Just One Simple Thing
145 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 52 ratingsDo you have big God-dreams but are worn out from doing all the things? Are you so overwhelmed by the never-ending to-do list that you end up doing nothing? Would it help to have just one simple thing to focus on at a time?Combining her expertise in project management with her love for the creative's heart, host Christa Hutchins equips busy Christian women who have big ideas with strategy and structure so they can do what God has called them to do.Covering topics such as time management, productivity, planning, strategy, organization, and decision-making, Christa starts in God's Word and digs into her toolbox to offer solutions for the big problems keeping you stuck. You'll leave with a just one simple thing to help you bring clarity to the chaotic swirl of ideas.
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Episodes
E36: Three Small-Thinking Myths About Building a Community
November 15, 2021 03:00 - 9 minutes - 6.7 MBA small community can be a powerful catalyst for your business or ministry. But is your small thinking keeping your community small? In this episode, we’ll look at three myths about community that result from small thinking, and bust them by looking at community in the early church. The #toughgrace truth is that you can’t depend on Google, or social media, or Pinterest to get your great idea in front of people who are going to snap it up. It doesn’t happen that way. You need a following t...
Bonus: Grow Your Community by Blogging with Arabah Joy
November 10, 2021 11:00 - 8 minutes - 6.12 MBArabah Joy helps people have a vibrant and flourishing relationship with God through Bible study and other spiritual disciplines. Listen in as she shares how she grow the community around her blog into a thriving business, and it is different now than when she started. Connect with AJ and download her free resources at ArabahJoy.com Did last month get away from you with little progress on your plans? If only someone could make sure you are working on the right things at the right time. ...
E35: Giving and Receiving in Community
November 08, 2021 03:00 - 11 minutes - 8.23 MBY’all are generous people, and I know you are great at giving. But how are you at receiving? As part of our series on building community, we’re going to talk about what giving AND receiving generously looks like. It might be hard to process, and you might not agree with me, but hear me out. It’s probably not surprising that our Biblical inspiration for this series is the early church, described in the first couple of chapters of Acts. In this episode and the next one, we’ll break down parts...
Bonus: Grow Your Community on Instagram with Eva Kubasiak
November 03, 2021 06:00 - 10 minutes - 6.98 MBEva Kubasiak helps people learn to study the Bible through the community she has grown on Instagram. Hear what she has to say about creating gifts for your audience, and the biggest mistake she sees people make on Instagram. Follow Eva on IG @evakubasiak
E34: Building a Platform or Cultivating a Community?
November 01, 2021 02:00 - 10 minutes - 7.24 MBHas someone ever told you that your platform is not big enough for them to work with you? Episode 34 of Just One Simple Thing kicks off a series on building a community instead of a platform. In this episode, you’ll learn three things I love about about building a community, and why I’m okay if I never have a platform that impresses a publisher. If you are trying to build a ministry or a business online, at some point, someone has probably told you that you need to build your platform. I’ve...
E33: Productivity Myth Busters: Enhancing Two Common Tips
October 25, 2021 02:00 - 8 minutes - 6.22 MBAs we wrap up the Productivity Myth Busters series, we are going to hit on a couple of popular productivity tips and some tweaks that have helped them work better for me. Before I dive into that, let me give you a little view of what’s been happening on my side of the mic. The original idea for the series was to look at common productivity tips and hacks, and determine if they really work for everybody. As I studied, I came across Psalm 16:6 and 2 Samuel 22:20. In these two verses, I w...
E32: Productivity Myth Busters: Is Digital Planning Really the Best?
October 18, 2021 02:00 - 11 minutes - 7.86 MBAs we move towards the end of the year, you may have started thinking about what type of planner to buy for next year. With more of our lives moving online and on our phones, you’ll hear people say that it’s “more efficient” to use a digital planner instead of a paper planner. But is it the best for everyone? Let’s take a look in this episode of the Productivity Myth Busters series. Productivity shouldn’t be about stuffing more and more into our already-full lives and crossing over the boun...
