Day-Challenges

In the post I just put up ("Quote of the Week"-- you might do well to read that one first), I mentioned my new practice of Day-Challenges. I thought I'd share them with you; maybe they'll be an inspiration to someone. The incentive for these challenges came mostly from a sense of dissatisfaction with the mediocre sort of life I was living on my own time. It was too easy to get in a rut of coming home from work and settling on the couch to eat snacks and watch TV all the time. So these challenges are a remedy for that--all things that I want to be doing, and most of them things that I'll enjoy, but which take self-discipline and intentionality. (And it should be noted that these are all above and beyond the normal disciplines that I work into my everyday life--prayer, Bible study, time spent playing with Josiah, exercise, and so on. Those things aren't mentioned in this list, because I'm trying to do them every day, not just once in a while.) These day-challenges are things that take more work than TV, but which will enrich my life infinitely more. As I said in the other post, I pick one each day to do. Some are things that I really ought to be doing anyway; some are focused directly on counteracting my own tendencies of going it alone and shunning social contacts; some are purely whimsical exercises to keep me out of my comfort zone in a fun sort of way (see #34); some will be good experiences that will stretch me; some focus on my talents; and others focus on practices that I'm not particularly good at, but which would be good for me to plug away at. Most of them are aimed at my personal situation, but feel free to borrow any of them if this is something you want to do too. But here they are, anyway. I've been doing them for a few weeks, and having a grand time so far. Hopefully I can keep it up. (And if you have suggestions for other possible day-challenges, either for me or for anyone who might do this, feel free to post them in a comment.)

1) Write at least one letter to an old friend (a quality letter, not just a quick email)
2) Draw or paint a picture
3) Write at least one poem according to a conventional form (haiku, sonnet, iambic pentameter, etc.)
4) Speak a word of encouragement to everyone you talk to today
5) Have a friendly conversation with a complete stranger
6) Invite someone local to meet with you for lunch or coffee (or tennis!)
7) Master a song on the piano
8) Master a song on the trombone
9) Learn how to sing a hymn you don’t know
10) Turn off your CDs and mp3s—instead, sing your own songs today
11) Write a hymn that uses the insights/sayings of classic Christian writers
12) Write a short story
13) Write at least one chapter in one of your novel-projects
14) Go birdwatching somewhere
15) Write a poem for Rachel
16) Learn a folk song, family hymn, or lullaby that comes from Rachel’s family
17) Go bowling or play bocce-ball (or a different sport/game) with someone
18) Go for a walk or hike on a route you haven’t walked before
19) Go for a bike ride
20) Cook a new dish for dinner
21) Brush up on your French or Swahili
22) Study the history and culture of an unfamiliar country/people
23) Go online and comment on all your friends’ blogs
24) Write a poem for a family member or close friend, and send it to them
25) Go on a walk (with a tree field-guide book) and identify all the trees you see
26) Spend some time studying a field that doesn’t match your natural interests (music theory, art technique, psychology, economics, anatomy & physiology, geology, construction, auto repair, etc.)
27) Read an entire classic play (Shakespeare, Chekhov, Sophocles, etc.)
28) Watch a classic movie you haven’t seen before
29) Spend a day in “poverty”—worn clothes, meager food, most of the time spent outside, etc.
30) Learn and practice a classical chess opening
31) Study and/or practice some gardening
32) Practice a “holy day” – total fast, observe the seven offices, service & alms, etc.
33) Attend a weekday mass at a liturgical church
34) Whenever you hear music today, dance along with it
35) Make a phone call to at least one old friend
36) Write letters to your grandparents
37) On the hour, every hour, tell Rachel that you love her, and say something specific that you appreciate about her
38) Take the camera with you and practice still-life and nature photography throughout the day
39) Write some reminiscences (in journal or story-form) about places or experiences in your past; look through old pictures
40) Write and send a few letters to persecuted Christians around the world (see VOM & Open Door websites)
41) Eat vegetarian for the entire day
42) Practice the Ignatian method of prayer and examen today
43) Draw/paint a religious icon
44) Write out a list throughout the day of all the things you’re thankful for
45) Flip through the books/notes of a college or seminary class as a refresher
46) Write letters to missionaries you know or support
47) Refresh your Greek
48) Refresh your Hebrew
49) Write out a plot and character-sketches for a possible future novel
50) Go see a notable sight in the area or attend an event which you haven’t seen/attended before