by kathilipp | Jan 3, 2012 | Me |
Less Than Perfect
Lessening Your Load
Today: Find another area of your life that you can cut back, do less well, or give up on altogether – either permanently or just for the duration of The Me Project – in order to give you the time and space to pursue your goal.
Look at what my friend Ann had to say about her battle with perfectionism:
“If you can’t do it right, don’t do it at all.” My grandfather said that when I was less than 10 years old. I was sweeping the driveway to help clean the garage.
Oosh! Little did I know that the seed of perfectionism planted so early in my life would stay with me so long. I tend to want to do everything really well, an all or nothing person. I still struggle with the notion that my house doesn’t have to be perfect for company. Typically I am overwhelmed with housecleaning because it’s just too much to keep it perfect so I tend to let it go to the backburner. Someone said to me, “If you found out Mother Theresa had a messy house would that change how you view her good deeds or her as a person?” When I almost answered yes I realized I had some work to do on myself.
Lately I have learned to let go of the perfectionism. Listen to what my husband and kids really need instead of what I want. My daughter wants play dates. Okay let’s get the house picked up, but don’t stress about the overhead dusting, they are only six years old!
My struggle with perfectionism really came into focus one Sunday morning. One line from that morning’s sermon really jumped out at me: “If I could give you one thing it would be that you could see yourself as God sees you. Our loving, forgiving Father would not, I suppose, say some of the things we say to ourselves, stupid, ugly, lazy, etc. Only when we have the love of God and experience the love He has for us by forgiving and loving ourselves, not in a narcissistic way, can we truly love our brothers and sisters as Jesus taught us.”
I’m not sure why at that moment his words sank in and had profound meaning for me. (Perhaps it was because the kids were sick and weren’t with me so I could actually hear what was being said!) To love myself unconditionally the way I love my own children seemed so foreign yet so simple.
Am I still a perfectionist? Yes, I still have those urges to lift the burner pans and clean under the stove each night even though no one can see under there. The difference is now I can say, it’s okay to play tag in the house with my kids and forgive myself for leaving a pan on the stove a little while longer. I can focus on the things that are truly important, instead of responding to the unreasonable – and ungodly – self talk from before.
Do you struggle with perfectionism? I do in some areas – and I know it is all fear based and a control issue. Ugh. But if I can do ONE LESS THING that doesn’t need to be done – not only am I freeing my time – I’m freeing myself.
Tell us in the comments below one thing that you put on your Not-To-Do-List and why and you could win the book Out of the Spin Cycle: Devotions to lighten your Mother Load
by kathilipp | Jan 2, 2012 | Me |
What do you want from me?
Knowing God’s Will for all the parts of your life
Today: Spend time reflecting on the ways you have sensed God’s direction pursuing your goal. Your project for today is to write down all the ways that God has confirmed you working on this particular goal.
Whether it’s cleaning out a closet or walking a 10K for clean water in Africa, you have been nudged to put this goal “out there”. For me, the exercising 5x a week is easy – I want to finally figure out how to honor this body God gave me.
Maybe yours is simply wanting to bring order to your life. There was no big flash from the clouds, you are just longing for peace. Whatever it is, get a notebook and write it down.
Here are just some of the ways that God may be confirming this goal for you:
- Other people you respect have told you to pursue it
- You feel peace as you give up other activities in order to work on this goal.
- Other people recognize this talent in you and want you to use it.
- You everyday you have the same sense of wanting a change in this area.
- You start to see “divine appointments” show up in your life. Meeting a friend of a friend who is looking for an apprentice in the field you are exploring. Just when you need a certain piece of equipment, your friend posts on your homeschooling loop that they are getting rid of said piece of equipment.
- As you do your regular bible study, God keeps whacking you over the head with verses that support what you have been praying about.
Here is where I want you to spend just a few minutes writing down all the ways that God has used your past, your present, your friends, your family, your prayers and His word in order to confirm this goal: If you don’t believe you have received confirmation stop working and start praying.
Keep your notebook in your purse or on your cell phone and when confirmation comes along write it down.
What does confirmation look like for you? I asked my friend, Katie what that confirmation, that leading, looked like for her as decided to do a year-long mission to a war-torn country in 2004. Here are some of the steps that led her from a safe day-to-day job as a nurse practitioner in San Jose, CA, to traveling a world away working in a Muslim country doing relief work and church planting:
1. The seed of a thought is planted – Katie attended Urbana 2000, a mission’s conference in Urbana Illinois. At that conference she heard a missionary speak about evangelizing to the Muslim community. Until that point, Katie had always considered Muslim society closed to the thought of Christianity.
2. Paying Attention – Katie had always been interested in missions, but didn’t know what her next move should be. I love the advice that one of her friends gave her about sensing God’s direction: “Pay attention to the things you’re noticing because that is often how God speaks.”
Katie started to notice that more and more, the Muslim world stated to collide with Katie’s world. Between missionary’s letter home to the evening news, Katie couldn’t turn around without noticing her heart growing more tender toward the Muslim people.
