My Summer Challenge: Inspired to Action’s Hello Mornings Challenge!

Last week, I finally dragged myself outside to go running. It had been over a month, and I kept finding excuses why I shouldn’t hit the pavement. Too tired…worried my back would hurt…too busy…too cold…I had them all covered. But as I was hemming and hawing, Ben looked at me and said, “Just do it!”, propelling me out the door. Surprise…surprise…I didn’t croak or freeze or leave my children unclothed, and even though it was a slow and short run, it was a start.

Unfortunately, it is always the “same song, different verse” for me. I take a break from doing positive things like exercising, doing my devotions, eating right, or keeping up on the clutter, and it feels like a monumental task to just…start again. Sometimes I never start again. For example, I haven’t started eating right since…2004. (Huh. That’s kind of depressing)

Over the years, I have found accountability to be key. If I am training for a race, I have to train. If I am paying to attend Weight Watcher meetings, I have to count my points. When it comes to my daily devotions, however, I have never tried to find ways to stay accountable. So, I tracked down a cool program called The Hello Mornings Challenge, hosted through a website called Inspired to Action, that creates communities of accountability.

Starting next Monday, they will be going through an eight week study called “Love Like Jesus“, and the challenge is a daily check in via social media with an accountability group you form on Facebook, Twitter, or even Instagram either before or after your time with God. It seems simple and frankly, if I knew I had a group that was waiting for me to check in, I would be much more likely to roll out of bed. It’s like having a friend waiting at the end of your driveway to go running.

So, I’m going to try it. It’s a start. It’s doing something.

And if you want to join me, just let me know. I can join up with a group of women I don’t know through the challenge, but it would be even cooler if I could get a group together. I can point you in the right direction for where you need to sign up to get the right information sent to you.

Like Ben says, “Just do it.”