Little Steps

As this year draws to a close, I feel a mix of emotions, don’t you? Gratitude for all the blessings I’ve received. Sadness over the passing of loved ones. Concern over the seemingly unsolvable situations in the world. Regret over things done or left undone. Overwhelm regarding things yet to do.

I can’t do anything about some of those things, but I know from previous experience that if I’ll declutter my personal spaces, I’ll feel much more hopeful and function more efficiently as I do the things I can do. 

However, even improving my workspace seems a daunting task. But the day I vowed to sort and file the accumulated items in my “to be done” stack, I came across a 3x5 card on which I'd scribbled these words several months ago: “find little ways forward.”

As I dealt with the stack, I said to myself, Think about what runners do. When they’re running a marathon (26.2 miles) or a shorter distance, they do it one step at a time. Step by step, from start to finish, they stay on the course marked out for them. They know that each step brings them closer to the finish line. They don’t lollygag around or quit. They don’t look back. They look ahead, eager to reach the finish line. That’s what I’ll do in regard to sorting this stuff and to finishing important projects that I’ve set aside for far too long.

Encouraged by that insight, I’m feeling less overwhelmed and more determined than ever to find little ways forward in the New Year. I hope you are too.

Get In the Race!

While listening to an interview with Dean Graziosi, I heard him say,  "You have inside of you what it takes to accomplish your dreams." 

I argued silently with him. Maybe you do, but I don't.

When he said, "You have more resources and talents inside you than you can possibly imagine," I wanted to yell, You don't know me. If you did, you'd see how limited I am, when compared to others.

Even though he couldn't hear me disagreeing with him, he challenged my stinkin' thinking with these words: "You have more to give the world than you realize. Self-doubt stops you from taking steps toward your goals."

I shut up and listened to more of his wise counsel: "I’d rather come to the end of my life knowing I’d tried and failed than to have spent my life waiting on the sidelines for that perfect moment. Take action! Go for it! Now! Don’t wait to start!"

As I reflected on his words, I recalled having taken photos at a harness racing track. As I looked at hundreds of photos of beautiful horses giving their best as they sped around the track, I realized that failing to win a race doesn't mean a horse isn’t strong and capable. It just means another horse did a bit better in that particular race than he did. 

But if his owner enters him in another race and gives him another opportunity to do his best, he just might win! But he definitely won't win if he refuses to train and to try again and again..... 

Each time he races, he becomes a better and stronger competitor--even if he doesn't officially win.   

Horses have been given the strength and the desire to run well. So have I. So have you. Let's stop watching others run. Let's get in the race and do whatever we're gifted to do!

One by One

I'd hoped to feel less overwhelmed after Christmas. But when the New Year arrived, I shifted my focus from "all things Christmas" to improvements I need to make. Lose at least ten pounds. Exercise daily. Stay in closer touch with friends. Declutter drawers and closets and THE BASEMENT. Publish a second book....

The more I considered what I needed to do, the more overwhelmed I felt. (Does that happen to you, too?) But while reading an email on New Year's Day, I saw a simple solution for decreasing overwhelm. Starting today, do ONE thing! For example: meet one exercise goal for today. Call one friend. Declutter one drawer. Write one paragraph for the new book.

By doing one small task today and another one tomorrow and the next day and the next day..., I'll achieve my goals. (You can, too!) Even the ones that seem unreachable.

Create An Environment for Success

“Create an environment for success," our weight loss coach says. "Look around and ask, 'What should I change in my home? My car? My school or workplace? What could I add? Or remove?’”

During each weekly meeting, we talk about how even small changes help us lose weight. One member of the group said, “I keep all my snacks in one cabinet. That way, I don’t see the chips and cookies stored in the cabinet my family uses."

Another person said, “I used to store apples in the fruit drawer of the fridge. But then, I'd forget about them. Now, I put them in a pretty bowl on one of the shelves—right in the front. My family and I see them first whenever we open the door.”

Someone else said, “I keep healthy snacks in my purse. Then I don't resort to snacking on cookies and chips when I‘m out and about.”

   Another said, “I keep a pair of comfortable shoes in my car. Anytime I have an opportunity to walk, my shoes are right there.”

