June 3, 2025 • 27 mins
Don’t Despise Small Beginnings — Why Tiny Steps Can Lead to Big Health Breakthroughs
Ever feel like you have to flip your whole life upside down to finally feel better? You're not alone, mama—but what if the key to real, lasting health wasn’t found in overhauling everything overnight, but in starting small?
In this special 20th episode (yes, we made it to 20!), I’m celebrating the power of small beginnings. We’ll talk about why dramatic “go big or go home” approaches often fail, how your brain might actually be sabotaging your goals (and how to outsmart it!), and how your God-given design as a woman means you can do less and still see real results.
Plus, I’ll share a personal story about planting seeds—literally—and how God used it to teach me the beauty of beginning small.
If you’ve ever felt too tired or too overwhelmed to even start, this one’s for you.
Visit the podcast page to send me your questions or future topic ideas!
SHOW SOME LOVE: If this episode encouraged you, I’d love for you to leave a quick rating and review here. Your words brighten my day and also help more mamas discover the hope, healing, and joy they deserve.
WORK WITH ME TO RESTORE YOUR ENERGY + DISCOVER YOUR DESIGN FOR HEALTH AS A BUSY MAMA: Option 1) Join the Live Healthy, Mama coaching program today! Find all the details here.
Option 2) Work 1:1 with me to reach your wellness goals - without the overwhelm -and get total clarity on living the healthy and energetic life you were created for. Get the details here.
- Want to make sure coaching is right for you? Book a FREE Discovery Call here!
RESOURCES:
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jerusha Jantz, Holistic Wellness Coach for Christian Moms:
Welcome to Tired Mommy Revival. (00:01):
undefined
Hey mama.
Are you running on coffee fumes,feeling like brain fog, fatigue
and anxiety, or running the show?
Do you wake up dreading the dayahead already overwhelmed by the
endless to-do list, and unsurehow you'll make it through.
Do you long for the energyto enjoy motherhood?
(00:23):
And care for yourself, but feelstuck and unsure where to start.
Let me remind you ofsomething life changing.
You were created for more, moreenergy, more clarity, more joy.
Hi, I'm Jerusha, certifiedHolistic Wellness Coach.
Wife and mom to two wild boysand one baby girl in heaven.
(00:46):
I know the exhaustion you'refeeling because I've been there
barely making it through the day.
Relying on coffee and chocolate tosurvive and wondering why nothing
I tried ever made me feel better.
Then God stepped in andrevealed a powerful truth.
A woman's body is beautifullyand uniquely designed to thrive.
(01:07):
When we align with how God createdus, we can boost our energy bust
through fatigue and step into thevibrant, joy filled life he has for us.
Mama.
I'm living proof thatit's possible these days.
I wake up, refreshed, nourished my bodywith intention and navigate the chaos
of motherhood with patience and peace.
(01:28):
Most days, and I wannahelp you do the same.
If you're ready to swap exhaustion forenergy, brain fog for clarity and guilt
for grace, you are in the right place.
Each week we'll dive into practicalstrategies, faith-filled truths,
and empowering tools to renew yourhealth, body, soul, and spirit.
(01:48):
Are you ready for this?
Let's do it, mama.
Hey, friend, I am so gladyou're here with me today.
We made it episode 20.
Now, I don't know if you've heardthis before, but only about 1% of
podcasts make it past episode 20.
Isn't that wild?
(02:09):
At first glance, 20 might not seemlike a big number, but in podcasting
terms it's kind of a big deal.
It means consistency.
It means showing up when it's hard.
It means not giving up when you'retired, discouraged, or questioning
whether it's even making a difference.
Which got me thinking.
(02:31):
Isn't that the same thingwhen it comes to our health?
The small steps, showing up,doing one thing differently,
taking one intentional action.
They might not seem flashy.
They might not get likes or applause,but they're actually the ones
that lead to big breakthroughs.
Over time, they compound.
(02:53):
So today, in honor of our 20thepisode, I want to encourage
you with this simple truth.
You don't have to overhaul yourwhole life to change your health.
You just have to start.
Let's unpack that together.
We just wrapped up our sevenpart Root Causes series and whew!
(03:16):
If you're feeling like, "okay, that wasgood, but also a lot", you're not alone.
Understanding hormones, liver health,stress, insulin, sleep, gut health
and fasting, it's empowering, yes.
But it can also feel overwhelming.
So you might be left thinking,where do I even begin?
(03:40):
And that's exactly what Iwant to speak into today.
Let's talk about the myth "gobig or go home" and why it
doesn't work for tired moms.
Let's be honest, wellness cultureloves a dramatic transformation.
You know the vibe.
Just wake up at 5:00 AM, drink agreen juice, meditate, journal, fast
(04:04):
for 18 hours, go to the gym, runyour business, homeschool your kids,
and save the world all before noon.
Um, a hard pass.
That kind of all or nothing thinkingactually backfires, especially for moms.
Why?
Because the reality of mom lifedoesn't leave space for perfection.
(04:27):
You're already runningon coffee and crumbs.
If you try to flip your life upside downovernight, you'll burn out by Thursday.
Ask me how I know.
Instead, I want to invite youinto something better, something
sustainable, and something biblical.
If you're trying to figure outwhere to start, try these two
(04:51):
simple reflection questions.