3. Holy Curiosity – Katie said, “It was at that point I developed a holy curiosity,” I love that. She knew it was more than a coincidence – she knew that God was steering her in a certain direction and that she better pay attention.
4. Making the First Step – Katie attended a conference in Indiana in 2003 that was focused on evangelizing to Muslims.
5. Making the Decision – When Katie received a forward e-mail from a friend about the opportunity to serve overseas for a year, she was prepared. She had followed God’s leading all along the way and she was ready to take on that adventure with Him.
Most of you are not making such a long distance decision. But even those little decisions can lead to HUGE life change. Committing to family dinners three times a week can change the course of your family. Organizing your paperwork can lead to financial freedom. Don’t take lightly the “small” things that God is asking you to tend to. Those small things are the stepping stones to the bi
g things He is preparing us for.
Oh – and for just a little more motivation, I love a good, printable calendar to dream on, and these from TomKat Studios are just gorgeous!!!
Tell us in the comments below one way that you have felt confirmed or recognized that God’s opened a door about this goal. You could win Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To
by kathilipp | Jan 1, 2012 | Me |
It’s the New Year and everyone on Facebook is asking you what your resolution is. Wouldn’t it be great if on February 1st you were still working toward the same goal?
Let this year be different. Join a bunch of dedicated women is pursuing your dream, one day at a time, with a 14 day running head start. Here on the Goal Girl New Year’s Kick off, you will receive one project a day for 14 days. (With little prizes along the way to help keep you motivated.) Stick with us and you will be a world closer to where you want to be in just two week.
All you have to do today is let the world know (in the comments below,) what is the one thing you want to work on, with community support, for the next two weeks. You don’t have to accomplish the goal in the next two weeks – we just want you to accomplish some great steps to keep you motivated. These projects will set you up for success for reaching your goal!
Comment below, and one Goal Girl will receive a free copy of The Me Project (which the Goal Girl New Year’s Kick Off is based on!) A winner will be drawn on Friday.
And if you’re wondering where you will get the time to do all this? Head on over to my Facebook Page. When you “Like” me, you get a free download of my article: “30 Ways to Save 30 Minutes in the Next 30 Days”
OH – And invite a friend! You are MUCH more likely to succeed if you are doing it with a buddy!
BTW – my goal is that by March 1st, I will be working out for 30 minutes, five times a week.
Whoo. I said it!
As some of you know, I’ve got some challenges in this area (recovering from whooping cough, a book due February 1st.) But I wouldn’t encourage you to do anything that I wasn’t willing to do myself. Plus, if I wait until life to be “challenge-free” I will never darken the door my my gym again.
Pray for me…
Kathi
by kathilipp | Dec 29, 2011 | Christmas, Home |
This year, my daughter Kimber was the lighting director for A Christmas Carol. Besides getting to gaze at the beautiful lighting that my little girl did, I was reminded of the three ghosts:Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come. (As a child, I couldn’t understand why Christmas Present wasn’t giving away gifts like Santa Claus. It was implied in the name.)
If there was one thing that you, Christmas Present, could tell future you, Christmas Yest to Come, what would it be? “Remember the killer Rachel Ray roast chicken recipe you tried this year – it was the bomb!” or, “”Don’t forget you bought your Christmas cards at the 50% off sale this year – don’t go and buy more next November!” Well, that is precicely what your Holiday Binder is for.
Put all your favorite recipes, ideas, secret hiding places and gift ideas for next year in this handy binder. Trust me, Christmas Yet to Come will thank you when she doesn’t have to hunt down the artichoke dip recipe.
If you don’t already have the cover downloaded, head on over to my Facebook Author Page and download it there for free.
by kathilipp | Dec 28, 2011 | Christmas, Home |
Isn’t it amazing how Christmas decor can take over every nook and cranny of your home?
I tend to spread my Christmas cheer over multiple rooms. I have some towels and soaps in the bathrooms, some snowman/log cabin dishes in the dining room, some winter-themed goblets in the kitchen, and table runners in the living room. Every year, I get everything packed up and put away on the highest shelf of the garage, only to discover that one of the Wise Men made a run for it and has been hiding out behind a throw pillow on the couch.
So today, go through every room and gather your Christmas wares. Here are some places you may want to check:
- The Living Room
- Guest Bathroom
- Kitchen (including cabinets)
- Dining Room
- Bedrooms (for any stealth wrapping that may have taken place,)
- Laundry Room
And here is a list of things with a Christmas theme to be on the look out for:
- Candles
- Soaps
- Tablecloths/table runners
- Mugs
- Dishes
- Paper Products
- Ornaments
- Kitchen towels
- Napkins
- Christmas Cards
- Wrapping Supplies
- Stray decor
Get it all into one place – ours is hanging out on the kitchen table. Make some decisions about what stays, and what gets repurpose or recycled.
by kathilipp | Dec 27, 2011 | Christmas, Home |
When to take down your Christmas tree is a very personal decision. Bringing it up in mixed company (me and my husband Roger,) is sure to bring up “issues” in our marriage. (Suffice to say; before we were married, my tree was down on December 26th. WE are leaving it up until New Year’s Day this year. Sigh.)