Suggestions such as these inspired me to make changes in my environment and to notice others I can make. For example, I bought a red bowl and placed assorted measuring cups and spoons in it. It sits on the counter, right beside the food scales. Now, I measure my food rather than estimate how much I ate.

I'm changing not only my stuff but also my habits. Before I sit down to write a column or to edit a batch of photos, I set the timer on the microwave. Since I don’t like hearing the beep-beep-beep of the timer, I’ll walk to the kitchen to silence it. While I’m up every hour, I’ll do a household task or two before returning to my computer. Taking mini-breaks is essential since I have a history of blood clots. But until I started using the timer, I’d work for hours without moving around.

Whether trying to lose weight or reach some other goal, you and I can get to where we want to go sooner and with less effort if we’ll create an environment for success.                   

We'll also make progress in reaching our spiritual goals if we follow the advice provided in Hebrews 12:1, New Living Translation. “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.”

Removing hindrances, even little ones, helps us reach our goals sooner than we ever dreamed.                                                                          

 © 2013 by Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill

Never Give Up!

Dr. Jane Goodall, now 84, recalls the wise counsel her mother gave her many years ago when going to Africa and living with the animals and writing books about them was only a dream in young Jane's heart.

"If you really want to do this thing, you will have to work really hard, take advantage of all opportunities -- but never give up." (p.18, Renew magazine, Spring 2019)

Jane took her mother's advice and, consequently, has done far more than she ever imagined.

You and I will benefit from following Jane's mother's advice and that of the apostle Paul. 

A Message for Me

Note: I hope you enjoy the following edited version of a FICTION story I wrote in response to this writing prompt: You're at the beach and find a message in a bottle. What does it say?

As I wandered along a remote section of beach, I saw a bottle bobbing in the surf. I waded into waist-deep water to retrieve it. After carrying it to shore and drying it and my hands as best I could, I removed the cork, eager to pull out the paper someone had rolled tightly before inserting it into the quarter-size opening.

Something stirred deep within my soul as I read these words:

           

Created by Johnnie Ann Gaskill, 2019

I wondered, Did she reach her desired destination? If not, what happened to her? Had she sailed alone? What prompted her to leave all that was familiar and embark upon such an uncertain journey?

I didn’t know the answer to any of those questions, but I applauded her courage and tenacity. Sensing that God intended me to find that message and to follow her example, I decided I’d set sail, not upon an ocean, but in the direction of the dream God gave me over three decades ago, a dream I’d been too scared to pursue. 

So Brief!

When talking with my twenty-one-year-old grandson, I mentioned several goals I've set for myself this year, including walking 7500 steps (3 miles) most days so that by year's end I will have walked at least 500 miles.

I went on to say, "I don't like to sit around. You've noticed, haven't you, how whenever I do sit down to talk or watch a few minutes of educational TV that I reach for the bag that holds my yarn and crochet hook? That's because I like to make every minute count--for life passes by so fast."

Later that same day, I read words written by Moses centuries ago and marveled at how true they still are. After he'd commented on how brief this life is, even if we're privileged to live 70 or 80 years, Moses said to God, "Teach us to number our days [to realize the brevity of life], so that we may gain a heart of wisdom [grow in wisdom, especially in regard to how God wants us to live this life He has given us]" (Psalm 90: 10, 12, NKJV). 

Indeed, our days are passing by so quickly. May we use each one for God's glory and the good of others. 

Brick by Brick

When I read the insight James Clear added to a familiar quote, I realized he was right. Indeed, “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour.”

Worthwhile projects take time and effort. None of us can construct something magnificent overnight, no matter how much we wish we could. However, we’ll witness our dreams becoming more and more of a reality if only we’ll follow the example of hardworking brick masons. They build beautiful structures by laying one brick at a time, hour after hour and day by day. Furthermore, they work as long as it takes to finish the job.

How hard and how faithfully do we work to reach our goals?

Elevator People and Ball Carriers

Dr. John Maxwell says we need to find elevator people and ball carriers and then keep them near us as we strive to reach our goals.

Elevator people help us go higher than we could ever go by ourselves. I’ve been blessed with several of them through the years, as I hope you have. For example, a dear friend (Nancy) contacted a publisher in her town and said, “I think you need to run Johnnie Gaskill’s column in your magazine.”

