Little Things that can Make a Big Difference

7 LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE THE BIG DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE

Have a successful day! Our lives are made up of days. A successful life is simply a collection of successful days. Strive to make each day successful. Always ask yourself- what would make today a success? Is it learning, planning, doing, serving, resting, creating, etc.? Whatever it is you decide to do, make sure the success of today will contribute to the greater success of tomorrow.

Know what matters! Life deceives us into believing some things matter more than they really do. Your relationship with God count more than anything else no matter what life tells you. Give God first place, and everything else will fall in place.

Talk to God. Make it a point of duty to talk to God every day. Have a one on one with Him. Commune with Him, don’t just talk at Him.  

Be heard first! Before other people’s words and opinions assail your spirit, speak to yourself every morning. Charge your spirit every morning with positive words- God’s word. Declare what God has said about you. You can pick a verse for a week and confess it every morning.

Have your ‘grateful stop’. The bumps and strains of everyday living could easily get us agitated. Take a moment during the day to just pause and seek out something to be grateful for- a free ride earlier in the day, a compliment you received, just anything, no matter how minute. This would help put whatever it is you’re going through in a better perspective, as you are reminded that God still cares and he is with you.

Don’t drag your feet! If you’re the president’s daughter, your gait would surely reflect it, you won’t drag your feet around with your shoulders stooped. Live like your father owns the world, because he does! Every time you catch yourself dragging your feet with your shoulder stooped, snap out of it fast! Raise your head high and walk with confidence. Your posture affects your state of mind.

Get the answers! Always ask- How can I help? What difference can I make? Discovering the answers to these questions could reveal your life’s purpose- the reason you’re here. A distinct life is a life lived fulfilling purpose.

7 LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE THE BIG DIFFERENCE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP

Take a minute! Take a minute everyday to sow a seed of blessing, appreciation, thoughtfulness, etc. Deliberately do something good for your partner every day.

Overlook! Cut down on the negative communication. Choose to focus on the positive. To get started, have an ‘Overlook Day’- a day when you decide to overlook whatever it is your partner does wrong. Take it beyond a day, have an ‘Overlook Week’, ‘Overlook Month’, etc. till it becomes a part of you. The small stuffs don’t really matter; the less we sweat them, the better our relationships.

Start a loving ritual! Wake your partner every morning with a kiss. Speak a word of prayer or prophecy over his life every morning. Tuck a scripture card in his bag. Call him at work. Whatever it is you think your partner will appreciate, do it every day, and never stop. Provide a secure, constant love expression he can count on, even during the dreariest days.

Be the first to say I’m sorry. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ is more a display of maturity than an admittance of guilt. When emotions are topsy-turvy and tension is in the air, simply saying ‘I’m sorry’ opens up the line for reasonable communication and eases the tension. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ is speaking peace over the situation, even when you’ve done ‘nothing’ wrong.  

Pause before you act! Before you make any decision, always ask- Does this honour my relationship? Does this honour my partner? This does not have to be life altering or huge decisions, in the simplest actions and decisions, seek to honour your partner. Before you make that sharp retort or do what he’s told you not to do, pause and ask.

Reconsider! Take a minute to reassess the issues you’ve been nagging or concerned about. Ask yourself- Have I been truly considerate, selfless, and sensitive? Do I really understand his rationale or viewpoint? Am I really just after what is convenient or pleasing to me? Be sincere!

Create! Your relationship is not just about what you see. It’s about the image you have in your mind and your thoughts towards your relationship. Be deliberate about creating a positive image of your relationship. Nurture your relationship with positive thoughts. What you see about your relationship on the inside, is what you get on the outside.

7 LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE THE BIG DIFFERENCE IN YOUR CAREER

Always ask the excellence question– What is the extra I can add to make this extraordinary? The little more effort you add to your work/business above others will distinct you and open up doors of favour.

Be known for something, at least something. Decide what you would love to be remembered for when you’re no longer with the organisation or what you want your clients to take away after their interaction with your business, then make choices everyday that would let that happen. It could be anything- your smile, encouraging words, out of the box ideas, punctuality, orderliness, a certain skill, etc. Decide and consistently act on your decision; and you’d gain a positive reputation.

Celebrate others. It’s easy to get consumed by to-dos or being the best; however, celebrating others would foster a positive can-do atmosphere everyone would benefit from. There’s a lot of beating down going on, be the voice of hope and encouragement. Decide to consistently celebrate your co-workers or employees.

