There are a lot of cookies lying around on these in-between days. Many of us have discussed how strange and liminal the space is between Christmas and New Year’s, when we’re maybe not working, or if we are working, we’re barely working, since of course the REST of the world isn’t working. It’s an odd time.

Those cookies are just sitting in your kitchen. In my kitchen’s case, there are — this is all true — sugar cookies in the shapes of menorahs and dreidels, the remnants of a Hanukkah-themed cookie house, more than a dozen homemade donuts, some store-bought apple fritter donut bites, and holiday cookies sent to us by friends.

I don’t want to eat those cookies for breakfast. I don’t want to eat even one cookie for breakfast. But they’re there. I see them. I resist. Usually.

As you may recall, I’ve been on a weight loss and fitness journey over the past now thirteen months. I’m awfully good at self-discipline. Except for when I’m not.

Just a couple nights ago, we hosted a few friends for a holiday potluck. I planned my day, calorically speaking, around the potluck. Then the potluck began and people brought so much insanely delicious food.

I texted my personal trainer.

“We have a potluck happening at my house and I have given up and I’m not making amazing food choices, but I promise after today — including New Year’s Eve!, I will be on [profanity redacted] point. 🤣”

His reply: “Hey man, balance isn’t 50/50, it’s 80/20 🥴🤣 hahaha enjoy!”

We use a lot of emojis.

I overindulged at the potluck Sunday night. But Monday, I got back on the calorie counting horse, and tracked everything I ate, and stayed within my budget.

This morning, I vowed to have that same discipline today. I’m continuing to ignore the cookies.

I’m not the first person to point out that if you overdo it on eating one day, your diet or simply your healthier approach to eating isn’t gone. The trick is to not decide that one crappy day of eating means you’re finished eating well, and now simply a person who overdoes eating every day. We get to make mistakes, and we get to improve.

A lot of folks make New Year’s Resolutions at this time of year. Just a few months ago, I joined a gym — which cracks me up, by the way. I spent 44+ years never being a gym person, and now I go three times a week. It’s bonkers. I will freely admit I’m dreading just how crowded I expect Planet Fitness to be the first few weeks of January, as a new slew of resolution-makers descends upon the strength training machines I want to use.

But I also know that by the end of January, the numbers at the gym will be back to normal. Because a whole lot of people with good intentions will resolve to go to the gym… and then stop going to the gym.

Again, I go to the gym three times per week. I was sick a month ago, and I missed one of my gym days. I wanted to make it up the next day, but it didn’t work out logistically. There’s a version of me that at that point just says “[profanity redacted] it,” and starts simply paying for a monthly gym membership without ever using it. But that’s not what I did.

I went back to the gym on my next gym day. And I haven’t missed one since.

I did have a holiday cookie with breakfast three days ago. But that one choice to indulge doesn’t mean I always give in and chow down on delicious cookies at breakfast time. I had my protein smoothie and a coffee with collagen powder.

This mentality — of doing the right thing today even if you screwed up yesterday — is universally applicable. If you failed to follow-up with a prospect you’re pitching, and it’s been a week, it’s not “too late.” It’s late! But it’s not TOO late. Fire up the email now. (Or maybe wait until January 3rd or so, since it is these liminal in-between days, after all.) If you didn’t do enough cold outreach in one week, that doesn’t mean you quit trying to do cold outreach; it means you pick things up and start fresh the next week.

Your New Year’s Resolution shouldn’t be to go to the gym X days per week or to lose Y pounds or to develop a new skill. Instead, commit to going to the gym once, or track your calories for a day, or try a thing. Then when you’re finished with honoring that one-time commitment, you can commit to doing it a second, third, and fiftieth time.

Happy new year!