E31: Productivity Myth Busters: When Batching Isn't Better
October 11, 2021 02:00 - 10 minutes - 6.93 MBHey and welcome to Episode 31 of Just One Simple Thing, where we are in the middle of the Productivity Myth Busters series. We are looking at common productivity advice that might not be working for us ... and reframing it so that we are creating spacious places in our lives and working within our boundaries. In the last episode, we challenged the myth that you need three priorities to work on every week or every day. And in this episode, we take on task batching. Is that really best for ev...
E30: Productivity Myth Busters - Who Said 3 Was The Magic Number?
October 04, 2021 02:00 - 10 minutes - 7.52 MBIn a world that values getting things done, have we gone too far in our pursuit of productivity? Have we stretched our boundaries beyond what God intended and made productivity an idol? In this first episode in the Productivity Myth Busters series, I’ll share how we can start reframing some of our productivity habits so that, as David says in Psalm 16, our boundaries fall in pleasant places. There is nothing wrong with being productive. The Bible instructs us to make the most of our time .....
E29: How to Survive Launch Season Like a King (or Queen)
September 27, 2021 02:00 - 14 minutes - 9.86 MBIf you've ever fallen victim to great marketing for product that wasn't exactly right for you, raise your hand. I’m raising mine too, because we've all been there. So let’s learn how to make decisions that are a little bit better than that, right now, in this busy launch season. If you've been around me for very long at all, you know that I talk often about the idea tornado...the swirl of ideas we have in our brain of all the things we could do or should do, but we can’t figure out which on...
E28: Developing Flexibility that Bends but Doesn't Break
September 20, 2021 02:00 - 13 minutes - 9.07 MBSometimes we need to stand strong, and others, we need to bend so we don’t break. How do we know the difference? In Episode 28 of Just One Simple Thing, let’s look at how Paul showed flexibility and three practical ways we can incorporate flexibility into our live. I’ve spent most of my life near the southeastern coastlines of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. So hurricanes are just part of our way of life. After one of these storms, it’s always interesting to observe the damage af...
E27: 3 Ways to Build Resilience That Bounces Back
September 13, 2021 02:00 - 13 minutes - 9.22 MBIt’s been a rough couple of years, hasn’t it? Maybe with all the chaos around us, you didn’t reach your ministry growth goals, you didn’t actually launch that new program you wanted to, you didn’t get the support you hoped for. You might be wondering if you really have the energy or the heart to have high expectations again? In Episode 27, I'll share three principles for developing resilience we can learn from the life of Joseph in the Old Testament, and three practical ways you can develo...
E26: Unmotivated? 3 Tips to Regain Your Focus
September 06, 2021 02:00 - 9 minutes - 6.51 MBI’ve heard from a lot of the Do ANew Thing community that you are feeling unfocused and unmotivated in a season where we should be excited about ramping up for the end of the year. If you are struggling to get your mojo back after taking some time off this summer, here in Episode 26 of Just One Simple Thing, I have three tips to get you moving forward again. If you are listening to this in real time, it’s early September ... Labor Day week. For many of us, Labor Day marks the unofficial beg...
E25: 4 Reasons that God's Plans Are Better
August 30, 2021 02:00 - 11 minutes - 8.27 MBAs Christians, we can be very conflicted about planning. In one place, the Bible says God knows the hairs on our head, so don’t worry about tomorrow. In another place, it says the wise man plans ahead. What’s a go-getter Jesus girl with wild, audacious dreams to do? Let’s dive in and see why God’s plans are better than anything we could imagine. I am all about making plans to meet your goals. But I know some of you struggle with that tension between making plans and trusting God. I don’t th...
