How to Stay Motivated in the Mundane
Are you bored from the rinse and repeat of every day life? Do you have a hard time putting one foot in front of the other sometimes? Then, this post is for you!
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.
Related Content: Check out our library of free Bible reading plans here.
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.
Related Content: Check out my free guide to developing your own personal mission statement here.
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
- 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:
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?
Related Content: Free Bible Reading Plan on Rest
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.
If you need more help getting crystal clear on your purpose and staying motivated in the mundane, then check out my Made to Give Life Seasonal Goal Planner.
It’s designed to help women just like you get from where you are now to where you want to be.
What about you? How do you stay motivated in the mundane?
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Love this, Leigh Ann. Thank you for the encouragement! 🙂
Leigh Ann, I love this! It is so true and something I’m trying to realize more and more. I’m expecting our first little one and am so tired as I go to work each day. However I’m very blessed to work at the same place as my husband so he can drive us safely to work at 6 in the morning. I am trying to remember that whatever you do, do for the glory of God. Even the regular everyday life. Sometimes I wonder if He likes those things even more than the extraordinary ones.
Wonderful post Leigh Ann! I am definitely in need of some serious motivation to be more productive and focus on what is important. Thank you for this reminder.
Love this post Leigh Ann. I did a series on finding meaning in the mundane and that was once one of my original purposes in starting my blog but I’ve strayed from it. This is a great reminder for me and an encouragement to not only stay motivated in my daily mundane but to return to one of my original purposes in writing encouragement for finding meaning in the mundane. Thank you.
I thought about you today after I posted it! I should read your series. I’m definitely enjoying getting to know you! 🙂
It’s hard. I’ve been finding the mundane and routine difficult of late. I have so much good in my life but wow, it’s easy to get stuck in the mud! Thank you for this.
I have those days and even weeks as well. Just keep moving forward and praying for joy! 🙂
This is exactly what I needed to hear. I’m just coming out of the practically bed-ridden first trimester of my pregnancy, and it’s been difficult and even a little strange to get back into homemaking. Thank you for sharing a truly inspiring message and helping me to motivate myself!
Claire
Wow- I really needed this reminder. Been feeling this a lot lately. I am so glad I found your blog. I feel like you know my heart as a mother and wife. Blessings to you!
I have been thinking lately about trying to add a rest day (sabbath) back into my routine. I have a 3 year old and 5 year old and now that they don’t need me constantly it would be nice to have again. I would love to hear about yours if you do it, what it looks like with small children and how you still keep up with everything. That’s my main concern is I wouldn’t be able to keep up with everything if I did it. I plan on reading the book “Garden City” for ideas too.