Challenge # 2

Tuesday, February 28, 2012


So, how's it going?

Are you hating the fact that I'm making you write down everything you're doing all day long! I am. It's a pain in the butt. But it's also showing me a lot about how I spend my time. I just had to write down that I spent twenty minutes reading blog posts from a few of the blogs I keep up with. Time well spent? I dunno. It's better than being on Facebook, I guess.

Oh, and I just forgot my favorite that I forgot to read, so I had to jump over to Kelle's blog to catch up there, too. There went another five minutes.

And since I wrote that last sentence, I have answered a phone call, sent a couple of emails, and looked up inflatable bouncing things on the internet for an upcoming birthday party. ,how easily we get distracted! Is that just me?! Sometimes I just wish I could do one thing at a time. You know what I mean?

Oh well.

On another note: I dropped the babies off for counseling today (which is basically the two hours they get to see their mom and dad every week) and I got so worked up about it. Not outwardly, but when I handed them over to their mom and met their dad for the first time, my heart was racing. I can't explain it really. I don't know why it was like that. Part of me wants them to like me....I realize that sounds lame, but I do. I want them to like me and not resent me so we'll be able to build a relationship with them.

I feel like there is so much I want to tell her. I really wish I could just hold onto her arms and look in her eyes and scream, "I am for you!" I just want her to know that. I don't know why I don't just tell her. It's kind of complicated.

I really am for her. I want her to get it together. I want her to have her babies if she wants them. I think that's every mother's right. I really wish I could take her under my wing and fix her, but that's not exactly the way it works.

I am doing my best to build rapport with her. We talked about her job today and about getting together for our little girl's second birthday. I hope that happens. I hope we can meet outside that cold and awkward counseling center....out in the real world.

I guess we'll just wait and see.

So back to our time tracking. I am praying that you are being challenged. I know I am.

How is your personal challenge to add something to your schedule everyday for seven days going? I know it's tough. I did not want to get out of bed this morning, but making a commitment is a big deal, and I knew I wanted to follow through. I'm so glad I did.

Now let's talk a little about down time. There is a big difference in down time and wasted time. Do you have those activities in your schedule that just make you annoyed once you realized how long you spent on them? Those are time wasters. They are not necessary and in some instances, they are emotionally draining. For example: Facebook browsing......it's a time waster, and we all know it. Do you ever feel like a loser after you spent 45 minutes reading the news feed, then checking out someone's pictures, then going back to the newsfeed, and so on and so on? I do! So, I try to stay away.

Now, what about down time? That's different. Down time is necessary and needed to rejuvenate us and keep us motivated and moving forward. You shouldn't ever feel bad about down time.

Down time can be a lot of things to a lot of people. Some of my favorite down time activities include watching a couple of TV shows (not aimlessly browsing the TV), reading, taking a bubble bath, and playing with my kids.

Some of your favorite down time activities may include playing games, watching movies, etc. If games is on your list of down time activities, be careful that you're not letting games become wasted time. There have to be limits.

Are you ready for today's challenge? Did you think I would let you slide by?

From today forward, I want you to keep your commitment to tracking all your activities throughout the day as well as the commitment you made to add something to your schedule, but I also want you to take something away.

What is it that you know you are doing daily that is nothing but a time waster? There is something more than likely. Whatever it is, it's time to give that time wasting activity up for five whole days (just until Sunday!).

If you're still in it to win it, make sure you comment below about what you're going to give up. If you're just joining us and would like to win some cash, make sure you check out Sunday and Monday's posts to catch up.

So what am I giving up? Facebook. Yep. No more browsing for me this week. I am allowing myself to get on to check on my groups once a day (but no reading the newsfeed and no checking out my page). I will continue to update each day's blog post there, but that's it. No more news feed for me!

What about you? What are you giving up for the next five days? It should be a time waster. Let's see what a difference being intentional with our time does for our joy.

P.S. Make sure to check out tomorrow's post ASAP. It will be posted in the morning and has a special message from one of my dear friends! It's something that could help you a lot in the area of being more intentional with your time! I can't wait for you to see it!

.....day 200 of a year of writing.....



16 comments:

  1. I added stretching/yoga to my week....(for some reason my comment wouldn't post yesterday) and writing is becoming the BIGGEST pain in my neck....but I committed to do this for a week, so I will keep going. Actually it is teaching me about all of the things to stay away from during the day. Ha. About half hour before I read your blog post, I was thinking about giving up Facebook for the week (except for my business posts). So there it is. I will give up Facebook with you, for the remainder of the week. I DO feel better about my motivation, I will admit. The day is becoming clearer to me. Thank you, I never would've done this without your challenge. :)

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  2. Hi Allison. I am not exactly enjoying writing down my daily activities but I am recognizing where I need margin! For today's challenge I am going to give up my phone in the car...as much as I hate to admit it I text, check facebook, have purposeless conversations, etc. For the next 5 days I will only be using my phone for emergency and purpose while in the car. Thanks for pushing me! Also our sweet little dog is still missing & we are heart broken. We would greatly appreciate prayer sent our way for her safety & our peace of mind! Thanks a bunch :)

