The other day, my wife said something I can’t stop thinking about:
“Desire got you to eat the first chip. Guilt made you finish the bag.”

She’s right. She usually is. 🤓

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I KNOW THIS PATTERN WELL

Twelve years ago, I joined a men’s weight loss program. I was all in—tracking everything, following the rules, and I lost 49 pounds in a year.
I looked great. Felt even better. That kind of energy you get when everything’s clicking? I had it.

Then came Purim.

If you’re not familiar, Purim is a Jewish holiday where kids dress up in costumes and collect mountains of candy. It ends up everywhere.
One day, a chocolate bar mysteriously ended up in my mouth.

I don’t remember picking it up. I don’t remember unwrapping it. But suddenly—sugar rush. That old, familiar kryptonite hit me hard.
Oh. I remember this.

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ONE CHIP BECAME THE WHOLE BAG

It didn’t happen all at once. It never does.
A little nosh here. A piece of candy there. “Just this once” on repeat.

Eventually, I gained it all back.

Not because of one chocolate bar. But because of what came after.
Guilt.

“Well, I already blew it.”
“What’s the point now?”
“I’ll start fresh on Monday.”

Sound familiar?

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I’M BACK ON TRACK NOW

Here I am again. But this time, I’m doing something different: I’m aiming for imperfection.

Yesterday, I ate five dill pickle chips. Then I put the bag back.

Wait, what? Chips? On a program?
Yup. Five of them. Delicious. And then I stopped.

My wife doesn’t get it. But here’s the thing—she hasn’t had sugar in over 12 years. She’s not normal. In the best way. She’s questionably human. 😅

Me? I’m regular human. I’m going to slip. The question is: what happens next?

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A CLIENT SAID SOMETHING BRILLIANT

She’s been budgeting for a few weeks now. And she’s already gone over budget.

When I asked how she felt about it, she surprised me:
“I feel good,” she said.

Wait, what?

“I’m not doing it perfectly,” she explained. “But I’m still doing it. And I’m not beating myself up over it.”

She ate the first chip. But she didn’t finish the bag.
That’s the whole game.

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THE BEGINNING IS EASY

Starting something new—a diet, a budget, a system—feels exciting. That initial motivation carries you for a while.

But eventually, you fall off. Everyone does. (Except my wife. But we’ve established she’s not normal.)

The question isn’t if you’ll fall. It’s what happens after.

Do you dust yourself off and get back on? Or does guilt take over—leading you to polish off the bag, abandon the budget, and think, “I’ll try again next year”?

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YOU KNOW THE BIKE THING

We all learned it as kids: you fall off, you get back on. That’s how you learn to ride.

It’s harder as an adult, staring at a budget that’s off track or a scale that’s moving the wrong direction.
But the principle is the same.

Falling off isn’t failure. Staying down is.

My client gets this. She’s not doing it perfectly. She’s doing it anyway. And that’s why she’s going to win.

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DESIRE AND GUILT

Desire got me to eat the first chip.
Guilt used to make me finish the bag.

Not anymore.

Now I eat five dill pickle chips, put the bag back, and move on with my day.
Is it perfect? No.
Is it progress? Absolutely.

That’s the goal. Not perfection. Just… staying in the game.

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WHAT DOES A FINANCIAL COACH DO?

I help people stay in the game.

Not beat themselves up when they overspend.
Not abandon the plan because one month went sideways.
Not let guilt turn one slip into a spiral.

Managing money is 20% numbers and 80% mindset. The first chip isn’t the problem. The guilt is. And guilt can be unlearned.

Wondering if I’m as awesome in person as I am on paper? Spoiler: I totally am. 😎
Don’t believe me? Book a free session and find out →

Avraham
Your Financial Coach

P.S. Five dill pickle chips. That’s my number. What’s yours? 🥒
P.P.S. If you’ve been beating yourself up about your budget—stop. Hit reply and tell me where you’re at. No judgment. I read every one.