He replied, “Ask her to email me some samples.”

I did. He liked them. Consequently, I’ve written monthly columns for him since 2008. Had it not been for my sweet elevator friend who believed in my work and promoted it, my writing would not be available to 40,000+ readers each month!

Ball carriers help us avoid “dropping the ball” in the first place; but when we do, they help us pick it up and resume running toward the finish line with it. Another dear friend (Linda) has been one of my ball carriers for over 50 years. She has helped me do many things I thought I could not do. She’s also been my go-to person for “all things grammar.”

I thank God for Nancy and Linda and for every elevator person and ball carrier God has brought into my life. I’m trusting Him to keep me well-supplied with them. I’m also looking to see who needs me to be an elevator person or a ball carrier for them.

Little Changes

Need to make some changes? I certainly do—lots of them. SIGH. Thus, I often feel overwhelmed to the point of giving up--or never starting at all.

Thankfully, I found encouragement today while reading a couple of emails from Nick Stephenson in which he says that even a 1% change each day will yield a 100% improvement in only 72 days (thanks to compound growth).

I’m no math genius, but I do know that one percent of anything isn’t much! For example, if I’m currently averaging 1000 steps a day, taking only 10 additional steps today, and just a few more than that the next day, and so forth, will eventually enable me to reach my step goal.

Another example: Years ago, a friend said, "Every night I remove all the coins from my pockets and place the money in a jar. By Christmastime, I've saved over $700."

Marla Cilley (aka FlyLady) also recommends taking “baby steps.” She says, "If your house is a mess and/or your life is in chaos, shine your sink every night before going to bed. Even that one small action step will motivate you to make other little changes." As we work toward reaching our goals, let's keep this FlyLady quote in mind: "We seek progress, not perfection."

All the folks mentioned above have learned that little changes, done consistently, do make a difference. We don’t need to “do the math” for every change. All we have to do is take a few more action steps toward various goals each day. We can do that! So...let’s get going!

And though you started with little,

you will end up with much.

~Job 8:7, NLT

Decide to Do; Follow Through

Photo taken during a half-marathon (13 miles) at Orange Beach, AL.
J. Gaskill Photography

My daughter Jena set a goal to run 100 miles each month during 2017--and she exceeded it! Previously, she had not enjoyed running, but now she does. She takes time to run nearly every day; sometimes during her lunch break, sometimes before going to work, sometimes after getting home from work, sometimes in 5Ks and half-marathons, sometimes alone, sometimes with family, sometimes with friends, sometimes in the heat, sometimes in the cold. Running has become a priority for her. Consequently, she's reaching her running goals and experiencing the benefits of a more active lifestyle.

Seeing her set goals and work diligently to reach them inspires me to determine my priorities and do them. After all, deciding isn't worth much if there is no follow through.

Whatever you do, do [it] well. 

Ecclesiastes 9:10, New Living Translation

Diligent Discipline

My frustration level soared this morning when I stepped on the scales and learned that I was one-fourth of a pound--a mere four ounces--over the weight loss goal I’d been trying for months to reach. AAAARGH!

Prior to stepping on the scales, I’d said to my husband, who knew how disappointed I’d been every morning for the past week when the scales showed I was less than one pound over the goal, “Surely, I’ll make goal this morning. If I don’t, I’m going to quit!!!”

But before he had a chance to respond, I said, “No, I won’t! I’d be foolish to give up when I’m sooo close to the goal.”

I renewed my commitment to try one more day and one more day...to get to the goal. And whenever I finally get there, I’ll say, “Wah-hoo!” and then set a new goal, one that’s five pounds lower than the current one. (Am I a glutton for punishment?)

Knowing I have a life-long tendency to abandon projects, even when finishing them is very doable, makes me even more determined to forge ahead with the disciplines required to reach my weight loss goal. I will remain diligent in regard to staying within calorie limits and getting adequate rest and exercise. As I continue to do what’s required to reach this goal, the stick-with-it mindset I’m forming will enable me to complete other projects, too.

           

A Bible verse I read this morning assures me there’s reward associated with stick-to-it-ive-ness. “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance…” (Proverbs 21:5, ESV). Since diligent discipline does pay off, I’ll wait—in hope—for success.

