tinychallenge

Your tiny challenge for August is here…

I’m back today to give you your next tiny challenge for August! Watch the video above or read on to find out what it is…

Think & Act Generously to Yourself & Others

If you’re playing along at home, your tiny challenge for August is to Think & Act Generously to Yourself and Others.

I’m always looking for clues in life and it’s no different when I’m thinking about what a good tiny challenge could be to help people just like you live more mindfully, be more present and enjoy life more.

So recently I had the opportunity to be generous myself and I’ve witnessed other people’s incredible generosity and it just felt like a bit of a theme. So I’ve decided to run with that for this month and to make our tiny challenge about generosity.

Generosity doesn’t need to mean giving money to people, although it can, if that works for you. But it doesn’t have to be that.

And it doesn’t even have to be about things.

I think of being generous as being kind, without expectation. Being helpful when there’s a need. Or being willing to step up and do something when people need help.

And I’ve seen that so much in the last few weeks. Like, more than normal. It’s been so heartwarming and inspiring to me and so I just felt like this would be a really easy, fun challenge for us to do.

And so, the idea of Thinking & Acting more generously has two parts.

Let’s break it down…

1. Think more generously

Thinking more generously is really about putting this on your radar and making it top of mind. Because I think people are actually very willing to help and be generous to other people if there’s an opportunity to do so.

But sometimes we just get so busy in our lives that we miss those little signals and the opportunities to act and respond in that way. So by thinking about being generous, I’m hoping that it encourages you to put it top of mind and to start to see the opportunities around you, where you can act generously.

I also think it’s great for us to be thinking about being generous, because it helps us to recognise and be grateful for what we’ve got.

Thinking this way shifts us into an abundance mindset. And when the universe can see that you can be trusted with what you’ve got, you open yourself up to receiving more.

So I think having a generous spirit and that generous intention is the first step.

It also helps us to recognise the opportunities around us and to step in and be that person for somebody else when the opportunity arises.

2. Act more generously

Acting more generously is seeing the need, in the first instance. But then following through and doing something about it.

Now sometimes we might not have the resources. But we might know someone who does. And so it’s putting the call out and rallying the troops, so to speak. Or helping out ourselves, if we can. And I’ll talk more about that, below.

So I just want to encourage you this month to think and act more generously. To look for those opportunities and see how you can make a difference to other people’s lives.

Now, for the “to yourself and others” part of the challenge, which also has two aspects to it…

3. To yourself

Firstly, I want you to be more generous to yourself. So that means, giving yourself generous amounts of grace.

If things are tough or not going to plan, it means giving yourself generous amounts of self-love and credit anyway. Look after yourself! And acknowledge the things you do well and be generous to give yourself what you need.

Because so often we know what we need in life, but we don’t allow ourselves to have it. For example, sometimes we know we need rest, but we push on through it. And sometimes we know we need to ask for help or we need to connect, or we need to have time out, but we don’t do it.

So I want you to really listen to yourself and tune in to what you need, and be generous to give yourself whatever that thing is.

And the final little part of that is our self-talk.

Now this has been life-changing for me, particularly in the last couple of years. When I finally dealt with my inner mean girl, it was life-changing for me.

So I want to encourage you to talk to yourself as you would someone you love. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Allow yourself the ability to make a mistake and learn and grow through it. And don’t judge yourself to a standard that you don’t even hold anyone else to.

Now, the second part is to be generous to others.

4. To others

Now yes, that might be financially, if you’ve got the capacity to do that. Donating to a cause that you’re passionate about or chipping in some money when you see someone asking on behalf of a cause that’s close to their heart.

But it doesn’t have to be money and it doesn’t have to cost you anything.

You could be generous with your things. For example, recently I put out a shout out for some formal dresses for a disability group based in Cranbourne. They’re organising a formal dance for their community and have asked for donations of pre-loved frocks. They’re looking for 15 dresses to help make these girls feel amazing and ensure they have the most wonderful night.

So, given that I’m forever helping people clean out their wardrobe, I did a shout out to my little miss sorted Facebook community, and I couldn’t believe the response I got. I had so many messages offering dresses. And not only that, but people offering to be a collection point and to post them to me at their own expense. People offering to drive them to me at their own expense and meet me halfway to save me some travel.

To essentially, help rally the troops, get the dresses, and ensure the girls’ have the most wonderful night.

And, this is the thing. I think most people are just so happy to be able to be generous when they see the opportunity.

So I’m going to encourage you this month to look for the opportunities and to act on them.

Other ideas…

If you’ve got other things to donate, givit.org.au is a great Australian website where you can list items that you’ve got to donate and people can request it and say that they need that item. Or you can just look for things that people are after and match the need. When I looked this morning, there were 37,885 items being requested. So it’s highly likely that something that you’ve got lying around that isn’t bringing you any joy or being used anymore could be going to someone else.

It could just be your time.

Or it might be a simple compliment. So often we think something lovely about someone and we never tell them! So offer that compliment to someone and be generous with your words. Embody that spirit of generosity this month. Because I just know that you will get so much more out of it than what it costs you in time, money or resources.

So have a think about at least one thing you could do this month to be more generous to yourself. And at least one thing you could do this month to be more generous to somebody else. Or maybe you want to do one thing a week for someone else. Or one thing a day. You pick the level that you want to play at. Challenge yourself and do it without expectation.

To me, that’s what generosity means. It means giving without expectation.

It’s about letting go of having to know how the story ends, but just knowing that it’s going to be better because you saw a need and you acted on it.

And that’s all I’m encouraging you to do for our tiny challenge this month.

So, are you going to take the August tiny challenge?

I can’t wait to hear the stories of the ways you’ve been able to Think & Act more Generously to Yourself and Others.

