What We Do Everyday

We've had a chalkboard hanging in our kitchen for a while now that I try to update every now and then with a quote or scripture I feel like we can relate to at the time. Honestly though, it's been blank a lot lately and that's because not only do I have a hard time deciding what to write on it at any given time, but I also never seem satisfied with how my handwriting looks so I end up erasing it and leaving it empty for a good while.

I actually desperately want to replace the chalkboard with this felt letter board from Letterfolk but my husband seems to think the price is outrageous. It is outrageous, but alas, it is on the top of my wish list.

ANYWAY.

Back to the point of this post. Last week I started reading Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin. She also wrote The Happiness Project which I loved, so when I saw she had a new book out about making and breaking habits, I thought it would be a great read for me right now. In the first few pages of the book, she shares "The Habits Manifesto" and starts it with this phrase:

"What we do every day matter more than what we do once in a while."

I know this isn't a groundbreaking concept and it's not something we don't already know, but my thoughts kept coming back to this phrase all afternoon (and honestly, every day since then). I knew it needed to be up on our chalkboard and I didn't care how sloppy my handwriting was. I put it up right away and it's been up ever since.

Why did this thought resonate with me so much? I guess I like that it applies to everything in life. When I started this book, I was kind of thinking of habits more specific to getting back into a healthy lifestyle because that is a high priority for my in life right now. Exercising occasionally and eating healthy some of the time isn't going to get me where I need to be. Yes, this is a given, but I can see myself repeating this phrase on the days I feel I'm losing my discipline or will power and it helping me stay on track.

This phrase obviously relates to eating healthy and working out but I can't help but apply to so many other things in life.

I can take this thought and apply it to my how I approach my relationship with my husband and really, anyone close to me. My actions and words on a day to day basis matter more than the occasional grand gesture. Date nights are great and we absolutely need to make sure we are intentional about making sure we get out just the two of us every now and again. But our marriage will benefit more from daily communication, building each other up and spending quality time together (even if the only quality time we can carve out is sitting on the back patio with a glass of wine during the 15 minutes before the baby wakes up).

I can apply it to spreading love and kindness to strangers. Yes, I want to volunteer more and I want to perform the occasional random act of kindness and it's important to still do those things, but if I make an effort to do small things and spread kindness in my day-to-day interactions with people, that makes a difference too.

I can apply it to my faith. I don't want to pray only when things are tough. I don't want my only time with God to be when we make it to church on Sunday. I need to walk in faith every day. I need to talk to God daily and not just ask Him for what myself or others need, but I want to pause throughout the day and thank him, too.

This is a unique time in our lives. We are settling into new routines, new roles, new responsibilities, new priorities. I guess this phrase is just something I needed to hear right now to help me be the woman, wife, mother that I want to be.