Number one is, is thisrealistic for my actual life?
Let's say you want to work outan hour a day, five days a week.
Great.
But look at your current day.
If you're hiding in the pantry foralone time, is that plan setting
you up for success or failure?
(05:13):
We have to stop planning forour fantasy life and start
being honest with our real life.
Small wins in your actual lifewill always get you further than
big plans in your imaginary one.
Question number two is, are mygoals worth the sacrifice required?
Sometimes we chase goals thatif we're honest, aren't really
(05:36):
worth what they'd cost us.
Want to look like you did10 years ago in a swimsuit?
Maybe.
But is the time, energy, sacrifice andpressure it would take really worth it?
Or, would you be thrilled to feelmore energized, clearheaded, and
confident in your skin again, even ifyour abs don't make a comeback tour?
(06:00):
When you ask these questions honestly,you'll find a starting place that's
life giving and not soul draining.
Next I want to talk about howyour brain isn't broken, it's
simply wired for consistency.
Now, here's something fascinating.
Your brain loves the familiar.
It's always trying to conserve energy,so it defaults to well-worn habits, those
(06:25):
neural highways you've used for years.
That means even if you want to change,your brain might try to sabotage you.
Not because you're lazy orweak, but because you're
wired to prefer consistency.
So when you introduce a massive sweepingchange, your brain goes, "Nope, that's
(06:45):
too different. Let's go back to whatwe know, even if it's not helping
us." You've probably felt that before.
You want to eat healthier, but suddenlyyou're in the pantry with a box of
cookies thinking, how did I get here?
Friend, it's not justwillpower, it's wiring.
So if you want to outsmart yourbrain, here's a hack: start so
(07:10):
small it feels almost too easy.
Seriously, that's how youbuild new neural pathways.
Drink a glass of water before your coffee.
Go outside for three minutes.
Swap one processed snack forsomething with real ingredients.
Do 10 minutes of stretchingwhile the kids play.
(07:31):
Tiny actions might not feel likeenough, but they're actually
how transformation begins.
Small steps stick because they'redoable and once they stick, you've
built a foundation you can grow from.
I want to share a personal storywith you where this rings so true.
(07:52):
So back in the day when I was in thebeginning of my health journey, and I
really had no clue what I was doing.
I was trying to do something really big.
I wanted more energy, I wanted to loseweight, and I felt like if I could
eat healthy, then I could get there.
(08:13):
I was going on Pinterest, and I waslooking at all of these recipes,
and I was buying vegetables fromthe store that I had never even
really known that they even existed.
And I was cooking them and alot of it was so disappointing.
I felt like if I poured a lot of work intocooking food that it would be good, but I
(08:37):
ended up feeling so discouraged and reallysad about what I had to eat every day,
and ultimately it left me in a place whereI turned back to the foods that I loved.
In my discouragement, I ended upreally struggling to find a way that
I could eat healthy and enjoy it too.
And so what I did was after trying andfailing, starting and stopping over
(09:03):
and over again, I finally just stoppedmyself and I said, you know what?
That's it.
I'm not gonna try to eat allthese weird foods anymore.
I'm done for that right now.
It feels like too much and I'mjust gonna stick to one thing.
I'm gonna drink coconut milk.
No matter what else happens.
I'm gonna stick to this one decision.
(09:25):
I don't drink regular milk anymore.
I drink coconut milk.
And I made that choice.
And you know what?
I was eating fast food, I was eatingprocessed carbs, I was starting and
ending almost every day with sugar,getting my fancy coffee drinks loaded
with sugar, and I was doing all of it,but yet I continued to drink coconut milk.
(09:46):
And this might seem absolutely pointless.
Like what's the point of doing onesmall healthy thing if 98% of your
life is still so unhealthy andcontradictory to what you want to achieve?
Well, this was my catalyst forchange, and I'm gonna tell you why.
Because this small changecreated two things in me.
(10:10):
One, it created something doablethat I knew I could handle.
It still felt like a big change, but thiswas one thing I was able to build on.
And that one thing led to one more thingand one more thing and one more thing.
And over time, I was able to builda sustainable life that I loved and
(10:34):
enjoyed and that I could keep up withbecause I allowed myself to start small.
If I had kept an all or nonementality, then I would have
fizzled out and not done anything.
I wouldn't have gotten anywherebecause I would feel like I had to do
a lot to be able to achieve anything,and I would've been overwhelmed and
(10:55):
frustrated and I would've given up.
And so I chose this one small thing,which seemed pointless at the time.
But psychologically and biblically,this actually made so much sense.
Number one, I wasn't fightingmy brain to accomplish a goal
(11:15):
that seemed overwhelming.
It was small and it was doable.
In fact, it was so small that mybrain didn't fight me on it because
it wasn't even worth the effort.
And over time I was able to create thisnew neural network, this connection
that said, I do this healthy thing.
Which helped me create a path in mybrain so that I could slowly start
(11:38):
to bring in other healthy things.
And they were along that samepath, that same thread, and I was
digging this well worn pathway everytime I added something else in.
And so I was able to habit hack mybrain psychologically, physiologically.
And then the spiritual aspect of it,Proverbs 21:5 says, "good planning
(12:03):
and hard work lead to prosperity, buthasty, shortcuts lead to poverty".
