Usually at Lent, I give up things like soda or eating out or swearing. One year, I did a one-intentional-act-of kindness-per-day thing. This year, with everything going on with me, it’s going to be difficult, but I want to give up a different kind of “thing”. So I’m reporting to you while organizing my thoughts so bear with me.

1. Worry – This will be a major obstacle because I think if there was a contest in who worries the most, I might win. It’s really easy for me to hone in on an issue and just focus on how I don’t see a solution. So during the next 40 days, my goal will be to see the problem, try to think of a solution, and if one doesn’t surface, tell myself that God will work it out–no matter how many times I have to tell myself. So that I can stop losing sleep over things I can’t control, getting rid of my nasty habit of worry would be awesome.

2. Anger – A couple of years ago, I really worked on managing my anger and not letting it get the best of me (and not snapping on folks without any hesitation). You can’t control your feelings–but you can definitely control your actions. But to do so, you have to have reign over your emotions. You can’t let your emotions be the boss of you. I’ve had some moments lately where I could barely function because I let my anger consume me. And that’s not healthy, and I know that. So, to lower the stove from high to low, I need to try to give up anger over the next 40 days and focus on not reacting automatically to things that (again) I can’t control.

3. Believing in the worst – This is closely tied to #1. When you worry the way I can when I allow myself to, the worst scenario becomes very real and easily blocks out all other possibilities. I realized I had started doing this yesterday when I talked to my ma. I had just told someone that getting a new bedroom suite was unfathomable the day before because I have so much other stuff to get done before baby boy gets here. And she casually reminded me that I have an investment account that I think about once a year when I report the dividends on my taxes that is just enough to cover getting the package that I really need to get my bedroom in order so that mommy’s mister won’t have to take a nap in a pile of clothes that won’t fit in any of my current storage options. Just like that, a solution that I wouldn’t have considered negated that unfathomable notion. What’s unfathomable when you actually get back to believing that God protects us and looks after us?

4. Motivation Lulls – Sometimes I just get to the point where I don’t have the motivation to check things off my list and I don’t even feel like looking for a burst of inspiration to get me moving. Whether it be working on the baby’s scrapbook, sorting clothes to give away to make room, or getting off my patooty and going to the gym to make sure I’m in shape when the day comes when I’ll need to be in shape. I need to get rid of that lazy/uninterested/overwhelmed/pessimistic thing that happens and prevents me from being productive.

I could definitely think of more if I tried, but I think these 4 will take enough effort to leave behind. Are you giving up anything for these next 40 days? If so, feel free to share!