Take a day off? I don’t even take a morning off.
I haven’t ordered dessert in two years.
You know that best selling book everyone loves? I haven’t read it.
I haven’t watched TV since last summer. Hey, I’ve been busy.

These are the words from a Citibank commercial we’ve seen about seventy billion times since the Olympics started. While some of the commercials are driving me absolutely crazy at this point, this particular one has done the exact opposite.

Every time I’ve heard it, the words have sunk a little deeper into my mind, until today when I realized…

This dedication they are talking about is not just for Olympic athletes. It’s for me. And it’s for you, as well.

I’m not trying to win a gold medal, but I am trying to raise children for the Lord and serve my husband and family the best I can. These things have much more value than a gold medal, which means my level of dedication should be just as high or higher.

In some ways, it is a hard comparison to make. A swimmer focuses on swimming. A runner focuses on running.

As wives and moms and friends and followers of Jesus, we have many areas that require dedication from us. I am known for getting all gung-ho about bettering several areas of my life at once and ending up falling flat on my face in all of them.

Taking my cue from the Olympic commercial, I am going to pick ONE thing to dedicate myself to this month. ONE thing that will improve my life and the life of my family. If I succeed at this ONE thing for the rest of the month, I will be happy. And I will not add another major goal to my plate until this ONE thing has become a more natural part of my life.

Now, I know the athletes are doing more than just the ONE thing they mentioned in the commercial in order to accomplish their goals, but it still seems symbolic to me. Maybe they were mentioning the ONE thing that was the hardest for them to do. Maybe they mentioned the ONE thing that made the biggest difference in their focus during training.

Those thoughts really helped me when choosing my ONE thing for this month and maybe it will help you as well.

My ONE thing for the month is getting up before my children.

I used to do this so well, then I got pregnant and had a baby. Those things tend to affect one’s sleep schedule, but I’m ready to snap out of it.

I’m not putting any other limitations on this goal. Yes, I want to fill that time with the Word and exercise and planning my day, but for now the ONE thing is getting up before the kiddos.

And to set myself up for success, I am calling on some new friends to hold me accountable. Hello Mornings has always been one of my favorite groups on the internet and I’m so thrilled to be signed up for a group this fall again! If you are interested in joining a group of women who are getting up early to make the most of their days or just want to read more about the Hello Mornings challenge, head on over to the website for all the info you need. Seriously, the ladies behind it all AND the ladies that participate are SO inspiring and encouraging!

Now it’s your turn – what will your ONE thing be for the rest of the month?

23 days left in the month to form a GREAT habit – what will you dedicate yourself to for those 23 days?

Share it here in the comments so we can pray for and encourage one another!