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Hey, after taking all these
financial action steps, maybe

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you've stumbled a few times.

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Feeling like you have to do it
perfectly or just not do it at all.

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Today as we wrap up this block of
action, let's talk about the power

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of grace and celebrating progress.

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Hey there.

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Welcome back to Your Daily Ask Ralph.

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I'm Ralph.

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It's been an incredible journey
going through these action items

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together in our series, the
Joy of Living Below Your Means.

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We're still working hard to break that
cycle of financial shame with confidence.

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Now, yesterday we tackled a deep
topic of financial idols, but

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today I wanna focus on a crucial
mindset for long-term success.

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We've covered a lot of ground.

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We talked about tracking.

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We talked about budgeting, we talked
about needs versus once we talked

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about debt, we talked about savings.

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We identified our idols.

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And as you've tried to implement
these things, maybe you've

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had some great successes.

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That is fantastic.

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But like most of us, maybe you've also
had some moments where you slipped up.

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Maybe you overspent your budget category,
or maybe you forgot to track for a few

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days, or you gave into an impulse by you.

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You just felt discouraged looking
at that debt list you put together

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again, do you sometimes fall into
that trap of thinking, well, I messed

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up so I might as well just give up.

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Or do you focus so much on how
far you still have to go, that you

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forget to acknowledge the positive
steps that you've already taken?

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See that tendency, That tendency
towards an all or nothing thinking,

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Getting derailed by perfectionism,
or feeling discouraged by setbacks,

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instead of focusing on overall progress.

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well, that's the single difficulty we need
to address today for sustainable change.

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Here's the thing.

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The journey towards financial freedom
and faithful stewardship is a marathon.

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It's not a sprint.

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There will be bumps in the road.

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Nobody does this perfectly.

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Lemme say that again.

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Nobody does this perfectly, but the good
news is God's grace is sufficient for us.

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Look at the book of Second
Corinthians, chapter 12 verse nine.

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And his mercies are new
every single morning.

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That's from the Book of Lamentations,
chapter three, verses 22 and 23.

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See, what he's looking for is
faithfulness, and he's looking for a

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willing heart, not flawless execution,
beating ourselves up over mistakes.

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It just paralyzes us, but extending grace
that allows us to learn, it allows us

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to get back up and keep moving forward.

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See progress.

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However, slow

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is still progress.

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So what can we do?

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How do we cultivate the resilience
needed to stay the course,

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even with imperfect execution?

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How do we stay motivated
for the long haul?

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Those are tough questions, but in my
view, the single essential solution is

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to intentionally  celebrate your progress
and embrace grace over perfection.

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And this means consistently and
consciously shifting your focus.

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You gotta acknowledge the
wins, you know regularly.

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Take note of the positive steps you're
taking, no matter how small they seem.

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Did you pack lunch just once this week?

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Celebrate that.

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Dig you track spending
for three days straight.

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That's awesome.

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Celebrate that.

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Did you pause before buying something
fantastic, and then you've got

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to extend grace when you slip up.

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And guess what you will.

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I do.

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Don't condemn yourself, acknowledge it.

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Maybe take some time to figure out why
it happened, and then accept God's grace.

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But more importantly, give yourself
grace and try again tomorrow.

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This is when you focus on
direction, not the speed.

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Are you generally moving
in the right direction?

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See, 'cause that's more important
than how fast you're getting there

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or whether you stumble occasionally.

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Consistent effort over
time yields results.

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The solution is a mindset shift.

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Celebrate progress and embrace grace.

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Well, let's practice this right now.

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Here's your one action step for
today or sometime this weekend.

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I want you to reflect on your journey.

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I want you to take 10 or 15 minutes and
think back over any of the action items

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from these past episodes that you've
engaged with or even just thought about.

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And then I want you to just list
your wins or list your progress.

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Grab paper or your phone and write
down three or five positive steps

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or changes or insights or just
small victories you've experienced,

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no matter how minor they seem.

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Maybe an example is I listed my debts.

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I identified my why.

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Here's a great one.

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I started praying about money.

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I canceled a subscription.

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I packed lunch three times This past
week I set up automatic savings.

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'cause here's a simple truth.

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No win is too small.

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And then I want you to
celebrate and give thanks.

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Read that list, acknowledge your effort.

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Thank God specifically for the
progress he's helped you make.

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And then I want you to verbally give
yourself credit for showing up and trying.

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Then I want you to recommit with grace.

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Acknowledge any areas where you stumbled
and receive God's grace and recommit to

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simply taking the next right step forward.

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Starting now.

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Now you're thinking Ralph.

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Why focus on progress and grace?

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'cause it directly fights the
frustration of perfectionism and

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discouragement that makes people give up.

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You see, celebrating wins
reinforces positive behavior,

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and it builds motivation.

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Grace allows you to learn from
mistakes and keep moving forward.

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It helps you to keep going and listen.

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It makes this financial journey
sustainable, less stressful,

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and ultimately more joyful.

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Well, let's pray.

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Father God, thank you so
much for your amazing grace,

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new every single morning.

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Thank you for the progress, however
small that my friend listening

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right now has made on this journey.

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Help them today to see and
celebrate those steps forward.

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Fill their hearts with gratitude
for your work in their life.

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Lord, free from the trap of perfectionism.

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Remind them that you value
faithfulness, not flawlessness.

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Lord grant them perseverance to continue
seeking wise stewardship fueled by your

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grace and motivated by love for you.

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And we just thank you so much for
walking with us every step of the

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way, and we ask this in Jesus' name.

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Amen.

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Alright, well, I want you to take
that time this weekend to reflect

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and celebrate your progress.

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You've taken significant steps just
by listening and being engaged.

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I want you to be proud of that.

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And I want you to keep practicing progress
over perfection and be sure to join me.

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Tomorrow we'll do a recap of automating
savings, reviewing insurance, setting

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smart goals, finding your why,
identifying idols, and this crucial

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topic of progress over perfection.

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Plus, we're gonna have some
great listener questions.

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You don't wanna miss it, and if
this episode encourage you to be

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kind to yourself on this journey.

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Share it with somebody else
that needs to do that as well.

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You can find resources and links in
his show notes at our new website,

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financially confident christian.com.

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So until our recap tomorrow,
celebrate Progress, walk in

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grace and keep seeking him first.

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We're still making progress to becoming
financially confident Christians.

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Stay financially savvy and God bless you
and trust me, celebrate those victories.

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Extend yourself, grace.

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Practice progress, not perfection.

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You can do this.

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I truly believe in you.

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Have a great day today.