Better, At Your Own Pace

I know that I've shared previously that one of my personal mottos is incredibly simple - "Better. Just, better"

I no longer try to imagine that I'll ever be perfect, but I'm hopeful every single day that I'll be better somehow. An old friend recently reignited my quest for just that.

I was at a cocktail party last week and saw someone familiar looking. Same eyes, same hair, same charming lopsided smile - but one thing was incredibly different. Where he'd once been soft and rounded, he was now toned and bordering on svelte. My friend wasn't, and will probably never possess, a hard body; but his physique had been completely transformed from cute and chubby to downright slim.

And I had to ask, just how does such a self-avowed couch potato and foodie go through such an incredible transformation? Was it an aggressive workout routine? A private trainer? A nip and tuck and tuck some more? His answer was pretty simple, "I cut out the bad stuff and ate more of the good. And I tried to exercise every day." And then he continued, "Oh. And it took five years." That was my light bulb moment.

There was no magic bullet or unexpected approach. Though it had been years since we'd been in touch, my friend hadn't gone from one extreme to another, but rather had simply tried to take better care of himself every single day. I saw the results of a five-year long commitment to change, not an immediate cure or remedy.

I may not take perfect care of myself and my body, but I do vow to take better care of myself tomorrow, and even better care the day after that.

Are there small things that you do each day to make yourself better? Share with us in the comments below.