The Make-An-Effort Diet

I only used the word "diet" to lure you in.

MAE is not a diet.

Diets are depressing.  The very word makes me feel sad, deprived of things desireable, filled with a rebellious fervor to go out and eat something—anything. Everything.

MAE is an attitude adjustment, challenging and changing one's perspective both outwardly and inwardly.

Diets demonize and bless things we eat.  They work within a familiar—and for many a comfortable—framework of sin and redemption.  The promised land is reached (or at least visited)  through privation, guilt and self-flaggelation.  And these actions offer us a sense of moral superiority.  We look at not eating/eating as demonstrating moral fibre (or moral turpitude).

The dieting activity involves self-recrimination as well as self-congratualation, and frequently involves purchasing material—books, magazines, programs, special meals, "diet" foods, etc.  Because—cue in Steve Martin's paradigm altering realization in The Jerk—"It's a profit deal!"

No purchase is necessary for Make An Effort.  The only requirement is to...you guessed it! To make an effort.

And that effort is real.  You have to actually PAY ATTENTION.  You have to think about:

1. Whether you are actually hungry
2. What does the food you are eating taste like?
3. When you are no longer hungry

You have to make an effort to eat with intention and enjoyment and only what you really need to fill yourself, so eat slowly and allow your stomach to catch up with your mouth.

So for example, you do not need to eat the entire bag of potato chips.  The first one or two are delicious, the rest are a repetitive and compulsive waste.  Don't even go there.

The MAE could be seen as portion control--you will be making an effort to eat less, to enjoy what you are eating more, to avoid very fattening foods.

But you should never deprive yourself.  If you want a cookie, or ice-cream or whatever, you need to challenge yourself:  Are you being frivolous? Is it anxious eating? Boredom?  Already full and just want more? If yes, then make an effort and avoid.

But if it is special, if you are really feeling a bit hollow, or just have a craving, of course help yourself.  Just enough, but not more.  No penalties, no recrimination, just really savor it, think about it and enjoy it to the fullest.

Go ahead.  Make an effort....

Family owned

You see it on organic foods and on the advertising that is trying to attract an environmentally sympathetic, locally grown, "healthy" type audience.

And for sure it's a code word for not being big business or a large conglomerate.

But has anyone actually thought this through?

Can you imagine working efficiently and successfully with your family members?  Isn't it hard enough to get together for special events—a shared meal during holidays, a birthday or anniversary, wedding or funeral?  Can you imagine actually having not only to put up with everyone day after day, but know your livelihood is in their hands—and firing them may not be an option?

Instead of going to HR or your supervisor about a performance concern as a professional and colleague, you end up feeling nine years old and tattling to Daddy about a sibling.  "Johnny just picked his nose! Make him stop!" "Did not!" "Did so!"

Well, you get the drift.

And what about the opportunity for personal retaliation on the home front for a real or imagined issue at the workplace.  "I'm sorry, but you're not getting invited to Thanksgiving because you didn't get those reports in on time.  Now do your homework or you can't go out and play…"

Work relationships are challenging.  Family relationships are complex.  Imagine combining them! The mind boggles.  OK, yes, I'm sure family owned businesses can work--indeed do work.  But it certainly doesn't seem easy!  And to present it proudly, as if it were an asset, simply boggles my mind.  All I can think of is 'imagine if Thanksgiving dinner were a Board Meeting!  OMFG!'

What is the deal?

It seems like the words "family owned" reads that it's small and everyone has some kind of emotional commitment to the business beyond profit.  And those things in turn are supposed to mean that it's a superior product compared to a business focused on efficiencies and profit  And that, in turn, means it's likely worth a premium price (for questionable value add).

But I have to say I am very fond of profit.  The profit motive is clean, clear and lacks hypocrisy.  Its consistent, sustainable and perhaps most importantly, focused on the customer.  For-profit companies have to create something that people actually want to spend money on to get.   Profit is a demanding proof-of-concept!

Family migrates you away from a focus on profit and efficiency, and adds an emotional component that may certainly have some upsides, but certainly also has some significant downsides.

Why is nepotism not a good thing, but a family business is something to celebrate?  Doesn't that strike anyone as…odd?

It's all about relationships. And how they relate.

Sign me:

Love my family--but wouldn't want to work for 'em....

Isabel Swift