February 2023

When was the last time you left home without your phone or didn’t immediately turn on the tv when you got home or sat on the couch? It is incredible how much times have changed in 20 years. Sometimes I long for that simplicity again. This week’s challenge is about getting just a hint of that simplicity back in your life.

Easy Level: Take a break from one type of screen for part of your day. Put your phone out of reach when you are working or away from your bed so you can’t reach it from bed. Don’t immediately turn on the tv or computer after dinner or when you get home.

Medium Level: Unplug for an ENTIRE day! Yep, you read that right. Leave your phone/computer on the charger and hide the remote. Spend the day enjoying someone’s company, going outside, reading a book, working on that project you keep telling yourself you don’t have time for.

Hard Level: Track and reduce your screen time. Use the screen time app on your phone to know what area you are on most. Track how much time you spend watching tv or on computer (non-work related). The average American spends 4-5 hours A DAY on screens. If you don’t think you have time for things you want to do, this will be the place to start.

Good luck and remember to continue to give yourself grace and strive to be 1% better everyday

If you are not learning, you are not growing.

There are several buckets we put ourselves in when it comes to reading. We either hate it, love it, or love it but don’t have enough time. No matter what bucket you put yourself in this challenge is for you. Even if you hate reading you will find that over time you see the benefit of it and grow to like it.

Your 3 levels of challenge this week:
Easy: Carve out 10 minutes each day to pick up a book & read. I recommend setting a number of pages goal especially if you are not a reader. That way instead of glancing at the timer every 30 seconds you focus on the number of pages left to read and what you can learn out of those pages. Find a time that you can be consistent like right before bed to wind down or in the morning before the rest of the house is up.

Medium: Switch out another activity for reading. Think about how much time you spend watching tv, scrolling through social media, or waiting for kids during their practice. Switch that activity for reading. Find a time that you could read for longer duration to grow your mind instead of numb your mind.

Hard: Set a goal for each month to achieve. Maybe it’s reading 1-2 books a month or a daily goal of reading so many pages. The idea is to be consistent to make it a good habit.

Finally, remember to give yourself grace. We will never be perfect and life happens. Show up each day as your best self. You choose your attitude and actions.

You are not doing anyone any favors by crowning yourself a “yes” martyr.
We use our busyness as a badge of honor. It’s something we talk (or complain) about. It is also something we have complete control of if you are honest with yourself. You will have “busy seasons” in life, but they shouldn’t be more than a few months. It’s not a season if there is no end.
My favorite line I used to tell myself, ”Once this happens then things will settle down.” I will tell you now that does NOT work. You have to be intentional about setting limits and doing some form of self care.

On to the challenges this week:

Easy: Write down each moment this week that you said yes or previously committed yes and now feel regretful. Be specific and honest about why you said yes. For example- Did I want them to view me as fun going out for drinks or did I truly want to see them and reconnect. No one is judging you. No one is going to see your answers. This is for you to know what you should say yes to.

Medium: Don’t check your phone for a day. Do you remember when we didn’t have these leashes (I mean phones) on us constantly. We could hang out with friends all day without that constant nagging beep or vibration of someone wanting our attention. We could focus on what we intended for that day without distraction.

Hard: Give yourself me time. I know mom guilt is real! But this is where your spouse, partner, friends come in. Or put the kiddos in bed early one night to give yourself some me time. Take a long bubble bath, go for a hike, get a massage, read a book – anything that makes you feel relaxed and happy.

You can’t pour out to others if you are on empty. Fill yourself up so you can be that wife, mom, daughter, friend, coworker you want to be!!

It is so easy these days with just a couple clicks on your phone to have something delivered to your house (thank you Amazon prime) when things get broken or stop working. This weeks challenge is think back to the mentality of your parents, grandparents, great grandparents. They didn’t just throw things away. They repaired them if they could. Nowadays it is even easier with YouTube videos available to show you how to do practically everything. BUT I repeat BUT if something is beyond repair, you don’t want to/not going to repair it GET IT OUT of your house.

Easy Challenge: Walk around your house and identify 1 item that needs repaired or thrown out/donated that would take less than 5 minutes to do. Then do it. Repair it (for example: replace the batteries), put it in the trash (for example: cracked plastic bowl), or put it in your car to donate the next time you go out (for example: clothes that don’t fit that you have just in case).

Medium Challenge: Make a list of all the things in your house that fall in this category. Then write down what you need to do with that item and when you will do it. Treat it like a bandaid and your goal is to have it all done in a month.

Hard Challenge: This is for the stacks of boxes around their house/garage and keeping it just in case even though it’s broken and will never use it. If you will not use it or repair it in the next 3 month GET RID OF IT! I know this is hard from personal experience helping others, but you will feel so much more in control of your life without being surrounded by clutter.

““Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT