30 Day Challenge

So, last night I did this uncomfortable thing and did a live video on Facebook (and then a shortened, slightly less painful one on Instagram) about this inspiration I had yesterday. The brilliant or possibly terrible idea I had is to do a 30-day challenge where you choose your challenge. The scary part- it starts tomorrow! And I just thought of it yesterday!

So I did this video (unshowered with bad hair, no makeup, and an unflattering shirt) because I was feeling inspired yesterday. And if I didn’t just take action then, I might never do it.

I didn’t want to lose momentum. I think you can probably relate. Sometimes we get a great idea or feel motivated and we want to jump into something and then we have to wait until we’re ready or wait until it’s the right time or until it’s a Monday or a new month or whatever. And then… nothing ever happens.  If I wait for a new month or until next week so I have more time to plan and prepare (or, crazy-girl talking here, planned for the more distant future as some people do) it might never happen.

I might lose steam or get sidetracked, or life will just get too busy and I won’t do it.  So I’m not waiting till October; it starts tomorrow, September 13th! The good news is, you don’t need to do much to get ready.

Here’s the deal…

Basically, the idea for the challenge is 30 days of accountability and support for whatever you choose to do to be a healthier, happier version of yourself.

And that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you, the way you are. We can be happy with who we are and love ourselves and still want to change. Still want to find a way to grow or learn or evolve.

It’s not so much about “improving yourself” as choosing something that you could do better or something that will make your life better- healthier, happier, more meaningful…

So you get to choose your challenge! It can be like a health and fitness thing, a personal development thing, a social thing, a financial thing, a career thing, an education thing, a relationship thing. I made a list of ideas to give you an idea of what I’m thinking of…

• read for 10 minutes a day, whether it’s a personal development book or reading before bed or reading for fun
• exercising each day
• eating a salad each day for 30 days
• drinking 64 ounces of water a day for 30 days. Or if you don’t drink any water, maybe just starting with drinking a glass of water every day for 30 days
• calling a loved one. Maybe it’s the same loved one every day for 30 days because that’s just a nice habit. Maybe somebody going through a hard time in your life or someone who’s lonely; call them every day, just chat and check in with them
• bringing lunch to work every day (and/or eating lunch at home on the weekends every day)
• meditating every day
• waking up 5, 10, 15 minutes earlier every day for 30 days
• saying something kind to that person you see at work that’s miserable. Maybe they could use a little kindness.
• turning off the TV a half hour before bed
• staying off the phone a half-hour before bed, or the first hour of the day
• writing a note or a text to someone each day for 30 days, just to let them know you’re thinking of them.
• doing a plank for 30 seconds or a minute or 90 seconds or whatever
• writing something you’re grateful for once a day, every day for 30 days
• doing yoga for 30 days
• flossing at night for 30 days
• praying
• reading to your kids
• drawing or painting, or doing something creative once a day for 30 days
• posting something positive each day. Social media is this awkward, but sometimes wonderful, sometimes cringey thing, but it’s a nice way to reach out to people that we wouldn’t otherwise reach out to. So maybe post something that makes you happy; share on your social media once a day for 30 days
• maybe stay off social media for 30 days
• making your bed every day
• dancing after dinner
• keeping a food journal
• keeping a budget journal
• saving money each day
• making coffee at home
• eating healthy
• eating clean
• no sugar.
• stretching every day for 30 days
• going for a walk
• going to bed at 10 o’clock or whatever time is good for you
• If you stay up too late a lot, or if you don’t have a regular bedtime, maybe try and go to bed at the same time every day for 30 days
• getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night for 30 days
• taking vitamins

We can talk more about what makes us feel inspired if you join me in the challenge! Basically, it’s just a way to have somebody to share what you’re trying to do. I think there’s a lot to be said for challenges because they are motivating.

Accountability Counts…

If you’re trying to make a change sometimes we don’t talk about things like that with other people, we’ll just do it on our own. And maybe by the end of the first week, we’ll fizzle out and not really have anyone to rally us back into shape.

Motivation is wonderful when we have it, but it does wear off if we don’t keep it going. Having a group supporting you and cheering you on can offer ongoing motivation.

We can also share ideas. If you feel overwhelmed by all you need to do or discouraged that you’ve been trying to make a change without any success, this challenge can help. We’ll work together to hone in on what you should tackle first. And we’ll help you stick with it. Having success in one small area of life can boost your confidence and give you the motivation to tackle the next thing or to take the next step.

What I’ll Ask From You…

The group will be a low commitment from you. You just pick your thing. I’d like you to share it with us, but you don’t have to, you can just let us know you’re in and you’re working on it.

If you could post once a day just to let us know you’re still with us, that’s great, but really your involvement will be up to you.

I will start a little Facebook group with the people who want to join us. Feel free to invite a friend.

And I’ll check in with everyone here and let you know how it’s going.

I’d love for you to join me. You can comment here, send me a message on social media, email me at mary@stayathomefit.com, reach out to me however you feel comfortable.

And I do hope that you’ll just take this as a 30-day jumpstart or reboot. The fall is a good time to get back into some habits and routines or find some new ones and just work on something that makes us grow a little every day. I hope you’ll join us!

 

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