Driving With The Parking Brake On

In my car, it's possible to drive with the parking brake engaged.  The vehicle is sluggish, but if I'm not paying attention, I can drive a few blocks without noticing.  In small bursts the consequences are minimal, but if I were to keep it up over an extended distance, it could do serious damage and at minimum would undermine the car's performance.

If we're not mindful, it's easy to acquire habits that have a similar effect. 

Maybe you usually keep your desk very tidy, but then you grow busy and let it grow cluttered.  The effect is manageable at first. You can still find what you need. But everything takes longer and requires a little more effort. And over time the negative effects begin to compound.

Or perhaps you're usually pretty good at saying yes and no to things based on what really aligns with your priorities.  But then you get promoted or move to a new neighborhood, and you find yourself wanting to fit in with a new crowd. And soon you're saying yes to things that distract you from your core purpose.

When we're attentive to not just what we're doing and where we're going, but how we're doing it and how well it's working, we're more apt to catch poor habits before they gain momentum.