Right here’s one thing loopy:
I went 123 days and not using a sip of espresso 😱😱
And in addition…
101 days and not using a glass of whisky (or any alcohol for that matter)
70 days with out making use of ChapStick to my lips
and 43 days of not utilizing the web or any apps on my telephone (!!!)
Problem Mode activated, child!! And it feels nice! Additionally – kinda boring, lol, however tremendous pleased with myself for pulling it off thus far and actually can’t imagine I even have. Who provides up all these items on the identical time??!
However extra on that in a bit…
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Hi there!!! It’s been some time! 😁
And it’s fully my fault.
I made it my mission this yr to swap out “display time” with extra “actual life” time, and I’ve gotten so good at it that I nearly forgot the web nonetheless exists, haha…
However I’ve missed you and I’m again now! And I hope your $$$ remains to be going sturdy! Something juicy occur since I’ve been away?? Nonetheless saving and budgeting your hearts out? I simply checked and it’s been precisely 6 months since my final publish to y’all (!!!) which is approach too lengthy…
As for us, life continues to be good and our well being and wealth are trucking alongside properly. Undoubtedly decrease on the revenue facet of issues since that’s what occurs if you unofficially retire, lol, however fortunately the selections of youthful J$ hooked us as much as be simply superb 😉 Even with out including something additional our web value continues to develop! The ability of compounding at its most interesting!
However whereas I haven’t been “working” a lot, I have been channeling all that point and power into some other place: myself.
Final yr’s “Challenge of Me” continues in full drive, and now on prime of the juicing and figuring out and volunteering and yoga’ing day-after-day, I’ve added a couple of extra life enhancements to the combination. Or fairly, improved *habits*. Not that any of those have been all too horrible actually, nevertheless it’s at all times good to hit “reset” every so often to see what you really want in life, ?
And I made a decision to hit the toughest, most trickiest, behavior first: COFFEE!!
One thing I like and devour each single day, however one thing I’m positive my physique doesn’t precisely recognize. I had been slowly trimming it down over time, going from 3-4 cups/day to 2-3 cups after which most not too long ago simply 1 cup/day, however by no means in my 25 years of consuming it have I dared to go chilly turkey. I imply, why would you do this to your self??! 😂
However as soon as the seed will get planted I can’t depart issues alone till I’m going ALL IN, and sooner or later I simply awakened and thought, “At present is the day – no extra espresso!” and that was that.
The primary week was a bitch, not gonna lie (these complications are actual! Particularly when your life is filled with rowdy little boys!) however finally I finished eager about it and discovered to reside my life as I had the primary 20 years of it 🙂
I don’t know if it’s had a tremendous huge influence on me, aside from chilling me out extra and perhaps lessening some anxiousness (I really feel extra “even” nowadays, like, no extra enormous HIGHS or LOWS, however simply kinda sorta floating within the MIDDLE, if that is smart?) however it’s wonderful how briskly our our bodies can adapt when given the possibility. Life with out espresso appears simply as regular now as life was with it! And within the course of I discovered that I actually get pleasure from decaf teas, reminiscent of lemon-ginger which I’m at present consuming as I sort this, in addition to the turmeric based mostly, “Golden Latte” – an actual deal with if you happen to’ve by no means tried!
It’s additionally been a fantastic reminder of how highly effective a drive *momentum* might be. The start levels are at all times the toughest, however as time goes on you get higher and higher with much less effort till the purpose of not even actually paying consideration anymore. Not not like saving or investing actually!
Much more importantly – doing these little challenges helps prime you up for even MORE challenges in life. Momentum breeds momentum, and just like what occurred final yr once I joined that soccer league, which then obtained me to start out consuming and consuming higher, which then obtained me to start out exercising extra, one optimistic act propels you to a different till you’re left with a string of higher habits stacked on prime of one another.
30 days into the Espresso Problem I then took on a 31 day Meditation Problem, which then led to a 21-day Inversion Problem, after which a random No ChapStick Problem (??) after which lastly a No Web on Your Telephone Problem which is my current dare I’ve taken on… A dare, in fact, I dared myself with 😉
Right here’s extra on every for these curious:
31 Day Meditation Problem – In case you’ve at all times wished to attempt meditation however didn’t know the way, that is a simple method to get began. You simply set the timer for five minutes after which sit there and do nothing besides attempt to focus in your breath. Which you’ll by no means do all the way in which, in fact, however you continue to attempt to finally get higher at it. When the 5 minutes are up you’re performed and hopefully really feel a bit extra peaceable! Then you definately repeat for the following 30 days 👍
In case you crave slightly more durable problem, which I used to be, you do the identical 5 minutes day-after-day BUT you add 1 extra minute on prime of it with every passing day. So, day 1 is 5 minutes, day 2 is 6 minutes, day 3 is 7 and many others and many others till you understand you’re at 35 minutes/day and really feel like a monk! It’s a superb problem if you happen to’re into such issues, and naturally the hope is that you just proceed with it till it turns into a day by day behavior – even when not for lengthy. (I’ve discovered the candy spot for me is 7 minutes, which I can simply slip in any time of the day!)