E 25: 4 Reasons that God's Plans Are Better
August 30, 2021 02:00 - 11 minutes - 8.26 MBAs Christians, we can be very conflicted about planning. In one place, the Bible says God knows the hairs on our head, so don’t worry about tomorrow. In another place, it says the wise man plans ahead. What’s a go-getter Jesus girl with wild, audacious dreams to do? Let’s dive in and see why God’s plans are better than anything we could imagine. I am all about making plans to meet your goals. But I know some of you struggle with that tension between making plans and trusting God. I don’t th...
E24: Why Accountability May Be Your Missing Piece
August 23, 2021 02:00 - 11 minutes - 8 MBFor the last several episodes, we’ve been talking about Success Foundations ... the things you need in place to build something that will last. Maybe you’ve gathered a list of things you need to do as you explore your purpose, create your pieces, find your people, hone your presence and position your resources. But before you start making a plan to do all the things, there is one thing you probably haven’t thought about. Accountability could be your missing piece. If you are listening to Ep...
E23: Position Yourself with Resources
August 16, 2021 02:00 - 10 minutes - 7.45 MBDo you ever wish you had unlimited resources to invest in your ministry or business? What if God has already given you everything you need to do what he has called you to do? In the fifth part of our series of Success Foundations, we are looking at how you position yourself for success by using the resources you have to fill the gaps of what you are missing. We’ll learn how God used a woman’s ordinary possessions and abilities to do something extraordinary. As our work grows, so do the dema...
E 23: Position Yourself with Resources
August 16, 2021 02:00 - 10 minutes - 7.46 MBDo you ever wish you had unlimited resources to invest in your ministry or business? What if God has already given you everything you need to do what he has called you to do? In the fifth part of our series of Success Foundations, we are looking at how you position yourself for success by using the resources you have to fill the gaps of what you are missing. We’ll learn how God used a woman’s ordinary possessions and abilities to do something extraordinary. As our work grows, so do the dema...
E22: The 4 People Every Leader Need
August 09, 2021 02:00 - 12 minutes - 8.77 MBAs Christian leaders, we often feel alone. We sit behind our computers and write, study God’s Word looking for direction and watch our budgets and pinch the pennies. Alone. But God clearly did not intend for us to do this alone. In this Episode, we are continuing our Success Foundations series by examining the four people we need around us. 1. The Partner: When God came calling at the burning bush, Moses gave Him a long list of excuses and limitations. God gave Moses a partner in Aaron. Aa...
E21: Creating a Presence That Makes God Famous
August 02, 2021 02:00 - 12 minutes - 8.55 MBEstablishing a consistent brand is an important part of growing any kind of ministry or business. In our series on Success Foundations, let’s look at how to build a God-honoring presence that delivers on a promise. As Christian creatives, we all say we want our business or ministry to glorify God. But we spend a lot of time getting all the fonts and colors on our website to match, and being sure we have exactly the same profile picture across our social media to draw attention. It feels so ...
E20: Get Your Pieces in Order
July 26, 2021 02:00 - 10 minutes - 7.56 MBSometimes we get so caught up in doing so many things. We start things, we get them going, then we have another great idea and we start something else. But at some point, we hit a wall. We have started so many things and trying to keep them all running. Ever been there? It’s time to examine all of our Pieces and be sure they fit with our Purpose. Pieces are anything that you are managing as part of your ministry. It could be your website, blog or podcast. It's your services, products, soci...
E19: Find Your Purpose at the Intersection of Why, Who, and You
July 19, 2021 02:00 - 10 minutes - 6.91 MBAre you just getting your creative ministry or business off the ground? Have you been at it a while and it’s time for a refresh and refocus? You'll need a strong foundation to build on for success! In Episode 19, we’ll kick off the Success Foundations series as we explore six key building blocks you need to start and grow an online ministry or business. For the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about launching something. After months of brainstorming and creating, you are finally at th...
