Monday, May 21, 2012

WEEK 1: Service

So, I was planning this whole "30 before 30 list" thing but I as I started to write it I realized I'm running low on days & there is just NO WAY I'd get them done. So I opted for a "Weekly Goal" for the weeks leading up to my birthday- all for personal betterment.

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GOAL: My first weekly goal was to do small acts of service for a week. Before my mom passed away Scott & I (really the whole family) did A LOT of service. Being a caretaker was a big part of my identity. I didn't realize how difficult it would be for me to loose that when I lost her.

I kept telling myself I needed these HUGE service projects to fill that void in my life, but life always got in the way. But I had this "really-obvious-to-everyone-else" epiphany a couple weeks ago. Service doesn't have to be huge. It can be small acts of kindness.

So, for WEEK 1 I made a list of small acts of service that I could do that didn't take a lot of time, ones that I could do over & over for different people, but also made a difference in someones day. It's not much, kind of pathetic really, but it CHANGED my mind set.


1. Making someone dinner- This is surprisingly easy. I just doubled up what we made for dinner, called someone I knew would appreciate it. I also try to keep disposable pans & other containers around so they don't have to worry about returning anything.

2. Helping strangers- You may not believe it from the blog, but in person I'm very shy. So offering help to strangers was hard but I was able to make a conscious decision to do simple stuff- helping out a busy mom, carrying someones tray, saying hello & thank you, & my personal favorite sincere compliments.


3. An encouraging email- We are all fighting a hard battle & a nice note of encouragement can help someone along. One of the ones this week was Rob's preschool teacher, heaven knows she battles everyday.


4. A thankful letter- I have so many people that I am thankful for in my life. Some I tell all the time how grateful I am for them, others I haven't really taken the time to thank- I focused on a couple of those this week.

5. Watching a neighbors kids- Quick, easy, & makes a huge difference to a mommy who needs a break.


6. Treats- Who the heck doesn't want treats? I really can't have treats hanging around the house but love to make them with the kiddos. So this week the kids & I made a batch of cookies & passed them around to friends & neighbors.


7. Writing letters to the less technologically savvy- I truly believe this is a lost art form & I try to keep up on "real" letters. Especially to older relatives who don't have the internet. I try to every once in a while print off some pictures & send a letter onto my grandmas who wouldn't otherwise see all the pictures on the blog.

CONCLUSION: It jump started my desire to incorporate more service in my life. It made the kids more conscious of service they could do for each other & it generally put me in a better mood each day. I'm excited to keep up with this in upcoming weeks. I'll let you know how that goes & if we think of anymore creative ways to serve!

Stay posted to hear about this weeks goal- it's been fun so far!

6 comments:

Monica @ All Things Lovely said...

This is great. This has been something I have been wanting to do. Thanks for the re-motivation.

I didn't realize we were so close in age, only like 2 years apart.

Katie said...

I love this. I think it is a fantastic way to celebrate moving into your 30's. BTW, I am really loving my thirties, and I think you will too.

Can we please live in the same city and hang out every day?

Em and Russ said...

I think this is such a great idea! I can't wait to see what your other goals are.

Eva Lavelle said...

I absolutely love this idea! What a great way to lead up to celebrating your birthday!
I am a perpetual stealer of blog ideas and I am happy to say that I have already chosen the ideas I am going to pinch and use!!
Thank you Olivia - you are awesome!

Esther Noelle said...

Dude I thought I was caught up on your blog but look at all these posts! Love this list and all the wonderful ways you serve me all the time by being the best friend a gal could have!!!!!!!! LOVE that dinner too. :) You are the greatest.

Christie said...

Too funny! I just listened to a Stuff You Should Know podcast called "Are We Obsessed with Goals" and it cited a growing trend of 29 year old women blogging about things they want to accomplish in the year before turning 30. Sounds like you are going about it in a good way, but just too funny how it matched up with what I'd listened to today!