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Every Little Thing by April Jeppson

I don’t mind when situations change. Depending on what it is, sometimes I welcome it with open arms, and other times it takes me a moment or two to come to terms with it and accept it.

At the start of the pandemic, it was hard for me to adjust to all the newfound freetime I had. I was so used to working and staying busy, it felt odd to not have something to do all the time. Eventually I adjusted and learned to love the change of pace. This abrupt change in my routine forced me to take a step back and really evaluate how I was spending my time.

A few years ago, all my children were attending the same elementary school. Drop off and pick up were a breeze, and school conferences were slick. I enjoyed having a one-stop shop. Now I have three kids in three different schools. I was a tad nervous and confused as to the different start and finish times. It took a little bit to get used to, but we are all enjoying this new adventure. My oldest is thriving and my middle schooler is enjoying the new friends that come with a new school. If they would have never left elementary, these new friends, classes and clubs would never have been presented to them. 

There is another kind of change though. Sometimes we need to change our own habits or behaviors. Maybe we’re trying to wake up earlier or drink more water. When you’ve enjoyed sleeping in your entire life, it’s really hard to convince yourself that waking up earlier is worth it. Sure your brain knows that getting in 30 minutes of exercise, quiet reading or meditation is a great way to start your day, but knowing something and then doing something about it are very different things. 

I know that my body will feel better if I eat more vegetables. I know that putting my clothes away only takes five minutes. I know that if I just stopped clicking “Add to Cart” off of Amazon I’d have more money in my wallet. In order to make changes within myself, I’ve noticed it takes patience, practice and an honest desire for change. 

If I don’t want it bad enough, I’ll just tell myself a bunch of excuses on why I’m not making progress. I’ve been busy, I’m too tired, that’s just not who I am, I’m OK with the way things are — I’m really good at lying to myself, so I’m sure if I typed long enough I could fill a page with nonsense that would convince me it’s not my fault that I haven’t swapped out one of my numerous poor habits. 

The thing with change is that it is happening all around us, all the time. The only thing constant in the world is change. Old ways don’t create new results or if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten. 

I’m going to continue trying my best to adapt to change. I want to be teachable and part of that is accepting that there is more than one way to accomplish something. I also don’t want to wake up in 40 years and still think, dang, I really need to eat more vegetables. 

Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams. Her column appears every Saturday.