One Good Thing Leads to Another

There's a commercial on Channel 3 during the early morning rotation that's for some healthy-ish breakfast cereal. The tagline goes something like, "One good decision leads to another." It shows a woman on a split screen, on one side she's eating said healthy cereal for breakfast, while on the other she eats a fast food sandwich. On one side she chooses healthy snacks during meetings, while on the other she grabs a donut. On one side, she plays with her kids at the park, while on the other she sits on the park bench and watches them swing. You get the idea.

I like it because I think it's true.

When I get up and work out right away, I feel like I've put forth some effort (albeit before I was fully conscious) and now I "owe" it to myself to not wreck it with a Big Mac for lunch. And if I eat a good lunch, I don't want to "ruin" the day with crappy afternoon snacks. And if I manage to avoid crappy snacks, I want to continue the run with a decent dinner. And if I can get a decent dinner under my belt, bedtime is so close that it's pointless to tarnish the day with a sugar-laden, before-bed treat.

And I'm not the only one.

I spoke with my Crazy Cousin today. She is training for the Best Dam Bike Ride, a two-day, 100-miles-per-day event. After a three-day ride in Northern Wisconsin last week where she put on 60, 70 and 50 miles respectivley, she says she can't sit still. She's been walking on these hot nights just because it feels good to MOVE.

In other words, she can't get enough and she's loving it.

To those of you who haven't started yet, know that it CAN happen. One good thing can lead to another.

But you have to start.