Choice Ten: The Choice Of Personal Inventory – Keeping the Road Clear

“Freedom is not something you achieve once. It’s something you maintain.”

You have come far. You have done the hard work, faced your past, made amends, and started living with integrity.
But here’s something you need to know: the moment you stop maintaining t, it begins to fade.
This is not a one-time process. It is a daily practice.
Choice Ten is about making sure you don’t drift, you don’t forget, and you don’t fall into complacency.
It is the habit that keeps you clear, honest, and fully present in your own life.
Because this program only works when all the paths stay connected.
There is a dangerous trap in recovery—one that has taken many people back to where they started.

That trap is complacency.

• “I’ve done the hard work—I don’t need to check in with myself now.”
• “I’ve changed—I won’t fall back into old habits.”
• “I’m doing well—there’s nothing left to fix.”

These thoughts are where the cracks begin.
Because change is not a single moment. It is a lifelong process.

That is why Choice Ten is essential.
It keeps it all connected. It keeps you aligned.
It keeps you from ever drifting too far.

How Personal Inventory Works

This is not about self-criticism or dwelling on mistakes.
It is about awareness, maintenance, and course correction.
There will be days when life gets busy. There will be days when you forget.
That’s okay.
This choice is not about perfection—it is about consistency.
Some days, you will take time to sit down and deeply reflect.
Other days, it might just be five minutes before bed, checking in with yourself.

If nothing else, it can be as simple as:

• Five minutes outside, looking up at the universe.
• A quiet moment before sleep, mentally reviewing your day.
• A short pause in the morning, asking yourself how you want to show up today.

It is not about how long you do it—it is about keeping the practice alive.

How This Keeps You Free

Taking daily inventory means asking yourself:

• Did I live with integrity today?
• Did I handle challenges in the way I wanted to?
• Did I slip into any old habits or thought patterns?
• Do I owe anyone an apology or correction?

This choice is about catching mistakes early—before they build up, before they spiral, before they block the other paths.
Because the small things—the little lies, the unchecked resentments, the justifications

they don’t stay small.
They grow. They pile up.
And one day, if ignored long enough, they become too big to ignore.
This is why you clear the road a little every day—so nothing can pile up and trap you in the past.

When You Are Wrong, Admit It—Immediately

One of the hardest things in life is saying, “I was wrong.”
The old version of you might have avoided those words at all costs.
But the person you are becoming has the strength to own mistakes as soon as they happen.

This means:

• If you snapped at someone, you apologize right away.
• If you were dishonest, you correct it before it snowballs.
• If you let old habits creep in, you call them out before they take hold.
  The longer you wait, the harder it gets.
  That’s why admitting mistakes immediately is part of this program.
  It keeps the road clear.
  It keeps your past behind you—where it belongs.

If you stop checking in with yourself, if you stop reflecting, the small cracks will turn into major roadblocks.

• You will start making justifications for behavior you once would have corrected.
• You will start saying, “It’s not a big deal,” even when it is.
• You will stop noticing the pull of old habits—until you’re back in them.
  At first, it won’t feel like much.

Then one day, you wake up and realize you are exactly where you started.
That is why this path must be walked daily—to make sure that never happens.

When these Choices Become one

At the start of this journey, the Thirteen Choices may feel like separate pieces—each one a different challenge, each one requiring focus and effort.
But if you continue to make the right choices, something incredible happens.
The choices stop feeling separate. They merge together.
Instead of many choices, you realize they have become a one.