NOTE: This is not exclusively a diet or health tip, but it was the best analogy to begin with.
Have you ever been on a diet and cheated at lunch, then snacked on junk because “Oh well, I already cheated” and overindulged at dinner thinking the same? Or began a tough exercise regimen and stuck to it for a week, then skip a day, then two then a week because “Oh well… I already missed three days – what difference is another week”?
I have found this kind of thinking to be one of the most destructive habits, not only for my health but for business, relationships and almost any aspect of life.
Instead of constantly berating myself for not acting in accordance with my intentions, I learned to say “That’s ok, every moment is an opportunity to make a choice. If I have to make this kind of choice for a while, that’s ok. But I CAN choose something else. What is my goal here? What do I REALLY want?” Sometimes, I just want to be bad (in whatever context), but MOST of the time I am able to choose my behavior instead of feeling victimized by it.
I don’t think ANYONE acts in accordance with their intentions or goals ALL the time. I think just trying MOST of the time is 70% of the battle won.
“Let me tell you the secret that has brought me to my goal: My strength lies solely in my tenacity.” – Louis Pasteur
I hope this is not too cheesy (no pun intended if you know who Pasteur was)… I just figure if this thought lights a switch in just one person, it is worth writing.