Full disclosure – I do not like spring. As an allergy sufferer, spring is my least favorite season. While people talk about flowers starting to bloom and the grass starting to grow, all I can think is sneezing and itchy eyes.
But there are some redeemable qualities of spring. As a Christian, first and foremost for me is Easter. But there’s also the idea of new beginnings, cleaning out the old and starting fresh.
Since I don’t get spring break like all my teacher friends (one of the things I miss most about the academic world), I’m trying something different this Easter. My hope is this plan will help me better reflect on the significance of Good Friday and Easter, but also focus on that idea of new beginning.
THE PLAN
From 4pm CDT on Good Friday (March 25) through sunrise on Easter (March 27), I am going to unplug from the computer, my phone, and television. (Exception to this is that I am working overtime hours on Saturday but will only access work-related websites.) I am going to schedule each hour with a specific activity and focus. My One Word from the beginning of the year is INTENTIONAL. This weekend’s plan is about intentionally planning my time.
In addition to the various projects and activities, I also want to use this time to reflect on the realities of Good Friday and the grace of Easter. As a part of this, I intend to do prayer sprints to pray for the many people on my prayer list. There are a lot of people going through struggles, and many who are celebrating. I want to include them in this process. I will take the first five minutes of each hour to go through my list, intentionally praying for each person and situation.
THE PURPOSE
I want to use Easter weekend to refocus on priorities, both spiritually and personally. It’s easy for all of us to get distracted by mindless television or checking the latest social media updates. By turning off all of the digital noise, I will be better able to stick to my schedule of completing projects. But more importantly, the quiet time will provide me with dedicated time to reflect on what Easter means to me. And having specific chunks of time scheduled for each of the activities I want to accomplish will help me stay focused on finishing each one.
SOME PROJECTS ON MY LIST
* Spring cleaning: I freely admit I’m not the most organized person. A little clutter doesn’t bother me. But with living in a one-bedroom apartment, things get claustrophobic every now and then. I have a couple of areas I really want to attack as far as purging/organizing: the kitchen and my bedroom closet. The kitchen is stacked with a million plastic storage containers and souvenir cups that I really don’t need. And my closet is filled with old t-shirts and drawers full of craft stuff that haven’t been used in years.
* Reading: My To Be Read list is getting out of control. It’s always an ongoing issue, but lately, I’ve been focused on writing so haven’t spent nearly as much time reading as usual. I’ve been on the same book for over a month. That rarely happens.
* Craft projects: In addition to clearing out the craft supplies I no longer need, I have a couple cross-stitch projects I started some time ago that have been sitting on the shelf. I want to get the big one done (a Celtic cross) and hung up where I first intended.
* Plan writing projects: I have several ideas in the works for upcoming writing projects, including a new novel (possible series), and non-fiction e-book, and some possible Bible studies. With my first novel now in the early stages of editing, I want to get a jumpstart on my next project.
While I know realistically there isn’t enough time in two and a half days of a weekend to get everything done that I would like to, I want to use this weekend to get started on these projects. Taking time to work on personal projects, along with taking time to really reflect on the meaning of Easter and pray for others, I know focusing on these projects instead of watching reruns or playing on the internet is a much better use of Easter weekend.
Until next week, Happy Easter and Happy spring cleaning!
**Do you participate in spring cleaning or other “new beginning” projects this time of year? Does your family have any special Easter traditions?
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Mel! I love this idea. I wish I could do it! Good luck in your endeavors and may you enjoy your Easter!
Thanks, Megan! Can’t fully take credit as I’ve seen others doing something similar, at least for social media. Adding the TV thing will be a little tougher, especially with the basketball games going in 🙂 But it will be good to focus on what Easter really means and de-cluttering, both in terms of stuff and mentally.