Everyone now knows that it takes about 30 days to instill a habit. Here are some of the best 30 Day challenges that will help you improve both physically and mentally. This ranges from the challenges that are not that hard to very hard. I ranked them based on my own experience and as I go through each one, I will provide my own experience in the challenges that I’ve done hopefully to bring you some more perspective on what to expect.
Cold showers (hard)
What this will do is train your mind to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. This was one of the first 30 day challenges I did and I was inspired by a post I read from Joel Runyon. This will especially help if you’re the type of person who overthinks everything way too much. What cold showers it will teach you is that the fastest way to get something done is to just jump in because the more you think about it, the less you will do.
Anyways, back to the challenge. It was very hard at first to start and I remember just standing there standing for 10 minutes as the freezing cold water poured in front of me. When I did finally feel the cold water on my skin, it sucked really bad. Eventually you get used to it and every time you hop in, the shock of the cold water hits you less and less perhaps because your body and mind has gotten used to this repeated practice.
Meditate (hard)
Looking back, the only reason I found this to be a bit hard was simply because I didn’t feel any difference after a week. It wasn’t until the full month was over that I noticed the difference but up until that point I was just doing the practice of mindfulness consistently. This will help anyone who suffers from anxiety, depression, or stress. What you will find is that you are much more relaxed and much more at ease than before having started. This is one of the habits that will completely change your life especially if you’re someone who’s hit rock bottom.
Positivity (hard)
In a day, we have an average of about 10,000 thoughts, the majority of those either being positive or negative. Those thoughts dictate your actions which influence your habits and if you’re habitually a negative person you’ll walk around thinking that you have “bad luck” or the world is “out to get you.” On the other hand, when you’re habitually positive, you’re in a much more empowered state to put forth your best performance in your day to day activities.
No alcohol (fair)
If you’re an alcoholic, this might just be your hardest challenge yet, but it will be the one that will bring you the most benefit. The best way to refrain from alcohol is simply not to put yourself in situations where you’ll be inclined to take it. Social pressure is stronger than you think and no one wants to be “that guy.” I realize that doing this could be much easier said than done. In order for you not to do something, you need to be doing something else. So for the next 30 days simply commit to focusing on a specific area of your life and you’ll find that you won’t have the time or the energy to go for drinks. Focus on getting your health in check or increasing your earnings. Focus on anything that you’ve been wanting to do for a while and commit. This will make your decision making so much more easier because it’ll revolve around your set goal.
Morning ritual (very hard)
This I have found to be the hardest one but the most beneficial one. The reason it’s the hardest is because you have to reconstruct your morning but it’s the most beneficial because your mornings will set the tempo for the rest of your day. How valuable would it be if you could structure your morning in such a way that you walk out that door in a good mood consistently? One of the best things you can invest your time in is figuring out your morning routine. It will give you so much more long term than what you put in short term.
Squats (hard)
By focusing on one movement for 30 days, you’re strength will skyrocket. When I focused on my squat, I was amazed at how much I had improved beyond what I thought possible for myself. Proving yourself wrong can be a huge benefit in itself because it’ll empower you to push past other limits you didn’t think were possible for you.
No alarm (my hardest!)
This is one that I still keep trying and probably my hardest one yet. I’ve never been much of a morning person but it doesn’t stop from continually trying to wake up with no snooze.
Audible (easy)
You don’t have to read a book a day. That is definitely not what this is. Instead download an audiobook and listen to it for at least 20 minutes every day. Imagine how different your life will be if you filled your mind with new knowledge every day. Even if you listen to a book you’ve already read before.