It's Ash Wednesday today (well, no, technically it's the day after), which means that the Christian liturgical season of Lent has started. Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday until Easter, or 40 days (not counting Sundays, depending on who you ask) of fasting. Not everyone marks it by literally fasting, but many Christians choose to give something up for Lent, such as chocolate or Facebook.
It's meant to be a time of reflection, meditation and prayer, a time to refocus one's life on what truly matters in the Christian faith (which can also vary, depending on who you ask). The tradition of 40 days comes from Jesus' time spent in the wilderness, where He prayed, listened, reflected, and so on.
This year, and I think I did the same last year (having realized that giving up material things, at least at this point in time, did little good in the way of actually pointing me in the right direction), I have 'given up' procrastination.
This is less of a sacrifice and more of a re-focusing and re-orienting move: in choosing consciously not to slack off and let myself get distracted, I will not neglect what I have been neglecting, which is my time with my Lord (whether that be quiet time before sleep, or time during the day). Lately my mind has been everywhere twice over in the space of five seconds, leaving little brainpower or space for reflection and prayer (or so the excuse goes). Not only will I get more done by choosing to do what I need to do first, but everythingwill simply get better.
Also, if you do something for 40 days, it theoretically becomes a habit.
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