You ever had the lunch-time negotiation?

“You want a cookie? You can have a cookie if you eat your carrots!”

I had that battle with my daughter this weekend, and I got so frustrated with her. She delayed, she doddled, she deflected, she argued. And all she had to do was take three bites and she would get a piece of gum. The only way she was getting the gum was to take her three bites!

As I contemplated the ridiculous fact that Maddox could have already had her gum if she hadn’t been dilly dallying so long, I realized that I do this myself.

I have a reward I’m after, goals I’m shooting for, and there are decisions I hesitate to make, or don’t make, or put lower on my priorities, because those decisions are uncomfortable or weird or out of my comfort zone or I just don’t want to do them, really.

What is your adult equivalent of the “Three Bites” ?

To get super personal with ya’ll, right now, mine is alcohol.

I’ve been aware for a while that if I drank less alcohol, I’d be further along in my business. I’d have a better life, I’d move ahead further in my side projects (e.g. this podcast, my non-profit), I’d have better relationships with my kids.

But I don’t want to give up alcohol.

I want the reward but I’ve been putting off the “hard part”. Until this interaction with Maddox.

The challenge today is to think of your equivalent of Three Bites.

How bad do you want The Gum? If you truly want it, and soon, you need to stop delaying the hard work of eating your three bites and make a move.

Too simple of an analogy? Or did I hit the nail on the head? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode in the comments below!