Last September our family did a Technology Detox. We shared the same goal, the same vision, the same plan, and the same frustrations. I enjoyed us all working together to better our family. I found it rewarding and enlightening to be united in purpose and action.
So for 2016 our family is implementing the idea of a different family focus and a family challenge each month.
The focus will be an overarching theme such as a virtue, quality, or life skill and the challenge will be the specific task to complete. The challenge should stretch us and make us sacrifice, but not be so bad that we all hate our lives and each other.
Here is our yearly outline:
JANUARY
Family Focus: Finances
Family Challenge: Do not go out to eat in the month of January
The goal here is to save money. So we cannot go to a restaurant and spend our own money. This caveat means we can use gift cards if we have them.
I have a list of things to do in January to support our family focus as well.
- Transfer kids’ savings account to new bank.
- Pay off credit card.
- Establish an emergency fund, Christmas fund, and travel fund.
- Open new savings account.
- Get bacon business up and running.
FEBRUARY (Tentatively)
Family Focus: Kindness
Family Challenge: Perform a random act of kindness each day
And that’s as far as I’ve gotten.
Haha.
I know better than to plan a year out anymore. Interests change. Needs change. Lives change. Priorities change. Ambitions change. Also, short bursts of focus work much better for my motherhood-induced ADD. This plan allows us to take one month at a time and see what our family is up for that particular month.
Despite my lack of commitment, I have thought about some areas of focus that I am interested in for our family:
-Preparedness
-Gratitude
-Fitness
-Health
-Service
-Family Scripture Study
-Organization
-Technology (we will do this one again next September)
Family challenges can come in all shapes and sizes and all levels of difficulty. Here are some potential options that I am considering:
-Update our 72 hour kits.
-Run a marathon (26 miles in one month)
-No sugar (Or maybe only sugar on the weekends?)
-Read scriptures.
-Clear out 1000 items out of the house.
You get the idea.
I will strongly encourage certain areas of focus, but I would like the kids’ to have major input on the challenges. They have to buy into them or it’s not fun. If they have some say and ownership in the challenge and its parameters, the month is more rewarding for everyone. And they have some really good ideas sometimes, so I like to listen to what they have to say. The focus and challenges will be decided during Family Council.
I’d love to hear if you have any ideas for the focus and/or the challenges or if your family wants to participate too. Just remember, if you need to find me, I’ll be in my kitchen cooking.
![I spoke in church today and said the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the greatest act of Charity. I read Moroni 7:45-47 to make my point. But wherever there was the word ‘Charity’ I substituted it out for ‘the Atonement of Jesus Christ.’ See if these scripture verses now have new meaning for you:
“And the Atonement of Jesus Christ suffererth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth in the truth,
[The Atonement of Jesus Christ] beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not the Atonement of Jesus Christ, ye are nothing, for the Atonement of Jesus Christ never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail-
But the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.”
So Easter really reminds us of love. The first and greatest commandment.](https://www.raisinglemons.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png)
I really like this 🙂 I like the sort of mini-resolutions month-by-month. I think I will institute something like this for my husband and I as well. Thanks! Best of luck with your family challenge this month and in the future 🙂
I am glad you liked it, Lora. I think month to month is way more realistic and doable than full a whole year. And I think couple challenges are a great idea. Good luck and let me know what you and your hubby come up with!
I love this idea. We watched the movie Once I Was A Beehive and they go to girls camp in the woods and only one girl in the bunch is really capable out there and it really got me thinking about my kids. I don’t want them to be helpless, they need skills Lol! So I have been thinking about doing something like similar, but reading this got the wheels turning again and I’m going to write down some plans now instead of just thinking about it. I’m sure it will involve some emergency preparedness, my daughter got a hold of one of my Thrive magazines which has food and other tools too. We got her a fanny pack full of emer. stuff and a big book filled with how to’s. I’ll have her pick some stuff from there to learn I also like the idea of couples challenges too. Alright now that my comment is a long as your post Lol!
Preparedness will definitely be one of our months with maybe even survival being another one. There is so much to learn! (And as a side note, three different people have told me my doppelganger is in that movie. I need to still see it.)