Essentially, what God is tellingus is don't take the shortcut.
It might seem easier in thebeginning, but in the long term
you will get such greater benefits.
And ultimately, doing something smallactually leads to the hard work.
(12:29):
Even though it seems like, "oh, you'rejust, this is a cop out because you're
doing something so small, it's notimpressive, it's not effective. It's not
accomplishing anything big in your life".
But the thing is, is that it sets youup on a pathway for long-term success.
And in the wellness industry, peoplewant to promise big results so that
(12:50):
people will buy in to those big results,those immediate results, those quick
wins that are satisfying in the moment,but they may not actually help you
sustain a lifetime of health, whichis what I believe God wants for us.
He doesn't want to see us just lose 25pounds for the sake of losing weight.
(13:11):
He wants to see us healthy andthriving and equipped for the good
work that he has called us to.
And if you get healthier in the processof losing weight, he wants you to sustain
that because physically, mentally,emotionally and spiritually, you are
going to be a healthier, thriving person.
(13:33):
And he wants you to sustain thatfor the long term, not just for
three months or six months, or evena year before it fizzles out, and
you have to start all over again.
He wants to see you start a good workand sustain it in a life-giving way.
Now speaking of how we were created,let's talk about something that
(13:53):
almost no one in the wellnessworld talks about: your hormones.
As a woman you were designed withrhythms, ebb and flow, times of
action, and times of rest, evenwithin the course of a month.
But most fitness and health plansare built on the male design, steady
hormones, steady schedule, no pregnancyor monthly cycles to factor in.
(14:18):
No ups and downs.
That's not you, and it's not me either.
God didn't make a mistakewhen he gave you a cycle.
He designed it to bless you.
But in modern society, we tendto villainize our cycle and
our hormones because usuallythey're wreaking havoc on us.
But if we're able to align our hormoneswith the way we were created, we can
(14:43):
actually discover that they are a hugeblessing to us, and that they will
actually allow us to live a thriving life.
Let's say for example, as a typicalwellness protocol for your husband or
your brother, or somebody that you know.
As a male, it's fast, consistently.
(15:03):
Eat this, consistently.
Work out, consistently.
And they do those thingsand they see results.
But when we try to align ourselves withthat, what we find is that sometimes
we lack the results that we want.
Or maybe we plateau at acertain level of results.
Or maybe our hormones get evenworse, and maybe we even gain weight.
(15:24):
And it seems like whyisn't this working for me?
And honey, it's because youcan actually do more with less.
This is the gift of God on your life.
As a woman, you can do more with less.
You can fast less, you can eat lessrestrictive, you can exercise less.
(15:49):
But the key is to working withyour hormones and not against them.
The key is doing these things at theright times of the month, at the right
times of your hormone fluctuations, towork with your body and with your design.
And you'll actually find thatit's less restrictive and that God
actually created you to have morespace and rest in your life than he
(16:11):
even did for a man to experience.
He needs to be steady.
He needs to provide regularly.
He needs to protect regularly.
But as women, we have leeway in our life.
We have grace over us, because Godknew us mamas needed some grace, and
that shows up in our hormones too.
(16:32):
There are seasons when your bodyis primed for more intensity and
seasons where it needs more recovery.
And when you honor that, you'll seethat you can often get better results
with less effort because you're workingwith your body and not against it.
That means you don't have to hustlenonstop, you just have to align with the
way you were created and it's beautiful.
(16:55):
Now I want to share a story with youabout something that God shared with
me and the power of starting small.
Now it is June here in Tennessee, andI mean, it's June everywhere, but it's
gardening season and we have been infull swing of gardening season for a
little while, and we have a big garden.
(17:17):
It's probably close to like 40 by40 because every year we extend our
borders just a little bit so I'm able toplant just a few more things in there.
We started gardening actuallya couple years ago, and I want
to give a little caveat here.
When we started gardening, I was ata place where I had finally become
really proud of myself that I couldeven keep a house plant alive.
(17:41):
I do not have what most peoplewould call a green thumb.
And ultimately, I figured out thatit's not about luck, it's actually
about science on how you're ableto grow things well, whether it's a
house plant or food in your garden.
But at the time, we had a reallysmall garden the previous year,
(18:01):
and I was actually astoundedthat anything even grew.
And so I got really excited andthe next year we laid this really
big foundation for our garden.
I had read up on the EdenGardening Method, and I'm
gonna explain what that is.
We took a patch of our grass, andwe mowed it down really short.
We put cardboard down, and then we putcompost on top of that, and then we put a
(18:23):
thick layer of wood chips on top of that.
And I thought, oh, easy peasy, 1, 2, 3.
Three layers, that'sgonna be so easy to do.
No problem at all.
So I recruited my husband and mykids to go out and do this project,
and it actually turned out to be agiant undertaking, which was fun, but
(18:44):
after wheelbarrows and wheelbarrowsof compost and wood chips, we finally
got this foundation laid down.
And after that, it finally came timeto start planting things in the garden.
And so I had gotten all these seeds, anddone all this research about what goes
together and what individual needs allthese plants have, and I had mapped out
(19:06):
a plan, and I took my seeds out thereand I was putting my seeds in the ground.
And I'm just looking at these tiny littleseeds going into the earth and all this
work that we did, and I'm like terrified.
