In the physical world, it’s very clear when you’re digging yourself into a hole. Kids do that when they’re playing. 

In the financial or emotional world, it’s less clear, and you can live in denial for a long time.

There are signs, though. You will notice you’re borrowing from tomorrow to pay for today and yesterday. More and more, you rely on good luck or divine intervention. You’ll feel like time isn’t on your side. You feel inclined to escape into the present to numb your worry about the future.

If you find yourself in this situation, the first step out is to embrace the reality check and stop digging.

Once you’re not getting deeper into the hole, then you can start filling it back in, and eventually climb out. This is always an admirable act.

And in the meantime, the journey out will help you find a lot of meaning.

If you want to see this in action, Michael Gates Gill wrote about his journey in How Starbucks Saved My Life. (The readers’ criticism is all valid, the book still resonated and felt quite uplifting.)