How do you eat an elephant?

What's the point of taking the initiative to get healthy if I know I won't keep it up long term anyway?

That's a question I asked a few days ago when I talked about fear. What worked for me was not any extra drive or determination. There was no extra incentive. But rather, to put it simply, I forgot about the long term.

In the past, when I would think about all the work I had in front of me, at the first sign of trouble I'd get discouraged, and inevitably, quit. So how did I stop worrying about what I had to do tomorrow? I stopped caring about it.

The goals became smaller. Thoughts like, "I'm going to eat healthy from here on out," turned into, "I'm going to make a healthy choice for this meal." Who cares about tomorrow? Who even cares about later today? For me, the only choice that mattered was the one right there in front of me.

Before I knew it, I had completely tricked myself. I strung together 10, maybe 12 of these one-time good decisions in a row without even realizing it. It became a good week, then a good month, then a good 18 months. I've often compared it to the challenge of reading a really long book. It seems daunting when it's put in front of you, but it isn't if you're not concerned about the entire book. Instead, read a page a day. Some days you'll feel good and read a little more. Some days you'll read less. Either way, if you eliminate your focus on the big picture, you will finish.

Stop worrying about the "what ifs" and focus only on the decision that is right in front of you. When you pay attention to the present, it keeps those negative, self-defeating thoughts out of your head. Just remember, one bite at a time...