'Shake it off'

I like the advice baseball coaches often give to players after they've fumbled the ball or struck out: Shake it off.

This is important advice for you and me, too. How often have you said to yourself after making a mistake, "You stupid idiot, what did you do that for? What's the matter with you?" And how does that make you feel? Does that help you go forward with a positive attitude? Hardly. Would you say that to your best friend? Not likely.

How much better to simply shake it off. Let it go. Remember that you're human, and mistakes are normal. Generally, the things we goof up on are not life-threatening.

At Weight Watchers meetings, we're told that if we've had a particularly bad day (or week or month), it's important to just let it go, shake it off, and move on. Don't obsess over what's in the past. Just move on to the present and future. You and I can't change the past anyway. All we can change is what we do right now and in the future.

That's as important in all of life as it is when it comes to weight loss—or baseball! So practice letting go and moving ahead. After all, life is about progress and not perfection.