Scott Porad

I live in Seattle about 40 minutes from the ski slopes. Every week in the winter I take my boys up for ski school, and many weeks I ski while they’re in class. I am extremely fortunate in this regard.

This week I’m not skiing; I am sitting in the chalet staring down my arch rival and nemesis, the Newman to my Jerry, Joker to my Batman, Evil Emperor Zurg to my Buzz Lightyear.

I am being taunted by a cup of hot cocoa.

But I haven’t caved yet.

For about a month, I’ve been ill. Not seriously ill in any sort of life threatening way. Please, do not worry about me one iota.

But, my doctor says that I really need to lay off a few foods that don’t agree with me, including sugar, milk and chocolate for a few months. I’m having a hard time with it.

Most of the time I can stay strong and avoid it, but inevitably one or twice a day I’m tempted by, say, my regular weekly ski chalet mug of hot chocolate. All to often, I cave in. For example, Kiki brought in cupcakes into Cheezburger on Friday, and they looked sooooo good, just one little cupcake won’t hurt will it?

But the thing is, it does hurt. Not a lot, but enough that my recovery is stunted…it’s taking me a lot longer than it should.

This whole thing has me thinking a lot lately about the fact that if you’re gonna do something, you gotta go all the way. I say “you”, but I really mean “me”.

In many cases, 90% is the same as 0%, so what’s the point in putting forth so much effort for no result? Of course, the last 10% is often the hardest.

My friend Mike Concannon often says, “a job worth doing is worth doing well”…a saying I never really internalized until now.

And, of course, Yoda says there is “no try, only do or do not do”. Same thing, I suppose.

And the Taoists say, “do without doing”.

That’s a mind bender.  I think what that means is best explained by my friend Ron who would say, paraphrasing, that you will never stop wanting hot chocolate (no duh!), so the only way to not have it is to want your health more.

Anyhow, the mug is still there, I haven’t has even a sip yet. I’ll keep you posted.