Search Results for: 30-days

Do something every day… until you don’t.

- Mel

I have engaged in several 30-day challenges – some more successful than others. Sure, there’s research that supports the impact that a certain amount of days you spend doing something helps it to become a habit. But there’s also research that supports that the “28-day rule” is crap and that depending on who you are that number could be 15 days or 51 days or maybe even 251 days. Point being, doing something every day to establish a habit is only good until you stop doing The Thing. And then if you’re like me, you completely fall off-the-rails and abandon The Thing altogether.

I had the intent of blogging every day in November because I truly missed regular blogging. I made it 14 days in a row before I completely forgot – with a futile attempt at logging into my phone from bed on Day 15 to get up SOMETHING, and wholly unable to log into WordPress via mobile app and unwilling to leave the comfort of flannel sheets to find my laptop. And here we are on Day 23 – almost 10 days without blogging again.

A similar story occurs with my goal of getting my running back more consistently. I was good for two weeks… and then didn’t run for an entire week. Blogging and running are things that I love to do, so why am I not making them the priority?

Can I blame everything on grad school?

In any event, this post is an effort for me to get on track with regular posting again. Man, do I hate Blog Apology Posts, so I won’t do that here (nor do I even have the audience to warrant such impossible perfection). NaBlowWriMo was not a success for me this year. Though an important lesson is one in which I previously mentioned: I am doing things because I love to do them, not because I have to justify to others my availability, my presence, my attendance, or my priorities. In the meantime, I will be exploring and reflecting a bit more on how I get habits to stick. Kinda like how I never forget to have my coffee every morning, amirite?

How do you build habits? What tricks work for you to maintain those new habits?

December: 30 days of posts

- Mel

First things first, YES, I know there are 31 days in December — but I only plan to post on 30 of them. Back in May I did a similar post-per-day challenge (November 2012 was the last time that I participated in a 30-days post challenge for NaPoBloMo), and leading up to the New Year, I want to take stock of some of my experiences from this last year — looking at my 2015 goals, looking ahead to 2016 and thinking deeper about where I’ve been and where I’m going.

And maybe a little bit about being grateful on where I am NOT right now.

My posts will cover:
Relationships
Friendships
Fitness/wellness
Education
Work/career
Home life
Extracurricular
Volunteer
And anything else that comes up in the early mornings as I enjoy my first two cups of coffee.

I feel like I’ve been fleeting a bit lately, and I know that I do best on a schedule… but I’m not really sticking to a schedule and there is that “fleetiness” again. In December, I’ll start making some baby steps on next year’s resolutions – setting up some better habits and thinking about what it important to accomplish for next year. I feel deeply that 2016 will be another intense year of big changes, and I need to do my best at being prepared to mentally handle what’s to come.

30-day Challenges: on hiatus, but back for the new year

- Mel

It’s not too early to think about resolutions.

Yeah, life is not full of guarantees.
Yeah, life is not full of guarantees – money-back or otherwise.

To say the last year has been difficult is an understatement. As you know, I lost my grandfather in March, was told I had skin cancer in April (subsequent surgery in May), and then my grandmother passed in July. After grieving and vacationing and catching back up on life, I feel like I’ve spent the better part of the last six months… well, not feeling “better.” On the upside, I’m starting to feel like myself again. And feeling like I can handle a few 30-day challenges in the new year that were long-forgotten in 2013.

Promises Made, Promises Broken.

I started off the year with 30 days of NO ALCOHOL – my second year meeting the challenge; third-year attempt (I made it 28 days the first year). February was a lesson in waking up early; March, well, that’s when everything started to fail with my addiction to sweets. My 30-day yoga challenge for May was not possible because of my two-week healing (and no exercise) from MOHs surgery. For what it’s worth, I did NOT spend any money in June — that month’s intended challenge. (yay?) And I accepted a workout challenge in September (to replace giving up social media because… no) to start a fundamentals CrossFit program (not exercising every DAY, mind you, but starting the program AND going to all classes at 6am). Help.

