Thursday, January 3, 2013

A hundred todays and a hundred tomorrows

Happy New Year!

I, like almost everyone else in the free world, am planning on watching what I eat and on moving more this year.  So congratulations to me!  I'm human and just like you. :)


I was thinking yesterday about the Scarlet O'Hara idea of "Tomorrow is another day." and wondered if thinking like that hurts weight loss efforts or helps them.  I still haven't made a firm decision, but I do think that there is power in framing things up in "todays" and "tomorrows."

As an example, yesterday I was faced with the option to take the stairs or the elevator to get up to where my cube is.  I thought about it, REALLY wanted to take the elevator.  My knees hurt.  I had just walked up two flights of stairs to get to the entry of the building.  Couldn't I just take the elevator this time?  But said to myself, "Tomorrow I'll take the elevator.  Today I'll walk up the stairs."

I went to a salad place yesterday for lunch but when I walked inside, I saw that the long line rivaled anything you'd find at Disneyland.  I quickly swore under my breath, turned around, and walked out the door telling myself I just didn't have that kind of time to wait in a line like that.  I got to my car and thought of all of the places that I could stop on the way back to work that would be quicker.  None of them were healthy.  And if I can't be healthy on the SECOND DAY of the new year, where is my dedication?  So I walked back to the restaurant, got in line and waited 38 minutes to get through the line and leave with my salad.  Each time I heard the two pretentious ladies who were in line in front of me talking about Kim Kardashian's baby, I reminded myself that this pain was worth it.  I told myself, "Today I'm making a healthy choice for lunch.  Tomorrow I may choose differently."

What I love about this is that it helps eliminate black-and-white thinking.  That I either have to be completely "on" a diet or "off" one; that I need to have everything planned out in advance.

Maybe I'll plan out everything tomorrow.  But today, I'm making the best little decisions I can.  Each time I'm faced with a choice today, I'm choosing the option that gets me closer to where I want to be tomorrow.


P.S.  I've figured out a way around our proxy server at work.  Know what that means?  I GET TO POST MORE OFTEN AGAIN! :) 

8 Comments:

Lily Fluffbottom said...

Yay! You're back, I miss you!

I really like your way of thinking. Today I'm going to do good. Tomorrow I can do whatever I want.

That attitude is part of how I quit smoking... both times. "if I still want to smoke after I've reached this goal, then its fair game." And I do want to smoke. But I don't. I'm better off without it. Its easier to make good decisions when you've made them for days and weeks and months.

Did you see all the cool shit that happened to me last year? Whats new with you?

Missy Leone said...

Welcome back! :)

Di said...

welcome back and happy new year also.

Grace said...

Wahoo your back. It has been a while and we have missed your sexy ass.

Gwen Davis said...

Glad to see you back :)

Dana said...

Sometimes we really need to postpone things for tomorrow. It works for me too.

Eric said...

I think it's so important to reflect on the past year, and then use that information to create a better year ahead :)

Eric
http://www.eiafoundation.org/

Amy said...

Reflection = perfection. Keep trucking on and make this the best year ever :)

http://auraviewarning.com/