Be a priority thinker. Clock in everyday with the mindset of doing what is needful and important towards achieving the pressing goal of the organisation. Ask yourself daily as you highlight your to-dos – What’s of priority now? A task well done but of no pressing significance, is simply a waste of time.

Be a difference maker. Don’t just settle in and follow the status quo. This is how it is done does not mean it is the best way it can be done. Appraise your work by consistently asking- What can be done differently? Think innovatively. Be a thinking worker, and not just a ‘motion’ worker. It never pays to go through the motion, merely doing what needs to be done to get by. It’s always more profitable to be a difference maker.

Be a solution provider. Your organisation’s problems are your opportunity to shine. Be committed to solving problem for your employers/organisation or your customers.

Set your aim high. Do all that needs to be done and then more to reach the highest height.

5 LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE THE BIG DIFFERENCE IN PARENTING

Take a deliberate action daily. It’s easy for parenting to pass in a blur in the midst of all the details that need to be attended to. If we are not careful, years down the line we might wonder if we indeed passed on the values we wanted to. So be deliberate! Do something daily that would ensure the values you desire to inculcate in your children are gotten. Give that talk, buy that book, etc.

Get love written. You can start a correspondence routine- write letters to your children and get them to reply. This could be an avenue to further intimate one another with the innermost feelings and desires of your heart. This could be a monthly, quarterly or yearly routine, whichever is convenient for you. The subjects of the letter can also vary as you desire. These letters can serve as a great avenue to pass on certain insights and values to your children. They would serve as keepsakes of your love, and might someday be the symbol of hope that would get your child out of a dark place.

Do them a favour, don’t compare! Don’t compare them with anyone. Embrace each child’s uniqueness. Stop the comparison. They don’t have to be like their siblings. See the good in them and celebrate it.

Give feedbacks. It’s human nature to be more sensitive to faults. We have the tendency to continually nag our children about what they are not doing right, while the right things they do sometimes get by unnoticed. Guard against this by regularly giving your child feedback. You can decide on a number of criteria you would base the feedback on- conduct, chores, school work, devotion, etc. Make sure your child understands what is expected, you can decide on the basis of judgment together- sweeping your room, caring for your siblings, helping mommy out, etc. Then, on the decided criteria give periodic feedback, it could be monthly, quarterly, etc. There should be rewards for good performance. This feedback scheme ensures your child get a balanced feedback, which promotes proper development.  

Pray with them daily! Praying together forge a bond that God backs up. It is not enough to pray for them, pray with them daily.

5 LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE THE BIG DIFFERENCE IN YOUR FINANCES

Save; then spend! Most people spend first, then save what is left. Save a realistic proportion of your income, then budget the rest. Don’t buy all the needed and sometimes ‘unneeded’ before you save.  

Sometimes, ‘no’ works! Not all purchases need to be made, not all offers should be considered or requests granted. Don’t be pressurised into buying what is not on your budget or what you know would hurt your finances. Learning to say no is vital to your financial freedom.

Cut your coat according to your size! Keeping up with the Joneses has wrecked havoc on the finances of so many. Don’t borrow to impress or spend beyond your capacity because of what people will say. Buy the things you can afford. Spend within your means.

Think investment. Most times our financial ‘gear’ is programmed to be in ‘spend’ mode. We are often thinking of what we need to buy, than ways we can generate income. If we can divert just 50% of the energy or creativity we exert on thinking of things we need to buy on ways we can generate money, we would be so much better for it. Let’s make it practical- every time you think of buying something, consciously take that as a cue to think of ways to generate income and make more money.

Write your financial goals. Don’t be vague about your financial destination. Be specific. Set specific goals, and clearly state how you intend to achieve these goals. Active planning drives you to action; it stirs your desire and expands your mind. Thinking of how to achieve your goals would inspire new ideas and heighten your creativity. You can’t afford to be passive about your finances. It takes a strong desire, planning, hard work and positive thinking to blossom financially.

5 LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE THE BIG DIFFERENCE TO YOUR STYLE

Treat your body right. Eat right. Exercise well. Be good to yourself. What you give you will get. Don’t abuse your body or overuse yourself. Treat yourself right and you will glow from the inside out.

Rock what you’ve got! Remember, being stylish has nothing to do with your size. It is about making the most of your shape. Stay with what suits you!

Find your colour! Not all colours look good on everyone. Find the colours that suit you and use them more often. This includes your make up colour palette choices too.

Accessorise wisely. Go from bland to gorgeous with accessories. Don’t overdo it though; simply get lovely and unique pieces that would bring your outfits to life.

Say the right thing! Remember, what you’re wearing is telling the world something about you. Make sure you’re passing the right message across.