Tag Archives: Challenge

January Challenge: One Thousand Things

Karah, personal growth

Last week I told you about my word for 2020 – Challenge

This week I’m sharing my January challenge with you. I call it ‘One Thousand Things’ and just like the name implies, I’m getting rid of one thousand things. When I told my son about it, he asked if I even own one thousand things. I assured him that I have that and more – LOTS more! We all have a lot more stuff than we think…

So here are the rules:

  • Regular garbage like packaging, used tissues, junk mail, and food waste don’t count. That’s just garbage. But things that need to (finally…) be sorted or which could be kept do count. So expired medications, leftover candy, or the frozen bananas I’m holding onto for the magical “someday” when I’m going to make banana bread – those things count.
  • Things which don’t get separated, like shoes, socks, or earrings, count as one item. Likewise, the pills in a bottle are not counted out – a bottle of expired ibuprofen is one item. Things that are separate items are counted individually, so five old magazines is five items.
  • Items are sold, tossed, or donated. The goal of decluttering is not to fill up the landfill, nor is it to inundate Goodwill with things that should be trash. The goal is a thoughtful sort, and that means that things with value are sold, things with life are donated, and things that are beyond help are recycled or tossed.

To be brutally honest, a thousand is a huge number. And here on day three, I’ve only gotten rid of three things. I don’t know if I’ll hit a thousand, but that’s what makes it a challenge! I’ll let you know on Facebook how it’s going.

My other goals for 2020 include:

  • I will purchase for myself ONLY clothing, shoes, and accessories which were produced using fair trade labor, or which were bought second-hand. I’ve done this before, and I made it deep into the year before I needed something I couldn’t find fair trade. The real key to this goal is remembering that I really don’t NEED more clothes, shoes, or accessories. But when I’d really LIKE to have something new, it’s fun to look for fair trade options or shop thrift bargains. As long as I don’t need undergarments, a swimming suit, or another pair of running shoes, I can do this!
  • I aim to read 100 books per year. I’ve never gotten there, but it’s my goal again in 2020.
  • I will make three microfinance loans through Kiva. My little lending profile is almost at the point where payments on outstanding loans are fronting the next loan (sometimes I have to supplement just a little to get there). I started doing this a few years ago by making two loans a year with my birthday and Christmas money. Last year I added a third loan in August because the returns allowed it. I plan to keep that up until managing my loans becomes a monthly thing. I really love looking at all the projects and supporting men and women around the world who just need a small loan at a low rate to increase their capabilities.

Don’t forget to follow @FoodShelfFriday on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. There’s lots to see and lots of ways to get inspired! Happy new year!

One Word 2020

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By now I’m sure you’ve heard about the one word resolution. It’s a trend that’s been around for a while now, and something I’ve even blogged about before. The basic idea is that instead of making a list of resolutions you’ll abandon, you just pick one word and make it your focus for the year. I’ve been doing this for a few years now – some more successfully than others. I start thinking about it in November or December. I pray for God to lead me to the right word. I’m still waiting for something nice like peace or joy, but God knows this Enneagram one too well. Past words I’ve focused on include honor, warrior, and in 2019, yes.

This year I find myself inspired by the word challenge. I might have preferred something like rest or relax, but I doubt those words would have inspired the kind of changes I need in my life. Don’t get me wrong, some of us need to learn to rest or to relax, but that’s just not where I’m at right now, and the God who directs my path knows that.

I’m getting a head start on this year’s word. I’ve started a Pinterest board on the topic, and I’m collecting challenges that other people have put out there. I have exercise/fitness challenges, eating challenges, reading challenges, housekeeping challenges, and much more. They range from week-long to month-long challenges. Some look like they’ll be fun, while others look like they’ll be more, well, challenging. I’ll link it to the Food Shelf Friday Pinterest board so you can see what is inspiring my year, and maybe find a challenge or two that motivates you.

The first challenge I’m taking on in 2020 is my month-long January challenge. I’m calling it “A Thousand Things,” and I’ll tell you more about that next week. Most of my challenges you’ll never hear about, but when I hit something like A Thousand Things which connect to Food Shelf Friday’s mission, I’ll share them here on the blog or the FSF Facebook page. Others I’ll just keep to myself or share with my accountability groups. I doubt you care how long I can hold a plank or if I’ve managed to hula hoop successfully (a skill I have never managed to master, no matter how hard I try!).

Whatever your resolutions, be they one-word, a whole list, or none at all, I hope you learn and grow in 2020. I pray that your families are blessed and healthy, and that this year is a good one for you. Thank you also for coming along on this journey with me. I love researching and writing, and I hope that I manage to say something that is meaningful and helpful to you this year.

Happy New Year!