I had this moment whereI was just terrified.
I was like, what if nothing even grows?
And I thought, well, we did all this workand so we're going to do a garden or at
(19:30):
least make a really good attempt for it.
And so I just trusted the process and Isaid, whatever, we'll see what happens.
Well, over the next few weeks we startedto see things start to sprout up, and
it became really exciting and it seemedlike things were growing really slowly,
but after a couple months, we started tobe able to harvest things, tomatoes and
(19:53):
green beans, and eventually zucchini.
And it became so exciting tosee the fruit of our labor.
And so as I was tending to the garden, Iwas out there, just picking green beans
and was kind of in this therapeuticplace of just being outside in the
quiet, nothing in front of me todistract me, and I was just left to my
(20:17):
thoughts and I was just praying to God.
And I was talking to him aboutmy business and I said, "Lord, you
know, I'm feeling really confused.
I'm doing so much work in mybusiness and I'm really not sure
I'm even doing the right things.
I'm not really seeing fruit from this yet,and I'm wondering if it's even worth it.
(20:39):
And God, I, I know that I'mresponsible for something.
I'm not just gonna sitaround and do nothing.
But also, I know that you say inyour word that you will complete
the work that you began, and Iknow that you're in charge of this.
Where does my job begin andwhere does your job end and,
and how do I do this with you?
Because I'm not even sure thatI'm doing the right thing.
(21:01):
I don't even know if I'mwhere I should be, God.
Is this worth it?
Is it worth the investment?"
And he said to me, he said,"look at your garden".
He said, "do you remember setting thefoundation?" And I thought, well, of
course I remember setting the foundation.
It was like months of workover multiple weekends.
We had to spend, you know, hoursand hours hauling wheelbarrows of
(21:27):
material to get all of this set up.
So I was like, "yes, God, I rememberhow much work we poured into this".
And he said, "you laid thefoundation before you ever even
knew if you would have a harvest".
And then he said, "and then you cameout here and you put those tiny little
(21:48):
seeds in the ground with no promiseof a fruitful harvest. You had no
idea what would happen", he said,"and you had no control if those seeds
popped up or if they sat in the grounddead and did nothing". He said, "you
are not in control of the harvest.
(22:10):
But you were in control of setting upthe foundation and planting in faith".
He said, "but I am incontrol of the harvest".
And so you see, if I had neverlaid the foundation, I would
definitely not have a harvest.
(22:31):
If I had stayed in doubt and if Ihad told myself, "I'm not sure if
I can grow anything, I'm not evengoing to try", then I definitely
would've never seen the harvest.
But because I showed up and I didthe work and because I was willing
to plant the seed when it was sosmall and so unpromising, and so
(22:52):
doubtful, if anything would come of it.
I planted it anyway, and I wateredit, and I protected it from the wind
and the rain, as best as I could inTennessee weather, to make sure that
that thing had the ability to grow andthrive and produce some kind of fruit.
But I wasn't in charge of the harvest.
(23:15):
God shows up and he provides the harvest,and this is the power of starting small.
It's okay to put the seed inthe ground and not know if
anything is gonna happen from it.
And I've had moments where I sowedinto my health and I wasn't sure if
anything was going to come of it.
And I said, "God, is this gonnabe like every other diet that I've
(23:37):
tried? God, is this even gonna produceanything? God, I'm investing the money
in these supplements or these, thesedifferent foods and I don't even know
if anything is gonna come of it".
But I showed up and I investedand I was willing to start with
something small so that God couldproduce a harvest in my life.
(23:58):
And eventually it led to somethingfruitful and productive that I
couldn't have done on my own.
But I also couldn't have done atall if I wasn't willing to show
up and do the small, insignificantthing and start somewhere.
And so God is saying, be willing tolay a foundation even when it seems
(24:19):
bleak, even when you're like, I'mnot sure what could come of this.
Be willing to show up and say, "Lord,I'm gonna plant something and I'm
gonna trust you with the harvest".
Starting small matters.
In Zechariah 4:10, it says, "do notdespise these small beginnings. For the
(24:41):
Lord rejoices to see the work begin".
He doesn't wait until you'vearrived at some perfect version
of yourself to celebrate you.
He rejoices the moment you begin.
That first walk.
That first intentional meal.
That first time you say no to somethingdraining so that you can rest instead.
(25:04):
Those small beginnings are the exactplace where transformation begins.
So as we wrap up, I want toleave you with a question.
What's one small stepyou can take this week?
Not 10, not a whole new morning routine.
Just one.
(25:25):
Pick something tiny anddoable and stick with it.
Let that be your beginning and have faithin the process of planting good seeds.
And if you're not sure where to startand you want help and support and
science and biblical guidance, you cancheck out my coaching program where I
(25:47):
help you create small steps, plan themout and execute them with success.
Or if you're ready to transformand go deep, you can also check
out My Live Healthy Mama Course.
It's built for real moms, inreal life, with real solutions.
No perfect plan, just powerful, practicalsteps that you can actually stick to.
(26:12):
And hey, before you go,I'd love to hear from you.
Head to the podcast page on mywebsite, there's a link in the
show notes, and send me a message.
Let me know what your next small stepis, or what questions or topics you'd
love for me to cover in future episodesso that I can serve you right where
you're at in your health journey.
