What can you do in 3,000 minutes?

Most of us are looking for those short-cuts or instant, easy one-two-three steps to bring about change.

And most of us don’t have big blocks of time to spend on making changes. We want to see the change without feeling it.

As year progresses, be aware of how small increments can also produce big change. It’s kind of like throwing your spare change into a jar every week and (if you don’t touch it) you have $50 or $60 by the end of the year.

Just 10 minutes a day, six days a week adds up to 3,120 minutes or 52 hours at the end of the year. It doesn’t sound like much but it does add up. It’s hard to spend 50 hours doing something and not have it make a difference. How can you spend 50 hours painting with watercolors and not be better at it? Fifty hours practicing to juggle and not be a better juggler?

Whether we’re talking about learning how to speak Japanese, how to play the guitar, how to cook Thai food, or how to square dance, you can take positive steps toward your goals.

John Grisham wrote his first novel by writing every day for three years.

What would happen if you spent 10 more minutes a day in quality time with your children?

How would your marriage be enhanced from spending 10 minutes a day to intentionally connect with your spouse? Any marriage would benefit from the extra effort.

Or, to spend 10 minutes a day reading a book on communication or flight patterns of the red-throated loon. It might be more information than you really want to know.

Ten more minutes a day in prayer or Bible study and after a year you’ve put 50 quality hours into your relationship with God. How can it not help but make a difference?

You don’t even have to limit yourself to 10 minutes a day. If you spend 30 minutes a day five days a week in a year you will have 130 hours focused on something that interests you.

Small changes can bring about big results if you stick with it. If you feel that your life is out of control or everyday life just feels overwhelming, take the time to talk to a pastor or qualified mental health professional.