(See this post and this post to get up to date on the challenge!)
Are you ready to “Take it Back” for the next 21 days?! I sure hope so! I mentioned to you in a previous video that I have been taking myself through this process over the past 4-6 weeks and have seen great change because of it.
If you aren’t sure the prep that will help you as you get started, be sure to check out this post. If you are just reading this for the first time, hop right in! Whether you are doing this for 21 days or 17, I know the Lord will honor your heart to seek Him.
Here is the gameplan for week 1:
WALK: 5 days. Pretty simple. Head out for a walk outside or on the treadmill. You can cut it up in the day or do it all at once. I have 20 minutes down as the goal but as usual, this is about the heart not about the exact behaviors. TIP: PLAN when these walks will occur right now as if you wait until the “day of” it may not happen!! I generally recommend setting your alarm 20 min early and doing it before “the house wakes up” but for some of you, maybe it’s once everyone is down for the night. Find a partner or do it by yourself. Up to you. What you do while you walk is up to you. I recommend you pair it with PRAYER and/or WORSHIP but that may be hard depending on if you are walking with someone. I have given you a verse and prayer focus for this week so use that as a guide!
FAST: As I mentioned in the previous blog post, this can take many forms. This will be very individual to you and also can change throughout the 3 weeks of the challenge.
TAKE IT BACK: Hopefully you had a chance to think through 1-3 areas that you want to “take back”. For this first week, I want you to name 1-3 areas and write what that vision looks like for you. i.e. Screentime: Spending less time on my phone. Then pick ONE area and start with the small goal to achieve it. If you have the capacity to add another or all of them, then go ahead. Each week we will add on one more area!
I am a very basic girl in regards to writing things down/journaling etc, so don’t mind my scratch but I thought you may appreciate my authenticity and simple way this worked for me over the past month. This was my initial brainstorm when I thought about the areas I needed to “take back”. Now you’ll note that there are no SPECIFICS as to HOW I was going to accomplish these on this paper, but it was first important for me to at least define what I was looking for.
From there, I created some very tangible, specific ways to accomplish this. Here are a couple examples
Physical: Time Restricted Feeding: Eat 10a-6pm. No alcohol for 7 days. No sloppy eating (which generally was baked goods/sweets laying around the house)
Intellectual: Tie up the 2 books I was halfway through. Read 15 min before bed.
House: (You may or may not have known that we had a “fixer upper” during the pandemic and once we moved in I pretty much gave up on all shopping, decorating and tying up of projects because I was tanked! haha) Tie up bathroom lighting. Map out the office layout.
The Printable
I like to provide some resources for you throughout the challenges and this time it will be fairly basic every week but there are a few things to it so I want to explain! And yes, it is a physical print-out. I personally love to write on things and keep with my journal or on my desk so if you would rather screenshot and keep on camera roll, or use any other means, please do so! Here is an example of how to use it!
WALK: Check-off each time you go out. Remember you only need 5!
FAST: Write down what you are fasting from this week
TAKE IT BACK: Write out the 3 areas you want to focus on over the next 3 weeks
GET GRITTY: Write some specific goals or ways you are going to “take it back” and make it happen! IF you want to just focus on one small goal, that is OK! You can also add more than 3 things.
VERSE: *Note: You can cut this portion off if you want to take with you in your car/purse etc, hence the “perforation” This is a verse that I want us to pray and mediate over this week. Of course feel free to add your own.
PRAYER: These are more specifics into the weekly prayer focus as I have been praying and gathered from most people. Areas in which we need to “take back” from darkness. (Feel free to add your own)
DOWNLOAD your printable below! (Both JPG and PDF)I will be back later in the week with a post and/or video with additional encouragement and thoughts on each week’s prayer focus!
I think that is enough for now. Do you have any questions? Please leave them below or on my social media accounts! Find a friend or two to keep you accountable. 21 days seems like a long time but it will fly by and you will be so happy that you spent a portion of your day walking, praying, fasting, and taking it back!!
Who knew this is exactly what I would need right now?!!! I did so well for the first half of the pandemic, actually using my isolation to focus on my health! Walking 5 miles a day, eating healthy, losing weight. Then WINTER! And I let it all slide! I’m taking your challenge and taking it back! Let’s DO THIS!
Yvonne! It is so good to hear from you! I am so glad you are with us and yes–let’s do this thing!! Clare
Tears of Joy coming down my face,thinking about how God knows what I need when I need it. And how He is always on time.Thank you Claire, for your obedience and attentiveness to the Holy Spirit!! I just went through my email and saw this challenge, had to catch up on the previous emails, setting my mind to do this and take back what has been stolen and lost.
Hi Tye! I am so thankful you saw this! Great to have you here!
God has put FOUR walking/movement challenges in my path right now and I keep seeing random articles about how good walking is for you. I think he’s trying to tell me something lol!! And I am always in need of reigning in those other areas that are stealing my time and focus away from God and my family. Thank you Clare for doing this :))
Yes! Walking is so simple and effective! Glad you are encouraged Whitney!!
I missed week one. Catching up so long!