A Year of Promises – 2013
January: 30 days of no alcohol.
February: 30 days of WAKING UP BEFORE 8am.
March: 30 days of no sweets
April: 30 days of “something new”
May: 30 days of yoga
June: 30 days spending freeze
July: 30 days of NO PANTS (dresses and skirts only; save for working out)
August: 30 days of volunteering
September: 30 days without social media
October: 30 days of dates!
November: 30 days of blog posts
December: 30 days of relaxing

Once you get off the ride, it’s hard to get back on.

Anyways, my 30-day challenges took a back seat to life, and I’m ready to go again January 1 with my annual no-alcohol challenge. But I’m also considering coordinating with a total Paleo month as well (I mean, since there’s no alcohol allowed anyway). But oh, THE CHEESE. I don’t know if I’ll keep the same list, but I’ll spend the next month figuring out how to plan the next year.

December, relaxing? Pssh.

What 30-day challenge ideas do you have — or do you complete — as part of your New Year’s goals or resolutions?

Image credit: from Stuart Miles via FreeDigitalPhotos.

May & June 30 Challenge: Promises Made, Promises Broken

- Mel

Because of my surgery and mandatory activity break last month, I couldn’t complete my 30 days of yoga challenge for May. I will likely revisit this later in the calendar (perhaps at the end of my derby season). The 30-day promise for 2013 moves on, as I am currently on a spending freeze for June.

I’m glad that I noticed it was June before I did any shopping therapy this weekend. Because… ALL OF THE THINGS ON SALE.

frozen credit card

This is a big month for my budget… and by “big” I mean this month will be HARD to budget. I’m still paying off doctor bills (estimate there’s another $300 left to pay; all these bills keep coming from various billing offices. ANNOYING.) It’s my last month of car payments (woohoo!)… but my car’s 95,000 mile maintenance is scheduled for the weekend. Also, new tires and front brakes are in the works (we have a $2,000 cap for car work before we just push that towards a down payment on a newer model. I’d like to have no car payments for a year, but that might be lofty plans.) Passport renewal cost me $200 because of expedited fees. Paying off an old debt to a former college so I can obtain my transcripts for Fall registration (what a mess) is over $1,000 (baby steps).

This kind of challenge is difficult for summer. But it’s all June, with none of the frivolous spending around here. I’m talking freezing the monies on: shorts, shoes, happy hours, all the little house things that I do not need right this minute, nail polish and snack box subscriptions, nip toys for the cats, trinkets from the gift shop at work, amazon books (*gulp*)… derby schwag (eeek). No charges on my credit cards. FROZEN. I need to dip into savings and joint account to even make this month work financially — and our joint account is already taking a beating from home repairs, renovations, decorating and an upcoming (kinda unplanned) vacation. Picking up a new freelance client was definitely a highlight (and much needed) this month.

And if I *do* find myself with a shopping itch, I have a $60 Target gift card from my birthday with which to scratch it. 😉

Read more about my year-long 30-day challenges.
Jan: no alcohol
Feb: wake up early
March: no sweets
April: something new (post coming!)

March 30: a lesson in emotional eating

- Mel

No sweets. NO SWEETS FOR 30 DAYS. I knew this would be a difficult month, but really didn’t anticipate HOW HARD keeping desserts away from my pie hole would be. It was a long, cold month.

Within the first week of giving up sweets, I had a four-day headache.

Then I had a tooth pulled and continuously craved ice cream during the healing process.

St. Patrick’s Day and my anniversary happened… this was my first “cheat” day: an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, which, naturally, included a dessert table, a bananas foster table AND a make-your-own ice cream table. The ice cream felt so wonderful on my gums that I almost tossed the entire month-long challenge in the garbage right then-and-there.

I was determined to finish strong, however; intsead using my “free” day at the end of the month (originally planned for Easter) to make up for the one-day lapse.

Each day for the last week of the month, the breakroom at my part-time job was filled with cookies and doughnuts and candy.

Then I had a death in the family and was surrounded by sugary gifts from friends and neighbors. Sigh.

Basically, after giving up sweets for 16 days straight, on the 17th day I fell to my sugar cravings because of a flaw in the emotional eating segment of my psyche. I pressed restart for another few days, then succumbed again. I didn’t just stumble, I GONE TRIPPED AND BROKE MY WILLPOWER. All of it.

