Death by Compromise

I had a mental war in my mind the other day when I went to put on my snug jeans! Being under a tremendous amount of pressure and grief recently, I know I’ve fallen back into some bad habits and routines. As a result, the snug jeans are wreaking havoc on my waistline with fabric flesh wounds! Ever been there?

The internal dialogue was a battle of relinquishing control of this new bloat and bulge and purchasing jeans that ran a size higher or facing discomfort and making changes.

I’ll be honest. I bought the new jeans, wore them for two weeks, and today have decided to become friends again with the snug pair until they feel blissfully comfy again.

My hope is that in the discomfort I will find a new sense of discipline, which is difficult to start, but the most rewarding way to live.

This scenario got me thinking about the destructive path of compromise.

We don’t gain 100lbs overnight.

We don’t fall out of love in a week.

We don’t miss our sales goals and business projections due to one quarter of low performance.

Chances are, there are small seemingly insignificant changes we have made that aren’t serving us.

For my waistline, it was a combination of small things. Not as much physical activity, later nights which resulted in less sleep. Wine on a Tuesday night to take the edge off of grief and anxiety. Quick-fix carbs at lunch to save time rather than cook up a delicious and healthy meal.

When I reflect, I justified each tiny decision thinking that they wouldn’t amount to much. How could they? So small, so insignificant. No so!

The compounding effect in finance is quite mind-blowing and the incremental changes and shifts we make in our lives, whether good or bad, have significant impact.

While I am still struggling with some challenges, I’ve decided to take back some power, sit in the discomfort of my poor choices to drive me forward and make a change. If we continuously buy the next jean size up or ignore the relationship challenge, how can we be motivated to make a change?

How about you? Have you let something slide recently where you know you need to course correct? If so, what action will you take today to not only get back on track but boost your energy and self-confidence by keeping the promise you make to yourself to do better?

There is no quick fix to take you back to your prime but there are small and significant steps you can take starting today which your future self will reward you for!