I’m just as guilty as the next person for declaring a million new goals for the new year only to get burned out a month in (like that $199 I spent on Rosetta Stone to learn French!). This year I’m going to try doing a 30-day challenge. 30-day challenges are about trying something new, different, healthy, fun, or even crazy, every day for 30 days, because that is approximately the number of days it takes to form a new habit. 30-day challenges force you to do something every single day, even if it’s a small thing. What matters is that a consistent action is taken, because it’s the small acts made each day that build behaviors and habits that stick. Once the 30 days are up, you’ll probably be a little heathier, smarter, or saner.
Here are 10 great ideas of acts you can do separately or combined for a 30-day challenge to start 2020 off on the right foot.
10. Drink more water.
Whether it’s 8 glasses of water a day or half your body weight in ounces, water is one of the best ways to stay healthy without having to give up anything.
9. Train your brain.
The point of brain training is to push your brain to the point of frustration so that your neural connections strengthen. Pick a brain training app and commit to doing the exercises for a given time, every day. Lumosity, Elevate, or FitBrains are all great choices.
8. Stretch.
Stretching is like flossing. Easy to do, good for the body, not particularly painful, but something we resist anyway. Find a series of stretches that works for you and commit to doing it every day.
7. Walk 10,000 steps daily.
It’s the equivalent of five miles. The nice thing about this challenge is that you can break up your walks into chunks. Even better, your iPhone/Watch or FitBit will keep track of your steps.
6. Practice gratitude.
Every morning or evening, think about 3-5 things for which you are grateful.
5. Perform one random act of kindness.
Do something nice, selfless, and generous for someone else without expecting anything in return.
4. Clean up your digital clutter.
Every day, work on something like organizing files into folders, downloading photos, deleting junk or old emails, unused programs or apps. Do you really need that app that keeps up with the Kardashians?!
3. Spend time outdoors.
We live in a beautiful place. When was the last time you took a walk on the beach at sunrise?
2. Listen to audiobooks or podcasts instead of music.
For 30 days, load up on interesting podcasts and audiobooks and commit to listening to them whenever you’re in the car, in the gym, or going for a walk or run. You’ll be amazed at how much you can absorb.
1. (And most important.) Tell someone you love them or what they mean to you.
Express your feelings and affection for the people in your life. Remember, they won’t be around forever.
