Give An Inch, Take a Mile
We have a podcast called Meaning Over Money. From March 2021 through March 2025 (more than four years), we published two episodes per week, every week, without fail. We didn't miss a single episode for 419 episodes. Then, something happened: We decided to take one week off. Just one week!
The problem is that every time we give an inch, they will take a mile. In this case, by "we," I mean Cole and I, and by "they," I mean Cole and I. We gave ourselves an inch, and we took a mile. Our "we'll just take off one week" quickly grew to two weeks. Then, after just one episode, we took another three weeks off. Episode. Then a few more weeks. Episode. Then another few more weeks. Episode. Then, lastly, we had a near three-month gap.
Just like that, we self-sabotaged ourselves right under our own noses. Now, it's fair to admit that both Cole and I had a LOT of life going on. Travel, parenting, work, marriage, ministry.....all the good things. However, it's amazing how we'll use even the smallest excuse to derail ourselves if we allow ourselves.
This is one of the reasons why I've published on this blog for more than 1,000 consecutive days. I know myself well enough to know that even one day off could be the gateway to a month off. Give an inch, take a mile!
Sure, it's evident that if we miss one day, we can always jump back on the horse with little harm. That's quite true. However, our human instinct will always pull us away from our endeavors when this happens. It's sad, but true.
This isn't me saying that perfection is the answer. Perfection kills more dreams than mistakes do. Instead, what I'm suggesting is that we need to be aware of how apt we are to self-sabotage our own best interests. We'll self-sabotage our dreams like it was a trip to the dentist. That's how deeply wired this concept is in our human psyche.
So, today, draw a line in the sand and don't give yourself an inch. Whatever that project or endeavor is, stay the course. Follow through because that's what you do. You're a follower-through'er. Then, tomorrow, you'll do the same. One flawed, imperfect step at a time.
If you've never listened to our podcast before, I invite you to check it out. Today’s episode is about this very topic of self-sabotage. You can find it on APPLE, SPOTIFY, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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