Client: “I’m disappointed.”Me: “Why?”Client: “I gained a pound.”Me: “Why did you gain a pound?”Client: “Well, I wasn’t perfect, but better.”Me: “Better than what? Better than lousy? Better than bad? Better than 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 bad?”“That’s like saying the last few days weren’t perfect but better . . . because if, for example, you had an abusive husband, he only smacked you around a couple of times instead of every day!”Folks, if you’re honest with yourself, if you have a functioning brain, you absolutely KNOW in advance that you are about to disappoint yourself.As a matter of fact, you know it at the exact moment that you make the choice to do whatever it is that’s going to end up disappointing you.I don’t care whether you’re trying to lose weight, stop smoking or drinking or gambling or even to stay away from a toxic friend or partner.To string together perfect days of abstinence, you must step away from every urge – one urge at a time.You must claw your way through – one urge at a time.You must talk to yourself and remind yourself how very disappointed you ARE going to be because you HAVE BEEN disappointed time and time again every time you did exactly what you are about to do.
