Mental Prisons: Part 2 - After You've Got the Infrastructure in Place

More on mental prisons, and how to change long held habits.  Remember, remember, remember, changing long held habits is a process, not an event.  I can't stress this enough.  In this process, the most important thing is to be prepared for set backs and when they happen (they will), to get back on course.  After years of searching for answers, years of practice recovering from set backs, and STILL making mistakes and recovering (and making mistakes) I thought I would have more answers by now.  I don't.  I have a few tips and tricks that help me a lot.  I am working on others.  This very high level numbered set is focused on embracing the mistakes and weaknesses.  Mistakes made are the best opportunity to learn. 

1. Get that infrastructure in place.  You may not need it forever, but it is good to set it up and to know it is there.
2. Beating yourself up won't help.  It is so easy to do.  It won't help you or anyone you care about, and even worse, it might hurt and set you on a destructive path. Feeling like a failure is the easiest way to decide to give up and set your course in the wrong direction.  Some of the most important lessons you will learn on this journey are how to recover and change course back on a path to accomplishing your goals.  The best way to learn for the long run, is through set backs, so consider the set-backs a critical part of the process.  Embrace them and learn from them. 
3. Get to know yourself and your weaknesses.  We all have the best of intentions, and then instead of stopping after that well planned dinner, one small indulgence turns into two or five. Don't worry.  Don't give up.  Forgive yourself, go to bed.  Or read a good book, or watch a good movie or a television show that will make you laugh (or cry...whichever you enjoy). Sleep and start over. The morning will look different. No dieter, non-smoker, former alcoholic, or successful business owner has ever gotten where they want to be the first time they tried to quit.  Look yourself in the mirror, have some resolve and remind yourself that this is a marathon, not a sprint.  And most important, use the trip up as a learning experience. See what the trigger was, what the effect is in the morning and over the next few days. Then analyze the event, and try to figure out what might have helped you stay on track. You can do better next time.  
4. It sometimes happens that there can be a long time between the lapse and getting back on course.  That's okay.
5. Listen to your body more carefully than you do the experts. Believe in yourself. For example, for a long time the experts have been telling us that fat is the enemy.  Lot of data is coming out in the last few years casting doubt on that.  Probably the jury is still out on that, and furthermore, what works for one person, may not work for you.  So all I am saying is listen to your body and pay attention to the effects of your behavior. Design a diet that works for you. 
6. Don't wait. If you can envision it now, go for it.  You don't have to wait until after that vacation or party. Believe it or not, vacations and parties can be the BEST times to start. There is so much to distract you from thinking about food.