E - Everyday Actions

E - Everyday Actions

We all have things that we do every single day; many would call this a “daily routine”. These everyday actions are obviously important to us or we wouldn’t be doing them day in and day out, but what we may not realize is just how important these actions are. Our everyday routine is the building block and foundation of our life, and as Reverend Brian Marshall said during his message at church this past Sunday, “What we pay attention to every day is what we become.”

Take a moment to stop and think about your everyday actions. Write down as many as you can think of, and don’t exclude any you may consider insignificant—they all matter! Now look back at your list. Are these actions you engage in every day leading you in the direction of the person you want to be or become? What are some actions you want to work on eliminating from your everyday life? What actions do you want to start incorporating into your everyday life? My challenge for you is this: 

A. Pin-point one thing you do almost every day that isn’t steering you in the direction of the person you want to become and work on eliminating it from your life.

B. Think of something you would like to start doing that would help get you closer to the person you want to become and work on incorporating it into your life.

If you are starting to see positive changes in your life or yourself as a person and you find that you enjoy this process—keep going! Even though it’s our daily actions that create the foundation of our lives, the actions you choose to eliminate or incorporate into your life don’t have to be daily occurrences, they can be weekly, monthly, or even yearly goals. With that being said, one important tip I want to share with you is this: be mindful about the goals you set; you don’t want to bite off more than you can chew! You don’t need to start incorporating every single positive action into your life all at once, and you don’t need to eliminate every negative action from your life all at once. Make a list, and start by adding/eliminating one or two things at a time until it becomes a habit. I definitely started slow when I decided to commit to living a healthier, happier life. I will list a few of my own personal examples below:

Daily Goals

• Take a multivitamin and omega 3 supplement (This is going great! Probably because I take fruity flavored gummy vitamins that taste like candy…)
• Complain less (This is harder than it sounds)
• Smile at people/be kind to everyone (Just a friendly smile, don’t be a creeper)
• Journal—daily bible verse, gratitude, prayers (This helps clear my head and puts me at ease at the end of the day)
• Start a skin care routine (I want to do a bit more research to figure out what plan of action would best suit my needs)

Weekly Goals

• Publish a blog post (I’m doing my best to stick with this!)
• Yoga session/stretch (I haven’t started this one yet, but I need to)
• Cardio session (I’ve got the cardio thing down)
• Volunteer (I’ve made calls to set something up—it’s in the works!)

Monthly/Open Goals

• Engage in hobbies more (Old and new)
• Be open to learning, always
• Less screen time, more outside time (Or reading)
• Be mindful of money—save up and spend wisely
• Donate blood (When my iron isn’t too low)
• Truly listen to others when they talk (Listen to understand, not to respond)
• Be more selfless and have a Jesus looking heart 

These are just a few examples from my long list of goals, and that list continues to alter and grow as my life goes on. I’ve started working on a few of these “every day action goals”, but do I meet the goals I strive to achieve 365/24/7? I’m human, so no. But I am trying. I  do what I can when I can, and any amount of forward progress is better than no progress at all! The beauty of every day action goals is that there is no end to them; they are simply lifestyle changes that help us focus our attention on becoming the best version of ourself that we can be every single day. 

I think you will be amazed by how big of an impact even the smallest positive change can make in your life.  As Thomas Moore once said, ”The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.”