Well hello friends. It’s almost that time of year, the beginning of a new one! The time of year to set goals you’d like to accomplish and dreams you would like to see come to fruition. I do love setting goals and I surely intend to set some good goals in this 30th year of life around the sun but I’m starting off the year doing something a little bit different.
A fellow wedding photographer, Nancy Ray, started a contentment challenge five years ago.
So what is the Contentment Challenge, you ask? GREAT question!
Here’s Nancy’s story in a nutshell:
After paying off our house back in 2012, Will and I accomplished a huge financial goal we had sacrificed and worked for. Weeks afterwards, we began arguing about money wayyyy more than we ever had when living on a tight budget. I thought I could shop at Whole Foods and Anthropologie and do all the things I had sacrificed, and went over budget for 3 months straight. Sorry, Babe.
Then, I spoke at Making Things Happen, and God began to whisper the word “contentment” in my heart. “Nancy, are you really content? with just Me? or do you always have to buy new things?”
I felt a tugging on my heart to give up shopping for 3 months. After fighting the Lord in my head and heart for 2 days straight, I finally gave in.
Why am I intentionally participating in this contentment challenge?
So after buying a home and setting up for baby (all while buying so many new things) I’ve found that I am falling into the consumerism trap. I want to buy things that we don’t necessarily need to make this place feel homey.
More than a financial issue it’s a spiritual one. I’m lacking some serious self-discipline. I’m finding joy in what my house could look like, in the physical material possessions, and not in the Lord. I’ve been so focused on getting to our new home in New Jersey that I though once I would be here and getting settled that this longing for a material place to belong would go away on its own. Well, news alert, its not. And I’m pretty tired of it.
And so starting January 1st, this contentment challenge will be focused around my heart. As I settle into this new season of my life called motherhood for the very first time with a newborn I ask the Lord to show me what truly matters to Him. To be completely immersed in the GOOD things and gifts all around me. To be focused on life as a family of three, soaking up all the snuggles and not obsessed with my house being photo shoot ready.
The Guidelines:
• For the next 10 days, your homework is the following: prepare your heart, organize your closet, and make any necessary purchases that you might need during these months. (This is not a last minute shopping spree! This is one final trip to the store for items you will need, and the opportunity for you to say your goodbyes to Target.)
• Choose 1-3 inspiring books to read during this time. I would recommend any of the following: Seven, What’s Best Next, The Celebration of Discipline, 1000 Gifts, Essentialism. I’m planning to read one book (because newborn life): Cozy Minimalist Home. (Feel free to leave additional recommendations in the comments!)
• Gifts are okay! If someone gives you a new dress or piece of decor during that time, receive it graciously! If you need to buy someone else a gift, by all means, do so. The point is not to be rude, but to learn more of ourselves and the Lord.
• Necessities are okay! If you drop and break your phone, please go get a new one! If you lose your glasses, buy a new pair. Just don’t start justifying new purchases for items that you already have. (“I really need this bathing suit, even though there are 8 in my closet already.”)
• Food: please buy food for yourself and your family :). From my experience, this is a good time to stop grocery shopping at Target and instead choose a grocery store. Some who have done the contentment challenge have chosen to use this as a time to forgo eating out. If you eat out all the time, maybe it’s best for you to limit it to 2x a month. I’ll let you decide what you want to do here!
• You must actively pursue something – anything – that replaces your tendency to buy stuff. Begin thinking about something you love or a hobby you’ve always wanted to do, and make preparations to actually do it. (Reading and cooking are my go-to hobbies!)
If you mess up, the whole challenge isn’t a bust. Let me write that again – if you mess up, the whole challenge isn’t a bust! Mistakes happen. You’re not perfect. In fact, this whole challenge will reveal to you how un-perfect and ugly your heart really is. If you mess up and place a late night Amazon order, or find yourself sucked back into Target or getting caught in killer sale emails … pray, repent and start over. Don’t give up. Don’t berate yourself. Learn, grow & keep going.
Download Nancy’s full Challenge Guidelines here! I hope you’ll join us January 1! If you have specific questions or what to tell me you’re in on the challenge too, comment below. (And make sure we’re friends on Instagram since I’ll be sharing a lot of details about the challenge in the coming months over there! Be sure to use the hashtag #contentmentchallenge so I can follow along with you, too!)
xo! Melissa