46: Back to the Basics of Ordinary Excellence

Ready for a fresh start this fall? There's something almost magical about September that sparks that "new beginning" feeling in all of us – whether we have school-aged children or not. But as we embrace this seasonal reset, I'm challenging us to think differently about excellence.

What if true excellence isn't found in those picture-perfect moments worthy of sharing online, but rather in the small, faithful choices we make when no one's watching? Drawing inspiration from Philippians 4:8, I'm exploring how excellence grows through consistent habits, intentional routines, and biblical discipline in our ordinary days.

Our habits are the unseen architects of our lives, quietly building the framework for who we're becoming. Something as simple as making your bed each morning isn't just about tidiness – it's a declaration that you're choosing order, stewardship, and intention to start your day. These small actions compound over time, ultimately shaping our character and trajectory.

I'm sharing a simple but powerful morning routine framework that has transformed my approach to each day: time with the Lord through scripture and prayer, mental clarity through planning, and physical reset through movement and nourishment. The specific implementation will look different depending on your season of life, but these elements create a foundation for excellence that ripples through everything else.

Biblical discipline often gets a bad reputation because our brains naturally avoid anything that seems difficult or uncomfortable. Yet Hebrews 12:11 reminds us that while discipline isn't pleasant in the moment, it ultimately produces "a harvest of righteousness and peace." I never imagined I'd be excited to wake up at 5am for quiet time with God, but that's exactly what biblical discipline does – it transforms obligation into anticipation.

As you embrace this season, remember that excellence is faithfulness in the ordinary. What small step will you take today? Subscribe now for weekly encouragement as we pursue excellence together!

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Chapters

• 1:33 Welcome Back to Season 4
• 2:39 Excellence in the Ordinary
• 4:16 Habits: The Unseen Architects
• 8:58 Creating Intentional Daily Routines
• 11:23 Biblical Discipline as a Gift
• 14:58 Closing with Psalm 1

Transcript

Leanne: 0:51

Welcome back to Whatever is Excellent, season 4. I am so honored to be here sharing more encouragement and inspiration with you as we enter into the fall season, and I cannot believe that it has been almost one year since I started this podcast. Time flies More celebrations to come at the end of the month on that but know that I am so grateful for each of you. Your feedback and thoughts on each of these episodes is truly such a gift. I'm excited to dive into this season and to kick it off. We are going back to the basics today.

Leanne: 1:33

As many of you know, my inspiration for this podcast began with Philippians 4.8, which says Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. That tiny little section if anything is excellent has led to countless hours of journaling and praying and writing. What does it mean to pursue excellence? What does excellence in the midst of the ordinary look like for you or for me? So, as the kids head back to school, I am inviting you to go back to the basics with me. Let's start this fall season with intention by embracing rhythms of excellence through our habits, our routines and our biblical discipline. Something I noticed this year with the transition from summer to fall was how minor it seemed. Now, that has not always been the case, but as I have learned more about pursuing excellence and establishing rhythms and routines that pull our family more towards peace and rest, I have noticed how much smoother these transitions actually are. Perhaps it's because we're more consistent, or maybe it's because I'm more intentional and thoughtful about transitions. I'm more intentional and thoughtful about transitions. Whatever the reason may be. The question I'd love for you to consider is what if excellence isn't found in big moments but in the small, faithful choices we make every day? I was talking to a friend the other day and we both agreed that the start of the school year feels almost like a new year. Fall is sort of this natural reset. In fact, you can find academic calendar planners in the stores right alongside with calendar year planners. I actually have both. So, whether or not you have children in school, there is something about the fall that initiates this fresh start feeling. Maybe it's that new box of crayons or the new colored pencils, I don't know, but maybe that's why so many of us women love fall right, pumpkin space lattes, anyone. And yet I don't think anyone really wakes up in the morning and then simply decides today I'm going to grow in excellence.

Leanne: 4:20

Pursuing excellence is something that takes time and is cultivated slowly in the habits, routines and biblical discipline of our ordinary days. Recently I was reading a book by Eugene Peterson called Run with the Horses the Quest for Life at Its Best, and there's this line from the book that really stood out to me. It says this we live in a culture where a new beginning is far more attractive than a long follow through. Images are important, beginnings are important, but an image without substance is a lie. A beginning without a continuation is a lie. New beginnings are wonderful, but it is the hard work of cultivation that makes all the difference, and I love that quote from Eugene Peterson because we live in such a image-driven culture with social media and these little pictures that seem to be so important. But beginning is just the beginning. It's how you continue, how you remain consistent. That's the most important thing. It's what happens on the ordinary, boring days that really makes a difference. The things that people see or don't see, the things that are behind the scenes, behind the Instagram photos. That's what's most important.

Leanne: 5:55

As I have said in past episodes, habits are the unseen architects of excellence. Your habits are the unconscious behaviors that shape your outcomes. Habits are often the little things that compound over time to make a big difference. Galatians 6.9 says it best. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. You've heard that phrase you reap what you sow. You've heard that phrase you reap what you sow.

