How good do you want or need to be?
There are people who are so regimented in their schedules of things they need to do that they drive themselves and their families crazy.

Moderation, Lieke, moderation.

Yoga, tooth brushing, eating your spinach--all admirable but we are humans and humans are naturally whimsical and inconsistent.

Makes a study of the things you feel are best for you and do them most of the time.  'Most' being up to you.
The important thing for humans to do is the thing that they love, so make a study of that--find out what you love--or if you already know then make a study of how to do it more and better.

Earning a living is important but there are people that overdo that as well.  Don't fall into that trap.

Life is short.  Earn a living and do what you love.  And wash behind your ears.

Hi Linda. My favorite phrase in you post is: “Yoga, tooth brushing, eating your spinach--all admirable but we are humans and humans are naturally whimsical and inconsistent.” “Most of the time” sounds like good advice, you put your finger on my perfectionist nature and I am often disappointed in not keeping the standards I set, so I tend to give them up altogether. In a way, it’s similar to what Arthur Mont describes in post: “a basketball player was criticized by his coach that he doesn’t let go. That is, if he does a mistake on one side of the court he lets his mistake haunt him and doesn’t play well enough on the ensuing play. The player felt bad about the mistake he did, and was still focusing on that play instead of the situation at hand.” For me, a little social cigarette might turn into a packet, because I failed in keeping my good resolution. As for food, I’m always astonished on the short distance there is between eating well and eating badly. I even like spinach, and on some days there is nothing easier than eating the recommended 5 fruits/vegetables a day, but some days, when I’m dissatisfied with myself, I’d just take the easy chips in front of the TV.
Most of the time is good, thanks.

Hello Lieke. I am new to this site; so I haven't put much on here yet as I have been reading around and finding posts that I actually want to post and discuss on. I decided to write on this one because I am one that struggles with this fact so many times a day that it drives me nuts. I am a perfectionist and CDO (OCD in right order) and it is hard to live each day knowing there are certain things that you are suppse to do but you fight with yourself to get it. I try so hard to eat healthy also (minus spinach because I can't do cooked spinach) but it is definitely easier to eat on the run or chips or something like that. I am working on doing major repairs to a house that I got right now; so with working on that all day, it is hard to find time to eat healthy also.

This subject can go to so many different parts of one's life also tho; because there are so many little things that one does that they know is wrong but it either helps them out at that point or it is the small thrill that they are doing something wrong. Like, going a little bit over the speed limit. Everyone knows there is a reason that the speed limit is set and a logical reason; but they are either in a rush so speeding helps them at that moment or they feel "dangerous" going over it because they are testing the limits. There are so many ways that people test what they want to do and what they are suppose to do. It is a hard way to go thru life but it is something that every human struggles with.