With the balmy weather, outside activities throughout the middle of the day haven’t been happening. This weekend, I made a mental list of several small projects I could work on and finish if I had some help from my family. Organizing storage areas. Installing curtain rods. Adding a few shelves under the counter in the dining room. Moving out unneeded furniture items. Clearing off shelves in the laundry room.

            After the jobs ended, we all felt accomplished. None of the tasks took very long, but they made a huge difference to each of the rooms. Extra paper towels and paper plates were now neatly stacked instead of piled haphazardly. Placemats and games had designated spaces. Storage areas in several rooms were less random. And curtains added a homey feel to the spare room.

            Often, I dread the little things. Ten-minute jobs loom in the waiting for years and I usually talk myself out of completing the task. It always feels good. And it always makes our life easier or better in some way.

            The same is true when I look at my everyday life. Walking, biking, and stretching are all helpful exercises that my body benefits from in the correct proportions. Instead of sucking it up and consistently doing them, I often talk myself out of it. Spiritually, I know the importance of deep, honest prayer. But many days, I get busy doing other things and throw up hit or miss prayers throughout the day. Emotionally I understand the importance of journaling through my feelings, but some days, I just don’t feel like it.

            Why do we avoid the little things that could make so many aspects of our lives better? This week, let’s intentionally target all the little undone things that we notice. Let me know how it goes. We’re in this together.