E18: 8 (Kinda) Surprising Things That Need A Launch Plan
July 09, 2021 00:00 - 8 minutes - 5.96 MBSo you’ve just created something new and amazing ... or maybe you are working on a product or service you haven’t offered before. Have you thought about creating a launch plan for it? Maybe it is obvious that you want to do a launch for a new course or a book, but there may be some other pieces of your ministry or business that need a launch plan. In Episode 18, I’ll share eight things that need a launch plan ... and some might be ones you haven’t thought of before. For a few weeks here, w...
E17: What Is A Launch Plan And Why Do You Need One?
July 02, 2021 02:00 - 12 minutes - 8.41 MBOne of the biggest mistakes I see people make when they have something to offer is a lack of having a launch plan. You may think you can create something cool, and then just flip on the switch, and people will come. Unfortunately, that is not the way it happens. In fact, if all you do is flip the switch I can guarantee that your launch is going to flop. In Episode 17 of Just One Simple thing, I’ll share how to keep your launch from flopping by having a launch plan. Whether it’s a launch for...
E16: What I Learned From Launching A Podcast
June 28, 2021 02:00 - 12 minutes - 8.82 MBLaunching is hard work. Whether it's a podcast, a business, or a new ministry idea, there's always much to learn, and so so much to do. In Episode 16, I’m sharing the lessons I learned when launching this podcast. Some are specific to podcasts, but some I think will encourage you no matter what you are launching. Here are a few things I learned while launching my podcast: 1. Your Thing Can Be Whatever You Want: Whatever you are trying to start, don't feel boxed in by what you see others ...
E15: Maximize Your Content By Repurposing & Republishing
June 21, 2021 02:00 - 9 minutes - 6.3 MBFeeling trapped on the content hamster wheel? In Episode 14, we talked about maximizing the new content you create. Here in Episode 15, I’ll share some creative ways to repurpose your old content and focus on refreshing and republishing content on your website. Ready to make old things new again? Creating 8–10 new pieces of content every week can wear out even the most dedicated, gifted, and inspired writers. How about if I give you permission to just stop doing it? To step off the content ...
E14: Maximize Your Content With A Week-Long Conversation
June 14, 2021 02:00 - 9 minutes - 6.42 MBAs leaders and business owners in the online space, we often fall victim to the mantra that “content is king”. We get trapped on the content hamster wheel, constantly creating, sometimes forcing things even when we feel like we have nothing to say. Blog posts, newsletters, podcasts, Facebook Lives, Instagram Stories .... All in an attempt to be unique and engaging. In Episode 14 of Just One Simple Thing, I’ll offer you a way to get off the hamster wheel by creating less content but using it ...
E13: What To Do After The Brainstorm
June 07, 2021 02:00 - 9 minutes - 6.6 MBIn the last episode, we talked about the importance of brainstorming to get all the ideas out of your head and into a space where you can deal with them. But once you have a whiteboard covered in lists, circles, arrows, and stars, what do you do next? In Episode 13 of Just OneSimple Thing, I’ll share the four steps you need to take after the brainstorm, so you can capture the momentum in the time you’ve spent. More often than not, we don't take the time to clean up the mess after a brainsto...
E12: Brainstorm Methods That Really Work
May 31, 2021 02:00 - 11 minutes - 7.94 MBBrainstorming is not just a random dumping of ideas. The most effective brainstorming is a purposeful balance of free-form thinking and strategic organization. How could brainstorming be a game-changer for your ministry or business? Here are four ways: 1. Brainstorming gets you out of your own head We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God's purpose prevails. Proverbs 19:21 (MSG) Brainstorming is a creative way we can partner with God. We can empty ourselves of our own ...
E11: How to Make 10 Minutes Matter
May 24, 2021 02:00 - 10 minutes - 7.11 MBHow often do you find little bits of time scattered in your day? 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there .... Are you using those small chunks effectively? Or wasting them because you think you can't do anything productive in only a few minutes? Join us for Episode 11 of Just One Simple Thing, where we share some tips for making just 10 minutes matter. Every once in a while a random burst of time pops up unexpectedly in our day. What do we do with those short minutes? I don't know about you but ...
