Better

Good. Better. Best.

It’s a phrase I’m come to appreciate in many areas of my life. There are lots of things I *know* I *should* be doing, but feel guilty for not giving 100%.

Food choices. Amount of exercise. Volunteering at my kids’ school. Bible study. Sleep. 

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions? How big are your goals? Are they going to be easily attainable, or have you given up already?

We need to eliminate our “all or nothing” mindset and shift to one of these:

All or something. Something is better than nothing. Good. Better. Best.

Take food choices for example. This time of year, diet culture is everywhere. After the holidays do this cleanse, take this supplement, cut back on this. Anyone can do anything for 21 days right??

They usually have good intentions — improving your health — but the way they set it up is almost always a set up for failure. It’s HARD to go from 0 to 60, nothing to everything, without burning out. And honestly? Short bursts like those won’t give you ongoing, sustainable results.

So take it slow instead. What’s a small step you can focus on for this month?

If a “good” breakfast is a Snickers bar (hey, there’s protein in those peanuts!), “better” could be peanut butter on whole grain toast. “Best” could be Greek yogurt with granola and fruit.

If a “good” day of exercise is chasing your toddler all day (*I’m raising my hand here*), “better” could be 10 intentional minutes of Pilates before the toddler wakes up for the day (*my current goal for January*). “Best” could be adding a 30 minute walk three times a week.

It’s all relative right? Look at where you are at this moment, and choose ONE, SMALL step to move from good to better. Try it for a few weeks or a month. Then push another small step toward what is best for you in this season of your life.

Good. Better. Best. Happy New Year!

Five Minute Friday is a weekly opportunity to simply write about one word for only five minutes, and link-up what you’ve written, to connect with other writers.