Before I wrote a book, the task seemed impossible. “No way,” I said to myself, “that I could ever write a book.” A friend suggested I tackle it just one page at a time.

“Good idea,” I thought and that’s exactly what I did. Several years ago I wrote 365 daily devotionals hoping to get them published in a book—but little did I know that I would end up using these to get Daily Encounter started back in 1998 with just a handful of subscribers. I also wrote these messages just one at a time. And that’s how I still write Daily Encounter—just one at a time!

Are you facing a daunting task, a major responsibility, or just need to clean your garage. If it’s the latter, start in one corner and work your way around it in a clockwise pattern picking up one thing at a time and either store it in its proper place, put it in a pile to be given away, or throw it away.

Treat cleaning your house the same way, systematically tidying one room at a time. As you see one corner and then one room tidied, each of these successes will help keep you motivated. Just don’t jump all over the place or discouragement will quickly dampen your enthusiasm. Apply the same principle to any task you have to face. Do it one step at a time—one day at a time. As the old saying goes, “Inch by inch anything’s a cinch” to which a friend added, “but yard by yard it’s miles too hard.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to take care of today’s responsibilities one thing at a time and quit worrying about what I need to do tomorrow. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Isaiah 28:10.