I have had no success doing an examen before bed. I’ve tried adding it to my schedule multiple times, as a new habit for Lent, even doing it as a family during our prayer time, but nothing has stuck. Even if I found a way to do it, I don’t know how effective it would be because by the end of the day my mind is spent, and my body longs for sleep.
I realize I’m no St. Ignatius of Loyola, but if the examen isn’t working, why not try something else? So I came up with something else, that I do in the morning, when my mind is active and works. I thought I’d share this concept, not because it’s so amazing and innovative, but because it works for me, and it might work for you. If you have trouble finding time to yourself, if most of your day is spent with little people that ask lots of questions, if by the time dinner and kids’ bedtime is done, the last thing you want to do is evaluate your day, you might give this a try.
After breakfast is a good time to evaluate the previous day and look forward at the day ahead. It’s early enough to still make a commitment for the day, but late enough to have a little quiet time and get some fuel to start moving. Since I homeschool, we don’t start our official school day until after breakfast chores are finished, which means I get some time to sit and think while the kids clean up. Other days I’ll do EGGS while I’m showering or while I’m driving. It’s easy to do during the morning when I’m getting up and going.
So what is EGGS? EGGS is an easy acronym that even my kids can remember, so they do it too! Everything is food in my house, so the more relatable to food, the better. It’s a mix between an examen and the ACTS acronym (Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, Supplication).
E is for Examine: Examining the day, or previous day, is the first step. How did it go? What was great or not so great? Where did I flourish or succeed, and where did I fall or fail? Did I align myself to God’s will, or was I doing my own?
G is for Gratitude: Thank God for the good, true, and beautiful you experienced, or what you were able to give to someone else through His grace. In our house, we spend time journaling our gratitudes, which is a lovely way to remember God’s goodness and blessings.
G is for Goal: If you found a fault or failing from the Examine, try setting a small, doable goal that can help you get closer to your saintly self. If I don’t have a plan in place with expectations to meet, I tend to get lazy. As the old adage goes, “Fail to plan, plan to fail.”
S is for Supplication: There’s always room to pray for others. If you have trouble finding time to do it, or remembering to do it, like I do, then add it onto a habit you’ve already established, like breakfast. The kids also write down people they’re praying for, which helps them remember them throughout the day and during our evening family prayer time.
So there you have it! An easy-peasy new habit that just might replace a not-quite-able-to-keep-it habit. By letting go of a prescribed thing that hasn’t been working, I’ve been able to focus more on the evaluation and its fruit and am no longer shaming myself for failing to do “what I’m supposed to do.” That passes the “Less World, More Christ” test in my book. Have you ever experienced anything similar? Please share in the comments.
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