{The post below is an excerpt from my ebook, The Do What You Can Plan: 21 Days to Making Any Area of Your Life Better. I always revisit it for my own life before the start of a new year and I hope it encourages as well as empowers you too!}
I clearly remember driving down a familiar road in my car. As trees whizzed by my thoughts were a blur too. I mentally ran through the list that always followed this phrase, “When things are normal then I’ll….(fill in the blank with “exercise, eat better, have a longer quiet time.”) Suddenly I mentally slammed on the brakes as I realized I had been having the same conversation with myself on this same road for five years.
I whispered to myself, “Normal isn’t coming.”
That actually became the beginning of the “Do What You Can Plan” because I resolved in that moment to begin making small changes now rather than waiting for the perfect time later. Guess what? The perfect time doesn’t exist. There will always be a complication, crisis, or what looks like a legitimate reason to wait.
Start now or you may not ever start.
Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. Ecclesiastes 11:4
Oh, what you do may not fit the vision you’ve had in mind.
My ideal exercise plan consisted of an hour at the gym every day. The reality? On some days it was nothing more than doing a few squats while I blow dried my hair (yes, that made the dog look at me funny). But over time those little changes added up and I began to gain momentum until a year later I realized in shock that I had met my goals.
I’ve heard runners remark that the hardest steps are the ones between your front door and the mailbox. It’s so easy to say, “It’s too hot” or “I’m too tired.” Learning to pound the pavement through all the seasons of life is one of the most important aspects of becoming a runner. The same is true in all other areas of our lives as well.
When we limit change or even enjoyment in our lives to the times when everything falls into place just as we want, it’s a bit like refusing to drive unless every stoplight we come across is green. There will always be discomfort to push through, setbacks to endure, mistakes to overcome. Yet in looking back, those often become the most meaningful parts of our journey. That resistance along the way shapes who we are in ways we often don’t expect and we’re stronger for it in the end.
Life isn’t ever normal. Timing isn’t ever perfect. Conditions are never really right.
If you know this is something God wants you to do, move forward anyway.
Dare to do what you can because you serve a God who can do more than you can even imagine.
XOXO
Holley Gerth
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Are you ready to do what you can? For less than a latte, you can start the new year with my ebook, The Do What You Can Plan: 21 Days to Making Any Area of Your Life Better.
I’d also highly recommend my friend Kristen Strong’s book, Girl Meets Change. And you can join her on (in)courage for a free Change Challenge in January!
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Welcome to the Coffee for Your Heart weekly link-up! You’re an encourager so I’m asking you to pour out a little love with your words every Wednesday {link-up goes live at 5:30am CST}. Simply write an encouraging blog post and then share it here. Don’t have a blog? You can still write an encouraging comment. If you’re reading this by email, go to holleygerth.com to see all the fun and join in too.
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I’m having Coffee For Your Heart with my friend Holley Gerth
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