Beware the Compounding Shortcut

So I have this bad habit. Evertime I do work around the house that requires something from the garage, I get the needed object(s) out, do the job and instead of putting it away properly…I take a shortcut. I throw it in a random convenient place in the garage with the intention of getting to it later. 50 shortcuts later and my garage is a complete disorganized mess.

So it is with many areas of life, work and relationships. If you keep taking shortcuts, the time you think you are saving will compound until you have a behemoth problem. I notice this easily in my personal life, but it is harder to see in an organization. However, I am going through a painful process at work which is due, for the most part, to shortcuts taken for over a decade. They price has come to be paid, and unfortunately this can sometimes come at an inconvenient time for your grand ambitions.

Always be suspicious of quick success, it can often be legit, but many times it is coming at the cost of a series of shortcuts which will have to be paid, most likely by you.

Even worse is in relationships. They require time, attention, connection. If you take shortcuts, you will pay the price. Any relationship is at risk. Your relationship with loved ones, your relationship with clients, and even God.

Guy Reams

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