A New Goal...

Do you ever have moments of being completely inspired, fired up with passion about a goal, or strong feelings of motivation all of a sudden? When I have these moments (which often happen after a mug of coffee or tea, so maybe caffeine has to do with it.. ;) I feel creative and it's the time when I have ideas pop into my head. For the month of July I'll be conducting a personal experiment. My goal is to take photos of what I'm doing throughout the day at random times. By doing this, I hope to get a clearer idea of what I spend most of my time on, and ultimately, how I can be a better steward of my time. In the summer I have more spare time, but time is still precious and I never want to waste it. At the end of each day, I will make a collage of the day and post it here. Yes, I will be posting everyday! It's quite the challenge, but I feel inspired and am determined to see this goal to completion! July is a very full month for me. I'm doing math and physics classes, turning 20, volunteering, and having surgery at the end of July. I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me, and I trust Him to give me wisdom into what it looks like to be a wise steward of my time. Of course, I won't be able to include everything from each day, but hopefully what I learn throughout this journey will teach me more about spending time wisely, with a healthy balance of productivity (work, chores, required activities), and rest & enjoyment. 

So, without further ado,

J U L Y 1st 

Productivity: 
Waking up at 7am (a big deal for me in the summer!)
Baking cookies for a neighbor 
A few hours of Physics homework
Practice MCAT questions (I'm writing it next summer, but I do these for fun... Yes, for fun.) 

Rest & Enjoyment:
Reading a new novel with lunch in the sunshine
Painting my nails & having a few chocolate peanuts 
Having lunch with my family on the deck and discussing the Game Theory. Haha, family conversations in my house and very interesting. 
Having a mini picnic with iced peach tea and more books outside 

Take aways:
1) Waking up at 7 am was amazing. I was able to spend time in my Bible before my day started and begin the day in peace and focus on God's word. The soft light through my blinds was an added bonus. Seriously, waking up early is a new priority in my life! Thank you, July 1st, for teaching me a lesson about spending my time wisely already by starting early and starting right. 

2) I spend a lot of time eating or making food. What resonates in me with this is how important it is to eat well. I'm going to spend time eating anyways, so it may as well be food that makes my organs sing "thank youuuuuu!" 

3) It's okay to rest. Actually, it's WAY more than okay to rest. It's so needed, and so healthy. Reading in the backyard with iced peach tea was rejuvenating. Everyone rests in different ways, but there is one common and uniting theme: resting enables us to be productive when accomplishing our goals, and it gives us strength to do them WELL. 

I have learned more from one day of life than I had expected to, and I'm looking forward to continuing this challenge. Time is a blessing. Time is one of the greatest gifts we have. July 2nd, I'm ready for you.    


Much love, Vivi