Jumpstart: Small Habits, Big Change

Today's post is by Rose Ward.

Have you ever found yourself reaching towards a goal only to get distracted and thrown off track? I know I have, often! Lately I have been thinking about goals within the framework of God’s plans, and the Holy Spirit revealed the importance of making simple, intentional, and consistent, small changes--- with follow through. I realized that it is not just the goals we need to focus on, but a peeling back of the goals, to see what is left when they are lifted. Is there support underneath the goal(s), or is there a gaping chasm? It is critical to place a supporting bridge underneath the goals we set!

The Bible gives us so much incredible information on how to live our best life both physically and spiritually, yet our habits often reflect binge watching our favorite shows, perfectionism, overtiredness, and unhealthy eating and lifestyle habits. Without healthy habits, we deteriorate, and our lives fall apart at the seams. Without thinking about what is underneath the goals, we will not reach them in a sustainable way. I mean, what are goals without good habits? We have to peel back the layers, but are we willing to look close enough to do this?

I believe we must construct a bridge to cross the chasm between everyday life and the goals we are trying to reach, and this bridge can only be developed by follow through on good habits. Good habits are the wooden planks that can build the bridge in the first place! It can feel shaky walking across planks, but guess who can keep them steady for us? Yes, you guessed it, Jesus will hold our hand the whole way. We must remember that Jesus is our support beam, and He will help us with the consistent, little habits that will carry us in His will. He will help us reach the goals He has designed for us!

Reflecting on these things made me ask another question. What about the kids? What am I teaching them when they see my lack of consistency, focus, and yes, my over-active perfectionism. Creating small habits of change with our children will not only help them, it will help us as parents! If we can do the small habits with them consistently, they will learn how to create good habits for life. Why not become a second support beam under our child’s bridge and co-pilot with Jesus in supporting them well?

You probably already know about the Hello Mornings three-minute morning routine. (There's a form at the bottom of this page that will let you participate in a free mini-workshop about the three-minute morning if you want to know more.) I wanted to compliment this, and so I created a printable you can use with your child, or children, to start some good, consistent habits--- but remember, this list is not set in stone, and can simply be used as a guide to give you some ideas on how to start your own consistent routine with your littles. 

The most important goal, or plan is to run the race well with Jesus, and if we have the habit of seeking Him first, we grow in wisdom, allowing ourselves to better understand what habits need to be started or changed first in our lives. Isaiah 41:10 says, “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” We can trust that God is willing to be a constant in our lives, give us support and provision, and fend off the attacks of our fleshly existence. We can find everything in Him, including our habits, dreams and goals, and this helps us see Christ as the support beam that we need underneath the bridge planks! With Him, the planks are laid on a solid foundation, making bridges strong, so that we can meet the goals He wants us to. The good habits are what makes the goals happen, and those good habits come from Jesus. When these things are in place, we will meet the goals set before us. 

Today’s free download (Small Habits, Big Change) may seem oversimplified, but if you do this list consistently, it will make a big difference in both your child’s future, and yours. It is worth the time investment to help your child, or children, put down some solid planks in order to build some structurally sound, very strong--- bridges.

Rose Ward is the Founder of Bloom & Reed, an online platform that develops and creates content and educational resources for Christian Women in Ministry (Writers, Speakers + Creatives) + Youth and Children. She is currently developing (WIM), a community to help Women in Ministry flourish, and working on a mission based school curriculum that is economical for homeschool families and missionary schools. Rose is a Writer, Speaker, and Artist whose Mission is to nourish others, inspire ideas, and support creativity, healing, and faith. Living life through the lens of hope, while dealing with chronic pain, Rose enjoys writing about her personal journey, the everyday details of being a homeschool Mom to four, her family’s continued health journey, and touching on subjects like understanding the heart of God, prayer, and guarding the heart of the Artist.  You can connect with Rose at @bloomandreed on Instagram or at her website www.bloomandreed.com.

Photo by Pascal M. on Unsplash