Make It Count Monday - Vol. 8

Written and published on November 12th, 2012. Archived to previous year.  

A link-up of Goals and Accomplishments!

First of all, Happy Veterans Day to all of our fellow veterans out there. We are forever grateful for our many dear friends who have sacrificed so much, and for all those who are still serving and in harm's way. Veterans Day is just another day to remind you how grateful we are for each and every day you've given and all those you continue to give.

If you're interested, I've shared a few thoughts in the past about the sacrifices of our military here:

To Those Who Serve

When the Unthinkable Happens

Surviving Deployment

The Next Day: A Reflection

And now back to your regularly scheduled program--Make It Count Monday!

Evaluation from last week: After pleading for your advice last week on how to figure out a housekeeping schedule, I actually had a pretty awesome week! I appreciated everyone's suggestions, and though I didn't establish anything really specific, I think I reached a turning point in terms of motivation to get stuff done. The best piece of advice came from my brother, who told me that he gets up early each Saturday and strips the sheets on his bed right to wash right away--that way he can't climb back in bed and can force himself to start getting stuff done. Maybe it's because we come from the same gene pool, but for some reason it made complete sense to me, and as I lay in bed reading his email, I decided that I needed to get myself up already and do the same. So I did--and thus started a rather positive chain reaction which involved  
actually getting all of the laundry done by Friday, cleaning AND organizing my room (and closet!), staying ahead of the dishes, and just keeping the house in order. Only small steps, and I know that it'll be hard to keep up with that on a continual basis, but it sure felt good! And I'm confident that I can keep up the motivation long enough to get myself into more of a regular routine. I plan on on permanently adopting my brother's weekly suggestion which will hopefully keep me on track!

~MOTIVATION~ 

What did I accomplish last week?

As I said, I got quite a lot accomplished around the house this week, and it's a total relief to walk into an organized and functional room! I also did a few projects with the kids (I'm not exactly a natural teacher so projects take a little extra effort for me), and packed and prepared a talk for the big deal of the week--a retreat for our church youth group. I've been helping out with the high school group since September, and though I was a little hesitant about the age group at first, I've been amazed at the maturity and depth of these teens I've gotten to know. We just had an awesome weekend goofing off as well as getting into some pretty deep sharing, and I came away from the weekend absolutely inspired--more than I ever hoped to accomplish as a mere chaperone!

~DIRECTION~

What's my goal for this week?

The retreat experience helped me to really focus on the way I treat others, especially the times I tend to pass judgement or avoid others. It also opened my eyes to just how many teens (and adults) out there are facing overwhelming feelings of despair and loneliness every day. So my goal for this week is very simple, but one I don't focus on nearly enough: loving others more.

~ACCOUNTABILITY~

What steps will I take to move toward that goal?

I'll be focusing on the way I relate to others in my life, whether it's my kids and family who I see everyday, the friends I see a few times a week, or the random stranger I encounter in the store. I'll be trying to smile a little more, listen a little better, and just replace judgmental thoughts by trying to pick out one or more great qualities of each person I encounter this week.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!

Comment below to share your own MOTIVATION, DIRECTION, and ACCOUNTABILITY for the week! Or link up below to host your own Make It Count Monday--grab the badge on the sidebar if you'd like, and don't forget to link back here to Positively (Im)Perfect so we can visit and encourage you!