I spy… well, July

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 Permalink

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?

 

6 Comments
  • Mel
    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!!!

    • Debbish
      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

  • Hayley
    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 😉

    • Debbish
      June 27, 2012

      Thanks Hayley! Fingers crossed (on the champagne and chocolate front) and well done on getting through your challenges!

      Deb

  • KCLAnderson (Karen)
    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

    • Debbish
      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

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