Doing the next right thing

I’m getting even more insight into just how back and white my thinking can be and the dangers associated with that.

If the day starts badly, my temptation is to write the whole thing off and try again tomorrow. Which can sound OK until you realise that I can use that as an excuse to restrict a few meals in a row or put in an extra bit of exercise, because if I’ve already ruined today then why not ruin it properly?

There is a real fault in the logic. So the new default I’m aiming for is: ‘What is the next right thing to do?’.

• I may just have run 5 minutes longer than planned, so what is the next right thing to do? Maybe an extra slice of cheese with lunch.
• I’ve procrastinated and frittered away the morning, so there is no point in trying to get any work done now … or is there? What is the next right thing I can do now to make the most of what is left of the day?
• I’ve restricted on breakfast, so what is the next right thing to do? Make sure that I hit my goals for morning tea and lunch.
• I’ve just eaten more than I planned for afternoon snack, what is the next right thing to do? Sit and eat a balanced dinner, not skip it and set myself up for a binge later in the evening.

A day is never going to be perfect or ‘right’. It doesn’t need to come together in exactly the way I envisaged to make it worthwhile. Sometimes rolling with the punches will lead to a better outcome in the end. So when I’m feeling stuck or overwhelmed, I’m going to try and ask myself – what is the next right thing I can do? Then I need to follow through.