September 18. “Opportunity may knock once, but temptation bangs on your front door forever.” (Anonymous)

Those who read this blog regularly might be tired of reading about my journey to better health, after all, I have a whole other blog dedicated just to that. If that’s the case for you, then I apologize in advance.

This past week at work has been a study for me in opportunity and temptation. On the opportunity side, I finally have a chance to take on a new position. I’ve been doing the same job for the last four and a half years. Where I work, to be in the same assignment for that long is an eternity. There have been fits and starts over the past two years as I have thought about leaving. The program manager in the past put restrictions and conditions on my departure that made it effectively impossible for me to leave. Earlier this year, some of that was lifted and it became a matter of finding the right spot. When I came back from my August vacation, that spot was available and I seized the opportunity. Soon I start to transition to the new challenges it will bring.

On my current position there are plenty of opportunities as well. That project is at a significant crossroad and the next few weeks are critical to the success of this multi-year program. There have been opportunities for me to shine as I am preparing to leave, and to set my successor up for success. But those opportunities have come with a lot of stress, and high demands on my time. That’s where the temptations come in.

Because my schedule has been out of whack, I have missed the opportunity on several days to use the company cafeteria, and its yummy salad bar. On one day I was given just 10 minutes to find and eat something for the afternoon. There was no way to accomplish that and make it back in time. The temptation was to make a trip to Wendy’s. There is one that is less than 5 minutes from my desk, and I could have powered down some yummy fast food along the way. I didn’t and had a very positive week this week.

That’s where the persistence of temptation comes in. Just about every day recently, partly due to my eating schedule and partly due to stress, I have been tempted. I have been tempted to have a sundae on the ride home, or to stop off for Kit Kats. I have passed the Golden Arches and wondered how a burger would taste. Every day, multiple times a day, those temptations are there.

To be successful at anything that involves self-improvement I have to be strong enough to avoid temptations. This week I won! Next week will start a whole new set of battles.

Today my reflection is on the never ending battles to resist temptations.