Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Baby Step Changes Part 9 Reinvent Yourself



Do one more healthy thing today than you did yesterday. It could be as little as a few moments of introspection into your motives and drives. Or as much as pushing yourself to move one mile further. Or to finally begin tweaking your favorite recipes.

Park further away from your office and walk the extra distance. Drink one less pop, or pour half of it out. Smoke one less cigarette. Take two bites of the cookie and save the rest until later. Go to bed 15 minutes earlier. Set your alarm for 15 minutes earlier and use the time to sit and sip and read your Bible, pray, or prepare for dinner. Stretch. Hit the snooze alarm one less time. Prep vegetables for snacks in small containers or within easy reach.

I read an article about self-control and self-discipline a while ago. It mentioned the importance of making small decisions to help encourage you to go for bigger things that seem overwhelming right now. It's like if you say yes to yourself you become your own cheerleader. Every bit of control you take over your own life encourages you to take that next step.

The reverse is true, too. I've found that when I want to fall into laziness or a funk, it's so easy to let it snowball. Maybe the best thing you can do today is to decide you can be lazy in one area but not the others that always seem to go along with it. Allow yourself that today, but tomorrow, do one more healthy thing for yourself than you did the day before. See if healthy choices don't begin to become contagious in other areas of your life.