Lent Wellness Challenge Day 31

Lent Wellness Challenge Day 32

Getting in the Big Rocks!     This is what Linda commented yesterday and she is spot on.

I use the HOLY, HEALTHY, HAPPY approach because it is simple.  If we can make these three rocks that we get in everyday we will see the peace in our lives increase.  I know this because I have seen it in my life and many peoples lives which whom I’ve worked with.

Simple ways to add a bit of Holy to our lives;

Read a Bible verse a day.

Read the Bible chapter that corresponds to the Lent Challenge verse daily.

Listen to a Christian speaker on TV or the radio.

Listen to Christian music on a CD or on the radio.

Take time to pray.

Take time to sit quietly with Jesus, letting Him love you.

Continually remind yourself; all things work out for good to those who love God.

Fellowship with other Christians and talk about your walk with God.

Seek sound Pastoral advice.

Memorize a Bible verse a week. (Post the verse of the week on your fridge)

Sometimes in order for us to fit in the Big Rocks we need to start with a size we can commit to and go from there.

Commitment is a choice not a feeling!

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Be fit and be blessed,

Kimberly

Linda’s Comment:

Kimberly talked about getting everything in the plan and then being too rigid. We all have a lot of commitments - spouse, children, work, church, extended family, friends.  We all want to do everything we can to be effective and organized.  But our time is spent "spinning our wheels" and not accomplishing all that we want to.  Here's what I teach my direct reports about organization and scheduling.  It is from Steven Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People".  When I teach this concept I actually use a bucket or container, big, fist size rocks, pebble size rocks, and sand.

Without telling them about the exercise, I ask one person to put all of the rocks, pebbles and sand into the bucket.  Invariably, they put in the sand or pebbles first and then try to fit the rocks in last.  They try to grind the rocks down into the sand or dig some of it out but it just doesn't quite work.   After that demonstration, I talk about how the bucket represents your schedule/life.  The rocks are the big events - the must do, don't want to miss kind of things or in the context of your job, the things that are deadline driven and must get done.  The pebbles are important things that have deadlines or are recurring things - paying bills, turning in reports, preparing for a meeting, taking your child to the dentist.  The sand represents all the other things in life.  Here's how it does works - put the "rocks" in the bucket first.  Schedule and make time for the most important things in your life.  Use a planner or your computer or a calendar.  Then put the less important things (the pebbles) in.  You will notice how the pebbles fit in around the rocks.  Then pour in the sand - and the sand fills in the spaces around the rocks and pebbles.  The sand represents the day to day things that fill up our time.   It is up to you to decide what are the rocks, pebbles and sand in your life.   You can fit in all the rocks and pebbles (Important things) or you can just fit in the sand (time wasters, .  It's up to you.  Sand can be tv watching, reading mail, emails, phone calls, internet surfing, games, reading, cleaning, laundry, some sports activities - things that need to get done but are neither urgent or important, or could be done by someone else or in a different way - example cooking a meal. Some of the activities are recreational or they could be time wasters.  The pebbles are bigger things like dr and dentist appts, meetings, things that are important to do or accomplish, things that involve other people's time.  The rocks are based on your values - family activities, vacations, church, financial planning, training for employees, etc.  These are things with deadlines or things that will not get done unless you set aside time to do them. Once a year, or even once a week, golfing might be a big rock  but if that fills your life and you are not a PGA champion, there might be something wrong with your effectiveness.

I hope this was not too preachy but I see so many people that complain that they wish they could do this, or do that but they can't find the time.  You MAKE time for what's important to you.  This is only one concept from the book, and there are a lot of other concepts that mesh with it.  

All - have a great weekend and enjoy the warmer temps.  Let's hope we do not have severe weather!

Linda Haywood Olson