Bold, imperfect action.
That’s the key to forward momentum, yes? It always beats analysis paralysis. Thus, I begin this blog, a project I have been considering for the better part of three years. It launches in the form of a challenge to myself to blog every day for 30 days, which begs the question, what is the nature of the 30-Day Challenge?
I first considered the benefits of this a couple of years ago after watch a TED-Talk (3 minutes). Want to start biking to work? Learn guitar? Meditate? Write a novel? Just try it. The time is going to pass anyhow. Plus, that’s how long it takes to build a sustainable habit, right? Sounds innocuous enough.
Here’s the flip-side: as soon as you get to Day 31, your Inner Rebel (2 minutes) is freed and immediately reverts to and/or binges on the opposite habit. “Phew, no more waking up early! Let’s sleep in ’til 10!” Or “Yes, let’s go on Facebook for the next 6 hours!” “Meditation is a thing of the past now!”
So are these challenges beneficial? It depends on the context and purpose for the particular undertaking. Consider two central questions:
1) Do you hope the 30 days will spark you to instill a life-long habit?
2) Is your approach utilizing willpower, or are you taking a playful, experimental approach?
Take food. Food is an area you must interact with on a daily basis for the rest of your life. If you hope to cut sugar from your diet forever, and you force yourself to do a diet challenge, it’s likely you will relapse (4 minutes). You are suppressing the part of you that wants to eat candy, like Joy pushing away Sad in the movie Inside Out. It’s only ‘putting air freshener on the dog doo-doo’, as TK Coleman would say. If you are seeking to authentically and sustainably change, you must integrate psychologically to a point where if someone offers you a Snickers bar, you don’t eat it because you genuinely prefer not to.
Full disclosure, I have benefited from pursuits like cutting alcohol for 30 days, and cutting grains for 30 days. But my real, long lasting change has always come from the psychological, accepting all parts of myself, empathizing with my present and future self, and understanding the benefits of a change rather than following prescribed rules.
Okay, take an activity like practicing guitar. After 30 days you will never need to interact with it again. Now, are you hoping to get really good at guitar so you can perform professionally as your career? Are you *willing* yourself to change, or are you just curious to see what happens, and you just want to learn a few songs to serenade your lover? Is your motivation to stretch yourself horizontally, or push yourself vertically? What about the Blue-Collar Mindset? (30 seconds). You can’t always wait for inspiration, right? Sure, but if you really care about guitar for the long-haul, you don’t need a 30 day challenge, you need a lifetime-challenge.
I’m asking myself these questions as I start my blogging challenge. I do know that I’m not pressuring myself to implement a habit for the long term. I’m more curious to learn about myself, and see where the process takes me. If I miss a day, I’m not going to slam myself, though I definitely want to leave my comfort zone. Ultimately, I think it comes down to, are you undertaking your challenge out of self-love?
What’s your motivation?
Cheers,
Joel
