Brilliant in the basics

My friend Steph introduced me to this idea of Becoming Brilliant in the Basics. I'm trying to focus my life on the simple basic things so I thought I'd give it a try.

She first shared this story with me:

When Vince Lombardi took over as coach of the Green Bay Packers football team in 1958, one of the first questions the local press asked him was, “What are you going to change to turn this team around after a string of failures and losing seasons?” His reply provided a window into the process of how to be successful when faced with a challenging situation.


Lombardi’s response was: “I am not going to change anything. We will use the same players, the same plays and the same training system. But we will concentrate on becoming brilliant at the basics.” In nine seasons his Green Bay Packers won five NFL Championships and two Super Bowls.” (see Being Brilliant at the Basics, by Rick McCormick)

The idea is to choose a few measurable Basic things to do every day. Then at the end of the day, I can see at least 3 things I could do precisely... not perfectly... but 100%.  I tried starting with 5 a few months ago and I found that was way more than I could handle. So I've narrowed it down to 3 things. I still struggle to get those 3 done, but that's why I'm posting this... to rekindle my efforts.

1 - I also know I need to rejuvenate my scripture study. Every time I dive into the scriptures, I come out so refreshed... and then I wonder why I don't do it more. So - that makes the list.

2 - In my life I really need motivation with tidying my house. It gets the better of me daily. So - one doable chore makes the list.  I can at least know I accomplished one cleaning task during the day.

3 - And lastly... sometimes at the end of the day, I realize I spent time with my family, but didn't take time to share love individually. So 5 minutes for a little chat, hug, kiss, and love makes the top 3 list.

I tried adding exercise which really needs to be a priority too, but I kept feeling bad that I wasn't doing that as much as I wanted to, so that didn't make the final cut.

In the end, it's not about doing more... it's just about doing different or better. I have to DO something all day long and I need to prioritize a little better.

My cousin Julie shared this quote that seemed to sum it all up in a positive way:

"We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something. We have to learn to be content with what we are." — Marjorie Pay Hinckley

My life doesn't need to be a whirlwind of hustle and bustle and fiddle and fuss. Simple is better. And so onward I go with my day... attempting to get 100% on the basics. Bathrooms... here I come!

p.s. I was a guest author on Jimmy's MormonMissionPrep website. My first post was about this topic... Brilliant at the Basics.