I’m painting my kitchen. I only have weekends to work on this, so it will take a while. The temptation is to look for shortcuts. Today I applied a second coat of paint to a section of baseboard that, once the fridge is moved back into place, will be out of sight. I’d thought about skipping that second coat, just like I thought of skipping the primer and the first coat. It wouldn’t have mattered to anyone. But it would have mattered to me. I would always have known that what lurked behind the fridge was less than my best effort.
What does this have to do with my fitness journey? When I was eating foods that were addictive to me, I did most of it in private. Now that I choose to abstain from those foods, it’s not enough that I do so when I’m in the company of others where I am praised for my “will power.” My fitness journey doesn’t take a vacation when I’m alone. Neither does my addiction. So for today, I choose to make healthy choices, even when no one is watching. One day at a time.