Challenge #1

I thought about it while I was slicing strawberries today. I thought about it while I was driving kiddos to and from school and daycare. I thought about it while I was picking out bananas at the grocery store. I thought about it while I was putting together Scentsy orders and responding to emails. I thought about it all day.

It all matters. Every single thing you do matters.

If you're joining us on the search to find out what we really do with our time, I wonder if you were shocked at how much time you waste, or if you were pleasantly surprised at how efficient you are. I would say I was somewhere right in the middle.

I am very aware of the things I waste time on and am undisciplined about. I found myself not doing things that I would normally do (that are time wasters) just so I didn't have to write them down.

And all day long, I was very aware of what I was doing and how long it was taking, and I don't ever remember a time when I've been that conscious of my time before. It actually felt good. Writing down every little thing I did was a little obnoxious, but it was also very eye opening.

I was listening to a twelve day revival that pastor Steven Furtick held at his church earlier this year while I was getting ready this morning, and he said something that I thought really applies to us seeking to find what we're doing with our time. He said:

"If you want God to touch you in an extraordinary way, maybe you're going to have to do something that's a little inconvenient."  

I don't know about you, but I would love to be moved in an extraordinary way by our God. And I know He is more than wiling to move us and touch us in extraordinary ways, but it seems we're just too busy to stop and receive what He has for us.

Do you feel like that? Do you feel like you're spinning your wheels day in and day out? I often do, but I know that there is so much more to life than trying to catch up all the time.

That's really the purpose of this week of personal time tracking...to do something that's a little inconvenient so God can move in us and through us in extraordinary ways. If you didn't catch yesterday's post, it's not too late to join us. Our exercise of time tracking is a little inconvenient, but it's extremely eye opening.

What are you doing with your time? Do you really know?

So many of us would very quickly be the first to say that we wish we could do more and be more, but we simply don't have the time. I am betting that we all have the time, if we choose to use our time wisely.

As we go through this week of time tracking, I want to challenge you to add something to your schedule for the next seven days. Commit to it for seven days in a row.

It should be something that you want to do, but that you just don't ever seem to have enough time for. Our goal here is to create a little more discipline in our daily lives than we already have.

My challenge to myself is to start getting up at 6:00 a.m. again (before all the babies) to be in God's Word, to pray, and to seek Him. I used to be very, very good at this, but adding a couple babies to our household put my quiet time on the back burner. I know that I have the time. I just have to learn how to make my time work for me. Yes, it means I have to be a lot more disciplined than I have been in the past couple months, but it's worth it to me.

So what are you going to add to your schedule for the next seven days? Maybe it's daily exercise or time reading a book. It could be spending intentional time reconnecting with old friends and family daily, or maybe it's painting or creating something you found on Pinterest. Maybe it's as simple as reading to or with your children every day. You should immediately know what it is.....something you've been wanting to do, but just never seem to get around to.

Remember, we're keeping track of every single thing we do each day for seven entire days. You have a chance to win $200 cash if you join us! You also have to be a follower of this site and comment on every post from yesterday to Sunday, March 4th.

Today I want to know two things in your comment:

1. Briefly comment on your experience tracking your activities today. Was there anything you were surprised by? Did you feel content with the way you spend your time? Or did you feel like there may be some things you spend too much time on? 
2. What one thing are you going to challenge yourself to do for the next seven days and why? 

I can't wait to see where this journey takes us. 

Happy time tracking tomorrow! 

.....day 199 of a year of writing.....