How to Stay Motivated in the Mundane

 

Baby whimpers echo down the hallway awaking me from my slumber. He’s hungry again, and it’s time to get up to start a new day.

I creep past my toddler’s room, purposely skipping the top step that creaks, and retrieve my littlest from his crib. As I nurse the babe in my arms, I pray for God’s strength to fill me. I pray for grace to love my babies and husband today, to ultimately live for Him.

After he has his fill, I place my baby gently onto the blue sheets that line his bed. I creep down the stairs, purposely skipping the last stair that creaks, and start the water for coffee and open my Bible to drink from the Word of God.

The rest of the day goes by in preparing meals, folding laundry, cleaning up craft supplies, disciplining toddlers, and teaching a baby to say, “Mama.” The dishes are washed only to be dirtied again. The beds made only to be ruffled once again. Laundry washed only to be dirty again tomorrow.

These are the everyday matters that make up my days, months, and years – the mundane.

Sometimes the mundane can overwhelm me.

• Does what I do matter?
• Why must everything I do as a homemaker be forever undone?

The rinse and repeat of the daily chores and endless attempts to wash the fingerprints from the door facings forces me to be intentional to remind myself of the bigger picture behind the mundane.

“If God doesn’t rule your mundane, then he doesn’t rule you. Because that’s where you live.” ~Glimpses of Grace by Gloria Furman

Routine is a gift to be embraced and rejoiced over, but sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes it’s hard to stay motivated in the mundane.

There are a few things I do to stay motivated, to keep going when it all seems overwhelming or not worth it. Maybe you need some encouragement and some tips to cheer you on to keep plowing forward. So here you go…

How to Stay Motivated in the Mundane

Stay connected to the vine.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ~John 15:5

When the mundane threatens to overtake you, go to the Gospel. Daily kneeling before Jesus helps me to remember that without Him I can do nothing. I need His grace to plow ahead in faith for it is the joy of the Lord that gives me strength.

Focus on people

Instead of focusing on the endless mounds of dishes and laundry, focus on the people who dirtied those dishes and soiled that laundry.

There are people behind the mundane.

• A husband who works tirelessly for his family and plays superheroes without complaint.
• A baby you never thought you could have.
• A toddler who gives endless hugs and kisses and words of love day-in and day-out.

As you go through the mundane tasks of the day, pray for these people who fill your life.

Review your mission statement

If you haven’t stopped to prayerfully determine your God-given purpose, then set aside some time to do so.

Developing a mission statement that I can review often encourages me in the mundane. I can read what God laid on my heart and remember my purpose, remember the bigger picture.

• These little mouths I feed will one day grow up – I want to disciple, discipline, and love them faithfully as unto the Lord.
• This man who comes home each night – I want to love him, cherish him, and encourage him faithfully as unto the Lord.
• This home with all it’s daily chores – I want to make it impossible to not think about God in this place.

The mundane makes up our everyday lives, which in turn makes up our entire lives. Homemaking matters more than we will ever know.

Read good books.

Learning and dreaming helps me persevere in the mundane. Good books motivate me, inspire me, and teach me. Reading is important to me, so I make time for it.

Read books that help you hone your craft, develop your skills, and encourage your heart in the mundane of the everyday tasks.

Some books I recommend:

• Glimpses of Grace: Treasuring the Gospel in Your Home by Gloria Furman
• Organized Simplicity: The Clutter Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider
• You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream by Holly Gerth
• Beyond Bath Time: Embracing Motherhood as a Sacred Role by Erin Davis
• The Heart of Simplicity by various authors
• Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic

Listen to inspiring podcasts

I love podcasts. I tune into several podcasts each week while I’m going about my morning chores. Listening to inspiring podcasts helps me look forward to the mundane.

My favorite podcasts right now:

• Inspired to Action by Kat Lee
• How they Blog by Kat Lee
• Living Inspired by Tricia Goyer
• God Centered Mom

Make rest a priority.

I have to disengage from the mundane regularly to recharge my batteries. Rest is not idleness, it’s a time of renewal. To live intentionally and stay motivated in the mundane, we have to learn to rest.

• Are you allowing rest in your days?
• Are you carving out the necessary time to sleep and wind down?
• Is there a day of the week that you have set aside as holy, as a day just for the Lord?

More importantly, are you resting in Him who created you with such care? Are you laying the mundane at His feet and allowing Him to wrap his arms around you and cradle you as His dear child?

Make rest a priority – be still and know He is God (Psalm 46:10).

My friend, you are not alone in the daily mundane of life. Sometimes it’s hard to put one foot in front of the other. Sometimes the mundane brings comfort and refreshment. But always, the mundane is a chance to bring glory to God as we seek to live for Him in all we do.

What about you? How do you stay motivated in the mundane?

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