Let me tell you about my friend Omar.  Omar owns the breakfast cart down the street from my office.  He’s a very friendly guy, always greets me with a smile and knows my order – ham and eggs on a whole wheat bagel.  Street food carts are part of the culture here in NY – even more than Austin, TX – and you can frequently get good, fresh food for better prices than you would in a local deli.  Not to mention that Omar is on my way from the subway to my building – super convenient!

But I recently decided to tighten up a little, so I had to make a change.  My schedule has led to me making some not-so-great food choices and my workouts have been less frequent, and I had gotten a little soft.  I also have something motivating me to get my act together, but more on that later. 

I knew Omar and I had to stop meeting each other like this – so I changed my route to get to work.  Instead of the way I always walk to work, I immediately cross the street and avoid the lure of Omar altogether.  He’ll survive without me, and for the short term, until I get back to where I want to be, I’ll live without him too.  Sometimes something simple like changing your route to work will force you into a better decision and you’ll forego the temptations that convenience provides.  So if you see Omar say hello for me – tell him I’ll stop by in the spring.