Do the Next Thing

31 Days of Order - Day 25

Day 25! Only 6 more days left for this series. Only 6 more days of posting every day.

This has been a challenge for me. At the same time, it has been encouraging because I found I could accomplish more if I made myself accountable and set a few goals. It has been fun choosing projects and working on them.

In the weeks and months to come I don't see myself posting every day. It's a lot. However, this month's challenge has shown me I can and do have time for writing more often than I did before.

I have something else to show you, but it's been extremely cloudy in my neck of the woods. Not conducive to taking nice pictures. I'll give you a hint, though. I repainted the little cabinet for my own space, and it is berry pretty! This is my first attempt at painted furniture. It's not fancy, but I love the transformation.

The remaining days of this month I will finish up and report on the projects I started. I'm already compiling a list of projects to take me through the rest of the year.

This evening I will leave you with a couple thoughts that help keep me focused when I am tripped up by one of two of my main downfalls.

The first is my tendency towards procrastination, which can also be labeled as laziness. Yes, I know - ouch. But for myself, I have to call it what it is in all it's ugliness if I'm to have any victory over it. This quote comes from Proverbs 31. I know - some of you are rolling your eyes or running for cover. "Oh no, not the Proverbs 31 woman again!" I used to feel that way about her, but she and I have comes to terms.

Her shining example is something I can aspire to with the help of the Holy Spirit as long as I know I don't have accomplish everything she did all at once. Hers is a list of lifetime achievements, not necessarily every one every day. Okay - here's the verse:

My second regular downfall is not being able to decide what to do (another form of procrastination, really). The quote that keeps my brain going in the right direction also comes from the writings of the wise king, Solomon, but from Ecclesiastes; one of my favorite reads. This helps me remember it's okay to simply put one foot in front of the other. Some days are like that, you know. Like the treadmill. It just keeps turning and I just keep walking. (Well, if I actually walked on the treadmill it would be that way. You get the analogy, right?) This is for the day that seems to be running me. Forget about choices. The assignments of the day are dictated by the schedule, the situation, the urgent need before me at any given moment.

I love this because it lets me know that it's absolutely fine to do the thing that is before me whether it was on my original schedule or not. It frees me from having to make any choice beyond what is right in front of my face. Somehow that helps me with the part that says "do it with all your might." The whatever might be cleaning the toilets or it might be grabbing the camera to capture the last rays of tonight's brilliant sunset. We can lean into the whatever and know it's okay.

* * * * * * * * * * *

This post is part of my 31 Days of Order series. See the rest of the posts here. 

To find other bloggers also writing for 31 Days this month on a variety of topics, click here.