Yea, I am an all or nothing type of person when it comes to change. I am either all in or all out in cases like that. I didn't cut down on smoking, I stopped cold turkey. I suppose diet is the only thing I did gradually, although it was increments of cutting things out.
I really have to be in a solid state of unattachment to be able to carry things through. Smoking was the hardest, I was pacing a lot and had a lot of urges, these forums were one of the primary things to help.
Those sorts of things seem really easy compared to working with other people, such as calling an admissions officer for college and working with other people to help me plan. I think meditation has been helping though. My guard is up way too much and it makes it too hard to focus on what really matters.
Not sure if you follow that similar mindset or not. I am glad you are finding some solid motivation!