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Truth Telling Tuesday: What Gets Measured Gets Improved

What gets measured gets improved. My trash can told the truth about my habits, until I chose differently. Change begins with small, faithful acts of stewardship.

Truth Telling Tuesday: What Gets Measured Gets Improved
What gets measured gets improved. Every choice tells a story - what story are your choices writing?

Here’s the truth, my friends: what gets measured gets improved.

Twelve months ago, I stood in my office and looked at the overflowing trash can filled with cookie wrappers, chip bags, and soda bottles. I felt a wave of shame and embarrassment crash over me. It was a brutal disconnect: what my soul wanted was not matching what my body was doing. I had been letting the noise of everyday life hypnotize me, just going through the motions without writing my own story. Every time I saw that trash, it was like a silent movie reel playing back my choices. I wanted change, but the evidence told the truth.

And let me be real with you. I don’t care how old you are or how much you have accomplished, struggle finds all of us. Mine just happened to look like an overflowing trash can. Yours may look different, but it still tells the truth.

One day, something shifted. Instead of letting shame win, I felt a new surge, a sense of motivation and empowerment. I grabbed the pen and decided that if my soul wanted a healthy life, my body would line up. I realized I run this operating system, just like each of you runs your own. If your system feels broken, maybe it is time to update your mindset. Because what gets measured can be improved, and that is true for every one of us.

In the last year, I have shed 40 pounds, not because of any miracle formula or some expensive program, but by focusing on one simple, unglamorous shift. I stopped filling my body with junk. It was not rocket science. Calories in, calories out.

For years, I thought about losing weight while my office trash can quietly told the real story, cookies, chips, and wrappers stacked high. That trash can did not lie. Every day, it became a mirror. Was I living my intentions or just wishing? One day, I finally realized that anything you are not changing, you are choosing.

So I started treating that trash can as a measure of my choices. Slowly but surely, the evidence shifted, and so did my body.

The Small Acts That Changed Everything

If you have ever worked at a place with a free snack bar, you know the temptation. Ours stocks the “good stuff,” not just the off-brand options. I used to walk up without even thinking and grab whatever was there. Now, I stop and ask myself, “Is this something I truly need?” Most days, I keep fruit in the fridge. If I am genuinely hungry, fruit is enough. If it is just a craving, that pause helps me realize what is really going on.

I will be real with you - I still wrestle with certain habits. Right now, it is the Little Caesars lunch combo. Seven dollars for lunch and dinner? It feels like a steal. But the truth is, every dollar I save on food is a dollar I can put toward something that matters more, like flying home to see family. And every time I choose wisely, I am reminded that discipline is not about denying myself - it is about directing myself toward what really matters.

Inspired by Jessie Itzler, I began eating only fruit until noon, Monday through Friday. Simple, clean, and surprisingly satisfying. I also journal, sometimes on paper, most often in this very blog. These reflections help me track not just calories, but feelings, wins, setbacks, and breakthroughs.

Grounding myself outside, my bare feet on the earth for at least 30 minutes daily, has become another non-negotiable. Each of these practices is easy and sustainable. They are all little acts of stewardship, and together they have made a huge difference for me physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Maybe for you, it is not snacks. Maybe it is your phone, your spending, or your words in moments of stress. Whatever it is, the small acts matter. Change always begins with noticing.

Stewardship in the Small Things

Let me be honest: we get so caught up in the noise of everyday life, in distractions and demands, that we forget who holds the pen. The truth is, our choices today create the life we will live tomorrow.

Jesus said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” (Luke 16:10)

Scripture reminds us that it is the little things, what we eat, how we move, what we say, how we love, that become the soil for bigger breakthroughs. If we cannot be faithful with the small choices, how can we expect God to entrust us with more? Our daily acts add up. Even God delights in our stewardship, no matter how humble it seems.

Moderation, Mindfulness, and Messing Up

Here is probably the truest thing I can say about the journey: it is not about perfection, it is about consistency. Yes, there are weekends when I eat the entire bag of cookies. The old all-or-nothing part of me wants to finish what I start, whether with food, money, or even addiction back in the day. It used to be reckless, swinging from one extreme to another. But I have learned that moderation, not guilt, is the key.

You will slip up, and that is okay. The win is honest tracking and getting back up without shaming yourself. You do not have to measure everything every single day, but choose mindfully. Whether it is with food, spending, or your words, the principle is the same. Today’s choices determine tomorrow’s life. Why not do everything you can to give future-you the best odds at a good day?

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22-23

And I want you to know, it is okay to wrestle. It is okay to fail. It is okay to be in process. None of us outgrow the struggle. We just learn to rise again, and each time we do, we rise a little stronger.

"For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes."
Proverbs 24

Soul Check: Where Are You Measuring?

Reflection Questions

  • What “trash can” in your life tells the real, honest story about your daily choices?
  • What is one small thing you can start measuring today, whether food, time, money, or words, that can move you closer to who you want to become?
  • Where might God be inviting you to take ownership so He can multiply your faithfulness?
  • What obstacle or fear has kept you from tracking or measuring your habits honestly?
  • When you slip up, how do you speak to yourself, with shame or with grace?

From Reflection to Action

No matter your age, your season, or your circumstance, never believe the lie that it is too late or that you are too far gone. The truth is, every day is a fresh page, and with God’s help, you can choose to write something new. Build structure into your life and anchor it deep in faith. As long as God gives you breath in your lungs, keep sharpening your axe, keep leading with courage, and keep changing the world for the better one small act of kindness at a time.

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
Hebrews 12:11

Find your baseline and protect it. Remove anyone and anything that distorts your frequency. You need to be broadcasting your presence with clarity. When you walk into a room, how does the atmosphere shift? Do you bring life, energy, and leadership, or do you drain it? We all know the types, the constant complainer, the overbearing controller, the one who lets rage run the show. If that energy surrounds you, get out of the room. Sometimes that even means letting go of relationships that no longer belong in your life.

You get one shot at this life, my friends, and your best life lives on the other side of the hard choices. I pray you have the courage to seek the hard, to push your body and your mind past comfort. Make yourself uncomfortable, sweat, struggle, and stretch. Your body heals stronger. Your mind grows sharper. Your spirit becomes more resilient. So sharpen yourself daily, and make sure you are in the right rooms with the right people who call you higher.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."
Proverbs 27:17

With love and truth,
Eugene 💚

Catch Up on This Week’s Connected Reflections

Weekly Editorial Rhythm

  • Monday: Monday Morning Grace (gentle start to the week with faith-centered encouragement)
  • Tuesday: Truth Telling Tuesday (authentic reflections on living faith boldly)
  • Wednesday: The Midweek Mirror (pause for spiritual reflection and self-compassion)
  • Thursday: Frequency Thursday (tuning into God’s voice amid life’s noise)
  • Friday: Follow Friday (exploring what it means to follow Jesus in everyday moments)
  • Saturday: Sacred Saturday (rest, reflection, and spiritual practices)
  • Sunday: Sunday Soul Food (nourishing reflections to ground your week ahead)

Ready to Deepen Your Journey?

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