Changing Your Life One 30-Day Challenge At A Time
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It is no secret that moms are overwhelmed.
I love that we are talking about it, but I think it is time that we stop just making fun of ourselves about it or using overwhelm as an excuse for everything. It is time that we start doing something about it, change our strategy, overcome the overwhelm and create the fun, successful, enjoyable lives we are dreaming of.
Regardless of your goals – whether you are wanting to lose weight, have more energy, get out of debt, strengthen your faith, get a hold on your anxiety, keep a cleaner house, make more money, stop yelling at your kids – your success is in your habits.
You are human. You cannot expect perfection of yourself, and you cannot do it all or make all of the changes that you want to make all at once. All you can do is try to be a little better each day.
I know that I am trying to do too much and need to slow down and focus when I start feeling like Cruella DeVille at the end of 101 Dalmatians. (You’ve seen the meme, right? She is white-knuckling the wheel, hair all over the place and madness in her eyes, and the caption reads “Me, trying to excel in my career, get the kids to school on time, keep the house clean, drink enough water, and text everyone back.”) There have been so many times that I have found this so relatable, and that is when I know that I need to step back, look at what I am doing, and choose the next important item to focus on.
My strategy and what I encourage others to do is to commit to a 30-day challenge working on one habit at a time.
I have heard that it takes about 30 days to establish a new habit. If you can commit to something for that amount of time, you will have trained yourself to act on autopilot. It does not take much willpower or determination to keep going at that point; the new healthy habit is just a regular part of your routine.
Challenge yourself to make one small change and commit to that challenge for at least 30 days. By the end of that 30-days, you will likely have experienced all of the phases of breaking an old habit and establishing a new one. Hal Elrod teaches in his book, The Miracle Morning, the three main stages of establishing a habit 1. Unbearable (Day 1 – 10), 2. Uncomfortable (Day 11 – 20), and 3. Unstoppable (Day 21-31). You may have heard that it takes 21 days to make something a habit, but the trick is to keep pushing through until you can experience the benefits and the joy in your new routine. These are days 21-30 and the secret to really making your new habit stick.
If you don’t feel unstoppable by Day 30, continue with the same habit for another 30 days so that you can break through a stubborn stage of discomfort and start to feel the results. Once you have spent some time in the “unstoppable” phase, you are experiencing joy in your new routine and starting to see some results, and you will be ready to take on the next habit.
Focusing on individual habits prevents burnout.
I have heard willpower described as a muscle. It weakens when not used at all but also fatigues and fails when you push it too hard. By committing to one healthy change at a time, we focus our willpower towards successfully making that one change and avoid fatigue and failure. We end a 30-day challenge stronger and ready to add another challenge.
Think about the muscles in your body. If you have not exercised in a very long time, you are probably feeling weak and out-of-shape. Long, strenuous exercise will leave you feeling very sore and may even be dangerous for you. However, if you commit to walking for 20 minutes every day, your body is going to get stronger, and after a while, that walk will seem easy. You are ready to walk for longer, add a quarter-mile jog, or switch up your route to include more hills. As you become stronger, you can add more work without feeling like you are putting more pressure on your muscles. Your willpower is the same. Once you add a healthy habit to your routine, you can continue with that habit with little effort and move your focus to the next healthy habit.
Keep getting stronger, keep adding small challenges. At the end of each month, consider what change you want to make in your life, and focus on that for the following 30 days. Rinse and repeat.
One day, you will realize that you have completely overhauled your life, and not be quite sure how it happened, because you have not felt as though you have been working that hard.
This is different than a bootcamp or weight-loss challenge.
When we think of a 30-day challenge, we usually think of setting big goals, hitting it hard, getting our crap together, and making big changes so that we can see big results in 30 days. While I am all for participating in a challenge that “jump-starts” your results, I encourage us all to start smaller, with more sustainable changes and break the cycle of hitting it hard and getting off track. Focus on your lifestyle, and the results will come (and they will STAY), I promise.
Especially if you are a busy, working mom, feeling overwhelmed with your day-to-day, skip the big challenge and focus your energy on the next sustainable change that you can make. The goal should be health and happiness for life over quick results.
These are habit-focused challenges based on your goals, not goal-focused challenges.
Focus on your daily routines that you can make small changes to for more health and happiness for your life. Think of sustainable challenges for lasting results, not how to achieve results quickly. Instead of a “lose five pounds in 30 days” challenge, think “drink 90 oz of water every day for 30 days” challenge. After 30 or 60 days, you will notice how much easier it is to drink more water, you will find yourself carrying your water bottle everywhere and checking off the ounces with ease. Now that you have made drinking water a habit, it takes minimal effort to continue drinking enough water, and you can move on to the next healthy habit. Your weight loss goals will be achieved over time, and your results will actually last.
This concept can be applied to all areas of your life that you want to improve!
Choose something you want to change, and go for it!
Other examples of 30-day challenges:
o Eat five servings of vegetables each day.
o Exercise for at least 30-minutes each day.
o Eat a high-protein breakfast each day.
o Make your coffee at home each day.
o Swap your afternoon soda for a sparkling water.
o Intermittent fasting with a 12-16 hour fast each night.
o Going to bed at a certain time each night.
o Waking up at a certain time each morning. (The Miracle Morning is a total game changer!)
o Not drinking alcohol for 30-days.
o Deposit $1 to a savings account each day.
o Reading three chapters from the Bible each day.
o Writing down three different things you are grateful for each day.
o Set a timer and clean for 15 minutes each evening.
o Set a no-screen time each evening for interruption free play time with your kids.
o Reading or listening to an inspiring book, blog, or podcast for 10 minutes each day.
Most of these are small changes and will not have you feeling a noticeable difference right away. However, they are sustainable and will add up over time as you realize that creating healthy routines and the life of your dreams.
If you are having trouble completing a 30-day challenge, go smaller.
If the 30-days have come and gone and you did not stick to your goal. Do not beat yourself up. Change the goal. If you cannot get yourself to drink 90 oz of water each day, start with 30 oz, or just an 8 oz glass of water before your morning coffee each day. Once you master one step, you can level up for the next month. Similarly, if you struggle to fit 30 minutes of exercise in each day, start with 10 minutes.
No goal is too small! The key is to keep growing, so choose something so small that you cannot give up.
Use accountability to stick to your goals.
Even when you are working on a small habit change, a 30-day commitment is challenging. Say your goal out loud; tell those around you what you are up to and ask for help sticking to your goal.
Share this post with a friend and do a 30-day challenge together!
In the For More Of What Matters Community, we are challenging each other to make one healthy change each month! Be sure to join our Facebook group for added support and accountability as you challenge yourself to change your life. Go to my Get In Touch page and message me, “Community” for an invite to the group!