E10: Take Your First Steps Part 2
May 17, 2021 02:00 - 9 minutes - 6.9 MBAre you ready to take your first steps towards a new ministry or business? Or even a new product or service in something you are already doing? In this second of two episodes about taking the first steps, you’ll learn about the connection between excuses and fear, and the one decision we all have to make on our own. In Episode 9, we looked at two lessons we could learn about taking our first steps from the story of the man at the pool of Bethesda in John chapter 5. So now let’s dig into tw...
Episode 10: Take Your First Steps Part 2
May 17, 2021 02:00 - 9 minutes - 6.67 MBAre you ready to take your first steps towards a new ministry or business? Or even a new product or service in something you are already doing? In this second of two episodes about taking the first steps, you’ll learn about the connection between excuses and fear, and the one decision we all have to make on our own. In Episode 9, we looked at two lessons we could learn about taking our first steps from the story of the man at the pool of Bethesda in John chapter 5. So now let’s dig into tw...
E09: Take Your First Steps Part 1
May 10, 2021 02:00 - 9 minutes - 6.54 MBAre you waiting for the perfect time to take your first step? Are you afraid it is too late? Join us for Episode 9 of Just One Simple Thing as we explore an encounter Jesus had with a man sitting by a pool. You'll be encouraged to discover it’s never too late to take a step of obedience. There was a man in the Bible who also needed some help taking that first step. There are four important lessons for us in this story in John chapter 5. We’ll talk about the first two this week, and then cov...
E08: The Power of Starting Simple
May 03, 2021 02:00 - 10 minutes - 7.36 MBWelcome to Episode 8 of Just One Simple Thing. I’m so excited to be kicking off a new group in the Move Forward Mastermind and our focus for the month of May is Starting... That could be starting a business, a ministry, a podcast, or even a new product or offer in whatever you are doing now. I have a couple of episodes coming with some practical tips on taking those first, scary steps. But before we dive into the doing, let’s spend some time getting ourselves grounded. I don’t know about yo...
E07: Three Time Management Tips I Learned From Jesus
April 26, 2021 02:00 - 11 minutes - 8.12 MBTime management seems to be a universal struggle. But no matter what tools and tips and techniques we use to gain control of our time, instead of letting time control us, we'll never find any that work better than these three time management tips I learned from Jesus. Join us for episode 7 of Just One Simple Thing My Favorite Bible verse...my life verse... is Matthew 11:28-30. That verse touches a tender spot way deep in my soul because I so often feel tired worn out and burned out. But an...
E06: Why You SHOULD Compare Yourself To Others
April 19, 2021 02:00 - 11 minutes - 8.15 MBMost of the advice we hear about dealing with the comparison trap is focused on our mindset ...valuing our own unique gifts and experiences, not comparing our beginning to someone else middle. In Episode6 of Just One Simple Thing, we'll talk about some practical steps we can take, and the healthy way we should compare ourselves to others. Key Points: Looking at other people to see how you measure up can kill your inspiration and drain your motivation. You SHOULD compare yourself to others...
E05: What Kind Of Stuck Are You?
April 12, 2021 04:00 - 11 minutes - 8.09 MBIf you aren't making progress on your goals and projects, you may think it is because of some skill or expertise that you lack, or some opportunity you don’t have. But friends, that is rarely why you are really stuck. Here in Episode 5 of Just One Simple Thing, we'll talk about the three types of “stuck” I see most often and give each type a specific tip to help them get moving again. Key Points: What if the real reason you are stuck is not what you think it is? When there is something st...
