Sore Muscles

I tried quitting smoking six times in twenty years before I succeeded on February 21, 2008.

I could usually make it a day or two – once I made it thirteen (is it weird I still remember that?).

It’s hard. So is losing weight. So is learning Photoshop or Portuguese or pottery or many, many other things that start with P and other letters.

It hurts. It’s uncomfortable. You just start working out? You know what sore muscles feel like.

It’s a big day – today.

A lot of people are going to be on the fence today.

Many of them are going to fall backward into same-as-it-ever-was.

Push through it. Fall forward.

Yesterday, we traveled all day. We had a long talk last night with our son’s therapist about schools and emotions and when to tell Will he has autism.

About the last thing I wanted to do was write, but I sat down and wrote something that matters because The Daily Blur should be, umm, daily. That’s one of three commitments I made for 2012 in the Year of Sucking It Up. I didn’t write a year’s worth of posts or even worry about next week’s posts. I wrote this one.

It was the next right thing to do.

If you had your last smoke on December 31st, your body will be nicotine-free sometime today. Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked.

What happens from here – at least for these next few seconds – is irrelevant. Congratulations. It’s hard. Before moving on, let’s recognize that. Same for diet or exercise or a P word. And the only thing you can control is the moment. Don’t worry about tomorrow or next week or next year.

Be mindful of the moment.

Keep it small. Keep it simple.

That’s true for any resolution – including yours.

What’s the next right thing? Go do that.