We were given an assignment in our group counseling program years ago that was very insightful for us. I am a visual person, so the fact that this assignment came with a visual connection was a plus.
Picture a gauge, similar to one pictured above. Think about a car or a similar gauge. When it starts from 0 mph and wants to go up to 120 mph, it will take quite a bit of effort vs. getting up to 120 mph from only 110 mph.
The point of this assignment was for us to recognize first, this applies in our lives. When we have to go from the point of zero effort to get to a good place, it's going to be a process and require more effort vs. maintaining a more narrow range or small effort required to get back up to a good place. (or better yet, maintain it narrowly and get good at recognizing when we are starting to slip)
Second, what does it look like for me in each of these places? What does 0 effort look like for me? (for me things like not doing my self care, not working/maintaining my recovery, shelving my feelings, etc). Be specific. What SPECIFICALLY does 0 effort look like for you?
What does that area of 120 mph or full effort look like? Remember T.C.O.Y and self-care? What about working your recovery or reaching for new or farther things? What does it look like to be 100% putting forth the effort to be and stay in a good place? Again, get specific. This is where I discovered some really interested things about myself I hadn't recognized before. What do you need to do so it feels overall effortless?
What does it look like when you start to slip on your effort? Equivalent to 110 mph or wherever you picture it. How can you tell when you are started to slide back? Be specific. Maybe skipping a few days of scripture study or whatever YOU do when you start to slip.
I challenge you to take the time to do this exercise if you have never considered before. It can apply to any area of our life. The point it, it is easiest to maintain whatever ground we have recovered. It is easier to pull up when we are starting to slide than to keep starting from 0 effort over and over again.
This exercise is yet one more opportunity to figure out what works best for us. To understand ourselves and to be prayerful to find insights into what isn't working and what can work better for us.
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