10th Step Has Many Uses

Our 10th Step (Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.) is, I think, designed to keep us honest with ourselves. The need for such self-honesty shows up in all sorts of ways.

The most obvious, of course, is when we stick our foot in it. Maybe we’re rude, or we fudge (lie) about something because we’re afraid. We all stumble in ways like this and we do need to admit when we’re wrong.

But the 12 and 12 says Step 10 is “A continuous look at our assets and liabilities, and a real desire to learn and grow by this means, are necessities for us.” That means to me we are also to notice, and maybe even celebrate when we do things well.

There is a third way to use the 10th Step and that’s to find out when we’re fooling ourselves. I’ve been vaguely aware that I’m way under charging a certain client. Since the work comes in sporadically, I’ve not worried about it too much, until I recognized this as a pattern of mine. Under charging or under earning isn’t doing something “wrong” in the usual sense, but it sure makes my life, well, not miserable, but…

As a result of some inventory, I’ve started closely tracking the time it actually takes me to get this work done. I may actually use that information to ask for more money. I’ve also developed a questionnaire that is designed to help me do it faster. In other words, using the 10th Step to bust my self is helping me be proactive on my own behalf. Who would have thought such a thing!

With love, blessings, and gratitude,

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