Mornings have gradually become more cooler and breezier here in Southwest Florida–a long awaited seasonal transition! I’ve been taking morning power walks for the exercise and pleasure of being out early. Since my toddler loves the outdoors too we enjoy this simple gift together.

We usually walk (she walks and rides alternately in her little car) for 45 minutes. This morning I offered to take her farther along the path we trod to the park. She spent most of her time on her favorite activity–the swing.

If you’ve ever tried taking a toddler out of the swing against her will you know what I endured trying to leave the park!

Yep, screaming, clinging to the swing—an all out protest. After working through it my beloved daughter decided she was too tired to ride back home (some 45 minutes away!). Needless to say, I chose to carry her, while pushing the car for what felt like an eternity as my arms—the strongest part of my body, a direct result of carrying my daughter in body carriers from infancy and often as a toddler–finally began their own protest against the dead weight of the sleeping child.

I had only planned to carry her for five minutes and then put her back into her car, but she fell asleep. We were up at 7:45 a.m. so as you might imagine, by 11:50 a.m. she was clearly ready for a nap.

I realized I had a problem!

She weighs 37 pounds and I need both arms to balance myself while walking briskly. As I considered my options I opted finally to just take my time while enjoying the journey one step at a time. And, to my surprise, I was home before I knew it. As we reached our subdivision she awoke and went back into her car without hesitation.

Here’s the wonderful lesson in the experience:

More often than not we can manage and overcome the challenges that we encounter if we take them on one step at a time.

Had I focused on the fact that I had to carry a sleeping child while pushing her car for 45 minutes it’s likely that I would have concluded that it was not possible…that it was more than I could manage. I think we do this when we encounter challenges to what we want or need in our relationships. What if we considered our possibilities instead? Whatever the challenges you face in your relationships at home I encourage you to make a real effort at identifying one step or one thing you could do today to turn your challenge around.

Often we try to solve our challenges immediately. Lasting breakthroughs, however, come through focused, repetitive actions guided by a clear purpose. Got a relationship challenge at home? Try focusing on one thing you can do and be consistent and authentic in your effort and intention. Have a clear purpose to guide your actions so that you are acting out of personal integrity. Try recording your efforts in a journal. Use it to express your thoughts, feelings, and intentions about what you’re doing.