Choose behavior that makes future choices easier to respect.

Every choice sets up the next one, either narrowing what you can defend or leaving your options intact. Behaviour you can respect keeps the ground under you clear. Behaviour you cannot means the next decision has to also protect the last one, and that is how people get gradually trapped.

Before a borderline call, ask what it will cost your future decisions rather than what it costs now. Anything requiring defence later is more expensive than it looks today.