Acknowledge. Manage. Move On. FORGIVE. REPEAT.

A few weeks I ago I was watching one of my favorite TV shows - The Biggest Loser.  Trainer Bob was having a conversation with a contestant and they came up with a phrase that Bob said would inspire others:  Acknowledge.  Manage.  Move On.

ACKNOWLEDGE your bad habit or problem.
Come up with a plan to MANAGE it.
Don't get stuck or focused on the problem - MOVE ON focused on the solution.

At first I was so excited by that phrase.  I thought it was perfect.  I repeated it to myself in my head for several days, especially the last part - MOVE ON. 

MOVE ON Lisa - You're done with emotional eating.  You know what to do.
MOVE ON Lisa - You know better than to cave to the exhaustion of stress.  Get moving.
MOVE ON . . . .

I quickly realized that there were two more words that needed to be added on to Bob's inspiring phrase.  FORGIVE and REPEAT.

Sometimes the call of the chips is so much louder than the call of my running shoes.  Sometimes there is literally nothing more I want to do than crawl in bed and pull the covers over my head.  Sometimes I mess up.  And there is nothing wrong with that.  Messing up is not the time to give up.  Messing up is the time to get up and start again.

I need to FORGIVE myself for taking that little detour and rid myself of the guilt that always comes when I screw up.  Then, I go back to the beginning and REPEAT the whole process.

ACKNOWLEDGE my bad habit or problem or mistake.
Come up with a plan to MANAGE it.
Don't get stuck or focused on the problem - MOVE ON focused on the solution.
FORGIVE myself when I make a mistake.
REPEAT.