It’s almost February. Most of our holidays are over, and we’re back to the daily grind. Many of us are probably, once again, feeling like it’s groundhog day. The post-holiday blues may well have set in.
Chin up fellows. I wish to renew that spring in your step and enable you to make a truly positive and possibly life-changing (or habit-making) start to your 2014. In the points below I have provided 28 suggestions and challenges for you to try. The aim is to put one into practice every day for the 28 days in February. You don’t necessarily have to do them in order, but I challenge you to try them all before the first day of March.
Just as you’d eat an elephant one bite at a time (as the saying goes), the method in which you make positive changes in your own personal life is no different. By taking smaller, more manageable bites, you will create an awesome positive spiral which is guaranteed to gain momentum day by day. By attempting the challenges below I can promise you will discover some simple but productive new habits – many, to which, you will become addicted and that you’ll wish to continue to use in your life.
- Learn and practice a new and useful skill each week – one you know you will use. The more skillful we are, the more confident we become.
- Teach someone different something new every day – and this doesn’t need to be advanced stuff. You’d be surprised at just how much intellectual property you have developed over time, that others will marvel at.
- Be positive at all times, no matter what. Watch your world transform.
- Try something new every day. It doesn’t matter what it is, if you haven’t tried it before, the get stuck in.
- Watch no more than 30 minutes of TV every day – and discover how much more extra time you have.
- Get rid of one thing every week. Or pass it to someone who will find it more useful. Be ruthless and feel free.
- Speak only the truth every day – many of us are great at exaggerating the truth. Tell it how it is; it’ll make you feel better.
- Note down three bad habits you have and over the month try to completely do away with them. You don’t need bad things in your life.
- Do something every day that makes you laugh – it’s wonderfully energizing and uplifting.
- Avoid creating any new debt for the remainder of the month. Stash those credit cards out of reach.
- Take a photo of something that makes you happy every day.
- Phone somebody you haven’t physically spoken to in over a year.
- Find and cook one healthy new recipe every week.
- Every night before you turn out your light, read ten pages of a book. Even if it means starting a new one for the purpose of the challenge.
- Be alcohol and sugar (refined sugar) free every day.Nominate a time each evening to reflect on all parts of your day.
- Dedicate an hour on both days of your weekend to something you feel truly passionate about.
- For seven days, get up half an hour earlier than you ordinarily would. And to add another dimension of greatness – stretch your body for ten of those extra minutes.
- Perform a self-less act every second day – in this life you get back what you give.
- Every Monday, read something that truly inspires you. Your week will automatically become greater as a result.
- Let go on someone who is an energy vampire in your life. You need only connect with those who are going to lift you higher.
- Exercise every day for at least twenty minutes.
- Define one long term goal that you are really serious about. Spend at least 15 minutes every day on planning and working towards it.
- Name a fear you have, and face it. Get others involved if need be. The more you reduce things that externally control your behavior, the more content you will become.
- Consciously acknowledge the lesson you should learn in any negative events or circumstances that confront you in your day.
- Treat everybody how you wish to be treated. Listen when you’re meant to listen, and act where you should act. But act according to how you’d like to be treated, not how you instinctively would.
- Pay attention to your immediate world. Switch off to work when you are not working. Be with and enjoy those who are around you. Enjoy your life’s moments as they pass before you.
- Use words and actions that promote your own happiness as well as the happiness of those who surround you. Practice this. Daily.
Attempt them. And feel yourself grow, and your life change. For comments email corinne@fitfixnz.co.nz
