The Poverty You're Quietly Engineering for Yourself
You don’t need a massive overhaul. You need to get serious about what looks insignificant.
Delphine Fanfon
The following article was originally published in a series entitled "Slow-Cooked Personal Development" by our regional director for Africa, Delphine Fanfon. You can read the rest of the series (and more) at her website.
We often think of poverty as a lack of money. And sure, that’s part of it. But financial poverty is just one form of a much deeper issue.
The real epidemic?
- Poverty of personal leadership!
- Poverty of discipline!
- Poverty of character!
And like most forms of poverty, it doesn’t happen all at once. It creeps in slowly. Quietly. Through small lapses, small compromises, small blind spots that go unchecked.
We love to blame systems, circumstances, or the people around us for our stagnation. But sometimes, the most brutal poverty we face is the one we’ve built for ourselves—one careless decision at a time.
It’s not sexy to talk about this. It doesn’t go viral. But if you’re serious about becoming someone of depth, power, and lasting impact, you need to hear this:
The little things are not little. They’re everything.
The Small Habits That Keep You Broke (in Life and Leadership)
Let’s call it what it is:
- You know you should prepare better. But you keep winging it.
- You said you’d follow up. But you ghosted.
- You want to grow, but you don’t show up when it’s uncomfortable.
- You’re waiting for someone to mentor you, open a door, hand you the keys—while refusing to humble yourself and ask for help.
- You’ve got a million dreams, but zero consistency.
These aren’t minor quirks. They’re cracks in the foundation. And over time, they widen until the whole house collapses.
Don’t believe the lie that your poor decisions aren’t costing you anything. Every act of flakiness, avoidance, passivity, or arrogance is a withdrawal from your future.
Eventually, the account hits zero.
How the Small Stuff Becomes Your Legacy
You don’t become untrustworthy overnight.
You don’t become ineffective in leadership from one bad call.
You don’t become irrelevant because of one missed opportunity.
It’s a slow leak.
A buildup of small, seemingly harmless habits that harden into a life you didn’t want.
- A leader who can’t make clear decisions
- A friend no one relies on
- A worker who’s always almost great
- A visionary with no follow-through
- A gifted person no one trusts
And then we wonder why we feel stuck, unseen, or overlooked.
The truth is, someone is watching. People notice. Doors open and close based on the person you’re becoming when no one is clapping.
It’s Not a Personality Flaw — It’s Poverty
Some of us have spiritualized or psychologized what’s really just poor stewardship:
- “I’m just not a morning person.”
- “I work better under pressure.”
- “That’s just how I process things.”
- “I’ll do it when I feel more confident.”
Translation: I’ve chosen comfort over commitment.
We’ve mistaken convenience for self-care and flakiness for flexibility. But the reality is, much of what we excuse as personality quirks are indicators of personal poverty:
A poverty of integrity.
A poverty of preparation.
A poverty of discipline.
The Power of the Little Things
You want to build a meaningful life? A legacy? Influence that lasts?
It’s all in the little things.
- Returning a message you said you would
- Showing up on time
- Doing what you said you’d do
- Asking for help before it’s too late
- Owning your mistakes
- Preparing for meetings even when no one expects it
- Finishing what you start
- Keeping your word even when it’s hard
These are not glamorous. They’re not Instagram-worthy. But they are the habits that separate those who merely look like leaders from those who truly are.
The little things are what build trust.
The little things are what earn respect.
The little things are what make you consistent—and consistency is credibility.
Your Poverty Ends Where Your Process Begins
If you’re willing to be brutally honest, you might see some of these gaps in yourself—and that’s good. Because awareness is the first step toward freedom.
This isn’t about shame. It’s about maturity.
It’s about saying: “I’m done making excuses for things I actually have the power to change.”
Because guess what?
- You can grow in consistency.
- You can build discipline.
- You can become a trustworthy, focused, and powerful leader.
- You can live a life of abundance—in spirit, character, and impact.
But it’s going to take time.
It’s going to take humility.
And it’s going to take a deep respect for the process.
Call to Action: Start Taking the Small Things Seriously
If you’re tired of watching your potential evaporate into excuses, it’s time to make a shift.
📌 Stop romanticizing breakthrough. Start honoring process.
📌 Stop chasing the big win. Start mastering the small steps.
📌 Stop waiting to be “ready.” Start showing up faithfully—now.
This is your invitation:
Embrace the slow-cooked path.
Start taking the small things seriously.
And watch how God, over time, turns your obedience into overflow.
You don’t need a massive overhaul. You need to get serious about what looks insignificant. Because in the kingdom —and in life — the little things are the big things.
Read more of Delphine's writing here!
