Drift is the slow, sometimes unnoticed movement away from a set course, purpose, or standard.
Each individual movement is so slow that the subtle change doesn’t elicit concern. However, the accumulation over time can be devastating!
Every individual compromise is a step toward waking up one day and not recognizing that person in the mirror! Every seemingly insignificant comment, failure to prioritize, choice to ignore, or abrasive response is a step toward damaging a relationship.
We never intended it to go that route, but we made one compromise after another.
Hebrews 2:1 “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it”.
Direction not intention determines destination. Our intentions don’t matter. Our intentions are just excuses unless we act on them.
I worked in manufacturing facilities for over thirty years. Many of the work-related injuries we encountered were due to drift. An individual would make one small compromise away from the standard repeatedly until one day, they were injured. They didn’t come to work that day, wanting to get hurt. It was the series of compromises over time that led to the incident.
I have never met an addict that chose that lifestyle in a day. It was a series of individual seemingly insignificant choices that resulted in addiction.
Relationships don’t fall apart in a day. Unhealthy habits don’t form overnight. Work performance doesn’t decline immediately.
All those examples are a result of drift; one small compromise at a time away from the standard.
We compromise:
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to avoid hard things – Lean into challenges.
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when we are tired – Rest and regroup but don’t retreat.
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when we forget “why” – Focus on purpose daily.
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when we are overwhelmed – Simplify and prioritize.
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when we compare – Standards should steady our focus.
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when emotions take over our thoughts – Renew your mind daily.
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when we lose hope – Never stop looking for it.
The challenge with drift is that we don’t see it, we don’t recognize it, and we don’t properly value it. We justify our actions and blow off the “minor” consequences each time.
We tell ourselves:
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One time won’t hurt anything.
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One more won’t affect me.
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I’ll take the short-cut this one time.
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I can’t see the benefit; therefore, I’ll choose the easy path.
The list of comments can be endless.
Drift is around us all the time, and yet we fail to see the impact. We may see it in others, but we are often blind to our own drift. We justify rather than listen, and we make excuses rather than address the issue.
We are blind to drift until we get hit hard and finally wake up. Our life is a mess, the relationship is gone, the job is on the ropes, or we are in such a deep hole that we can’t see any way out – and we have no idea how we got there!
Drift – one compromise at a time. That’s how we got there!
Doug equips leaders to make organizations better. He has two leadership books available on all online platforms. Whether you are looking for a speaker for your next event or a leadership coach to develop people and build an authentic team, contact Doug at doug.strickel@gmail.com and learn more about PLUS.
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