Accomplish Your Goals Through Small and Simple Things – powered by Happy Scribe

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we have an innate desire to be better. This desire to do and be more sometimes creates within us what elder Neil A.. Maxwell called divine discontent, a result of comparing what we are to what we have the power to become.

While speaking of divine discontent, Sister Michelle D..

Craig said, Each of us feels a gap between where and who we are and where and who we want to become. This gap is sometimes wide and often overwhelming. We think the only way to accomplish our goal is to give every ounce of energy we got. But it doesn’t work. The only way we can successfully bridge the gap between where we are and where we want to be is by understanding this one principle by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.

For example, a typical plant needs an immense amount of water over its life to survive, but it does no good giving them all that water at once.

Elder David Bednar taught we can learn much about the spiritual pattern of small and simple things from the technique of dripping water onto the soil at very low rates, he explained. The steady drips of water sink deep into the ground and provide a high moisture level in the soil wherein plants can flourish. We must follow the same pattern in order to close the gap of divine discontent.

Instead of trying to reach your goal all at once in a burst of energy or a flood of water, break your goals down into small and simple steps that remain consistent over time. As an example, imagine you want to servicing your mission. Once you know what your goal is, break it down into small and simple steps. Maybe it’s learning to invest money wisely, brush up on Spanish or create a mission savings account.

Now, instead of working on these goals all at once, select only one. Yes, I said only one. Remember how the Lord works line upon line, precept upon precept.

Let’s say the first step is to brush up on Spanish now, break down the chosen skill or behavior into a couple of habits that can be performed daily or weekly. This could be reviewing five words a day or read a chapter of the Book of Mormon in Spanish every day.

Now just choose one habit.

Let’s choose review five words a day. Simplify the goal even further by answering three questions what, when and where. What review? Five words a day when while doing the dinner dishes. Where in the kitchen. Now you have a small and simple habit to work on. Review five Spanish words each day while doing the dinner dishes in the kitchen. This habit will help you move closer toward your goal of serving a senior mission. Once it becomes part of your daily or weekly routine, begin working on the next habit.

Begin to read a chapter of the Book of Mormon in Spanish every day, then move to the next habit and the next and the next until the day comes when you close the gap and reach your destination. David Abdnor encourages us to press forward and persevere in the powerful spiritual pattern of small and simple things, bringing to pass great things in our individual lives, in our families and in our righteous pursuits.