And then on the 31st day, at the sight of my first period in several months, I celebrated my failure with a crushed Samoas cookie vanilla sundae. Because that’s what 30-something females do: we eat away our PMS and feelings.

What you missed:
Read more about my 30-day challenges for 2013.
January: no alcohol!
February: it’s wake-up time!

February 30: a lesson in getting out of bed

- Mel

I am NOT a morning person.

I am also an insomniac. In an attempt to regulate my sleeping schedule and embrace the creativity that comes with early-morning writing and generally be super cranky for 30 days, this month’s Wake Up Every Morning Before 8am had disappointing results. Meaning: I actually slept less and not more. I’d be worn out from a long day, and still be up until 1am or later (even when retiring to bed by 11pm) and still have to wake up by 8am. Not to mention, this last week we had painters come EVERY morning by 7am. SEVEN. I was exhausted and cranky and unmotivated and uncreative and felt lethargic for most of February. I know how important sleep is, and I’ve tried every trick in the book (there’s no TV in our bedroom; I read before bedtime; I drink tea) and I’ve tried several different drugs. (let me tell you about the time I took 2 Simply Sleep pills before an international flight from Germany and was WIDE AWAKE the entire trip. FML.) On top of all that, I have TWO separate sleeping problems (well, three if you count the asshole cat that wakes me up at 3:30): going to sleep and staying asleep. It’s one, the other or both on most nights… that I usually make up for by way of afternoon naps on my days off and a night or two a month of dead sleep for 10-12 hours (from pure exhaustion, I’m sure).

The only time I felt rested this month was in California — which, shocker, is closer to my regular sleep patterns considering Pacific Time (I was asleep by 11pm every night and up by 8am — and OUT THE DOOR with really shitty hotel coffee, doing things, by 9am). And if you’re thinking “it’s vacation, of course you slept better.” Not so fast… I had derby responsibilities nearly EVERY day on our trip, so it’s not like it was a no-schedule-free-for-all. Plus, there was a lot of drive time and no sleep in the car (since I was mostly an anxious passenger).

I have to accept that I just might not be on the same schedule as the “average” 30-something. Those two extra hours of sleep are imperative to my well-being. So this 30-day challenge* was a lesson in listening to MY body; not what society thinks is the “right time to be up-and-at-’em.” Also: ear plugs are a MUST. This is a new discovery, thanks to an awesome care package I received.

Do you have your own sleep challenges? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

*I used two days from the end of January to make up for the short month. And to be completely transparent, I missed two days — one, the day after vacation, I woke up at 10am; two, the morning after a couple margaritas, I woke up at 9am. I gave it the ol’ college try!

Next up: NO SUGAR FOR 30 DAYS IN MARCH. *gulp*

Read more:
My year of 30-day challenges.
January Success: No Alcohol for 30 days!

January Success: 30 days of no alcohol for this 30-something!

- Mel

I cannot wait to kick back and drink a beer with my teammates after practice Thursday — my 30 days without alcohol challenge is complete (yes, that 31st day is a “freebie”). And I earned it!

On tap since 12/28/12: still haven’t been able to drink it.

This month has been nothing short of stressful: tryouts for derby and adjusting to subsequent practice schedule, medical issues and weird doctor appointments, planning and executing a friend’s bridal shower… I can’t tell you how many times I wanted a drink. And, considering that we never drank our bottle of champagne on New Year’s Eve (we didn’t drink at ALL, so technically speaking, I’ve already accomplished 30 days off the sauce), I’ve had to look at that tasty bottle of Rose for THIRTY DAYS. Down the hatch for brunch on Sunday.

The challenge was to get my head in the right place for the beginning of my season. I also need to find alternative ways to deal with my stress. If I had drowned my feelings in vodka then I likely would have been hungover or generally feeling pretty crappy and unmotivated to do HALF of these things. But I’ve had a clear mind and my body feels pretty good. It wasn’t life changing, but it was definitely a test.

More about my 30-days-for-2013 resolutions challenge.
Up next: waking up before 8 am every day in February. Yeah, it’s not 30 days, but we do what we can with the short month (I’m drawing in the 31st from January to make it at least 29)! This is going to be harder than not drinking.