This challenge is name “The Kindness Challenge” because this is what we’ll be doing every day for a month! We do challenges for a month because it takes about 28 days for you to form a new habit in your life. The goal of this challenge is to make purposeful kindness a more natural behavior in your life. See my Kindness Challenge post for more information on the background of this challenge.

The Challenge: Purposefully spread kindness each day for a month

Each of us knows what a kind gesture can do for our day. It might be a person paying for our coffee in the drive-through, a compliment on our outfit, or a personalized note voicing appreciation from a co-worker on our desk in the morning. These actions, no matter how big or small, make us feel uplifted, loved, appreciated, and hopeful. If you are the person performing the kind gesture, you may have felt similar feelings. It can help you to take the focus off of yourself, keep things in perspective, see how powerful kindness is, appreciate community on a whole new level, and carry a more positive vibe throughout your day. Focusing on others can be a powerful action for our relationships as well. Putting the focus on others’ wants, needs, and hopes helps us to connect with them and make them feel valued. Whether it be a loved one or stranger, you never know the effect your kindness may bring!

Prep: It is good to have a general outline for how you are going to be kind each day, just to make sure you do it! This challenge does not include a whole lot of prep because it is so simple to do!

My Plan: 

Monday– I’m planning to work on my long distance friendships and extended family and will reach out to those you I haven’t talked to in awhile in different, special ways (Facebook message, sending a card with pictures, or texting)

Tuesday– Tuesdays are our family days (like our weekends), so I’ll recruit my husbands help and ideas, and we’ll do our bigger gestures on Tuesdays (cleaning out our closet, donating things, etc)

Wednesday– This day will be for my closer family that I do not necessarily see every day, or live close to but have close relationships with. I’ll connect with them to show my appreciation and love. (texts, phone calls, Skype, flowers, cards, etc)

Thursday– Thursday is the first day my daughter and I are on our own again after our family days, so it is like our Monday. We are out and about these days. I’ll focus my effort on random opportunites and people(drive-through difference, compliments, and other opportunities that present themselves)

Friday– This is my husband’s toughest day because switching back to his overnight schedule takes a toll on him… I am going to focus my kindness and efforts at home, on my husband and daughter this day (getting coffee, meals, mow the lawn, various chores, and optimal relaxation opportunities for my husband and fun activities and extra general attention for my daughter)

Saturday– This is also a longer day for our family because of lack of sleep and not having typical weekend schedules. It is more of a work day, and my job is being a stay at home mom! My plan is to dedicate this day to home as well and making the day go smoothly and well for those closest to me.

 

Make this challenge your own! I hope you find that this challenge helps make purposeful kindness a more natural habit in your life; and I hope you find it brightens the lives of those around you and encourages them to spread kindness to others around them as well. We are living in some pretty chaotic times right now with all of the different events taking place in our country. Shine some light in the darkness and spread the love!