Are any of you active on Pinterest? If so, are your harboring a collection of wonderfully creative pins you'll get to someday? 
Even if Pinterest isn't your weakness, surely you have a stash of fantastic projects to complete with your children or around your house that you'll get to someday.
And if you've been busy poking around our new Big-Hearted Families resources, I'm willing to bet you have a few plans to "do good" as a family someday.
I know I do.
My family has been talking about making contributions through Kiva since last January! Since last winter we've talked about making care kits for the homeless, so we always have something useful to give someone in need. I have an e-mail hiding somewhere in my inbox, waiting for a scanned signature to begin our participation in the Family-to-Family One Book at a Time Club.
All of these someday ideas clatter around in my head, jostling for attention between gymnastics and piano and the next camping trip.
I'm struggling to find efficient ways to turn these many good ideas into accomplished tasks.
So far this fall, I'm having good luck with three simple (I like the sound of simple better than the alternative... obvious) strategies:
- Pick one thing & add it to the calendar: It's official. We're making care kits on Wednesday night. It's on the calendar. The whole family has been informed. My kids are looking forward to it, meaning I can forget, or claim I'm too tired.
- Add ingredients to the grocery list: No need to make a special trip to the store for granola bars, lip balm, cozy socks and water bottles. We rounded it all up during the last routine errand.
- Leave enough time to reflect! Discuss the good you're doing. Discuss how good that feels. And use this conversation to motivate one another to pick the next project.
- Pick the next project... and add it to your calendar. Whether you pick a day next week, next month, or after hockey season, knowing you have set time aside time for the next event will calm that irritating feeling of being hung up by too many good ideas and not enough time.
How does your family get over the hang ups and begin doing real good?
Inertia is a powerful thing, and any suggestions are welcome.