(26:34):
You are not alone on this journey, friend.
You were created for wellnessand it all starts with one small
step that you can choose today.
Mama, I hope this episode blessedyou and reminded you that you were
beautifully and uniquely made to thrive.
If today's conversation spoke to yourheart, I'd love for you to take a
(26:56):
moment to leave a rating and review.
Not only does it encourage me,but it helps more tired mamas
discover the hope, healing, andenergy they've been searching for.
You are not in this alone.
Make sure to hit subscribeso you never miss an episode.
Together we will reclaim yourenergy, renew your health, and revive
your spirit one step at a time.
(27:18):
Until next time.
Remember, you are beautifully designed byGod to live with energy, clarity, and joy.
You're not just surviving mama.
You're stepping into the vibrantlife you were created for.
I'm cheering you on.
undefined
Hey mama.
Are you running on coffee fumes,feeling like brain fog, fatigue
and anxiety, or running the show?
Do you wake up dreading the dayahead already overwhelmed by the
endless to-do list, and unsurehow you'll make it through.
Do you long for the energyto enjoy motherhood?
(00:23):
And care for yourself, but feelstuck and unsure where to start.
Let me remind you ofsomething life changing.
You were created for more, moreenergy, more clarity, more joy.
Hi, I'm Jerusha, certifiedHolistic Wellness Coach.
Wife and mom to two wild boysand one baby girl in heaven.
(00:46):
I know the exhaustion you'refeeling because I've been there
barely making it through the day.
Relying on coffee and chocolate tosurvive and wondering why nothing
I tried ever made me feel better.
Then God stepped in andrevealed a powerful truth.
A woman's body is beautifullyand uniquely designed to thrive.
(01:07):
When we align with how God createdus, we can boost our energy bust
through fatigue and step into thevibrant, joy filled life he has for us.
Mama.
I'm living proof thatit's possible these days.
I wake up, refreshed, nourished my bodywith intention and navigate the chaos
of motherhood with patience and peace.
(01:28):
Most days, and I wannahelp you do the same.
If you're ready to swap exhaustion forenergy, brain fog for clarity and guilt
for grace, you are in the right place.
Each week we'll dive into practicalstrategies, faith-filled truths,
and empowering tools to renew yourhealth, body, soul, and spirit.
(01:48):
Are you ready for this?
Let's do it, mama.
Hey, friend, I am so gladyou're here with me today.
We made it episode 20.
Now, I don't know if you've heardthis before, but only about 1% of
podcasts make it past episode 20.
Isn't that wild?
(02:09):
At first glance, 20 might not seemlike a big number, but in podcasting
terms it's kind of a big deal.
It means consistency.
It means showing up when it's hard.
It means not giving up when you'retired, discouraged, or questioning
whether it's even making a difference.
Which got me thinking.
(02:31):
Isn't that the same thingwhen it comes to our health?
The small steps, showing up,doing one thing differently,
taking one intentional action.
They might not seem flashy.
They might not get likes or applause,but they're actually the ones
that lead to big breakthroughs.
Over time, they compound.
(02:53):
So today, in honor of our 20thepisode, I want to encourage
you with this simple truth.
You don't have to overhaul yourwhole life to change your health.
You just have to start.
Let's unpack that together.
We just wrapped up our sevenpart Root Causes series and whew!
(03:16):
If you're feeling like, "okay, that wasgood, but also a lot", you're not alone.
Understanding hormones, liver health,stress, insulin, sleep, gut health
and fasting, it's empowering, yes.
But it can also feel overwhelming.
So you might be left thinking,where do I even begin?
(03:40):
And that's exactly what Iwant to speak into today.
Let's talk about the myth "gobig or go home" and why it
doesn't work for tired moms.
Let's be honest, wellness cultureloves a dramatic transformation.
You know the vibe.
Just wake up at 5:00 AM, drink agreen juice, meditate, journal, fast
(04:04):
for 18 hours, go to the gym, runyour business, homeschool your kids,
and save the world all before noon.
Um, a hard pass.
That kind of all or nothing thinkingactually backfires, especially for moms.
Why?
Because the reality of mom lifedoesn't leave space for perfection.
(04:27):
You're already runningon coffee and crumbs.
If you try to flip your life upside downovernight, you'll burn out by Thursday.
Ask me how I know.
Instead, I want to invite youinto something better, something
sustainable, and something biblical.
If you're trying to figure outwhere to start, try these two
(04:51):
simple reflection questions.
Number one is, is thisrealistic for my actual life?
Let's say you want to work outan hour a day, five days a week.
Great.
But look at your current day.
If you're hiding in the pantry foralone time, is that plan setting
you up for success or failure?
(05:13):
We have to stop planning forour fantasy life and start
being honest with our real life.
Small wins in your actual lifewill always get you further than
big plans in your imaginary one.
Question number two is, are mygoals worth the sacrifice required?
Sometimes we chase goals thatif we're honest, aren't really
(05:36):
worth what they'd cost us.
Want to look like you did10 years ago in a swimsuit?
Maybe.
But is the time, energy, sacrifice andpressure it would take really worth it?
Or, would you be thrilled to feelmore energized, clearheaded, and
confident in your skin again, even ifyour abs don't make a comeback tour?
