Today, I want to share one of my best motivational secrets – the only one that can get me back into the groove of being healthy (whether by eating right or working out). It’s the concept of a 30-day challenge. I actually don’t even know where this concept came from originally – probably from a motivational book. I’m certainly not taking credit for it, but it sure does work.
Have you ever met someone who says they’re going to do things (like, all the time), but after knowing them for a while, you begin to wonder whether they ever actually intend on doing anything they say they’re going to? Maybe they’re going to become a tattoo artist, patent an idea or start every day with vegetable juice instead of pancakes. But nothing ever gets done. Sometimes they start and then stop, but usually they just never start at all. I know a lot of people like that and it drives me nuts.
Before I get too hard on anyone, I have to admit that I’ve been guilty of it at times too. I think it’s something everyone does from time to time. The people who drive me nuts are the ones that are okay with that kind of thing. If I say I’m going to do something and if I don’t , I’ll be disappointed in myself. I think that’s why the 30-day challenges work so well for me. If I take a break for one day, I have failed. If I’m okay with failing, then I become one of those people who drive me nuts. And, I’m not okay with that.
So, here’s how it works: Choose something you want to do. One of my favorite 30-day challenges is doing 30 minutes of pilates every single day. Yours could be anything, but try not to make it conditional. Pliates works for me because I have a video and I can do it at home. It doesn’t matter if it’s cold, raining or snowing. I have no excuses not to do the pilates. On the other hand, if your challenge was to take a walk every day for 30 days, you might have to take a day or two off due to the weather. Or, if you’re really committed, you can go to the mall and take that walk.
At the end of the 30 days, you can decide whether you’d like to continue. The great thing about committing to fitness is that it makes you feel great. Of course, you’ll want to continue. You may decide to work out every other day instead, but at least you’ve gotten yourself back into the groove.