The Trap of "Fine"
It’s 8:00 PM on a work week after a normal workday at an accounting firm, and Adam is sprawled on the couch with Netflix playing “Stranger Things” in the background, while he scrolls through Instagram reels on his phone. After three hours, Adam puts his phone in his pocket, turns off the TV, and walks up to his master bath to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. As he brushes his teeth, he looks at himself in the mirror, rubbing his belly, then lifting up his shirt, lowering his gaze and feeling down. Adam has been feeling out of shape lately. He has a gym membership, but in the past month only made it two or three times. “Not enough to get in decent shape,” he thinks to himself. He rinses his toothbrush and turns off the faucet. There’s been a continuous drip of water coming out of the master bath faucet in the past week, but he didn’t get around to taking a look at it. Another annoyance hovering over him for the past three weeks. “It’s not too bad, it’s a pretty weak drip,” he thinks to himself. “I’ll get to it probably in the upcoming weekend.” As he lays in bed, numerous millisecond thoughts go through his head: He closes his eyes and lets out a big yawn. “Life is fine overall, I am doing fine. Yep, I am doing fine... fine.” The problem with Adam’s life isn't that it’s bad—the problem is that it’s "Fine." "Fine" is a dangerous word because it isn't painful enough to force a change, but it isn't fulfilling enough to be called "living." Like the leaky faucet in his bathroom, "fine" represents a slow drain of energy and potential. Adam isn't in a crisis; he is drifting. We often wait for a "crash" before we give ourselves permission to grow. We wait for the burnout or the health scare. But coaching is about stopping the drip before the flood happens. It’s about moving from "getting by" to leading with purpose.
The Danger of the "Slow Drip"
Stop Waiting for the Crash
You don't have to be "broken" to deserve a partner who helps you stay accountable to your own goals.