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Wed 11/29
As you work toward a big goal, do you stop to strategize about how to break up your journey into smaller, more manageable steps?
Yes
No
Story
Just 15 Minutes a Day
Based on a story by Charlotte Hale Allen
Charlotte’s life was changed for the better when she and her husband visited their friend, George, one hot summer Saturday. He was the only doctor in a small town and an ardent do-it-yourselfer who had recently bought a sprawling Victorian house. They were skeptical when George told them he intended to repair, repaint or refurnish every room in that three-story house by himself.
George had already made changes to a bathroom, lowering the ceiling, installing new storage cabinets, hanging wallpaper.
How did he find the time, Charlotte wondered. “I work fifteen minutes at a time, but never stop before my time is up,” George explained. “That’s the secret.”
Charlotte was skeptical that such a simple approach could work, but she decided to test it out. Her first project was a badly neglected flower garden that was overrun with weeds. She had long fretted, thinking she had no time whatever to redeem that garden. That’s when she learned how many weeds she could pull in 15 minutes! It took just one week, snatching a quarter hour here, another there, to get that flower border tidy and ready for new transplants.
The 15-minutes-a-day approach helped her to stop postponing those things she really wanted or needed to do and get them underway, and she found that the method worked on any job or goal, whether it was writing a book or tidying a garage or toolshed. She found that doing that sort of task makes for an enjoyable break from other duties. After a long committee meeting, it was soothing to polish the coffee service for 15 minutes. Tidying a drawer or cupboard seemed easy and satisfying after three hours at her typewriter.
What can you do 15 minutes at a time? Answers to that question range from the sublime (praise God!) to the ridiculous (clean out the refrigerator). Such projects move life forward. They strengthen purpose. The Bible has much to say about this, of course. Proverbs 12:24 encourages us to check our work habits: “The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slothful will be put to forced labor.” When you tackle a task 15 minutes at a time, you remove the drudgery and can instead enjoy steady progress toward your goal.
Pick a daunting task and try committing 15 minutes to it every day for a week. You’ll be surprised by what God and you can do in just those few minutes!
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–Maren Kate, from her blog Escaping the 9 to 5
“Break the unreasonable down into little reasonable chunks. A big goal is only achieved when every little thing that you do every day gets you closer to that goal.”
Reflect
What will you keep in mind as you begin to tackle your big goal?
My journey will require dedication and consistent effort.
Even when I’m feeling overwhelmed, I can achieve anything 15 minutes at a time.
I can defeat procrastination by making time, even a little, in my schedule for my dreams. They are worth it.
May God’s love encourage and guide your steps today. We’ll see you again soon!
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