Today is day 23 of the 30 day challenge.
It’s natural to have a few slips along the way to creating your new habit. You know how it goes: you take an escape hatch and then follow it with an”I don’t wanna” day.
What you want to guard against is letting a little slip in commitment turn into a full blown backslide..
How do you know you’re heading for a backslide?
Well you probably know because your internal chatter about whether you “should or shouldn’t” gets a little louder. If you miss 3 days in a row without a REALLY good reason like illness or family crisis, then you are likely headed straight down hill.
Catch yourself on day 2 of your slip and recommit to getting back to your habit the next day.
Even if you find that you have been backsliding for several days, stop yourself and get back on track. Don’t let your hard work disappear. A backslide of 6 days beats a permanent one every time.
Tune in tomorrow for a reality check.
Are you slipping and sliding?
Today is day 21 of the 30 day challenge.
So here you are! More than two thirds of the way through the challenge. What successes are your experiencing? Where are you stuck? Remember to post a comment and share your journey.
Today’s tip:
Do you find yourself thinking that things have to be a certain way?
Do you lean towards the idea that making progress in the challenge means that there’s one right way?
This kind of black and white thinking doesn’t get you very far. When you hold an “all or nothing” mindset, you ultimately set yourself up for failure.
Think in shades of grey instead.
Find the important middle ground. Be less rigid in how or when you must complete your habit. Remember that Plan B is the key to long term success. Life and lifelong habits are rarely black & white, all or nothing.
Tune in tomorrow…unless you’re having an “I don’t wanna” moment.
What shades of grey do you need to remember?
Today is day 20 of the 30 day challenge.
Today’s tip:
Another strategy to keep focused on your new habit is to make a list of the benefits you will experience when you have settled into a regular routine.
Here’s a simple way to make this list:
Imagine your new habit as a comfortable and usual part of your day. Consider what the benefits will be with this habit in your life. Now create a “more of this” and “less of that” list.
What will you be experiencing more of?
Perhaps you will have more energy or clarity or calm or contentment.
What will you be experiencing less of?
Perhaps you will have less stress or mindlessness or fatigue or clutter.
You don’t have to write your list all at once. Come back to it over a few days as the hidden benefits reveal themselves to you. You can also post your “more & less list” as a visual reminder.
Tune in tomorrow to learn about the shades of grey.
What are your more or less benefits?
Today is day 19 of the 30 day challenge.
We’ve been talking a lot about staying focused on your new habit - strategies and tips to keep you moving forward toward your goal. There’s another important part of your challenge:
Be in the moment.
Yes, you want to hold your focus and look toward the day when your new habit becomes a consistent regular old habit. Don’t forget along the way to stop and be present to everything that is around you in the moment.
While it’s great to look down the road, you don’t want to miss the daily journey. Stop and notice your surroundings, pay attention to your senses, have a moment of gratitude. This simple strategy of mindfulness can provide positive reinforcement to your new actions. And if what is in the moment is tiredness, less motivation or negative self talk, acknowledge that it’s there, decide what you could do to make it different and then make a shift.
Tune in tomorrow for a little more or less.
What’s in this moment for you?
Today is day 18 of the 30 day challenge.
A number of years ago I was on a real streak walking the dog. Never missed a day. Probably because I had worked it into my morning routine. Then the day came along when things were super busy and the dog didn’t get walked.
What did I do?
I couldn’t possibly entertain the idea of “breaking the streak”. I headed out at night in the dark in the winter.
Can you guess what happened?
I slipped on a patch of ice and broke my ankle. And the streak was broken for several weeks.
Today’s tip:
Be responsible to your commitment not rigid. It’s really okay to miss a day here and there. In fact it might even make it easier to stick with your habit.
When you find yourself thinking “I have to…” stop and ask whether you are being responsible or rigid.
Tune in tomorrow and be present to the moment.
Where are you too rigid?
Today is day 17 of the 30 day challenge.
Today’s tip:
A visual reminder is powerful tool to help you hold your focus and remind you of your meaningful motive. When you post it where you will see it often, it acts like a habit buddy who continually keeps you on track.
As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Images tend to stay in your mind. A visual reminder could be a photo or a race entry or a dog leash. Choose something that speaks to you and captures the essence of what you’re doing and/or why you’re doing it.
Next place your visual reminder in a prominent place - on your fridge, your bathroom mirror, on the back door, on your car dashboard or your desk.
Feel free to use more than one. If you have posted your “track your progress calendar”, it acts like a visual visual reminder. And it’s okay to change the image or item as you build your habit.
Tune in tomorrow to learn about responsibility.
What image best captures your new habit?
Today is day 16 of the 30 day challenge.
Positive reinforcement goes a long way in keeping your focus.
The temptation though is to hold off on celebrating until you think you are “done.”
Reward yourself now for your accomplishments to this point. You don’t have to wait until day 31 to celebrate.
Treat yourself.
Compliment yourself out loud.
What would you do at this point to celebrate a friend’s success? Go ahead and do that for yourself.
When you take the time to acknowledge your ongoing success, you contribute to your overall self esteem. You see yourself as someone who is capable of taking on a challenge and sticking with your commitment.
High fives to all of you 
Tune in tomorrow for a tip about visual reminders.
How are you celebrating?
Today is day 15 of the 30 day challenge.
Well here we are - half way through! Welcome to anyone who has recently joined the challenge. It’s never too late to get started on a new habit.
Today’s tip:
Reinforce your commitment by making a PDA - no not a public display of affection. I’m talking about a public display of ACTION.
Making a bold statement publically about your new habit is a great way to increase your accountability. Sometimes you shy away from doing this because you’re afraid that your old self will show up - the one that makes commitments to yourself and then let’s you down. You might even have decided that you didn’t want to post your 30 calendar in a prominent place because someone might see it.
Now at the halfway point is a great time to make a public commitment if you haven’t already done so. Tell someone - or lots of people - about your new habit and the actions you have been taking in the past couple of weeks. Success comes from trusting yourself that you can keep your commitments. Remember you’re not striving for perfection - just improvement. You CAN do this.
If you’ve been participating in the challenge but haven’t yet posted a comment - do it now.
We’re all here to support YOUR success.
Tune in tomorrow for a celebration.
What would you like to share?
Today is day 13 of the 30 day challenge.
Creating a new habit takes a kind heart.
Have you ever helped someone else start a new routine? Perhaps getting little kids to brush their teeth, or teenagers to load or unload the dishwasher. What probably helped in their success was for you to have a bit of patience and encouragement.
Nobody gets it all right from the beginning. It’s normal to backslide a bit. Treat yourself with the same patience and compassion that you would have for someone else in the same situation. Talk to yourself in the same way you would talk to another - no negative nagging or criticism. Be compassionate. Encourage yourself knowing that you are making a positive behaviour change.
Creating a new habit takes time. That’s why we are doing a 30 day challenge. So be patient and know that you are on a forward moving path.
Tune in tomorrow to consider the big picture.
How are you being kind to yourself?
Today is day 12 of the 30 day challenge.
Yesterday you took a few minutes to notice what’s been working for you in the challenge. Today stop and take a few moments to notice what’s not working.
What part of the challenge so far has been difficult for you?
When have you been least successful?
Who or what has let you get off track?
What’s been your least favourite part up to now?
What negative self talk have you engaged in?
Taking the time to reflect on what’s not working helps you to be aware of your roadblocks to success. Once you have taken notice, you can come up with ways to eliminate or manage these roadblocks. Use what’s working to help you address what’s not working.
Tune in tomorrow to find out why patience and compassion are your allies.
What’s not working for you?