So I’m going to leave it up to each household as to when “undecorating” is done. I just want you to have the “stuff” ready to go when you do want to pack it all away.
Project #1 Put Away the Paper
Today’s task is to put away all the paper-related parts of the holiday.
- Wrap it Up I am a box and ribbon saver. So sue me. I feel that I’m helping the environment, and have a secret thrill to see how many times I can use the fluffy Santa bag before it looks trashy. The key to being able to reuse each year is packing them up well. Before you destroy those great sturdy boxes that all your presents were shipped in, keep the best of them to store your Christmas boxes, wrap, bags, tissue and ribbon. I’ve even created some cute labels for you to print out and put on your boxes to make them easy to find next December. Go to my Facebook Author page at http://www.facebook.com/kathilipp.author to download the free labels. You’ll thank me next year.
- Leave Notes to Your Future Self If you’ve purchased your Christmas cards this year (50% off!) for next year, put their exact location on your calendar (wall calendar, Outlook, Google Calendar, etc.) so you don’t forget and then have to go buy more December 15th – only to find them on the 20th…
I put a note on my calendar for October 1 that reads, “Don’t buy any Christmas Wrapping – You Have ENOUGH!!!)
3. Update Your Christmas Card List NOW! While you know where all those envelopes bearing return address are. Don’t wait – seize the after Christmas day!
So tell me where you fall on the wrapping paper scale in the comments below:
A. “I always run out about December 20th.”
B. “Everyone in my family could come and wrap their gifts for the next five years and I would still have paper left over to wrap gifts for the next couple of years…”
C. “Doesn’t matter. Every year I lay in a new supply on December 26th!”
by kathilipp | Dec 26, 2011 | Christmas, Home |
Hi Friends – I hope you had an amazing Christmas with Christ at the center of it all. Now that you’ve had a day to recuperate and clean up some wrapping paper, I want to give you an opportunity to pack up, clean up and put up the trimmings well so that next year, it will be drama free.
We will have a five day un-project. Starting on Wednesday morning, I will give you five days of instructions so that next year, you will have a head start on everything Christmas!
If you’re not already signed up for the blog, just go to KathiLipp.com and sign up for my blog. You will have each and every project delivered to your inbox.
Blessings on you this week friends!
Kathi
by kathilipp | Dec 14, 2011 | Christmas, Home, Uncategorized |
Today is the last day of the Projects. I’m so proud of all of you (especially those of you who have sent me Christmas cards signed – “I haven’t sent Christmas cards in YEARS!!!”
Each of us has thing to do that aren’t on the list. Traditions your family has, things that maybe you still need to do.
I know I do after traveling and having whooping cough this month – I still have a couple of check marks to earn.
BUT – I am way ahead of where I would have been without each of you and the Project. It’s not about that smug sense of satisfaction you get by being ahead of the game – it’s the feeling of peace you get when you know that you can concentrate on the best part of the season: loving God. Loving others.
After Christmas, we will have a 5 Day Put Away Project to get your house back in order, and get ready to start the New Year.
Bless each and every one of you, for supporting each other and cheering me and your fellow elves, on!
Kathi
by kathilipp | Dec 13, 2011 | Christmas, Home |
Do you do the mad scramble the day on December 25th to find all the napkins, rings table clothes and foof to make your dinner look beautiful?
This project doesn’t need a ton of explanation. Go and find all that stuff NOW so you have one less thing to scramble with on Christmas day. Go and find:
- Tablecloths
- Napkins
- Runners
- Napkin Rings
- Christmas Plates
- Silverware
Oh, and if you are doing paper or plastic this year, make sure you purchase that way in advance so that you don’t have to make a last minute trip. (Just be sure to recycle everything that you can in the gift wrap arena to lessen your paper impact on the planet.)
by kathilipp | Dec 12, 2011 | Christmas, Home, Uncategorized |
So sorry! I thought these posts were going out! I’ve been traveling and I thought that everything was running smoothly – but apparently not…. But I’ve had a couple of you say that you didn’t mind the extra time!
Today’s Project is to spend a little more time in the kitchen. Here are some things that you might want to get ahead on:
- Creating your meal plan for the rest of the month
- Planning out your Christmas Dinner and your shopping list
- Shopping for your non-perishables
- Making the list of what you need to buy at the last minute so it’s fresh
- Pulling out your serving platters, roasting pans, cake stands, etc. or anything else that you need
- Pulling together your baking list
Let me know in the comments what you are doing for this Project and I’ll be giving away another copy of THE WHAT’S FOR DINNER SOLUTION.. Tell me by Friday what you did to get ahead kitchen-wise, and you could be a winner!
Tell us in the comments below one thing that you put on your Not-To-Do-List and why and you could win the book Out of the Spin Cycle: Devotions to lighten your Mother Load