(06:00):
When you ask these questions honestly,you'll find a starting place that's
life giving and not soul draining.
Next I want to talk about howyour brain isn't broken, it's
simply wired for consistency.
Now, here's something fascinating.
Your brain loves the familiar.
It's always trying to conserve energy,so it defaults to well-worn habits, those
(06:25):
neural highways you've used for years.
That means even if you want to change,your brain might try to sabotage you.
Not because you're lazy orweak, but because you're
wired to prefer consistency.
So when you introduce a massive sweepingchange, your brain goes, "Nope, that's
(06:45):
too different. Let's go back to whatwe know, even if it's not helping
us." You've probably felt that before.
You want to eat healthier, but suddenlyyou're in the pantry with a box of
cookies thinking, how did I get here?
Friend, it's not justwillpower, it's wiring.
So if you want to outsmart yourbrain, here's a hack: start so
(07:10):
small it feels almost too easy.
Seriously, that's how youbuild new neural pathways.
Drink a glass of water before your coffee.
Go outside for three minutes.
Swap one processed snack forsomething with real ingredients.
Do 10 minutes of stretchingwhile the kids play.
(07:31):
Tiny actions might not feel likeenough, but they're actually
how transformation begins.
Small steps stick because they'redoable and once they stick, you've
built a foundation you can grow from.
I want to share a personal storywith you where this rings so true.
(07:52):
So back in the day when I was in thebeginning of my health journey, and I
really had no clue what I was doing.
I was trying to do something really big.
I wanted more energy, I wanted to loseweight, and I felt like if I could
eat healthy, then I could get there.
(08:13):
I was going on Pinterest, and I waslooking at all of these recipes,
and I was buying vegetables fromthe store that I had never even
really known that they even existed.
And I was cooking them and alot of it was so disappointing.
I felt like if I poured a lot of work intocooking food that it would be good, but I
(08:37):
ended up feeling so discouraged and reallysad about what I had to eat every day,
and ultimately it left me in a place whereI turned back to the foods that I loved.
In my discouragement, I ended upreally struggling to find a way that
I could eat healthy and enjoy it too.
And so what I did was after trying andfailing, starting and stopping over
(09:03):
and over again, I finally just stoppedmyself and I said, you know what?
That's it.
I'm not gonna try to eat allthese weird foods anymore.
I'm done for that right now.
It feels like too much and I'mjust gonna stick to one thing.
I'm gonna drink coconut milk.
No matter what else happens.
I'm gonna stick to this one decision.
(09:25):
I don't drink regular milk anymore.
I drink coconut milk.
And I made that choice.
And you know what?
I was eating fast food, I was eatingprocessed carbs, I was starting and
ending almost every day with sugar,getting my fancy coffee drinks loaded
with sugar, and I was doing all of it,but yet I continued to drink coconut milk.
(09:46):
And this might seem absolutely pointless.
Like what's the point of doing onesmall healthy thing if 98% of your
life is still so unhealthy andcontradictory to what you want to achieve?
Well, this was my catalyst forchange, and I'm gonna tell you why.
Because this small changecreated two things in me.
(10:10):
One, it created something doablethat I knew I could handle.
It still felt like a big change, but thiswas one thing I was able to build on.
And that one thing led to one more thingand one more thing and one more thing.
And over time, I was able to builda sustainable life that I loved and
(10:34):
enjoyed and that I could keep up withbecause I allowed myself to start small.
If I had kept an all or nonementality, then I would have
fizzled out and not done anything.
I wouldn't have gotten anywherebecause I would feel like I had to do
a lot to be able to achieve anything,and I would've been overwhelmed and
(10:55):
frustrated and I would've given up.
And so I chose this one small thing,which seemed pointless at the time.
But psychologically and biblically,this actually made so much sense.
Number one, I wasn't fightingmy brain to accomplish a goal
(11:15):
that seemed overwhelming.
It was small and it was doable.
In fact, it was so small that mybrain didn't fight me on it because
it wasn't even worth the effort.
And over time I was able to create thisnew neural network, this connection
that said, I do this healthy thing.
Which helped me create a path in mybrain so that I could slowly start
(11:38):
to bring in other healthy things.
And they were along that samepath, that same thread, and I was
digging this well worn pathway everytime I added something else in.
And so I was able to habit hack mybrain psychologically, physiologically.
And then the spiritual aspect of it,Proverbs 21:5 says, "good planning
(12:03):
and hard work lead to prosperity, buthasty, shortcuts lead to poverty".
Essentially, what God is tellingus is don't take the shortcut.
It might seem easier in thebeginning, but in the long term
you will get such greater benefits.
And ultimately, doing something smallactually leads to the hard work.
(12:29):
Even though it seems like, "oh, you'rejust, this is a cop out because you're
doing something so small, it's notimpressive, it's not effective. It's not
accomplishing anything big in your life".
But the thing is, is that it sets youup on a pathway for long-term success.
And in the wellness industry, peoplewant to promise big results so that
(12:50):
people will buy in to those big results,those immediate results, those quick
wins that are satisfying in the moment,but they may not actually help you
sustain a lifetime of health, whichis what I believe God wants for us.
He doesn't want to see us just lose 25pounds for the sake of losing weight.
(13:11):
He wants to see us healthy andthriving and equipped for the good
work that he has called us to.
