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.
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.
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?
June 27, 2012
Congrats!!! The July challenge will be great! I’m a fan of challenges; they’re fun and competitive!
I might use your photo challenge for July and post them on twitter!!!
June 27, 2012
Do it. I didn’t think it was much of a challenge until I saw comments from others saying they hadn’t kept it up! So I realised it may be more ‘challenging’ than I initially expected. (Keeping it on your mind daily!) There’s a sense of accomplishment that I’ve been lacking of late. It also challenges me writing-wise, to think of something to say about each picture in my blog. (Akin to writing exercises I’ve done in courses where you’re given an item to fold into a story etc.)
Deb
June 27, 2012
I love goals! Set myself 40 last year to do in 40 weeks. Just scraped in and finished in May.
Best wishes with yours – hope you can get yours done in July without resorting to the Champers or chocolate 😉
June 27, 2012
Thanks Hayley! Fingers crossed (on the champagne and chocolate front) and well done on getting through your challenges!
Deb
June 28, 2012
I don’t do ’em. Challenges that is. Although there are times when I am tempted…but then I resist. And then I think, “well why the heck not?” but then I resist again. LOL
June 28, 2012
I have to say (and am gonna do a lengthy check-in in the diet blog) that I am actually quite pleased with myself that I have managed to stay off the junk food for a month. It’s not even really the ‘not having any’, more the ‘knowing I can do it’ that is satisfying. I felt like I was spiralling out of control a little bit at the end of May. And – it hasn’t felt like the end of the world. At all. Not restricting EVERYTHING has made a big difference. Of course, not sure how I’ll go on the alcohol front!
Deb