About a month ago, in my diet blog, I committed to do a 30-day challenge. I’m not usually a fan of ‘challenges’ but was motivated to participate after watching a short clip  by a guy called Matt Cutts (his TED talk is in my post).

So, cynically I started the month of June with a plan to participate in blogger Fat Mum Slim’s Photo-a-Day challenge – despite being a self-confessed disinterested photographer; in addition to a less-thought-out (ie. vague) plan to avoid foods I’m prone to over-eat or binge-eat. Namely chocolate, rice cakes and corn chips. At the moment anyway!

Midway through the month I checked in and was surprised at how well I was doing – given that my motivation and follow-through hadn’t been too stellar of late. And now, just days off the end of the month I’m surprised that I’ve managed to make it through. As hoped, I feel a small sense of achievement – despite the pathetic-ness of the goals set.

It wasn’t like I wasn’t tempted. The first few weekends of no junk food were difficult and last weekend I was forced to run away from a woman at the supermarket giving out free samples of a new Lindt chocolate; and I had to toss a small chocolate my Optometrist threw in with my new contact lenses. (I mean, WTF?!)

I’m going to be reporting in more detail on the month in my diet blog – but feel confident I’ll make it through the remaining days staying on-plan.

What I’ve decided however, is to continue the challenge into July and ‘up’ the stakes a little. *Gulp*

I will again partake in the Photo-a-day challenge. But, as I’m not a photographer (I just Instagram everything so it doesn’t look as crappy!) and don’t have an artistic bone in my body; I’m approaching this month’s challenge from a different angle.

Rather than posting my photos on my not-well-liked Facebook page; I will post my photograph here EVERY DAY with a SHORT blurb. This blog has been largely ignored over the past year as I’ve grown my (once-private) diet blog. As a result I’m struggling to find my ‘voice’ here. I mean, do I really only want to write about TV shows, books and the like? Or do I want to write about day-to-day crap? I’m not sure… but I’m hoping by forcing myself to write a certain number of words for 31 days that I’ll fall into a pattern of sorts. It worked for my diet blog when I posted daily in it last year.

Finally, the even-bigger challenge (cue drum roll)… I will aim to have a dry July. *Huger-than-huge gulp* (In fact I feel like I need the smelling salts as I even write that!) I want to do it so I know that I can. (Plus I need to need to know that I can commit to something and bloody well follow through on it!) I have previously had months at a time off alcohol, but often used chocolate or something else to compensate. I’ll aim to NOT do so this month, but as I’m hoping for achievable goals I’ll keep my ambitions sensible. Surely 31 days of no wine /champagne is doable without requiring replacement ‘treats’?!

Note that I’m starting this challenge the day after the blogging conference I’m attending in Sydney this weekend and quite possibly I’ll need a good detox!

So, there you have it. From 1 July expect to see insightful and eloquent prose DAILY in this very spot. Oh, but as I’ll also be not-drinking my stress levels may be sky-high, so there may also be some ranting!

 Are you into challenges? Or do you think they’re a bit wanky?