Note: The following morning I was actually one-fourth of a pound below my goal. I felt elated over that, of course, but the real gladness came from knowing I could discipline myself--and had--and, in the process, had been kind to my body by giving it the the food, rest, and exercise it needs to stay healthy.

Every Step Counts!

Around the middle of January 2015, I received an e-mail from the good folks at Fitbit® informing me that I had walked 696 miles in 2014. In doing so, I’d taken over 1.5 million steps (1,696,496, to be exact). I was shocked I’d walked that much!

But then I read the note near the bottom of the e-mail, which said, in essence, “Every single step you took during your very busy days added up to something big, something really big!”  You know, that’s very true. Most days, I do some intentional walking, like in my neighborhood. But the many steps I’ve taken while running errands or going on photo shoots or doing household chores or volunteering at the local hospital, etc. have brought me closer to my goal.

What is my goal? To walk from my home in Georgia to a small town in Nevada where a dear friend lives. I embarked upon this “virtual” journey in October 2013.  I reached Oklahoma City at the end of Jan. 2015 and am heading to Amarillo, which is 1139 miles from where I live. That’s still a looooong way from Wellington, Nevada, but I’ll eventually get there, step by step, mile by mile.

As I reflected on that, I realized anew that nearly every goal we set is achieved in small increments. For example, losing weight, learning how to do something, etc. As the Bible says, “For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little” (Isaiah 28:10, ESV).

Step. Step. Step. Every one counts!!!

Drip! Drip! Drip!

Drip. Drip. Drip. One drop followed another, each splashing into a glass bowl half-filled with water. Our assignment was to photograph a drop after it hit the water and splashed upward. That was easier said than done!

Some of the 11 photographers who were trying to accomplish that ended up with a few beautiful images. As you might guess, not every picture was a keeper. One photographer said she tried more than 50 times to get a shot she liked. I finally managed to snap a few pictures of drops as they rebounded from the water; but, alas, none of mine were sharply focused. Therefore, I won’t be able to use them in any way. However, I plan to keep a few of the best ones on my hard drive, since they represent my first attempt at photographing a water droplet in motion.

Frequently throughout the all-day photography workshop, we had to use an empty detergent bottle to suction out the excess water in our bowls. I was surprised at how quickly the bowls filled up. After all, there was only one drop falling at a time. Drip. Drip. Drip. Yet, those individual drops made a difference!

A few days after the workshop, I listened to a speech that had been given at a photography workshop a year ago. The speaker reminded everyone that sales, even little ones, do add up. “It’s like water dripping from a faucet,” she said. “Drip. Drip. Drip. Your little successes may not seem like much, but, over time, they’ll add up.”

Her words encouraged me, not only in regard to photography, but to life in general. Little things we do consistently and to the best of our ability will, over time, make a difference.

For example, since I’ve rejoined The Wellness Center, I’m hearing about dramatic changes in many of the people who go there regularly to exercise. One friend has lost over 40 pounds. Another now has a full range of motion in knees that once were too stiff and sore to move very much. Another has lowered (significantly!) her blood pressure and cholesterol.

These changes didn’t happen overnight. Like the drip, drip, drip of the water, the frequent visits to the Wellness Center, over time, slowly added up, making a noticeable difference.

Rather than just sitting around wishing, hoping, and praying for change, the clients are working day by day to achieve their fitness goals. And, as I said, they are experiencing remarkable success.

No matter where we want to go in life or what we want to achieve, we reach our goal step by step by step, don’t we? Whether it’s restoring order to a cluttered space or training for a career, we do it bit by bit by bit.

As I reflected on all these things, I recalled a parable (an earthly story with a spiritual application) Jesus told. In the story, three servants are called to appear before their master to give an account of how they had managed the money he had given to them to use while he had been away. Two servants had managed the money wisely; one had not.

Read all about it in the 25th chapter of Matthew. Notice what the master said when he commended the two wise servants: “You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” (verses 21 and 23).

Being faithful in little things really does matter! So, let’s consistently take the small steps needed to get us to wherever we want to go. Step. Step. Step.

©2010 by Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill. For permission to use the photos and/or the text, please contact her.