It gets me every time.

I usually begin my day with an extremely satisfying, delicious vegan protein shake: low glycemic, gluten-free, and bursting with chocolate or vanilla fruit-spun goodness.

For lunch, I have a whole-food veggie burger. I chop carrots, tomatoes, onions, and bright yellow peppers, add them to organic mixed green baby lettuce, and drizzle on my homemade, oil-free balsamic vinaigrette.

I’m feeling great. 66% of my day, I have eaten in line with my values and goals: plant-based, low-fat, minimally-processed! I am doing the darn thing!

2 hours later:

I go out to meet a friend, and then decide to swing by the grocery store to pick up, you know, bananas. An hour later I’m home eating half a pizza and on my second glass of Winking Owl cabernet.

And for what? A quick fix? I don’t even want to eat cheese! I’ve noticed I get sinus junk after I eat dairy like EVERY TIME.

It’s the same thing, in so many aspects of my life. I do something most of the way, but give in to “comfort” or “easy” when I’m not feeling motivated anymore (exercise, staying focused, staying off social media, etc).

It’s pervasive in my walk with God, too. I do big things in faith (like quit my job), and then worry if He will truly provide, so much so that I hesitate to give my tithe.

No one is 100% all the time. It’s human to have weakness. I’d just like strength enough to effect actual change in life! So how do we ( let’s be real I know I’m not alone) overcome this 34% backslide?

One good decision at a time.

Getting clear on what I want for my future is huge. If I want to be overweight and sick, that’s easy. If I want to depend on myself and my limited resources instead of God, no problem. It’s default. I need a vision for a different outcome, a better life! In fact it’s imperative to write down goals and review them daily, because it’s SO EASY to lose focus!

I also will have to give myself grace for mistakes. I didn’t create this life overnight, and I won’t change overnight, either. I did skip the frozen pizza this grocery trip, and in faith I pushed the “give” button on my church’s website. Eek!

Celebrate progress.

Maybe by next month I’ll be at 70/30.