And if you get healthier in the processof losing weight, he wants you to sustain
that because physically, mentally,emotionally and spiritually, you are
going to be a healthier, thriving person.
(13:33):
And he wants you to sustain thatfor the long term, not just for
three months or six months, or evena year before it fizzles out, and
you have to start all over again.
He wants to see you start a good workand sustain it in a life-giving way.
Now speaking of how we were created,let's talk about something that
(13:53):
almost no one in the wellnessworld talks about: your hormones.
As a woman you were designed withrhythms, ebb and flow, times of
action, and times of rest, evenwithin the course of a month.
But most fitness and health plansare built on the male design, steady
hormones, steady schedule, no pregnancyor monthly cycles to factor in.
(14:18):
No ups and downs.
That's not you, and it's not me either.
God didn't make a mistakewhen he gave you a cycle.
He designed it to bless you.
But in modern society, we tendto villainize our cycle and
our hormones because usuallythey're wreaking havoc on us.
But if we're able to align our hormoneswith the way we were created, we can
(14:43):
actually discover that they are a hugeblessing to us, and that they will
actually allow us to live a thriving life.
Let's say for example, as a typicalwellness protocol for your husband or
your brother, or somebody that you know.
As a male, it's fast, consistently.
(15:03):
Eat this, consistently.
Work out, consistently.
And they do those thingsand they see results.
But when we try to align ourselves withthat, what we find is that sometimes
we lack the results that we want.
Or maybe we plateau at acertain level of results.
Or maybe our hormones get evenworse, and maybe we even gain weight.
(15:24):
And it seems like whyisn't this working for me?
And honey, it's because youcan actually do more with less.
This is the gift of God on your life.
As a woman, you can do more with less.
You can fast less, you can eat lessrestrictive, you can exercise less.
(15:49):
But the key is to working withyour hormones and not against them.
The key is doing these things at theright times of the month, at the right
times of your hormone fluctuations, towork with your body and with your design.
And you'll actually find thatit's less restrictive and that God
actually created you to have morespace and rest in your life than he
(16:11):
even did for a man to experience.
He needs to be steady.
He needs to provide regularly.
He needs to protect regularly.
But as women, we have leeway in our life.
We have grace over us, because Godknew us mamas needed some grace, and
that shows up in our hormones too.
(16:32):
There are seasons when your bodyis primed for more intensity and
seasons where it needs more recovery.
And when you honor that, you'll seethat you can often get better results
with less effort because you're workingwith your body and not against it.
That means you don't have to hustlenonstop, you just have to align with the
way you were created and it's beautiful.
(16:55):
Now I want to share a story with youabout something that God shared with
me and the power of starting small.
Now it is June here in Tennessee, andI mean, it's June everywhere, but it's
gardening season and we have been infull swing of gardening season for a
little while, and we have a big garden.
(17:17):
It's probably close to like 40 by40 because every year we extend our
borders just a little bit so I'm able toplant just a few more things in there.
We started gardening actuallya couple years ago, and I want
to give a little caveat here.
When we started gardening, I was ata place where I had finally become
really proud of myself that I couldeven keep a house plant alive.
(17:41):
I do not have what most peoplewould call a green thumb.
And ultimately, I figured out thatit's not about luck, it's actually
about science on how you're ableto grow things well, whether it's a
house plant or food in your garden.
But at the time, we had a reallysmall garden the previous year,
(18:01):
and I was actually astoundedthat anything even grew.
And so I got really excited andthe next year we laid this really
big foundation for our garden.
I had read up on the EdenGardening Method, and I'm
gonna explain what that is.
We took a patch of our grass, andwe mowed it down really short.
We put cardboard down, and then we putcompost on top of that, and then we put a
(18:23):
thick layer of wood chips on top of that.
And I thought, oh, easy peasy, 1, 2, 3.
Three layers, that'sgonna be so easy to do.
No problem at all.
So I recruited my husband and mykids to go out and do this project,
and it actually turned out to be agiant undertaking, which was fun, but
(18:44):
after wheelbarrows and wheelbarrowsof compost and wood chips, we finally
got this foundation laid down.
And after that, it finally came timeto start planting things in the garden.
And so I had gotten all these seeds, anddone all this research about what goes
together and what individual needs allthese plants have, and I had mapped out
(19:06):
a plan, and I took my seeds out thereand I was putting my seeds in the ground.
And I'm just looking at these tiny littleseeds going into the earth and all this
work that we did, and I'm like terrified.
I had this moment whereI was just terrified.
I was like, what if nothing even grows?
And I thought, well, we did all this workand so we're going to do a garden or at
(19:30):
least make a really good attempt for it.
And so I just trusted the process and Isaid, whatever, we'll see what happens.
Well, over the next few weeks we startedto see things start to sprout up, and
it became really exciting and it seemedlike things were growing really slowly,
but after a couple months, we started tobe able to harvest things, tomatoes and
(19:53):
green beans, and eventually zucchini.
And it became so exciting tosee the fruit of our labor.
And so as I was tending to the garden, Iwas out there, just picking green beans
and was kind of in this therapeuticplace of just being outside in the
quiet, nothing in front of me todistract me, and I was just left to my
(20:17):
thoughts and I was just praying to God.
