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 to date and actually can’t imagine I even have. Who provides up all these things on the similar time??!
However extra on that in a bit…
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Good day!!! It’s been some time! 😁
And it’s fully my fault.
I made it my mission this yr to swap out “display screen 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. Positively decrease on the revenue aspect of issues since that’s what occurs if you unofficially retire, lol, however fortunately the choices of youthful J$ hooked us as much as be simply nice 😉 Even with out including something additional our web price continues to develop! The ability of compounding at its best!
However whereas I haven’t been “working” a lot, I have been channeling all that point and power into some place else: myself.
Final yr’s “Venture of Me” continues in full pressure, and now on high of the juicing and understanding and volunteering and yoga’ing on daily basis, I’ve added a number of extra life enhancements to the combo. Or slightly, improved *habits*. Not that any of those have been all too horrible actually, however it’s at all times good to hit “reset” from time to time to see what you actually want in life, you recognize?
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 admire. I had been slowly trimming it down over time, going from 3-4 cups/day to 2-3 cups after which most lately 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 try this to your self??! 😂
However as soon as the seed will get planted I can’t go away issues alone till I’m going ALL IN, and in the future I simply awoke and thought, “At this time 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 stuffed with rowdy little boys!) however ultimately I ended occupied with it and discovered to dwell my life as I had the primary 20 years of it 🙂
I don’t know if it’s had a tremendous huge impression on me, aside from chilling me out extra and perhaps lessening some nervousness (I really feel extra “even” as of late, like, no extra big HIGHS or LOWS, however simply kinda sorta floating within the MIDDLE, if that is sensible?) however it’s superb how briskly our our bodies can adapt when given the prospect. Life with out espresso appears simply as regular now as life was with it! And within the course of I discovered that I actually take pleasure in decaf teas, corresponding to lemon-ginger which I’m presently consuming as I kind this, in addition to the turmeric primarily based, “Golden Latte” – an actual deal with if you happen to’ve by no means tried!
It’s additionally been an ideal reminder of how highly effective a pressure *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 much like what occurred final yr once I joined that soccer league, which then acquired me to start out consuming and consuming higher, which then acquired me to start out exercising extra, one constructive act propels you to a different till you’re left with a string of higher habits stacked on high 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 – When you’ve at all times wished to strive meditation however didn’t understand how, that is a simple approach 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 be able to by no means do all the best way, in fact, however you continue to attempt to ultimately get higher at it. When the 5 minutes are up you’re finished and hopefully really feel a bit extra peaceable! Then you definitely repeat for the subsequent 30 days 👍
When you crave a little bit tougher problem, which I used to be, you do the identical 5 minutes on daily basis BUT you add 1 extra minute on high of it with every passing day. So, day 1 is 5 minutes, day 2 is 6 minutes, day 3 is 7 and so on and so on 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 every 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 –It is a yoga problem a good friend of mine and I did collectively, however even if you happen to’re not into yoga you might strive it (simply watch out!). With this problem all you must do is get *the other 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 circulate?). However – it’s additionally simply plain FUN 🙂
You are able to do a hand rise up towards the wall, or a head stand in the midst of the seaside and even simply have a good friend dangle you at your ankles for a number of seconds! 😂 So long as you get the other way up on daily basis you’ve completed the mission.
No ChapStick Problem — That is going to sound bizarre, however subsequent to espresso this was most likely 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 complete life??! I used to be shocked! I instructed him I most likely apply it no less than 5-6x day robotically with out even occupied with 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 towards them, lol… until the rumors are true that they put *addictive* substances in it which might 100% clarify my obsessive habits with it!!!)
He then instructed 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 glad as they have been adjusting!! And I couldn’t depend the variety of occasions I reached into my pockets to get the Chapstick solely to recollect it wasn’t there anymore, lol… So it’s sort 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 happened after simply being uninterested in being on my telephone in the future 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 individual scrolling habits.
In a nutshell, you simply cease opening up any apps exterior of these made for communication (like textual content, calling, and so on) 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 often have a lot downtime!, however 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 digicam and one or two different extra *productive* apps too, however to date it appears like I’ve damaged the behavior of haphazard scrolling and getting misplaced to time. I’d guess I take advantage of the telephone no less than 50% much less now!
(One other trick to not choosing it up as a lot? Sporting a watch! It will probably’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 the moment 🙂 In search of the subsequent good problem!! lol… You’ve gotten any for me?
However whereas it might appear like I’m attempting to devoid myself of all the perfect issues in life, the purpose as talked about earlier is extra to interrupt myself out of my every day habits which have basically 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 a lot better sparsely!) – 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! The truth is, 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 saved forgetting and discovering myself in shops!) however ultimately 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 sport 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 perpetually lower out $200/mo going ahead! Half of it coming from swapping mobile phone carriers alone which netted me $100+/mo (I swapped Verizon for Republic Wi-fi which now not exists, and ultimately landed at Mint Cellular which I LOVE. Solely $25/mo!*)
After which in fact there’s entering into the behavior of investing extra and paying off money owed and all other forms of challenges you might tackle to raised enhance your future.
Listed here 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!) hold constructing and propelling you additional into others. And bear in mind – it will get simpler the extra you flex that muscle!
Anyhow, that’s what I’ve been as much as these previous 6 months 🙂 Hope you’ve been studying and entering into some enjoyable stuff too! I actually thought this was going to be a gradual regular yr over right here after which BAM – the hearth was lit and the sparks began flying! Haha… However I adore it… You gotta be consistently altering in an effort to develop and I welcome each final little bit of it.
See you again right here once more quickly! Thanks for studying 🙂
// High portray by my 6 yr previous, titled “EYE BLEEDING” lol… Just about precisely how I felt the primary few days of those challenges!! 😂
* Mint cellular hyperlink is an affiliate hyperlink… and likewise the perfect telephone service round! Even Deadpool makes use of it!
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