I’m now 16 acts in to this year’s 40acts challenge. There are three levels to each of the daily challenges – green, yellow and red – depending on how much you want to or are able to challenge yourself and whilst I’ve generally been focusing on green and yellow challenges, this week has seen me manage to complete my first red challenges.
The challenges for this week have been:
- Act 11: Post-it Postman – leaving post-it notes of encouragement for people
- Act 12: Kick the bottle – being mindful of plastic consumption
- Act 13: Listen to your generous gut – acting on our generous impulses
- Act 14: Mind the gap – engaging with someone from a different generation
- Act 15: Insert verse here – sharing your favourite Bible verse
- Act 16: Off the hook – switching off from social media
Act 11 saw me managing to achieve my first red challenge by leaving encouraging post-it notes for strangers to find as well as a few for friends and family to find (as hubby was away I sent him a photo of an encouraging post-in note instead!).
Making a note of my plastic consumption for Act 12 made me more aware of just how much plastic is part of everyday life and just how difficult it would be to manage without it. I already use cloth nappies and try to recycle as much as I can but I’m not very good sometimes at remembering to take reusable bags to the supermarket and this is something I could improve on.
I enjoyed acting a little more on impulse for Act 13 and listening to my generous gut. I did wonder whether all the time I spent every day in the company of my children meant that Act 14 was automatically ticked off but settled for chatting to my father-in-law whilst he fixed my car (thank you!) as being that day’s challenge.
I shared a blog post about my favourite Bible verse on Twitter for Act 15 – it’s from Philippians 4:13 and helped give me strength and encouragement in the days following Jessica’s diagnosis and her heart surgeries.
As you can imagine, the final act of these was one that was particularly challenging to me as a blogger – social media is a huge part of blogging and whilst at first I was tempted to go for the yellow option of only switching off for three hours, I decided that this was definitely the one where I needed to do the red challenge – switching off my phone for a whole 24 hours and leaving the laptop firmly closed. Whilst I did find myself feeling tempted to just quickly check social media, the challenge was easier to complete than I’d anticipated and it was amazing how much freer I felt with the phone switched off. It was so nice to enjoy fully being in the moment and engaging with my family – plus I got a lot more housework done with the laptop out of bounds! I think I’ll be trying to do this one again or at least making the three hours offline a regular thing.
Have you been taking part in 40acts? I’d love to hear how you’ve been getting on.
I’m loving reading how you are getting on! This is such a lovely thing to do, wish I could have seen a cupcake post it! X
Thanks Laura 🙂
Great to hear that things are going really well, sounds like an amazing lent you are having. I do like reading your updates, it’s such a fab idea!
I think I would be shocked at how much plastic we used, hmmm something to keep an eye on, my recycling bin seems to fill at an alarming rate!
I bet it was really different to have social media/laptop/phone etc off for 24 hours! I think it’s a good thing to do on a regular basis, I do try to have laptop free evening every so often, with mixed success, but I think I am more determined now knowing that it is possible to managed without for 24 hours!! hehe.
Can’t wait to read about next week =)
Thanks Jenni – was quite surprised by how liberating it was to switch off – definitely a challenge to be repeated 🙂
I’ve loved your challenges Louise, but this weeks might just be my favourite 🙂 what a beautiful thing to do leaving little notes to show your appreciation for people. Such a kind and generous soul xx
Aw thank you Renee – am enjoying the different challenges 🙂
Your doing really well, such an inspiring project x
Thank you Aby 🙂
I love this Louise! I especially like the acting on generous impulses, that must be so rewarding xx
Thanks Katy – am enjoying the challenges! 🙂
What a great week you had! And well done for completing some red tasks. I pop post it notes with messages into my husband’s packed lunches and he loves them. Such a simple thing to do to let someone know that you’re thinking of them. Thanks for linking up again at #sharethejoy x
I love the idea of popping post-its into your hubby’s packed lunch – might have to try that one! Lovely to link up again 🙂
This is such a good challenge! You sound like you are doing really well but I don’t know how you switched your phone off for 24hrs!! That’s amazing. I should really try and do that one too! xxx
Thank you – it was easier than I thought it would be! 🙂
Gosh well done on the last one – that would be a huge challenge for me! I took part in 40 Acts last year – loved it but did find it quite hard work. Very though provoking. Thank you for sharing your journey 🙂
It is very thought-provoking isn’t it? Well done for taking part last year 🙂
I hadn’t heard of this but it sounds brilliant. The social media ban sounds quite hard, but once you get over the first couple of hours it’s ok, I find. I switched off for most of the summer holiday and it was awesome! #sharewithme
Way to go I could never switch off during the week but weekends are much easier as they are family time together. The kids still have two hour naps so I can get most of it done while they sleep during the week too. I do try to put it away more. It’s hard not getting sucked into it all or a conversation here and there. Way to go you for all your amazingness this week. Thank you ever so much for linking up to Share With Me. #sharewithme
Thanks Jenny – lovely to link up again 🙂