31 Day Journal Challenge - Day 4

Day 4 - What negative habit would you like to remove from your life?

I'd love to answer something easy to the question of what negative habit will I try to eliminate from my life in 2014.  Something easy like smoking or porn.

But the truth is I don't smoke and what I consider pornographic is not normal or offensive.

So I am going to try to get to the root of what I think a lot of issues I have come from: unreasonable fear.  I need to eliminate unreasonable fear and concern for what others might think of me.

Fear to speak my mind, fear to take a stand, fear to not say anything.

I'm and not saying that I will - as a means to try to break away from this negative habit - start running about with no filter from my thoughts to my mouth.  But feel like what I am saying is that I will - when the time is appropriate - be more confident to speak up when needed.

31 Day Journal Challenge - Day 3

Day 3 - New Year's Resolutions:

Habits are hard to break and even harder to create.

For 2014, I've made the decision to be more intentional about physical fitness.  That fitness can come in the form of cardio - walking and other activities.  Or that fitness can come in the form of actual physical strength.

To jump start this decision, I've begun the 30 day plank challenge.  I'm on Day 3 and I've kept up with the program.  I've also added 5 good, slow and firm push-ups as well.

Part of the assignment also asks what I'd like to "add" to my life that will be beneficial.  Well, you are looking at it.  Journaling and writing in general.

I've always wanted to write more and take advantage of both the ability to document my thoughts, but also the chance to keep my mind sharp and active.

For accountability, this challenge is the first step.  At the end of this challenge, I'll have to begin to focus on a few areas that I enjoy and feel like I'm passionate about: sports/marriage.  What that will look like will be the biggest question - but for now - I'm excited.

31 Day Journal Challenge - Day 2

Day 2: Write a six word epitaph for yourself

Above the fray, below the radar.

Never let them see the fear.

Life is nothing but trade offs.

Pray often and ask for help.

Ready for today, scared for tomorrow.

Want more, settle for the difference.

31 Day Journal Challenge - Day 1

31 Day Journal Challenge

I've always wanted to write.

Whether it is for work, or writing something for my wife, I love putting pen to paper - or in this case fingers to keyboard - and getting my thoughts recorded.

On several occasions over the past seven years, I've set off to start a blog and sometimes gotten mildly consistent in updating it, only to find I didn't have the discipline or energy to continue.

So when I saw this 31 day journal challenge online, I thought it would be a great way to see if I had the chops to do this.

Why I want to do this is there is something noble, almost romantic about being able to look back at points of time in our lives and see what we were doing/feeling/experiencing right then.  

I want to do that.  I want to experience that.

With all this said, I plan on following the plan to the letter, meaning not going off on to many tangents, but simply staying on course each day with the assignment.  I'm sure some of my journals will be short (tomorrow's is the six word challenge) and others will be longer.

But that, I think, is like life itself.  Some days have many words needed and others do not.