It’s the last long weekend of summer and I always feel the shift. The light starts changing here in Cincinnati, the pool talk turns to pumpkin everything and somewhere underneath it there’s this quiet pressure to have a "Big Plan" for getting back on track after a summer of indulgences.

I want to give you permission to skip the Big Plan.

Here’s the trap people tend to fall into...summer runs a little loose, so somewhere around Labor Day they decide they've “blown it,” and then either wait for a clean starting line (January, a Monday, the first of the month) or try to white-knuckle being perfect overnight. All of those are just different ways of not starting right now.

So this weekend, actually enjoy it. Have the burger and the cookout and the slice of pie. One meal, or one weekend, was never the thing that made or unmade your health. What you do most of the time is what matters. A holiday plate doesn’t need to be earned with a punishing Tuesday and holiday choices don’t erase your previous hard work either.

Here's a couple of things that help me at a cookout and they’re small and easy. I bring one protein-forward dish I actually like, so there’s something on the table I will feel good eating besides chips and buns. Buffalo chicken dip is one of my favorites, combine eight ounces of softened cream cheese with a half cup of your favorite hot sauce (I like Frank's RedHot), a half cup of ranch or blue cheese dressing, and two cups of shredded rotisserie chicken. Stir in a cup of shredded cheddar or mozzarella. Transfer to an oven-safe dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly. Top with sliced green onions and serve immediately.

I keep a water in one hand between drinks. I get outside and move, not to burn anything off, just because it feels good and these are the last of the warm evenings.

Then, the Tuesday after the long weekend, I don’t reset with a grand overhaul. I reset with the very next meal, next workout and the next walk. That’s the whole secret, honestly. The reset is never a date on the calendar. It’s just the next choice and it’s available to you anytime, every single day, every single hour with no clean starting line required.

If you do want a little structure to ease back in to routine, that’s exactly what my 30 Day Healthy Habits Challenge is for. It’s free, you can start any day (including a random Tuesday in September), and it’s built to add small things back gently rather than blow up your whole life.

Hit reply and tell me one small thing you’re easing back into as summer winds down. I read every response and I write back.

Have a great weekend!

P.S. If you’ve got a long drive this weekend, the podcast makes good company. You can find the latest episodes here.

P.P.S. Lots of of Labor day sales happening this weekend. If you're looking for the best deals on health and wellness products, be sure to start at my shop page and Amazon page for my vetted and approved options.