Leanne: 6:33

I think that this is referring to habits more than anything else. For example, let's take a look at the habit of making your bed every morning. It's quick. It likely takes less than two minutes. It's a visible act of bringing order from chaos. Especially if you're looking at my side of the bed, it's very chaotic. Order from chaos. Especially if you're looking at my side of the bed, it's very chaotic. It signals the start of a new day with intentionality. It provides a sense of accomplishment and can even improve your mood. And it proves the idea of starting small to build bigger rhythms of excellence. All that just for making your bed. And if that wasn't enough to top it all off, it is usually one of the first recommended chores you give to your children making their bed. The simple act of making your bed is a small declaration that you are choosing order, stewardship and intention to start the day. This is how you train their heart and hands, as well as your own, to begin with.

Leanne: 7:37

Purpose One tiny little habit to sow, and all of this is available to reap in the harvest Right now. I want to encourage you to take a minute and mentally run through your day. What habits are currently helping you and your family and what habits are hindering your growth towards excellence? What small adjustments can you make in the next few weeks that will compound to make a big difference later on? Compound to make a big difference later on?

Leanne: 8:16

I use the words intentional and purposeful quite a bit when talking about rhythms and routines. I believe that routines are repeatable rhythms that shape how you move through your day. They're often quiet, unseen and ordinary, yet they are powerful tools for forming a life of faithfulness and excellence. These routines are often created on purpose, for a purpose. When rooted in biblical wisdom, routines become one of the simplest ways that we can honor God with our time, energy and attention. So, with this in mind, it is really no surprise that I find myself encouraging you to be intentional, especially with the first hour of your day. Whether you are a single woman, a stay-at-home mom, a working professional or a retired grandma, how you start your day matters. Your morning routine, and really even your evening routine, will look different depending on what season or stage of life you are currently in. But this simple framework offers the elements that I have personally found to be most helpful, and it's three things Time with the Lord through scripture reading and prayer. Mental clarity through planning and journaling, writing down the things that are most important for the day. And then physical reset with movement and proper nourishment. Over the last 10 or so years, I have found that I am at my best when I have used the first hour of my day to do these three things, which leads me to the topic of biblical discipline.

Leanne: 10:33

The word discipline is not a favorite. The word discipline is not a favorite. No one really gets excited when they hear that word because it implies either hard work or pain, and our brains are literally wired to steer clear of anything that might be unpleasant or painful. And yet biblical discipline is training. It's training the heart and body to obey and follow God's plan. One of my favorite parenting verses is in Hebrews 12, verse 11, which says no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful Later on. However, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. I love the honesty in this verse, the honesty in this verse, and while I recite this verse quite a bit to my children, it's a reminder to me that discipline is a gift, even when it doesn't seem like it in the moment.

Leanne: 11:40

Waking up early to spend time in the Word isn't easy, especially not at first and definitely not after a long night with a little one. And yet the peace that comes from time spent with the Lord is not something that I ever want to miss. I actually crave this time. I have a funny little story, just kind of as a side note, to underline this point. We had the opportunity to spend a few nights in a cabin up in the Sequoias this summer, and it was probably the first time that we've been on a trip that felt actually like a vacation and not just like parenting in a new place. My kids are finally starting to get to those ages where there's a difference between being at home and then being on vacation, and we slept in as much as the kids would let us. We enjoyed those slow mornings and unhurried breakfasts and we would spend all day at the lake and we just embraced rest. It was really, really good for us.

Leanne: 12:45

I let all of my usual routines and habits kind of slide to the wayside and just really enjoy this time together. And then when we got back home, I remember being giddy to wake up at 5 am the next morning, like I literally couldn't wait to have my usual quiet time with the Lord. I almost couldn't even sleep because I was so excited. I thoroughly enjoyed the rest and the break and sleeping in. But there was just something about getting back to that routine and that anticipation I couldn't wait for and I know some of you are listening to me right now and you are thinking she's crazy, who looks forward to waking up at 5 am. And I know, I know that it sounds crazy, but that is what biblical discipline does. That's what it is. It's a gift. It feels like Christmas morning for a five-year-old. That anticipation, that excitement to be able to spend that time with the Lord. You don't want to miss it. So as we set our hearts and minds on this new season, this fall season that feels like a fresh start.

Leanne: 13:56

I want to encourage you to think of excellence as faithfulness in the ordinary. It is the small daily choices that lead toward a life of excellence, things like starting the day with scripture, even if it's just one verse, or choosing one habit to build, or maybe even a habit to break this fall, or creating a rhythm of rest and renewal each week. You don't have to do everything right now. Simply take the next faithful step. Think about this what is one small thing that you can do daily to pursue excellence with the Lord? 1 Corinthians 10 31 is a verse that inspires me daily and I have shared it multiple times on this podcast, but it says this so, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. It's so simple and yet so profound. In this season and even into the next seasons, you need only submit everything you say and do to the Lord, ask Him to help you pursue excellence on purpose and for a purpose, and remember that he is faithful. Even when you are not, even when we fail in our efforts, he is always faithful. He is always faithful, and excellence is something that grows over time in the ordinary parts of life.

Leanne: 15:49

To close every episode this season, I will be selecting and reading a psalm or a portion of a psalm that I feel best correlates with the topic that we have discussed, and so today I want to read Psalm 1, verses 1 through 3. It is my prayer that these words inspire you to delight and meditate on God's word. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked or stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.