The Power of the 30 Day Challenge

Image: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/a26631446/30-day-mental-health-challenge/

Perhaps you are like me and skeptical of popular life fixes.

Why is a 30 day challenge actually often a very effective way to meet goals?

This article explains.

'Whether your goal is to pay down debt or you want to start going to the gym, design your own 30-day challenge. In addition to your brain viewing it as a "now" goal, you're more likely to succeed because:

• You won't have time for excuses. When you have a short-term goal, there isn't time to take days off because you feel tired. And you don't have time to make up missed work later. You have be all in if you want to reach your goals.
• Fast progress builds momentum. Your hard work will begin to pay off fast. And when you begin to see results, it's easier to stay motivated. Building momentum early can help you stay on course and finish your monthlong challenge strong.
• Short-term pain feels tolerable. Working hard to reach a new goal means you'll have to give something up. It's easier to give up time with your family or your daily latte when you know there's an end in sight.'

In September I was motivated by a friend who started it first to do the 30 day Wake Up Challenge with Adyashanti. 

Because I don't normally do this kind of thing, especially when it involves paying for it (not much but enough to take it seriously, I think), I was quite amazed by the progress I saw in my nonduality path that month.

There are so many other challenges out there already:

30-day-relationship-challenge

30-day-declutter-challenge

and of course a ton of fitness and diet ones.

I rather like the idea of designing my own challenge though.

How do I want to challenge myself and what will I aim to do each day to get there? I am intrigued to explore this further in the last days of January.