Let’s create a ripple effect out to our environment, to our people around us and to the people that mean the most to us. And even to complete strangers.

Have an awesome August.

Sophie x

P.S. If you’ve got a dress to donate, please get in touch and I’ll do my very best to get that from you. I’m collecting them this week so I can get them to the organisation as soon as I can. They need time to ensure every girl has a dress and any necessary alterations can be made. And hopefully we get way more than 15 dresses so the girls can pick their favorite and not just get told which dress they’re wearing.

Your tiny challenge for July is here…

Welcome to your new tiny challenge for July! Yep, it’s a new month, so it’s time I jumped on and gave you a new challenge for the month. Watch the video above or read on to find out what it is…

Try something new

The challenge for July is to try something new. So it’s a pretty easy and straightforward challenge, and it should be a lot of fun.

This is something I try to do every month; to try at least one new thing.

The reason I do that is because it helps me get out of my comfort zone, find new ways of thinking, doing and being, and keeps me questioning whether the way I do things is the best way. Because sometimes trying a new way might actually end up being better than the old way. Plus, it just helps to keep life really interesting and fun.

And when you’re in business for yourself or entrepreneurially minded, it’s especially beneficial because it helps you to be creative and flex your courage muscle. That’s really important when you’re putting yourself out there in business all the time!

Wondering what to try for your tiny challenge for July?

Last month, my “try something new” challenge was to go to a basket weaving workshop run by Perfect Pear, which was heaps of fun. And it was really good for me because I often catch myself thinking and saying that I’m not particularly creative or artistic. So by trying a new thing that is in that realm, it really helps me to challenge that belief that I have about myself.

Probably one of my more famous challenges was the month I decided to try Roller Derby, which happened to be the same month that I was getting married. I think my fiance thought I was going mad and he was actually quite concerned that I was going to end up walking down the aisle with my arms in plaster! But, happy ending, no arms in plaster! I walked down the aisle with two free arms working perfectly. So it all worked out ok.

In fact, I kept up with the Roller Derby and had a great fun 12 months or so before we entered our big lockdown. That brought on an early retirement for me unfortunately, but it was lots of fun. And I loved that time in my life.

So perhaps you’ve always wanted to go diving with sharks or jump out of a plane or something else. It doesn’t have to be that drastic, but it can be if you want it to be.

Really, this challenge is just giving you permission to dust off your Bucket List and have a little bit of fun this month.

Let your values guide your choice to try something new

Something else I like to do when I’m picking something new to try is to link it back to my core values and think of trying something new in areas of my life that are really important to me.

Example#1: Top value is Fun

For example, if one of your values is Fun, perhaps one of your ideas for trying something new this month might be to try something new that will help you to have more fun. Maybe you’re going to be taking the kids somewhere for the holidays. Rather than just watching, why not join in with them and have a go at whatever the new activity is that they’re doing. Or perhaps it’s going to a different part of town that you’ve never been to before. Trying a new show. Checking out a new musician or comedian or something like that.

If you can’t get to a live show, perhaps you can download a podcast or watch a new series from a comedian and just have a bit of fun and have your own in-house comedy night.

Example#2: Top value is Family

For people who value Family highly, maybe you could get the kids to cook you a three-course meal and you can have the night off. Or perhaps you could have a Twister championship in your lounge room or take the kids on a big geo-caching adventure… something fun that involves the whole family! That way, you’re trying something new and it’s also linked to something that’s important to you in terms of family.

Example#3: Top value is Health

If Health is important to you, maybe try a new membership to a yoga or pilates studio- something that I did in February. Maybe it’s trying a new sport, like my example with Roller Derby. Or even just something simple like a new night-time routine to help you to sleep better at night.

There’s just a few ideas to get you thinking about how much fun you can have with this… how crazy who go with it, but also how simple you can keep it. The key is just have a bit of fun with it and don’t be so serious.

Benefits of trying something new

Been a bit overworked lately? Trying something new can help you to get more balanced in terms of work and play and not be so work or task focused all the time. And hopefully it helps you find new and improved ways of living, being, and doing. You might even decide to stick with your new thing!

For example, I did a one month trial at a local yoga and pilates studio in February and that has turned into an ongoing membership. It’s had such a postive effect on me. It’s help me create a new routine that I structure my whole week around now.

Finally, I am incorporating exercise into my weekly routine, despite being a pretty busy person with a business, four kids and lots on the go.

But I knew I really wanted to stop using the excuse of not having the time for exercise. So that trial in February has become a really great habit I’ve been able to keep up with. A change for the better!

Mo money, mo problem…

So have fun with this month’s challenge. It doesn’t have to cost you any more time or money. It may, if you’ve got the money to do it and you want to do it great. But please don’t let time or money stop you from having a go at the challenge this month.

It doesn’t cost money to join in with the kids. If you’re already there, it doesn’t cost you any more time. If you’re sitting there watching, if you’ve already paid your entry, it doesn’t.

It doesn’t cost you any more money to switch out one habit and try something new. You can just divert the funds you’re already spending.

And perhaps it will save you time & money. If you do a cooking challenge and let the kids cook you a three-course meal and they’re vaguely competent in the kitchen, you might even buy yourself a little bit of time to sit down and read a book or relax with your feet up.

Time to decide!

So this month’s challenge should hopefully be a really positive, fun challenge. I so look forward to hearing what you’re going to do!

Please send me an email or tell me in the comments below. You might help inspire other people including me! And I’ll check in with you throughout the month and see how you’re going.

Oh, and I’d love to see any photos you’ve got of you doing something fun and different. Or tell me a little story about how it went down. Feel free to share them on my Facebook Page.

Have fun with our July challenge and I will check back in with you soon!