This time of year brings with it a dozen more tasks a day than the other 11 months. Oh, sure, it’s probably stuff I could ignore (will people really be crushed if they don’t receive the annual family update card?), but it’s become tradition. This year we have an additional child to consider and a guest spending the holiday week with us. All this fun requires more to do items in my mind and I grab food where I can.

Last week, I did something I have done only one time in the past year. I ordered fast food in the drive thru of Carl’s Jr. and ate it while driving to my next thing. My choice was fine and it tasted okay–a turkey burger, protein style, and a diet Dr. Pepper. Not calorie laden or anything. No fries were harmed in this story. The part I vowed to rethink was the driving down the road shoveling the thing in my mouth as it dripped down my arm. I felt like I was on a Carl’s Jr. commercial, and not in a good way.

The mental pattern that had me making this choice was this: if I sat down at a restaurant it would take 30 minutes at best, but if I drive through I could save 20 minutes. I bartered with myself, placing my mental argument in a plus and minus t-chart in my head. The plus chart won with two points: I’d save 20 minutes and some cash, both worthy December goals.

In the end, here’s what I decided. That extra cash and time it takes to sit down and eat properly without juices dripping down my arm and all over my brown cashmere sweater is well worth it. I may need to make that choice–or I may not–but one thing is certain: I recognize it is not a habit of health and I won’t make it a regular part of my life.

Instead, you’ll catch this cat sitting down, eating with a napkin, fork, and spoon. The only shoveling I’ll be doing is one or two items off The List to give me an extra 20 minutes to eat more slowly.