rail journey — delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.” — Jenkins Lloyd Jones

3. Do I believe in myself?

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.” — Henry Ford

“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

4. Am I following correct principles?

“Principles are like lighthouses. They are natural laws that cannot be broken. We can only break ourselves against them.” — Stephen R. Covey

“We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.” — Jimmy Carter

5. How am I measuring success?

“I had thought the destination was what was important, but it turned out it was the journey. … The only metrics that will truly matter to my life are the individuals whom I have been able to help, one by one, to become better people.” — Clayton Christensen

“Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! … We are happy in proportion to the things we can do without.” — Henry David Thoreau

There’s a lot of negative thinking out there, so this experiment won’t be easy. But I am convinced that if you follow it for 28 days, you will be happier and you will make better decisions. Send me an email and let me know how it goes.

Steven C. Merrell is a partner at Monterey Private Wealth, Inc., a Wealth Management Firm in Monterey. He welcomes questions that you may have concerning investments, taxes, retirement, or estate planning. Send your questions to Steve Merrell, 2340 Garden Road Suite 202, Monterey, CA 93940 or email them to smerrell@montereypw.com.