Do you have a slow leak?
Part of today’s agenda included some time at the tire shop. Over the weekend I got an oil change and the mechanic made me aware that my practically new tire was flat. The car hadn’t been handling all that well, but I attributed it to all the snow on unplowed roads, and I’ll admit I don’t regularly check my tires like they told me to do in driver’s training. However, once I was informed of a potential problem, I knew I probably had a slow leak and needed to monitor the situation. Good thing I did, because after two days it was almost flat again…a nail in the sidewall and the tire needed to be replaced. As disappointing as that was, I’m grateful I had the opportunity to drive it in on my own rather than having to call emergency roadside service.
That got me to thinking...we often have other “slow leaks” in our lives; our finances, our relationships, our businesses and more. For years, my slow leak was my health. Oh, I was aware of basic nutrition and the benefits of exercise, but the weight slowly packed on over the years. It wasn’t lack of knowledge, rather the lack of a plan that included health goals and a way to measure and monitor progress or adherence to those goals.
Again, I am grateful that I didn’t wait for an emergency situation to make some changes, but change I did. I set some specific fitness goals which included monitoring my nutrition, weight and exercise daily – not to obsess, but to watch for a potential slow leak. I also found a couple accountability partners who continue to challenge me and keep me honest. That has enabled me to make significant progress toward my fitness goals so far.
Even so, I recently realized that I had become dehydrated. How could that happen? Chalk it up to a change in habits, but ultimately I had become lax in monitoring my water intake…another slow leak.
Where are your slow leaks? To find and fix them, examine all aspects of your life including fitness, family, friends, finances, etc. Develop goals and a plan to reach them. Then, identify the steps you can take to measure, monitor and be held accountable. That way, if you find a leak, you can fix it before you get a flat.
Stop leaking and KEEP SPROUTING!