E04: The 5 P's of Decision Making
April 05, 2021 02:00 - 11 minutes - 8.23 MBWelcome to Episode 4 of Just One Simple Thing! In this episode, we’ll continue our discussion about decision-making with five verses you can pray and five questions you can ask as a filter to help you make decisions. You’ll also learn what to do when a decision gets stuck in the middle of your filter. You ready? Let’s get to it! Key Points: Here are five practical things we can pray through when deciding what to do next in our ministries or businesses. Ask these questions: 1.Is it consi...
The Three Things You Need to Make Good Decisions
March 29, 2021 09:00 - 9 minutes - 6.36 MBIt’s Episode 3 of Just One Simple Thing and I’m delighted that you’ve hung in there with me for these simple beginnings. In this episode, we’ll tackle one of the top struggles we face ... making decisions. My favorite tool for making confident choices is the Decision Making Framework. It will help you make good day-to-day decisions in your ministry or business. So let’s dive into the framework. Key Points: The struggle with making decisions is that we don't have a method to evaluate one op...
E03: The Three Things You Need to Make Good Decisions
March 29, 2021 09:00 - 10 minutes - 7.14 MBIt’s Episode 3 of Just One Simple Thing and I’m delighted that you’ve hung in there with me for these simple beginnings. In this episode, we’ll tackle one of the top struggles we face ... making decisions. My favorite tool for making confident choices is the Decision Making Framework. It will help you make good day-to-day decisions in your ministry or business. So let’s dive into the framework. Key Points: The struggle with making decisions is that we don't have a method to evaluate one op...
E02: What Difference Can Just One Simple Thing REALLY Make?
March 29, 2021 07:00 - 11 minutes - 7.88 MBHey Hey! It’s Episode 2 and we are really rolling now! In this episode, you’ll learn what “tough grace accountability” means, how you can take part in every episode, and what REALLY happens when you take just one small step towards your goals. Key Points: Tough-grace accountability means you won’t always be perfect and life happens, but we love you too much and care too much about your dream to let you keep making excuses. Unless we know specifically the problem we are trying to solve, a...
What Difference Can Just One Simple Thing REALLY Make?
March 29, 2021 07:00 - 10 minutes - 7.09 MBHey Hey! It’s Episode 2 and we are really rolling now! In this episode, you’ll learn what “tough grace accountability” means, how you can take part in every episode, and what REALLY happens when you take just one small step towards your goals. Key Points: Tough-grace accountability means you won’t always be perfect and life happens, but we love you too much and care too much about your dream to let you keep making excuses. Unless we know specifically the problem we are trying to solve, a...
How A Simple Step Started A Whole New Thing
March 29, 2021 06:00 - 9 minutes - 6.73 MBWelcome to Episode 1 of Just One Simple Thing! In this episode, you’ll learn how an engineering and construction project manager ended up serving creative Christian ministry and business leaders like you, and what I hope we can do together. You’ll also see how God can take just one simple step that makes no sense at the time, and turn that obedience into a whole new thing. Action Step Download this Instagram Stories or Facebook post template to share your why. Tag @doanewthing and use #ju...
E01: How A Simple Step Started A Whole New Thing
March 29, 2021 06:00 - 10 minutes - 7.51 MBWelcome to Episode 1 of Just One Simple Thing! In this episode, you’ll learn how an engineering and construction project manager ended up serving creative Christian ministry and business leaders like you, and what I hope we can do together. You’ll also see how God can take just one simple step that makes no sense at the time, and turn that obedience into a whole new thing. Action Step Download this Instagram Stories or Facebook post template to share your why. Tag @doanewthing and use #ju...
Trailer
March 04, 2021 23:00 - 3 minutes - 2.54 MBIf you’ve ever felt paralyzed by too many ideas or one big decision, been frustrated because your brilliant idea didn’t quite work out, or gotten derailed when your color-coded plans were interrupted, this is the place for you. The podcast will launch on March 29, 2021. Here are some ways you can help me celebrate and spread the word: Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen Share about the podcast on your social media using the hashtag #justonesimplething Visit the shownotes to s...