Hi, sweet friends. I have something to tell you today and I’m guessing some of you will be able to relate. I’ll explain in the video why I opted for a video message today instead of my typical written format.
Here’s to taking time to:
Unplug.
Rest and recharge.
Reflect.
Be still.
Listen.
Write privately.
Make room for new things.
Y’all are the best! Thank you for listening and understanding.
Jill xx
I’ve heard from many of you after last week’s Tiny Habits post, that you’re excited and hopeful in creating your own Tiny Habits. Whether it’s a new habit we’re trying to master or a large project that looms before us, the act of breaking things down into small, manageable chunks makes it seem doable and even fun. This got me thinking about other powerful “tiny” things. Namely…
Tiny blessings.
Have you noticed that the big, headline-worthy, miracle-sized blessings get all the attention? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for big blessings and they should be celebrated, but in the grand scheme of things, if we take note and give thanks for the daily tiny blessings in our lives, we will experience more gratitude and joy in our lives.
We all experience these tiny blessings, but because of their wee size, they may get buried in the day-to-day stresses, activities, and routine. If you don’t notice them, you might forget to give thanks for them, or to share one as an encouragement to someone else, or to acknowledge their faithful presence in your life.
Tiny blessings should not be overlooked. It’s time to shine the spotlight on them!
Here are three simple ways to ensure you don’t miss out on the tiny blessings that come your way:
Use The Correct Lens: I recently spent the day with a photographer and was amazed at what he could capture just by switching out his lens: zooming in to capture detail that would easily be overlooked by the normal “roving” eye or using a widele lens that expanded his view, capturing detail in the periphery that might otherwise be missed. It’s the same with us, we need to listen to our instincts and be present in the moment enough to realize when it’s time to switch out our lens. Don’t get so caught up in the big picture or so bogged down in the minutia that you miss out on tiny blessings all around you.
Remember Your History: Every single one of us has tiny blessings dotted across the canvas of our lives. Sometimes those small dots become blurry and distant. It’s easy to forget our past blessings, but you don’t have to. Keeping a record of your tiny blessings is a great way. I do this in my gratitude journal, when nothing is too small. When you get in a rut or go through a difficult time, it’s very encouraging to pull out the physical reminders of your blessings to give you hope and keep you going.
Be a Tiny Blessing Bless-er: I’m sure you’ve heard the Bible verse, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” I think Jesus was on to something here! I’ve seen this firsthand to be true and I bet you have, too. Whether it’s a kind word, gesture, or other loving act, being a blessing to someone else almost always has a way of leaving you feeling like you’ve been more blessed than the bless-ee.
Friends, don’t let the circumstances of life let the tiny blessing spottings disappear. Keep your eyes and heart open and be prepared to be blessed!
Here’s to counting your (tiny) blessings!
Jill xx
Over the last couple months, I’ve found myself saying one of these types of sentences every Sunday evening (comes out as a very convincing self-pep-talk, by the way): “OK! Tomorrow, I will get back to exercising regularly;” Or, “Tomorrow, I will get started on my new writing routine. It’s gonna be amazing!” Or, “Next weekend, I will start organizing the heaps of ‘very important’ stuff (that I haven’t found a need for in the last 15 years!) in the basement.”
Come Monday, the intentions are there, but lazy human nature kicks in and getting back to that exercise, writing, or de-cluttering plan gets sucked up by “quickly” checking Facebook or really just finding any random rabbit hole to run down.
Can you relate?
Sticking to good habits can be surprisingly difficult. You’d think the benefits and transformation that come from practicing good habits would be incentive enough for us to never fall off the wagon.
The biggest habit-busting culprit for me is deviating from my normal routine. For example, if I go on vacation, all good habit bets are off. My idea of vacation is to unplug and not have anything hindering me from rest and relaxation. There will be no schedules to tie me down! Even if I veer from my routine for just a day or two, it sets me back. I still haven’t convinced myself that I should stick to my normal routine while on vacation, but just realizing this tendency to abandon beneficial habits can help when you get home. Admitting a problem is the first step in doing better, right?
Back in January, I came across an amazing method of creating and practicing habits: “Tiny Habits”. The brain behind the “Tiny Habits” methodology, B.J. Fogg, is a behavior scientist and teacher at Stanford University.
Here’s how B.J. describes a Tiny Habit:
As I see it, a “Tiny Habit” is a behavior —
B.J. suggests you outline your tiny habit goal like this:
“After (or before) I {insert existing habit}, I will {insert new tiny habit}.”
Example: “After I turn on the evening news, I will get on my exercise bike and begin pedaling.”
The genius of his habit-creating system is that you are anchoring a very simple and tiny new habit to an existing habit. For example, I chose something I do every day — my existing habit of taking a shower — and anchored it to one of my new tiny habits (doing 10 push-ups). Several months later, I’m here to testify that this tiny habit has stuck. NOTE: In the first couple weeks, there would be days where I’d be in the shower and realize I’d forgotten to do my push-ups. To help with this, I wrote myself a note and stuck it to my mirror. As an additional note/disclaimer….I do girl push-ups. : )
The first three tiny habits I initially set out to create were:
Since it’s been a while and I’ve developed these tiny habits into regular habits, I’m working on a new tiny habit: “After I walk the dogs, I will do my 7-Minute Workout app routine.” Since I’m already in casual clothes and maybe even sweaty, why not keep up the momentum of exercise, right?
Something Tiny Habits creator B.J. Fogg stresses in one’s efforts to create tiny habits, is to keep it very simple. Here are a few tiny habit examples he shares on his blog:
“After I start the dishwasher, I will read one sentence from a book.”
“After I walk in my door from work, I will get out my workout clothes.”
“After I sit down on the train, I will open my sketch notebook.”
“After I hear any phone ring, I will exhale and relax for 2 seconds.”
You may be wondering what the point is to “read one sentence from a book” or just “open a sketch notebook”. The mindset behind this is that if you take the first tiny little step, chances are you’ll take the next, too. Momentum generally builds upon one tiny little action. Can you imagine getting your book out (after starting the dishwasher) and truly only reading one sentence?? Or getting your sketch book out on the train and only drawing one line??
I have a friend that also began implementing tiny habits and he created a list to help him see the variety of daily habits he could potentially anchor to and those which might trigger a new tiny habit. In other words, he uses these regular activities to activate new tiny habits to help him reach his goals.
Here’s his “trigger” or “anchor” list:
Around the house
Getting ready for day/winding down
Work related
Food related
An example of how he uses the above actions to create benefiting habits — before stepping into the shower, he has committed himself to 3 push-ups (at least).
So, here’s my challenge for you today: Decide on 3 tiny habits that you can begin to practice today. It might be helpful to create your own habit trigger/anchor list like my friend did to help you see the bountiful opportunities you, too, have on any given day.
Remember, the key is to keep it super simple and trust in the process.
If you’re willing, I’d love to hear what tiny habits you’re going to implement into your daily routine. Let me know in the comment section below.
You can do this!!
Jill xx