I have a problem…I love TV. I love crime shows…you name the crime show, I probably have watched it or watch it regularly. I used to watch just about all of them on CBS but decided I had to cut back. Even after cutting back, I still had Netflix shows I watched & my regular crime shows through CBS…and I just HAD to watch them. I would go without watching them for a while, then I would tell myself I’d “only watch one” but once I started I couldn’t stop. That’s my problem…an addiction to TV. Other people have other problems- shopping for things they don’t need, eating out all the time, splurging on coffee all the time, spending too much time on social media, etc. So, I decided to start a challenge for all of us with whatever our problems are:

I challenge you to go 7 days without [insertyourproblemhere].
The important thing, though, is not to just go those 7 days without whatever it is, but take note of what happens when you don’t do it for that time. For me, I’ll take note of all the things I get done in the time I would’ve otherwise spent watching TV: maybe I start working out more, keep our house a little cleaner, get more business work done, or read a book instead. If your issue is splurging on coffee/stuff you don’t need, maybe put the money you would’ve spent into a savings account…watch how much it grows just in 1 week. If you spend too much time on social media, see what happens when you delete the apps on your phone or turn off the data on your phone- do you notice more around you? Do your relationships improve?

Now, I set this challenge only for 7 days. For some, going longer than that would seem daunting so you’d never even start. Seven days really isn’t too bad…so let it be a stepping stone. While you go through these 7 days, take note of the changes & make plans for the future. You don’t have to cut out this stuff 100%, but maybe use these 7 days as an opportunity to restart & set limits on yourself. Maybe allow yourself 1 splurge coffee a week/month. Maybe allow yourself to watch 1 or 2 tv shows episodes per week. Maybe allow yourself 30 minutes of social media time each day. Whatever it is, set rules for yourself to keep in the future. These things are not bad things until they become something that controls our lives…so don’t let them get that way. Take the opportunity to remember that the things going on around you are more important than TV, or social media, or that your money could be spent a better way.

Let me know how the challenge goes for you. I look forward to hearing about your experiences, changes, & future plans!

Be blessed, friends!