I used to know how good my day would be before I ever stepped out of the house. My prediction wasn’t based on the weather report or my workload or my social plans; it was tied directly to the number on the scale. Certain numbers guaranteed a spectacular day. Other numbers were a sure sign of impending misery. The most incredible part of this phenomenon was the scale’s ability to FLIP a good day to a bad one (or a bad to a good) in the blink of a digital display.

At some point in my life, the scale finally lost its influence over my mood. I still hop on once or twice a week to get a reality check but a pound or two in either direction doesn’t affect my day one little bit. Sure, it gives me a data point I can use to decide if any of my behaviors need a little adjustment (fewer desserts, smaller portions, more exercise) but I simply refuse to let that number wreck my day.

For many people, the scale holds a lot of power. Many people I work with through Nourish weigh themselves daily and view the number as reward or punishment for the previous day’s behavior. Up a pound? Must have been that burger and fries at lunch. Down a pound? Must have been that extra long run.  It doesn’t really work that way, though – last night’s cheesecake does not materialize as an extra two pounds while you sleep. I usually tell clients there’s about a one week lag between your choices and their impact on the scale. This is one reason I advocate weighing yourself weekly. Doing so allows you to watch for trends and to avoid sweating the normal fluctuations that can occur during a week.

Even for someone trying to lose weight, I still advocate the weekly weigh-in. Tracking a trend line from week to week will give you a more accurate picture of your progress toward a goal than charting every daily shift will do; the latter can make you crazy!!

As a culture, we’re pretty tied to numbers, whether they’re measuring pounds on a scale or the waistband on our jeans. Knowing your numbers can be useful, but  letting your day be governed by them is a recipe for disaster. You’re so much more than a number; don’t let one rule your day. Try living beyond the numbers instead; that’s where you’ll discover your very best life.

My life often feels like I’m living in fast forward. With three young children who I swear are growing up at some sort of warp speed, a demanding full-time job and a husband with a pretty intense career of his own we just seem to race from commitment to commitment. It always feels like it’s going to slow down just around the corner…but then that anticipated lull evaporates like a mirage in the desert. When I do find myself with an unexpectedly free hour I usually hustle to fill it with a bunch of tasks that wouldn’t have gotten done otherwise. Sound familiar?

But what if you viewed that free hour differently? What if you looked at it as a chance to hit the proverbial pause button in your fast-forward life? What would change?

You initially  might  think, “Gasp –  I’d never get caught up!” But taking a moment to recharge your batteries may actually allow you to get MORE accomplished when you step back into action.

I took my own advice this week when I found myself with an unexpected hour in an airport. Normally I’d haul out my laptop and work through the hour, thrilled to be making a dent in my never ending to do list. But this time, I actively sought out the XpresSpa (which, for the record, may be the greatest airport concept EVER invented) and got myself a 20 minute express manicure while reclining in a massaging chair. When I emerged from that chair I was refreshed and rejuvenated…and my nails looked pretty darn good, too! My whole outlook on the unexpected delay had shifted; I was a happier woman.

I don’t think the particular activity mattered. I could have browsed the magazine rack at the bookstore, or ordered a latte, or called a long-distance girlfriend to catch up. Any restful moment would have worked; what mattered was simply that I hit that pause button.

When can you do the same?