Food is fuel.

Cupcakes, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Hot Tamales candy are a few of my favorite foods.

Unfortunately, I can’t live off of them. (Believe me. I’ve tried.)

Snug waistbands and sugar headaches isn’t the title of my autobiography, they’re the consequences of poor food choices.

Our bodies need food to grow and stay healthy.

Proper nutrition is essential for our brains and bodies to work well.

Have you ever been around a “hangry” teenager?

Get food.

Do not pass Go.

Do not collect $200. (Unless you use that money to buy food.)

I can throw a bag of chips at him so he’ll stop growling, but it won’t satisfy his hunger for long.

True nourishment contains the right ingredients.

If you’ve ever seen a 4-year-old (or 42) on a sugar high, you know what happens after that burst of energy burst wears off.

The ingredients don’t hold the nourishment the body needs to endure that level of activity.

If a bulb isn’t planted in good soil, it won’t have the energy to bloom.

Bulbs grow best in slightly acidic, loose, sandy soil with plenty of organic material.

Heavy soil doesn’t allow the roots to spread out, (for a stable foundation) and poor drainage will rot the roots.

Remember stagnant water?

Are you growing in good soil?

White knuckled, race the clock, get it done goals are short-lived and misaligned with our bigger purpose.

What we want is lasting growth.

Take a soil test.

The best gardeners will tell you they’re continually testing the soil, making adjustments, and watching the blooms closely for signs of trouble.

Adding fertilizer, watering, weeding, and mulching are all beneficial to the soil, but it takes close observation to know what’s needed and when.

Do you need to “amend the soil”.

Is your goal sustainable?

Are you being too hard on yourself?

Is it going to produce a lasting difference?

Similar to testing good seed, often times the experience we gain from not succeeding is what’s necessary for growth.

The best intentions don’t always lead us in the right direction.

For this challenge, my goal was to create and execute a morning workflow.

After the first week, I knew I needed to make adjustments.

I miscalculated the time I had and the amount of work I was able to do within the time frame I allowed.

I had to re-think my strategy, look for solutions, and follow through EVEN WHEN it didn’t look the way I originally designed.

Trying a new version of the same goal helps me narrow down what’s working, what I’m missing, and how to meet the result I’m looking for.

This isn’t about being Pinterest Perfect.

It’s about drawing from what we’re learning to make progress.

Food for thought

My continual prayer is that you’re encouraged and spurred on through this challenge.

I know there are many demands on your time, energy, and attention and I don’t take it lightly that you spend a few minutes visiting my site.

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