Challenge #1

Monday, February 27, 2012


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.....



17 comments:

  1. 1. It's more than annoying to write everything down. I got more done tonight because I didn't want to write down wasted time. :) There is still more I could do with my evening time.
    2. I'm going to add daily exercise as my challenge. Nothing fancy just a little time working my muscles with intention.

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  2. 1. I found myself working very hard all day because I didn't want to have to journal that I wasted too much time on facebook. I feel pretty content with the way I spent my time today.

    2. I'm doing weight watchers now, trying to lose weight before June. My one struggle is finding the time to exercise. My challenge this week is to make time to do my daily exercise.

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  3. Was there anything you were surprised by? Maybe not so much surprised by, but challenged by how I tend to make excuses about how I didn't have time as a busy mom, leader, consultant, sunday school teacher or whatever to read everyday. When I got up, I made the choice to not turn on my tv until I read and then I read and read and read. I couldn't stop. Holy cow! How lame was I that I told myself God wasn't worth turning the tv off for. I mean, honestly, that's what I was doing. Very humbling.
    There were times today that I caught myself wasting time and then moments where I found myself getting more accomplished than normal and I agree with you, the moments I was trying to really pay attention to my actions, the better my actions were, the more I got done and now, at the end of the day, the better my heart feels.

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  4. 1. I have realized that my days are very random, flexible. Though keeping track of my day, I have come to understand how I take my time for granted.
    2. I have decided to make the most of my moments. It's time.

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  5. I'm now a follower!
    1. I discovered that knowing ahead of time what I was about to write down, I changed what I was going to do to make myself more productive
    2. I'm going to enjoy the nice garden tub I have and take a bath every day.

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  6. Well today was not a normal day by any means...one of our dogs ran away yesterday. I spent most of today making fliers, posting ads on different sites, hanging posters, all in search of my dog. She is a 6 lb. Brussels Griffon named Lola...she was last seen 3 miles north of Waterloo & Broadway in Edmond (just in case you see her). So #1 I discovered that I tend to take those I care about, including my pets, for granted. I do not spend enough time with the ones I truly love the most. and #2 I am challenging myself to spend more quality time with my children & in contact with my immediate family. You never know when that last conversation, or hug, or even lick of your face in my case may be.

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  7. 1. Today was a productive day for me, because I pretty much had most of it planned, before I knew about this challenge, only because I knew I had a lot going on and new it would be busy. So I needed to be intentional. But I already new this would be this way, but all my down time, I went for electronics. I am addicted, and I need to spend more quality time without time. Our family needs a electronic break. Lolr

    2. The thing I want to make time for, is 2 things: quality time with Maddie and exercising everyday, somenow I never find the time. Maybe if I had an electronic break, I would have time.

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  8. 1.) I have never written down every little thing I do before, but wow! I really don't feel like I waste a lot of time; although, I'm sure I could make a little better use of my time. I never feel like I have enough hours in the day. Part of this is because I drive an hour to my "regular job", and an hour back home every day! Which leads me to the second point... :)

    2.) My challenge to myself this week is to make better use of my time traveling in the car. That's 2 hours per day that I could be listening to the Bible on CD, spending time in prayer... etc.

    Good luck fellow time trackers! Take care and God bless. :D

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  9. That's never find time to exercise, I do find time for Maddie, I didn't want u to think I didn't make time for her, incase u were wondering. :)

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  10. 1. I pretty much just found out about this, so did not write down everything I did today. However, I already know that I spend too much time thinking about things, and not enough time acting on anything. I have tons of ideas that never get past my imagination.
    2. I am challenged right now to make bedtime with my daughter a special time again. We have spent so much time preparing for the next day and getting our to do list done that we have lost our togetherness in that sweet time just before sleep.

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  11. 1. I am extremely busy and do not have much room for wasted time, but by writing down every single thing, I was VERY aware of how I spent every waking moment... and it kept me from doing things that would have been a waste.
    2. My challenge is to be in Gods word consistently. No more excuses... I'm making my time work for me :) I will be getting up before the kiddos to do so, I've been very lazy lately and let my babies be my alram clock this is not good in soo many ways.
    Thanks for the encouragement!

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  12. 1. This is a difficult challenge! Very interesting, but definitely very difficult. I am very aware of where I spend my wasted time and have been since Pastor Craig did Better Part #2! (that was an eye opening sermon for me!!) I actually didn't spend a lot of wasted time on the usual today because I didn't want to write it down!!
    2. I am adding a daily dose of exercise to my time. I know I can do it! My biggest excuse is "I don't have the time!" go figure.

    Good luck with tomorrow, ladies!

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    Replies
    1. Ok finished studying. I know it's late and 5:15 will come early to.

      I wrote down everything in a book today NOT easy for me with my life. But I see things I have to change already and do mean fast!

      I am going to starting riding my bike with my kids they ask everyday and I always say not today have to work or study or cleaning so small step I am going to ride with them.

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  13. 1. Entering week 4 of daily meals for my mother-in-law after her knee surgery has kept my time very full. I feel I am falling farther and farther behind in my business and work I should be doing there. Yet I know that what I am doing for her and my husband's family is far more important and work will wait. So, days are full - although I am making myself limit the amount of time I spend "getting up to speed"/training with other co-consultants. This has helped me very efficient in my time on FB, sharing with family, other consultants and my team - then OFF!!!
    2. Daily devotions!! I hit and miss more times than I want to publicly confess. Yet God is so merciful and He is always there waiting when I decide to make Him the priority for my day.

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  14. I clean my house wayyyyyyyy too much! It's especially frustrating because it never seems to stay clean!

    Seriously, I cleaned more than I pee'd, more than I ate, and I'm certain I spent more time cleaning than praying. With 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 2 children - it's far too easy to feel like I "have" to clean. When, in reality, I HAVE to spend time with my family. I simply must. It's as if I don't see the tangible evidence of my work, then it's meaningless. I know how wrong that is on so many levels. I just didn't really realize I was "thinking" like that, ya know?

    For the next 7 days, I'm going to reinstate my "couch time" with Jose. We had it, we let it slip, and we've paid for its absence.

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  15. I have noticed (and always known) there are definitely things that I waste my time on! This just helped me to focus on what those things really were! I have several things that i spend too much time on. Some of which I need to do on a daily basis, I just need to limit my time doing those things! (such as driving to Edmond everyday sometimes 2 or 3 times a day!) I will just really have to try harder to condense my trips!

    For the next seven days I am going to work on my Scentsy! I love doing it I just get distracted with family and school! It is a MUST if I am going to continue working it like a true business and make a career out of it!

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  16. I waste ALOT of time on the computer! I need to set a timer when I am on it, because my brain pings from one thing to another and I dinf myself jumping from one webpage to another!

    I am going to set a timer everyday for my computer time. I will only allow myself to be on it for 1 hour and 30 minutes a day. Really anything outside of that is just "time wasted". When you set your mind to things, it takes no time at all to finish, but when you aren't intentional, then you just float by! Thanks for making me see this!

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