We women have such a knack for complicating things. I know I can decide to do something seemingly simple and before I ever get started I can come up with several reasons why I shouldn’t do it, several hypothetical situations that could result if I do it, and have myself completely paralyzed with indecision all within a relatively short time span. I can second-guess myself all the way through an entire day. All that leads to is frustration and guilt from not getting anything accomplished.

So, I decided to come up with a list of simple things I can do in the span of one day that can keep my life simple and let my brain focus on doing good instead of staying bogged down in the jumbled mess it is usually full of. I really like simple. I can do simple. Simple means not really needing a great deal of thought and planning. I once read somewhere that the best way to get organized is to get as much as possible of your life into a routine—something you just do without thinking about it. So, I came up with six things I can remember to do each day. And at the end of the day, if I have done all six things, I have had an extremely successful day.

1. Clean something. Even if I only clean one thing in my house, if I am cleaning one thing every day, then I may actually make some progress. Plus, I have found that if I start dusting surfaces in one room, I’m likely to pull out the vacuum cleaner too. And then I will want to clean the glass surfaces as well. Anyway, the point is, if I clean one thing in one room, I’m likely to clean the whole room before stopping. And none of that really taxes my brain. On the other side of that coin is that on days I really am very busy with an overloaded schedule, I can quickly clean one thing without too much effort.

2. Learn something. God did not give us a brain to learn a certain amount of stuff and then quit. It is important to keep learning throughout life. There’s always something more to learn from God’s Word. There are endless words to learn the meanings of. There are new skills we can learn: cake decorating, soap making, calligraphy, etc. We will never be too old to learn something new. I know that there are a lot more things I would like to learn. Besides, as I often remind my daughter, no one likes a know-it-all. I think we all have something to learn. Having a teachable spirit comes from humility, which—I think we would all agree—is a good thing. Proverbs 9:9 says, “Teach a wise man. He will become even wiser. Teach a person who does right. He will learn even more” (NIRV).

3. Practice something. When we do learn new skills it is important to hone them. What’s the use of learning something new just to forget it or never put it to use? When someone is learning to play an instrument, regular practice is essential. Not practicing could bring a musical career to a screeching halt (and that screeching is not too pleasant on the ears). Just about anything worth doing is made better with practice. The fourth attempt at candle making is bound to produce nicer candles than the first. And the tenth try at a cartwheel is likely to be more graceful than the first.

4. Make something. Making anything besides a mess is almost always a good thing. It doesn’t have to be a great work of art or a new cutting-edge invention. I count making supper as making something. It’s about working with your hands to create something of value. The woman of noble character in Proverbs 31 “selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.” Convenience is nice, but we don’t need to give up every homemade thing for the sake of saving time and effort. Homemade can often mean less expense. Homemade can also mean better-loved—like a quilt (no, I don’t make quilts, but I do have some old, well-loved ones that I will never pass on to Goodwill). Something homemade can be a sacrifice on our parts for the sake of the ones we love.

5. Pray something. Okay, I may get slammed here. No, I’m not suggesting that you pray one thing every day and that’s it. What I am suggesting is that we make a point of remembering to focus on prayer every day. One prayer leads to another (usually). I don’t know about you, but I sometimes get so busy in my day just scrambling to get a huge list of things done that when I do come up for air I’m gasping, “Help me, Lord.” If I can remember sooner in my day to let God be in control of my “to do” list, things would probably go a lot smoother. And my kids might add that I would be a lot less grumpy.

6. Give something. Do we really need to be reminded of this? Well, I know I do. It is so easy to be selfish. If I make myself focus on giving at least one thing to someone each day, maybe I will eventually get into the habit of giving freely without much forethought. Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good amount will be poured into your lap. It will be pressed down, shaken together and running over. The same amount you give will be measured out to you." I truly want to hold my possessions loosely. I want to be a generous, cheerful giver. I want God to be able to entrust me with meeting another’s need.

If I truly live by these guidelines, then each new day that comes will find me smarter and more accomplished in at least one area. My family will have a cleaner abode. I will have something tangible to show for my effort. I will have peace in my spirit for having focused on God and His purpose for my life, and hopefully I will have been able to bless someone else by my giving. That’s what I would call a successful day indeed.

Copyright © by Tina James Share