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  3. Mine has to be Facebook too. I will only get on for business purposes and will not check the news feed. I bet this is harder than I want it to be. ;)

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  4. Well, today was an off day. I stayed home from work sick. :( but I did get some Bible study done, spent some time with my (newly retired) mom :), and did laundry, dishes, and other house-cleaning duties, so I guess it was a reasonably productive day given the circumstances. :) Even when I'm home sick it's a pain to write everything down, but it sure is an eye-opener!
    As for what I'm giving up... I have heard this a couple of times, and it's filled me with guilt both times. "What if we treated our Bibles like we treat our cellphones?" We check our phones a million times a day, use them for communication, and would be lost if we didn't have them, right? How much better would or lives be if we placed the same importance in our Bibles? So, for the rest of the week, everyone I feel the need to randomly check my phone (those million times a day even when I know I won't have a message), I am going to "check" my Bible instead. Maybe only reading a few verses at a time, but I'm sure it would be much more productive than the arbitrary checking of my phone, which usually end in my playing games.... :)

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  5. You nailed it. Facebook. I'm actually going to cut the browsing as well. I'll check my bible study group and my life group messages - but as far as the browsing - I'm giving it up. Honestly, it may be a forever thing.

    It just occurred to me that I've been waiting for a reason to stop browsing. That simply pisses me smooth off.

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  6. I am going to give up all the "extras" on facebook. That is my weakness! I am one that likes the news feed too :( It really does get distracting and is waste time!

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  7. My biggest waste of time is my snooze button. I hit that thing for an hr before I finally get out of bed and then I feel like I rush around to get my kids where they need to be on time. I'm going to move my phone across the room so I have to get up instead of hitting snooze and dozing on and off for an hr. I'm already dreading this just writing it, but maybe I will make it a habit!

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  8. Ok this is killing me because I am trying to keep up with work, school, kids, home and studying. U know you think this is alot will I do a lot and I would not change it. My older girls see a stronger woman and that is what I want and my two younger ones well we will see. I foster on top of all this when I get my degrees I will feel better and no more 2:30am study time! I am hoping to find myself in all this and maybe some more time for relax but for now God will have to guide me and I hope to find more of him in my day. I would like to give God all my problems for the next five days it is very hard for me to let them go!

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  9. I plan on giving my 'me' time of watching reality tv. I know that sounds nutso, but that hour a day is like my 'check out' time. Surely I can find something more relaxing and fulfilling for myself than watching some strangers life, right? :) It's my guilty pleasure though. It may be tough, wait, scratch that. Even typing that sounds super lame! It won't be hard. If it is, it was something I needed to get rid of anyway, right?

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  10. My biggest waste of time is hitting the snooze button (or sleeping through it) and then laying in bed while I check emails and facebook. This is what I'll be giving up until Sunday.

    As a family for lent we all agreed to turn off electronic devices such as tv, video games, ipad and computers after 7 and say the rosary as a group. This so far has helped us all wind down at the end of our day and get some routine back into our nights...hopefully this challenge will do the same for my mornings!

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  11. Ok, so I've thought and thought and I've realized that I have kind of let myself go. I haven't looked nice in a while, its the ol shower and throw my hair up, add a tshirt, comfy Jeans, pair of boots and I'm off to take the kids to school. I don't look good and I don't feel good. That needs to change. So, I'm adding pretty, feel good Emily back into the mix. Picking out an outfit, doing hair and makeup. What I need to remove is playing solitaire on my phone which its a major time waster!

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  12. My biggest time waster is first thing in the morning, I roll over, grab my phone and spend an HOUR checking facebook, my workstation, the news, the technology news, back to facebook, people magazine app, weather bug, (you see where this is going right?). So I am giving up surfing. Yep, I will give myself 20 minutes to read my daily devotional, scan my groups facebook page, and check breaking news and the temperature for the day. I will find myself having an extra 40 minutes to my day! WAHOO!

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  13. Probably my biggest time waster is my cellphone, I like Jami am a surfer, and constantly checking messages- mainly due to my merchandising, but I way to much. Especially when I am in the car and someone else is driving, like my hubby. I spend my time on my phone instead of enjoying the time--undivided attention to him as well as when I go to bed. David always teases me,saying "I am with my other man"--when I am on my phone. I know it is bad. So I really need to give that up.

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  14. I am giving up the newsfeed! It is so very pointless and I do feel like such a loser after I have wasted my time being a creeper on facebook.

    This is a lot of fun, but such a challenge.. Also very aggravating at times!! :)

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  15. I am giving up the newsfeed as well and my pointless phone calls in the car!! I am so bad about always feeling the need to talk to someone while in the car when I should be using this time to spend with myself and God, or myself and my kiddos/hubby. Thanks for challenging us! I was good today and kept up with it... its crazy how often I grab my phone thinking I need to call and have some pointless conversation :)

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  16. I am giving up the newsfeed as well! I need more DISCIPLINE and am so glad that you have given us this chance to do this! Just the kick I needed!! I also like the pointless phone stuff in the car! If I am going to be more present for my family than I really don't need to see what people are eating for dinner when I could be planning my own! I was very guilty of not paying attention to the family when my hubby drove us anywhere! So giving up the phone in the car as well!!

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