Do you feel guilty when homeschooling because your house needs cleaning? When you stop to clean, do you feel guilty because you are not homeschooling? Are there tasks you never get to? This can leave you with guilt, no matter how much you've accomplished. Is it Time to Ditch that Guilt?
Is your focus on mistakes holding you back? Are there bad habits you desire to overcome? Could it be your mindset or lack of focus that keeps you in this space? Is it Time to Make Different Choices?
Since early childhood, we have been trained in school to have the habit of looking for what is wrong. We did our assignments, and we waited to be graded. Then we counted our mistakes, which were conveniently marked in red. With all the focus on mistakes, it’s easy to begin looking at life in the same way--constantly grading ourselves, focusing on our mistakes, and focusing on what we did not get to.
Change Your Focus, Change Your Life.
I am not suggesting that we should pretend that we lack weaknesses. Nor do I suggest we write off doing what needs to be done or ignore our mistakes. I am suggesting that we approach life differently.
Shift Your Focus to Living in Victory! It is time to acknowledge all the things that we do get done! This is the time to build on our strengths while we strengthen areas in need of strengthening. Now is the time to learn from our mistakes, and then move forward. This can be an amazing breath of fresh air! Focusing on victory can revitalize your efforts and can help propel you forward. Focusing on mistakes, and what is not done is a limiting mindset. Placing the focus on victory is a growth mindset.
So, how can you live in victory???
Three Bible Victory Verses to Live by & Tips to Find Joy in the Journey:
1. 2 Chronicles 13:8 “With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles.”
We can hem our days with prayer. We can turn to God and ask His help in overcoming and in living in victory. While others try to change for the better in their own strength, relying on their own arm of flesh, we do have God to help us fight our battles. He can help us fight all our battles, whether those battles are with sin, or with overcoming the mattress in the morning, maintaining our homes, feeding our families, reigning in our finances, or in getting enough healthy exercise, or in filling our well, or in our endeavors to home school and raise our families.
2. Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Yes, we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us. What are the things through Christ which strengthen us? Surely, learning of Him through studying His word, learning of His will in our lives, praying, and letting His light shine in us, as we lift one another's burdens. With His guidance and help, we can prioritize what really is important and accomplish amazing things!
3. I Corinthians 15: 57 "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Let us look for His hand in our lives. Acknowledge His help. Recognize that those victories come from the strength and guidance He gives us.
Three Tips to Embrace Victory
Discover the Joy of Overcoming Procrastination
The strategy to get the easy stuff done first (to feel a sense of accomplishment) really does not work for me. "The endless hanging on of the unfinished task" brings guilt. This can overshadow the good things that have been completed. Yet, when I focused on victory, acknowledged that victory, and the source of that victory, I soon discovered other victories.
When the hardest thing is tackled first, it can bring added joy to finishing the rest of the "to-do" list.
Is there a task that keeps being migrated to another day? Consider setting aside each day, thirty minutes to power clean. Tackle the housekeeping task that bothers you the most by not being completed. Is the task too big to do in thirty minutes? Then break it up into smaller tasks to be done on consecutive days. When the task is completed, the victory is triple sweet. 1. You have avoided procrastination. 2. By completing the task, you removed the guilt. 3. You obtained victory over the task.
Acknowledge Your Victories and His Help!
Grab a pencil and write down those victories. Place the victory list on the refrigerator door, so the list can be a catalyst to inspire you.
Hem the Day with Prayer!
In the morning, seek His guidance in prioritizing and eliminating what does not need to be done that day. Seek His strength to carry you through the day. Hem in your evening with a prayer of thanksgiving for the guidance and strength He sent during the day.
Your Children and Their Victories
See Your Children's Victories!
Do you want to see renewed energy toward learning by your children? Keep a victory list of your children's victories. Look for all that they do that is good, right, and true. Then acknowledge their victories.
Help your Children Live in Victory, Teach Your Children:
- These Bible victory verses!
- To seek His strength!
- These same victory skills!
- To gain this same inner strength!
- To live in victory.
- To see that those areas they struggle with can become victories, as can mistakes made, and as they are righted, they can become victories too, all in His strength!
You can live in victory. Living in victory will amaze you with how much joy it can add to your life!
Enjoy the Journey!
Each month, I write newsletters with helpful tips that impact homeschool moms on topics such as: homeschooling, homeculture, momculture, and home management. I also inform moms of site news, upcoming events, new products, and special offers.