Discipline versus Regret

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.” ~ Jim Rohn

Here is an interesting article that talks about discipline and regret.

The author's definition of self-discipline is: Getting yourself to do the things you need to do when you need to do them whether you feel like it or not.

The key is to do things WHEN you need to do them, not later when it might even be too late. That means each time I eat something, I have to ask myself if that action is something I need to do to accomplish my long-term goal of becoming healthy. I haven't had much of a problem working out for the past eight weeks, but if there is anywhere that I have fallen short of my goals, it is with what I have been eating.

The past week or so has been really up and down for me making nutritious eating choices. I could blame stress from any number of sources, but in the end it comes down to me making a decision when I have food in front of me. Maybe the unhealthy food would initially taste good, but it would do nothing positive for my health and may not even be that satisfying after all.

I remember meeting a client at my job about 10 years ago who was filled with regret; at our first meeting, he told me -- a complete stranger -- about his remorse about never marrying his girlfriend after World War II. She ended up marrying someone else and he had remained single his entire life. He told me this 50 years after the war! I then promised myself to not live my life with regrets about the things I didn't do. While I have made some pretty extreme decisions since then, those who know me can probably guess those decisions, that philosophy has guided me fairly well.

I think the time has come to amend that vow to include eating in a healthy manner. I thought about it the other day, I have never really had healthy eating habits as an adult. Ever since I was a young adult, I have eaten junk food many times a week, often nearly every day. It is a wonder that I have not suffered a major health catastrophe or illness. My lack of self-discipline has caused me embarrassment and lowered my self-image, among a number of effects it has had on me. I would say it has also caused me regret, since the past 18 years of my being overweight cannot be re-lived. What I must do now is change before my regret weighs tons, rather than merely pounds (I am beyond ounces of regret).

That article was food for thought (no pun intended) as I work on changing my nutrition and eating habits for good.