Fully committing to something tends to be much easier (and easier on us) than mostly committing to something.

Last June I decided that it was time to start eating better. I haven’t had a desert, a pastry, a sweet snack, or a potato chip since May. And it has been easy.

It has been easy because I don’t have to think or decide whether this is the time that I should eat some sweets. I’m simply not doing it. People can eat that stuff around me and I’m not even tempted. I’m 100% so there is no debate and no anxiety around whether I should or shouldn’t. It is easy.

On the other hand, I haven’t been 100% about getting up at 5:30for my morning routine (until very recently) so there has been a lot of debate and many mornings where it has not happened.

This dynamic also impacts our will power. Will power has been proven to act like a battery – it runs out. So, we need to be judicious about how and where we use our will power. 100% doesn’t take much will power. I know what I’m doing (getting up at 5:30) or not doing (eating sweets). Since it has been already determined, there’s nothing to debate. 95% takes a lot of will power since the alternative is always in play. This then means that there is less will power left for the rest of the day.