We all have the power to shape our own lives and happiness. I am reminded of the quote by Mary Engelbreit, “If you don't like something, change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. ” The late Maya Angelou shared a similar thought: “What you're supposed to do when you don't like a thing is change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it. Don't complain.”
Creating a challenge for yourself can be empowering, rewarding, habit-forming, interesting, help you grow personally, professionally, or spiritually, and even create a topic of conversation, if you choose to share it.
When is a better time than now to challenge yourself?
Inspiration
In case you need a little more convincing - or if you just want to see something fun and inspiring, watch the 3 minute clip below! Matt Cutts's TED Talk on 30 day challenges: Having trouble loading? Find the clip here.
For more great TED talks and ideas, head to TED.com.
Selecting a challenge
To help get your wheels turning, here are a few questions to consider:
- What have you been putting off?
- What project remains unfinished?
- Who do you want to be?
- What do you want to start?
- What have you always wanted to do?
- Where do you want to go?
- When was the last time you did something new?
- When was the last time you broke out of your comfort zone?
If you are having a bit of trouble coming up with your idea, I have a number of resources at the bottom of this post.
Setting a time frame
Depending on what study you find, how difficult a behavior is to implement or break, and your level of dedication, researchers have found it can take anywhere from 10 to 30 days (or more) to make or break a habit*. You can find challenges of all lengths: Morgan Spurlock (starting with Super Size Me, then his 30 Days TV series/documentary) helped popularize 30 day movements, we all make New Year's Resolutions, religious traditions (Lent, Passover, Ramadan), and you can find fad diets or tricks from as little as 3 to more than 90 days!
Set a time frame that feels right for you. I would recommend 30 days as a starting point. If you don't think you can make a month (you can), give yourself 2 weeks of solid dedication. If you have trouble prioritizing or have multiple goals, check out my 2.014 Page for some ideas!
Before you get started, a few things to consider...
If you are looking to make a lifestyle change, commit to a personal challenge that has meaning. It can be a great story to say you did "something fun" for 30 days - but unless that has meaning behind it, like you want to be more active, try new things, or become a more adventurous person, the habit is unlikely to stick. Of course, if you want to try something new or fun for 30 days to add spice to life, go for it! Before you start be clear on your intention: is this challenge just something fun to do, do you want to start/stop a new life habit/practice, or something else?
Make a plan. How will you count the days? Will you post or share with friends? Will you write about it? Will you log it anywhere? It can be helpful to set-up the tracking mechanism before or in the first few days of getting started. Also, if it's something that requires additional planning, like training for a race, sketch out weekly goals so you stay on track.
If you miss a day, don't give up. You are working really hard at starting (or stopping) something... it takes a lot of effort and will power. Be easy on yourself. If it is important to you to have consecutive days in your endeavor, then start over with a smile.
Along the same lines, evaluate the challenge, or future challenges based on current progress... can you keep going at this pace? Is it too easy? Maybe you had a new idea! Keep experimenting!
Last, you might get hooked! Near day 90 of my own 100 Happy Days challenge, I realized I had started another habit and decided to make it into a 100-day challenge... doing at least 1 mile a day for 100 days. The mile must be physical activity other than walking. The challenges are fun and are helping me to create the person I want to be/am.
Resources
*"Habits: How They Form and How to Break Them" (NPR)
*"Does It Really Take 21 Days to Break a Habit?" (Slate)
Ideas:
Cold Shower Therapy (original)
---> Cold Shower Testimonial from my friend, Phil, at The Feel Good Lifestyle
30 Challenge Ideas (various in level from easy-hard)
Other Challenge ideas - remember the best are your own!:
Originally written and composed by Lauren Myrick on June 26, 2014.
Other Challenge ideas - remember the best are your own!:
- Study a new language
- Catch up with one friend or family member per day
- Wake up at a specific time - or go to bed at a specific time
- Don't eat a specific food (i.e. pop/soda or chips)
- Do one new thing each day
Originally written and composed by Lauren Myrick on June 26, 2014.
