Why does a new notebook feel so good? (Or maybe you can relate better to a brand new food journal.) It's more than just a clean writing space ... it's an emotional blank page. No eraser marks or cross-outs staring us in the face. We haven't messed up yet. As my kids would say, "It's a do-over!"
I think that's the same reason we don't want to weigh in on the scale when we have a bad week. Even more than the discouragement of having a weight gain, we don't want to see an up-tick in our weight tracker. (Come on, fess up.) So instead we end up skipping the meeting we need the most. We think, "This week I'll work really hard on my own and lose the weight I just gained. Next week I'll come back and at least have stayed the same." Sounds like a plan. No up-tick, right? But for most, it's the beginning of the end. We struggle some more, floundering on our own for a few days and then ....
We've blown it again. We won't see goal THIS time!
What happens next? We come back of course (months later with our weight re-gained)) wondering why we did it again. But at least we're ready and raring to go. We've been given that all-important fresh start.
But why do we need to wait until the weight regain before we re-start our programs? Why does there have to be so much time in between? I mean, if we really need that blank page, why can't we purchase a new journal and throw away the old one. Go back to a meeting and sign up AGAIN if we have to. Whatever it takes to keep us going. It would end up being less costly anyway, right?
Okay. I know this is silly. I really am not suggesting we throw away a journal after a few pages or pay a new start-up fee somewhere just to "mentally" re-walk through those doors. But we need somehow to realize that we CAN start over immediately after a mess up. It takes mental work, but we CAN do it. We HAVE to learn how to start over MID-PROGRAM.
Think about it. We already have what we so desperately need - every day we are given a fresh start. Each morning is new and clean. There is no baggage from yesterday ... unless we choose to bring it with us. So the next time you fall "off", I don't care what else is going on in your life or what reasons you have for bingeing. STOP! Pick yourself up and get right back "on". You CAN do it. You HAVE to ... today is your new day.
Though you can't go back and make a brand new start, you can start now and make a brand new ending.
His mercies are new every morning! Lam 3:23
Follow Kim on Facebook, Twitter, and NOW on iTunes!