Growth, change, and progress always happens internally before it ever manifests in an external way.

In fact, the distance between when real, true, systemic change takes place inside you, and when it becomes apparent to everyone else is gargantuan.

That’s how you get better though; winning one small internal battle at a time.

Victories over donuts, laziness, and the snooze button may seem tiny and insignificant. And they are when taken individually.

Things rarely happen in isolation though.

Each win you secure over weakness in whatever form is a deposit in an account that’s accruing interest.

Every time you say, “No,” to something you shouldn’t do, you make a deposit in the account. Those deposits are small at first, but blossom over time.

Compound interest is a beautiful thing, and it doesn’t apply to bank accounts only. It applies to every area of your life.

Invest in a handful of daily habits. Habits that seem small when taken in isolation, but yield massive results months, and years down the road.

The road to personal growth isn’t one you walk alone. It requires the company of others willing to both encourage and call you out when needed. Sadly, few relationships grow into something this deep and real. Most are content to swim on the surface, lacking the courage to take a deep breath and plunge into the depths of what’s really going on.

True friends like this are in short supply. When you find one, hang onto it with all you’ve got. Nourish it, water it and most of all thank God for it. Real, true, deep friendships are some of His greatest blessings. These are the people you can call no matter the hour, who will help you carry life’s burdens no matter how heavy and who’ll celebrate victories with you no matter how small.

Friends are as equally valuable to your craft as they are to your personal life. We need people to lock arms and run with. People to tell us our work is horrible and help us fix it. People who understand what we’re trying to do and help us get there.

Scott Kedersha has been this type of friend. His willingness to jump into this great writing adventure with me has been a gift. Scott has challenged me, pointed me towards great resources, and made me want to be a better writer. Each time I sit at the keyboard his voice fills the back of my mind, encouraging me to hit the keys until something comes out.

I have the opportunity to have written a guest post for his blog today. In it I discuss 5 ways Hannah and I want to improve our marriage this year. If we’ve learned anything in our almost 5 years of marriage, it’s that you have to work hard to have a good marriage. They don’t just happen. You have to put in the time, be intentional and pray like crazy.

Please go check it out on ScottKedersha.com

I’d love to hear a few ways you’d like to improve your marriage this year as well. Share them in the comments below.