An example of this confusion can be found in our inclination to attempt to achieve extremely high and holy levels of Torah learning, Avodas Hashem, and Mitzvah observance, forgetting that Hashem created us as limited and fallible Human beings, who do not possess the ability to transform in one day. Evidently what He requires from us is to try to reach whatever is "within" our reach, and not yield to our -however spiritual- "greed".
The Chovos Halevavos addresses this issue, cautioning those who strive to follow in the ways of Ovdei Hashem: "Proceed slowly and thoughtfully in acquiring the good traits, according to how your matters allow you to bear. Beware of taking on too much, or too quickly, without moving gradually, lest you become lost," and he concludes with a profound analogy: "because too much oil in a candle is a cause to extinguish its light."
(חובות הלבבות שער אהבת ה' פרק ז)
Taking caution to proceed gradually and incrementally, according to our abilities, is indeed one of the hardest, but at the same time most important values to keep in mind on our journey to shleimus. For this is what Hashem desires of us, and in fulfilling His desires, we are following in the footsteps of Avraham Avinu in his nisayon of לך לך.
A Successful Strategy
This is true also in the milchemes hayetzer, our lifelong battle to overcome our evil inclinations. The Chasam Sofer adds a brilliant insight, saying we should learn from the yetzer hara himself how to lead battle and overcome him.
The yetzer hara, he says, doesn't initially try to convince a person to commit the gravest sins. Instead, he slowly convinces him, regarding matters that are considered by the person unimportant and non-critical, and so, step by step, he continues to coerce him into doing progressively worse sins, until he gains power over him and drags him into the nadir where he commits the worst transgressions. As the Gemara says (שבת קה:): "Such is the craft of the yetzer hara. Today he tells him to do this, and tomorrow tells him do that, until eventually, when he no longer controls himself, he tells him to worship idols and he goes and worships idols."
We too should adopt this cunning approach in our counter battle against the yetzer hara. Step by step, we should advance slowly but surely towards our goal. Trying to "do it all at once" will not bring us any closer. Quite the opposite, it only draws us away from the desired destination.
(חתם סופר – תורת משה, ויקרא)