I present to you, the Doing Not Thinking Challenge. This is the first challenge, I’ve ever hosted and honestly I’m not sure I know exactly how to pull it off, but I’m thinking I can figure it out as I go along and I hope that my friends, readers, and maybe even a few lurkers will join in and see what we can accomplish together.
This is a challenge for all of us who make plans but don’t accomplish for whatever reason. It’s for those of us who spend a lot of time thinking and not enough acting and doing. It’s not a competition to see who can accomplish their goals in the shortest amount of time, or about the size of the goal, but rather a network of dreamers joined together to offer support and encouragement. We may find that as we put our dreams into action that some are just not reasonable at this point in time and that’s ok – its the going after it that’s important for this challenge. This will be a longish term challenge, we won’t post the final update until December 15, 2008. This doesn’t mean that you must be finished with your dream / goal by December 15th, it just gives us a time frame to work with in, some dreams may take years to fully accomplish. This challenge isn’t specifically about accomplishment, its more about taking action towards realizing your dreams.
Want to “do” along with me? Here’s what you need to do: Pick a dream or a goal, any one of your many. Examples might be: exercising 3 days a week, creating a budget to be debt free by 2010, learning to dehydrate, decluttering, etc. Post your dream/goal on your blog or feel free to just play along here in the comments. Let’s start with one dream/goal for now, if you accomplish it before December 15th, you can always pick a new one later.
Updating: Every Monday post on your blog or in the comments section of my update – your update. Tell us what you did to accomplish your dream / goal. What worked, what didn’t. If you didn’t do anything that’s ok too. I’ll be sure to create links of the folks who did update so we can all give virtual high fives when something good happens, and we can encourage one another through set backs, procrastination, and/or over-thinking.
I’m no graphic designer, but I did create that little icon above. If you’d like to use that for your own blog, feel free. I chose a bee on flower blossoms for the following reasons: I think of bees as workers not thinkers, and hopefully this challenge will help all who participate blossom in some way or other.
I look forward to participating with whomever wants to play along. I believe good things are going to happen.
Oh and my dream / goal is: to actively pursue a publisher for a book idea I have. I’ve had the idea for several years and even have some of it written. I always put off the approaching publishers part, no more. I may or may not get published, but if I don’t try I’ll never know.
August 4, 2008 at 11:55 am
I posted in the wrong place – I accept the challenge! =)
I have numerous dreams/goals and would like to list a long term dream and a short term goal.
Long term dream is to be able to afford to stay home to tend the garden, chickens, can, clean, and be active in the community. Short term goal is to have a wood or pellet stove by winter time!
Thanks Kathie!
August 5, 2008 at 1:29 am
Your decision to do this came just in time for me. I really needed something like this. Thank you and sign me up
August 5, 2008 at 7:49 am
What a wonderful idea! I think I will join as well
August 5, 2008 at 9:21 am
Wow(!), Kathie – I just read through the Goals you have listed on your page (GOALS tabl at top of blog). I thinks it’s great that you’ve made such a thorough list, and that you’re already accomplishing so many of them.
I’d really like to participate in this Challenge, but I procrastinate on even making a list – everything is just rolling around in my head!
Hah! Maybe I need to make “Make a List of Goals” my ACTUAL goal! LOL!
August 5, 2008 at 10:18 am
Carla, It only has to be one goal, not a list. Would love to have you aboard if you’re so inclined…
August 5, 2008 at 11:30 am
I’m going to participate as well (I love the picture by the way!) I’ll get back on the goal I am setting (the one I’m thinking about is kind of similar to Annette’s). I also like the idea of a long and short-term goal (one that will have results by Dec. 15th and one that is staged to have results in the long term).
Looking forward to “doing”!!
August 5, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Well…let me think about it. HA!just kidding
I know I’ll be participating. Now I need to decide which goal or goals to focus on. Count me in
August 6, 2008 at 9:51 am
Welcome aboard everyone! If you’ve posted your goals on your blog, I’ve already stopped by, if you haven’t I can’t wait to read what goal or goals you’ve chosen.
August 7, 2008 at 2:23 am
[...] Research for my Doing Not Thinking challenge goal. [...]
August 7, 2008 at 9:45 pm
I’ve been thinking this over for a few days. There are so many things that I want to do.
I like the idea of a short term goal and a long term goal.
I think I’ve narrowed it down.
August 8, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Hi! I just found this via Monica’s site and what great timing! I just did a post about one of my goals today, and the reason I posted it was because all I’ve been doing is thinking about doing it for a while…I figured if I posted it on my blog I’d be held more accountable to myself to actually following thru! I’ll use your icon too on my blog and let others know! What a great idea- thanks!
August 11, 2008 at 8:19 am
Hi Kathie , I posted about the challenge today on my blog , hope to get started on a small job today.
Thanks , for hosting this challenge. It’s just what I need to get started decluttering my life.
~ Blessings ~
JoyceAnn
August 15, 2008 at 6:42 am
[...] responses I’ll be writing the Doing Not Thinking Challenge updates on Fridays. Note: there won’t be a post next week as I’m leaving for Maine [...]
April 16, 2009 at 1:32 am
[...] many, many projects on my mind and I’m thinking about starting another round of the “Doing Not Thinking” Challenge. Would anyone else be interested in joining me? I know summer is a very busy [...]