Something is better than nothing

One of the most daunting things about being healthy is that there is always something you could be doing better. Drink more water, get the heart rate pumping 4-5 times a week, eat less red meat, take a multi-vitamin, have meaningful human interactions, etc, etc.  We make thousands of choices every day--and so it follows that being healthy doesn't boil down to just one make it or break it decision. I sometimes get caught up in the all or nothing mentality, "since I veered down the wrong aisle at the supermarket (unintentionally of course) and bought the box of soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies, I absolutely have to eat them all now..." or "rehearsal went over and I won't get 45 minutes in at the gym...looks like I won't be working out today." Thinking this way is silly. We all need to stop it.  Any step in the right direction is progress. Twenty minutes of exercise is better than no minutes. Five minutes of exercise is better than no minutes! And the same is true for food. Eating 4 cookies IS better than eating 5. You get the idea! So instead of trying to do a billion things all at once,  try just focusing on one thing at a time. When I feel overwhelmed, or like my efforts aren't getting me anywhere, I pick one thing that I know I can focus on for the week. This week? Ten push ups before bed every night. If all else goes awry, my arms will be 70 push ups stronger come next Saturday.