30 Days Update

I love doing these 30-day challenges simply because they make things a little more interesting. I’m always up for a good challenge, especially if it has to do with proving something to myself haha! Plus it’s an amazing exercise of discipline and willpower because you don’t want to break the chain! 30-day tasks are also more doable and workable compared with 365-day challenges.

I’m on my fourth monthly challenge now. Last April, I wore black every day. Last May, I gave up soda. And just last month, I abstained from junk food. I wish I’d started in January so I could end 2011 with the accomplishment of doing one new thing every month!

So June was a CHALLENGE. I thought giving up soda in May was already difficult but it was a piece of cake compared with giving up chips and popcorn (my definition of “junk food”). If you know me, then you know how chips and popcorn are a daily staple in my diet — not healthful, I know! It was particularly challenging in the first two weeks because people around me were snacking on bags of chips and Pringles. Plus, there was that big bag of Cheetos on the kitchen counter, such a tease.

But on week #3 I found that I wasn’t suffering as much anymore. For one, abstaining from junk food allowed me to eat other stuff, thus adding variety to my daily menu. Also, I substituted Kettle Chips and Lays for Triscuit and Cheez-It crackers, which were just as good. (Such a lousy alternative considering they were refined snacks too.)

I only wanted to see if I could last a month without these empty calories but divesting myself of junk food also forced me to eat healthier, experiment with dishes, and, best of all, save money (because I was wageless last June)! Not bad for one month!

But I will admit: my eyes were fixed on the clock minutes before midnight on June 30. At exactly 12:01, July 1, I grabbed that darned bag of Cheetos and savored each curl until my fingertips turned a nuclear shade of orange!

Because I’ve been taking on these 30-day challenges for quite some time now I was thrilled to discover this TED video by Matt Cutts of Google. It’s a short talk on “trying something new for 30 days.” I could totally relate to his stories, especially his “day after” a month of giving up sugar!

This July, I was supposed to give up TV series but I realized that I couldn’t, especially with one of my favorite shows coming back on air this month. (I wanted to give up TV series so I could devote more time to my thesis.) Another potential challenge was going to the gym four times a week for one month — something I’d never done before. I’d already completed two weeks last June (as a warm up) and then I got severe muscle cramps on my neck and shoulders last Thursday, thus breaking the cycle. (Ironically, the gym was partly responsible for this haha.)

In the end, I decided on something simple: one book a week. It’s not strictly a 30-day challenge but I don’t think I’ve ever read a (real) book a week my entire life so I guess now is the time.