Starting tomorrow means we can continue doing whatever we’ve been doing for one more day.
Everyone likes a fresh start, i.e., a new day, a new week or a new month and by the time October and November roll around, it makes sense to just wait for a new year, right?
Do you do this? Sadly, I must confess to employing this strategy too many times to count. It’s appealing because it takes the pressure off. Picking a date in the future is a license to stay on the current course until the “fresh start” date arrives. If you’ve been eating badly, you can continue eating badly. If you’ve been sedentary, you can remain sedentary. If the house is a mess, it can stay a mess. You don’t have to change…yet. What a relief!
It may be a relief but unfortunately this kind of pattern is also a trap because while waiting for the magic date, the hole you’ve dug tends to get deeper. It’s how 5lbs in November turn into 10lbs by January.
If I’m honest, I recognize that I utilize this approach because I enjoy my bad habits. I like snacking in front of the TV. I like snacking in my office. I like snacking in the car. Over the years, I’ve conditioned myself to associate these activities with food to the point where my decisions aren’t even slightly driven by appetite. Instead, they’re driven completely by habit. It’s amazing how mindless I can be while taking something out of a bag and putting it in my mouth.
Well, that was then and this is TODAY. Today I didn’t snack in the car (that was tough). Today I didn’t snack in the office (tougher). Today I didn’t snack in front of the TV or my computer (toughest).
I’ve been taking care of TODAY for a week now and it’s getting easier. I haven’t be perfect, especially in front of the TV but then I catch myself and instead of saying, “Oh well, I’ll start over tomorrow,” I reset in the moment. The thought is, “It’s still today and this day matters.”
It’s working partly because I expect it to be tough and partly because it’s just TODAY. I feel like I can do anything for one day and as for tomorrow…I’ll deal with tomorrow when it gets here.
Come on, people! Nothing changes by waiting for tomorrow. Start today.
