Choose a Better Life

Question:  How do you eat an elephant?

Answer:  One bite at a time.

My husband loves this saying and he uses it to remind me to take things in steps.  So often I set a goal and want to achieve it NOW.  But in most cases, not only is NOW not a possibility, but it is often not the bet way to get results.

Much of the value of reaching a goal is not in the goal itself, but in the process we take to get there.  We learn not only about our end goal, but more importantly about ourselves as we strive to reach the finish line.

A dear girlfriend of mine is taking steps to get her finances under control.  She is a single lady about to turn 60 years old.  She does not live extravagantly, but she has been depending on credit cards to help her each month.  My girlfriend has finally decided that she no longer wants to be in bondage to debt so it’s time to take control of her finances.

Her goal is to become debt free.

However, becoming debt free is a process.  It will not happen NOW.  My girlfriend knows this and is willing to put in the time and effort it will take to achieve her goal.

Her first step was to enroll in a financial freedom class.  After the first few classes, my friend was overwhelmed and disheartened when she was confronted with the actual disarray of her finances.  She told me that if she hadn’t taken a close look at her spending habits she would have continued to live in ignorance and denial pretending things were okay.  But, she also realized that if she hadn’t taken an honest look at her budget she would never reach her goal.

What encourages me most about my friend is not that she is striving to be debt free, but that she is learning so much about herself as she goes through the process.  She has discovered spending habits that stem from an inner desire to please others; she has confronted fears about being on her own; and she has been forced to overcome pain caused by a difficult childhood.  All because she is in process of reaching a goal.

So as my girlfriend continues toward her goal by taking one step at a time, one bite of the elephant at a time, she is becoming stronger because of the process.

This truth applies to any goal we set: getting healthy, changing careers, writing a book, any goal.  The most growth comes not from the achievement, but from the process.

Choose a Better Life by eating the elephant one bite at a time and gaining as much wisdom, insight, and growth from the process as possible.