As a boring teetotaller, I’ll never know what it’s like to fall off/be back on* the wagon.
*I’ve never been sure whether it’s on or off, so feel free mentally delete either.
That said, I had a mini “wagon” moment last week.
I was heading out to take my dog out for a wander. I grabbed my walking boots off the welly stand my missus made to prevent her from having to convince 12 honest and true members of the public that strangling me with a power cable was a fair and just reaction to me traipsing half of our local golf course through our hallway.
A few minutes into my walk though, and I could feel something wasn’t quite right.
My feet felt funny.
I looked down and saw the problem – I’d put the wrong boots on.
A few days earlier – having finally decided wringing out my socks every morning was no longer filling me with joy and delight – I’d treated myself to a new pair of walking shoes.
Being the complete and utter lazy bastard I am though, I couldn’t be arsed getting rid of the old ones* – I just popped the new ones next to them on the stand.
* Yep, I’m one of those “if I leave it long enough, eventually someone else will do this for me” people. The wife should probably mention this to the jury too.
This particular morning, my mind was clearly elsewhere during the “pick up the right shoes, dumbass” portion of this activity… and idly reached for my old boots.
Being the complete and utter lazy bastard I am though, I couldn’t be arsed going back and changing the boots for the new ones – I just stuck it out like the rock star superhero I am.
It doesn’t take much to fall off the wagon*
* I Googled it. You fall “off” the wagon.
And when your habits determine your success, it’s worth making sure that doesn’t happen to the important stuff in your life.
Me lazily reaching for my boots is the same as you lazily scrolling Facebook when you should be working on your next offer…
… or planning out next month’s emails…
… or doing that thing that you keep pushing further and further down your to-do list…
(I’m looking at you, “Get my accounts sorted”)
Ain’t no shame in paying for an internet blocker (Thank you, FREEDOM!) or pledging money to an anti-charity if you don’t follow through on something.
As Sinatra once sang:
“Do be do…”
… ing whatever you need to do to do the stuff you need to do.
John Holt