Your One Best Thing

It’s that time of year. The stale leftover cookies are in the trash and I’m eyeing the tree, wishing it would pack up and walk itself to the basement. I’m ready to make a clean sweep of the holidays. Christmas is over.

This means a brand new year ahead and I’m thinking about how my family can make the most of it. Should we set new goals, launch new habits? Rework our schedule and routine? Come up with a five year family growth plan?

I have a headache.

I love the idea of setting new family goals, but I live with me. I’m all for committing a lengthy list of goals and objectives to paper, but then my actions don’t follow. Before January is finished I don’t even remember what I wrote.

Anybody with me?

Here’s what I’ve learned. When it comes to creating a great family rhythm, more doesn’t always mean better.

I’m tired of long lists with no follow-through (and the shame that comes with it) so here’s where I am. I’m asking myself this question: What’s the one best thing I can do to help my family better connect this year? Sure, Pinterest reminds me there are hundreds of great ideas out there. But what’s the one thing that will impact us the most?

But wait, how much can you really accomplish by just focusing on one thing? Actually, research tells us focusing on one thing at a time can move you farther faster than focusing on many.

And the power of the one thing isn’t in its bigness but rather in its repetition. When it comes to connecting with the hearts of your family, the small things you do every day matter more than the big things you do occasionally.

This year for us, it’s one question, at one meal a day: Where did you see God at work today?

It’s a simple question that I can remember and I’m committing to asking it with open hands, without interruption but with full attention. And it’s okay if the answers don’t go to deep places every time. Heart connection happens with full presence of listening and intentional repetition.

This year instead of a list of goals, I’m going for impact through simplicity. Our one best thing.

So think about this. How can you make your one thing so easy and likely that you’ll repeat it? Think about the moments that already present themselves in a rhythm and get in step with it. Maybe it’s the drive to school or right before bedtime or over a morning bowl of cereal, you know, the stuff that happens every single day. Maybe you want to come up with a question on your own or use the ones already prepared for you on the Parent Cue App.

So how about getting started? What’s the one best thing your family will do this year?