30 day challenge

So we embark on a 30 day challenge that I got caught on while on Twitter. Here are the posts (1,  2 and 3) that started this off.

This isn’t new and we all have at different times and at different lengths gone on challenges ourselves. To better our habits, life, soul and perhaps even our eating. I use the term ‘better’ loosely. Sometimes all it requires is a change from what has become our normal routine, just so we steer ourselves back onto the path we are originally destined or maybe even where we want to go.

I’ve always enjoyed having deadlines and declaring it out here for a couple of reasons. One, it gives me some blog material. Two, am loud and bare like that. Three, my grand dream has always been to change to world. In small ways, to be influential in a few things that I believe in and then scheme up a way to arm twist at least a few other folks to change over. My blog has been my campaign docket, and has seen all the little “I will do this” little outbursts and in the process I have managed to rope in people to jump along with me. It’s all good.

Ive done some weight challenges, and I wish I could get back on it soon, but I need to recover from the last fewmonths and so that shall be shelved for when school/Fall starts and I have my mornings to myself.

Instead, I had this whole list of things to get done before Labor Day that I wrote and stuck it up on our bedroom walls. Just so the few things that I had in mind (and the husband is unaware of) will be out there for all to read and once I get that done, and they open their mouths in surprise (or shock), I can throw back a “what? you didn’t see? It’s been out there the whole summer for you to read!” 

yeah, I know, am clever like that! 😉

…and I’d like to point out that I accomplished 6 of those 17  tasks despite the madness of summer. Go Me!

Anyways, so since am on a roll to get things done, and this came along on Twitter, am thinking why not?

As a mom of three very active children who range in their ages, personalities, habits, temperaments and (cap)abilities, I must not over promise, as doing something and sticking with it for 30 days is a conscious effort, (till it doesn’t, and then you move to a new one) and since my brain has very little downtime I cannot tax it more than it can take.

Here’s to starting simple:

1. Remove sugar. Eradicate it ultimately. I plan on reducing it for the first week to 1 tsp and then we make our way down further.

2. Do an hour of work with munchkin every day. 2 pages of math, 1 page of comprehensive reading and then work on our “person of the week” project. It’s Hilary Clinton for this week.

3. Hug each of my kids and tell them one good happy thing they did or are, every single night before I shoo them upstairs. (It has to go on record that two of them are at a stage where they cannot absolutely stand any human contact, especially if the contact comes from parents. )

4. Write one post/review or some material to be published once a week. That would mean 4 by Labor Day.

5. Spend 15 minutes every day on Yoga: Breathing and stretches.

5. Read. One book a week. At the very least.

These are not intensive or hugely conscious efforts, but it’s August and I have my plate loaded enough with other tasks at home. September will see me upping it.

I suppose, I will tweet everyday like a checklist, and will post a weekly report here, and tag it with #30daychallenge

So all you silent lurking readers, I know you are reading me, what do you think? Do you have a vision of yourself come September and want to jump in and hold yourself responsible.

In my experience, two things help while goal setting:

1.Writing down what you want to accomplish helps tremendously! seeing your goal/wish/dream in black and white is a huge motivator

2. Break a goal into smaller do-able chunks. Be specific. Don’t just say – I want to climb Kilimanjaro. Unless you are Matt Cutts or some similar. Breaking it to: Need to be able to do x miles a day without break. Build upper body strength. Increase lung capacity. Lower body fat percentage to less than 10… and so on.

So there.