If you were to come to my house and visit Flash in his pasture, one of the first things you'd notice is the criss-cross of trails he's made all over. About twelve inches wide and carved deep into the dirt, his trails meander from the barn to the woods, across the back pasture and to the water bucket in all directions. They zig-zag here, there and everywhere in a crazy web of pathways....all made by his little hooves.
Plodding.
Day after day.
Going over the same ground, time after time.
Flash is hardly ever in a hurry to get anywhere. Oh, I've seen him make a beeline for a bucket of oats before, but mostly he just moseys. With his head low and feet dragging, he gets himself wherever he needs to go...at his own thoughtful speed.
I always amazed by Flash's trails. And to be honest, I'm inspired by them! He has learned the Power of Plodding when it comes to blazing those trails. Time and repetition are his friends. Patience and perseverance are his virtues.
Those are the very things that make habits stick.
Are you trying to develop some good habits in your life? Habits like eating healthy, walking regularly, reading the Bible, becoming more patient. Flossing. Getting dishes done each night.
Maybe you're trying to help your kids adopt good habits. Picking up toys, removing plates after dinner, saying "please" and "thank you." Not hitting their siblings.
Today's Small Thing is to take a lesson from Flash and harness the Power of Plodding. Work on blazing a good trail.
Sure, we all want to see results immediately, but the reality is that habits take time (and repetition) to become cemented in muscle memory before they are second-nature. By doing a little bit of the "right" thing every day, you are causing your brain waves and muscle groups to form donkey trails - habits that will carry you to where you want to go.
Pick one habit you are working on (mine is writing 250 words each day to complete a book) and simply.....plod. Don't expect fabulous results today. No one will throw you a parade. But you WILL make that trail easier to find and follow for the next time. And the next time. And the next time. Before long, you'll do it without even thinking about it.
Don't be ashamed of plodding. Be a Proud Plodder! Most great things in this world have been accomplished by plodders....people who undertook big tasks and blazed a trail, one step at a time.
Tell me: how are you plodding today? What trail are you working on? What is becoming a good habit in your life and how is it affecting you?