21 Day Inversion Problem –This can be a yoga problem a buddy of mine and I did collectively, however even if you happen to’re not into yoga you would attempt it (simply watch out!). With this problem all it’s a must to do is get *the wrong way up* as soon as a day which is supposedly actually good for you (one thing concerning the blood speeding down after which again as much as enhance stream?). However – it’s additionally simply plain FUN 🙂
You are able to do a hand rise up in opposition to the wall, or a head stand in the midst of the seaside and even simply have a buddy dangle you at your ankles for a couple of seconds! 😂 So long as you get the wrong way up day-after-day you’ve achieved the mission.
No ChapStick Problem — That is going to sound bizarre, however subsequent to espresso this was in all probability the toughest problem I’ve ever taken on, haha… I’d by no means realized how engrained of a behavior this was till studying that my brother has solely used it like a couple of times in his whole life??! I used to be shocked! I advised him I in all probability apply it at the least 5-6x day robotically with out even eager about it, and that it’s one of many three issues I *at all times* carry in my pocket:
- Telephone
- Cash clip
- Chapstick (or a variation of – this isn’t to disgrace Chapstick the model, I don’t have something in opposition to them, lol… except the rumors are true that they put *addictive* substances in it which might 100% clarify my obsessive habits with it!!!)
He then advised me I wanted to take it on as my subsequent problem, and 70 days later I’ve nonetheless but to use a single swipe! 🙂 Although I did early on have to use some Vaseline as WOW have been my lips not comfortable as they have been adjusting!! And I couldn’t rely the variety of instances I reached into my pockets to get the Chapstick solely to recollect it wasn’t there anymore, lol… So it’s form of a minimalism and financial savings win too! One much less factor to hold round, and one much less factor to buy too – woo!
No Web on Your Telephone Problem — This one took place after simply being uninterested in being on my telephone sooner or later and seeing everybody else on theirs too. Which this problem doesn’t precisely remedy (if something it will get you to understand how MUCH everybody else is on their telephone!) however it’s a good begin to breaking your personal scrolling habits.
In a nutshell, you simply cease opening up any apps outdoors of these made for communication (like textual content, calling, and many others) after which see if you happen to can survive 😉
I began it on trip which might be the worst time to start out because you normally have a lot downtime!, nevertheless it did assist re-focus my consideration on actual life and nature and has been nice for my psychological well being too. I’ve since sneaked within the maps app and allowed for the digital camera and one or two different extra *productive* apps too, however thus far it appears to be like like I’ve damaged the behavior of haphazard scrolling and getting misplaced to time. I’d wager I take advantage of the telephone at the least 50% much less now!
(One other trick to not choosing it up as a lot? Carrying a watch! It may possibly’t suck you in like if you go to your telephone to examine what time it’s!)
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And that’s the place we’re at present 🙂 In search of the following good problem!! lol… You might have any for me?
However whereas it might seem like I’m making an attempt to devoid myself of all one of the best issues in life, the purpose as talked about earlier is extra to interrupt myself out of my day by day habits which have primarily been on auto-pilot for years after which reinstitute higher ones. Some issues just like the espresso and alcohol I’ve slowly launched again in once more – having my first glass of whisky final week, and my first cup of espresso the week prior (all of it tastes so significantly better moderately!) – whereas the ChapStick and telephone scrolling ban nonetheless stays absolutely in tact.
And naturally, you are able to do all this along with your funds too! In actual fact, that’s the place my love of pushing myself all began from – once I took on a “No Spending Problem” again in 2008 and tried to get a deal with on the place all my cash was going! The primary week was the toughest (I stored forgetting and discovering myself in shops!) however finally the brand new behavior kicked in lengthy sufficient the place I trusted myself to start out spending once more with out overdoing it.
A couple of years later, I made a decision to up my recreation even additional and undergo *each final expense* I had and both nix them fully or decrease them sufficient with out affecting my high quality of life. I dubbed this the “Problem Every thing” experiment, and on the finish of 12 months I had saved $5,484.07 and eternally reduce out $200/mo going ahead! Half of it coming from swapping cellphone carriers alone which netted me $100+/mo (I swapped Verizon for Republic Wi-fi which not exists, and finally landed at Mint Cell which I LOVE. Solely $25/mo!*)
After which in fact there’s moving into the behavior of investing extra and paying off money owed and all different kinds of challenges you would tackle to raised enhance your future.
Listed below are a number of the ones we’ve featured over time if you happen to’re pumped and able to take some on!
The trick is simply beginning with one space after which letting the momentum (and confidence!) preserve constructing and propelling you additional into others. And bear in mind – it will get simpler the extra you flex that muscle!
In any case, that’s what I’ve been as much as these previous 6 months 🙂 Hope you’ve been studying and moving into some enjoyable stuff too! I actually thought this was going to be a gentle regular yr over right here after which BAM – the hearth was lit and the sparks began flying! Haha… However I like it… You gotta be always altering with a view to develop and I welcome each final little bit of it.
See you again right here once more quickly! Thanks for studying 🙂
// Prime portray by my 6 yr outdated, titled “EYE BLEEDING” lol… Just about precisely how I felt the primary few days of those challenges!! 😂
* Mint cell hyperlink is an affiliate hyperlink… and likewise one of the best telephone provider round! Even Deadpool makes use of it!
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