The answer, of course, is one bite at a time. It’s an idiom that can be applied to any part of life when the going gets tough
Editor’s Note: This story was a part of the series You can do it, which ran in the Spring 2026 issue.
Photo Courtesy B. Macdonald
There’s no question that things are not easy these days.
Whether you’re facing challenges with your immediate family, pressures at work, health issues or financial stressors, life can seem hard… even unfair.
How is it that you’ve completed all the right, expected moves yet difficulties arise despite your best efforts?
Expectation and entitlement are two attitudinal anchors that will weigh you down regardless of how you maneuver your life circumstances. Expectation, conscious or not, demands a favourable outcome. If the latter doesn’t happen, disappointment follows invariably causing you to feel low. Entitlement sets you up on a promised pedestal of your making, and when toppled off, you bruise easily and mightily.
If you can think of life as a school of learning and personal growth, as opposed to an everlasting vacation, then your view of why you’re here expands beyond self-absorption to self-exploration. This is a huge mind shift that takes a while to set in place but is crucial to letting life work with you rather than fighting against its current. Let this thought digest, as some practical steps follow to help you move in the direction that is right for you.
Take small bites Thinking of your debt load can lead you to a state of indecision paralysis. It’s so big: “Where do I start?” At one point I had significant debt, was juggling four credit cards and had no steady income. Yikes! Breaking down my situation helped me to focus day-to-day rather than on the enormity of it all. I consolidated my cards under one, decreasing multiple interest payments and paid off the debt over a four-year period. To this day I carry only one credit card.
Slow down Four years to pay off a debt seems like a long period of time but slow and steady wins the race. Our culture demands speed; it wants results fast. Instant gratification may be a reason you’re in difficult straits now. That short-term buzz cannot deflect long-term stress. Speed is equated with success which is an illusion. Slow down and think things out before you act. An unhurried mind operates better than an impulsive one.
Remake instead of redo “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” This quote by Einstein hits the nail on the head. Even if you are doing the same thing better than before, it may still get you the same disappointing outcome. Deciding to go to the gym five times a week instead of three is a great intention, but if you’re still getting up too late to go, your fitness level likely remains the same. In this case, the gym is not enough of a motivator to compel you. Would having a buddy to work out with you help? With the weather getting warmer, would taking a walk before getting ready for work entice you more than a gym membership? (Cheaper, too if your budget is coming into play!) Take yourself out of the familiar “do” box and create a new, different scenario for yourself.
Bigger, better and faster are not necessarily the ingredients to having a successful and happy life. Earth’s school will teach you things beyond your imagination though the course be rough. Open up to explore, take time, slow down and remake the challenges into adventures that will inevitably come your way.
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