Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in.
I am lost…
I am hopeless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.Chapter 2
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I’m in the same place.
But it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.Chapter 3
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in…it’s a habit
My eyes are open; I know where I am;
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.Chapter 4
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.Chapter 5
I walk down another street.
Autobiography in Five Chapters by Portia Nelson
It’s easy to beat ourselves up for falling back into bad habits.
- Snack on junk food after a day of healthy eating
- Miss a few workouts after a week of daily exercise
- Buy an expensive gift after a month of deliberate saving
We forget that self-improvement is ongoing; habit change takes time. Our greatest ambitions take years (even decades); they are achieved through incremental improvements and compounding interest.
Instead of focusing on getting it perfect right away, focus on progressing to the next chapter.
You’re not flawless and never will be.
Dust yourself off and get out there, you have a story to write.