And I was talking to him aboutmy business and I said, "Lord, you
know, I'm feeling really confused.
I'm doing so much work in mybusiness and I'm really not sure
I'm even doing the right things.
I'm not really seeing fruit from this yet,and I'm wondering if it's even worth it.
(20:39):
And God, I, I know that I'mresponsible for something.
I'm not just gonna sitaround and do nothing.
But also, I know that you say inyour word that you will complete
the work that you began, and Iknow that you're in charge of this.
Where does my job begin andwhere does your job end and,
and how do I do this with you?
Because I'm not even sure thatI'm doing the right thing.
(21:01):
I don't even know if I'mwhere I should be, God.
Is this worth it?
Is it worth the investment?"
And he said to me, he said,"look at your garden".
He said, "do you remember setting thefoundation?" And I thought, well, of
course I remember setting the foundation.
It was like months of workover multiple weekends.
We had to spend, you know, hoursand hours hauling wheelbarrows of
(21:27):
material to get all of this set up.
So I was like, "yes, God, I rememberhow much work we poured into this".
And he said, "you laid thefoundation before you ever even
knew if you would have a harvest".
And then he said, "and then you cameout here and you put those tiny little
(21:48):
seeds in the ground with no promiseof a fruitful harvest. You had no
idea what would happen", he said,"and you had no control if those seeds
popped up or if they sat in the grounddead and did nothing". He said, "you
are not in control of the harvest.
(22:10):
But you were in control of setting upthe foundation and planting in faith".
He said, "but I am incontrol of the harvest".
And so you see, if I had neverlaid the foundation, I would
definitely not have a harvest.
(22:31):
If I had stayed in doubt and if Ihad told myself, "I'm not sure if
I can grow anything, I'm not evengoing to try", then I definitely
would've never seen the harvest.
But because I showed up and I didthe work and because I was willing
to plant the seed when it was sosmall and so unpromising, and so
(22:52):
doubtful, if anything would come of it.
I planted it anyway, and I wateredit, and I protected it from the wind
and the rain, as best as I could inTennessee weather, to make sure that
that thing had the ability to grow andthrive and produce some kind of fruit.
But I wasn't in charge of the harvest.
(23:15):
God shows up and he provides the harvest,and this is the power of starting small.
It's okay to put the seed inthe ground and not know if
anything is gonna happen from it.
And I've had moments where I sowedinto my health and I wasn't sure if
anything was going to come of it.
And I said, "God, is this gonnabe like every other diet that I've
(23:37):
tried? God, is this even gonna produceanything? God, I'm investing the money
in these supplements or these, thesedifferent foods and I don't even know
if anything is gonna come of it".
But I showed up and I investedand I was willing to start with
something small so that God couldproduce a harvest in my life.
(23:58):
And eventually it led to somethingfruitful and productive that I
couldn't have done on my own.
But I also couldn't have done atall if I wasn't willing to show
up and do the small, insignificantthing and start somewhere.
And so God is saying, be willing tolay a foundation even when it seems
(24:19):
bleak, even when you're like, I'mnot sure what could come of this.
Be willing to show up and say, "Lord,I'm gonna plant something and I'm
gonna trust you with the harvest".
Starting small matters.
In Zechariah 4:10, it says, "do notdespise these small beginnings. For the
(24:41):
Lord rejoices to see the work begin".
He doesn't wait until you'vearrived at some perfect version
of yourself to celebrate you.
He rejoices the moment you begin.
That first walk.
That first intentional meal.
That first time you say no to somethingdraining so that you can rest instead.
(25:04):
Those small beginnings are the exactplace where transformation begins.
So as we wrap up, I want toleave you with a question.
What's one small stepyou can take this week?
Not 10, not a whole new morning routine.
Just one.
(25:25):
Pick something tiny anddoable and stick with it.
Let that be your beginning and have faithin the process of planting good seeds.
And if you're not sure where to startand you want help and support and
science and biblical guidance, you cancheck out my coaching program where I
(25:47):
help you create small steps, plan themout and execute them with success.
Or if you're ready to transformand go deep, you can also check
out My Live Healthy Mama Course.
It's built for real moms, inreal life, with real solutions.
No perfect plan, just powerful, practicalsteps that you can actually stick to.
(26:12):
And hey, before you go,I'd love to hear from you.
Head to the podcast page on mywebsite, there's a link in the
show notes, and send me a message.
Let me know what your next small stepis, or what questions or topics you'd
love for me to cover in future episodesso that I can serve you right where
you're at in your health journey.
(26:34):
You are not alone on this journey, friend.
You were created for wellnessand it all starts with one small
step that you can choose today.
Mama, I hope this episode blessedyou and reminded you that you were
beautifully and uniquely made to thrive.
If today's conversation spoke to yourheart, I'd love for you to take a
(26:56):
moment to leave a rating and review.
Not only does it encourage me,but it helps more tired mamas
discover the hope, healing, andenergy they've been searching for.
You are not in this alone.
Make sure to hit subscribeso you never miss an episode.
Together we will reclaim yourenergy, renew your health, and revive
your spirit one step at a time.
(27:18):
Until next time.
Remember, you are beautifully designed byGod to live with energy, clarity, and joy.
You're not just surviving mama.
You're stepping into the vibrantlife you were created for.
I'm cheering you on.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.