All or Nothing Day

In the pantheon of unusual “holidays,” one upcoming day stands out as worthy of notice. This coming Wednesday, July 26th, is National All or Nothing Day! In the spirit of the day itself, why not give it a try?

All or Nothing Day, its origins as murky as many of the other hyper-specific holidays we’ve shared in the past, is a day to break free from whatever is holding you back from the things you really want to do. It’s a day to take a risk, to transcend the limits your mind has set on the things you consider possible, and try something new without worrying about failure.

This week, start a conversation with your family about what those new things might be for each of you. Think about things you’ve been meaning to try, maybe things that scare you a little bit, or that involve skills that seem slightly out of reach at the moment. We’ve created a chart you can use to organize your thoughts; it was inspired by this post on the online forum The Arc.

Here’s the chart we’ve made for you: Give It Your All Chart. It has four categories – personal, family, spiritual, and school/career. Each person can start by filling in a few boxes on their own chart; you can also create a chart for the whole family that has a few collective goals on it. Dream big!

For each goal, put down a few of the steps you’ll need to complete in order to make it happen. Be specific, but also as simple and actionable as possible. Make sure to put something in the final column: “Step I Will Take Today!” What will you do TODAY, in honor of All or Nothing Day, to transcend your limits and reach your goal? For example, if your personal goal is to go skydiving, you might schedule your flight. But if your fear of heights is the thing holding you back from pursuing that goal, your “all” might be taking a bold step in the right direction, like going rock climbing, or spending a full minute standing near the railing on the second floor of the mall. You get to decide how big your step is. So say a prayer for the strength, determination, and resilience you need to try something new, take a deep breath, and give it your all!

What steps will your family take to “go confidently in the direction of your dreams,” as Thoreau once said? Share your All or Nothing Day plans with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.