Forget Yearly Resolutions, Try Monthly Challenges
We all know it: At the beginning of a year, we firmly believe that this next year, we will change and become a new and better person. This usually doesn’t work, for a host of reasons. I struggled with the same problem until I tried a new approach: Monthly Challenges.
With this approach, you give yourself a challenge — no matter how small - each month. Then during each month, next to all your other day-to-day activities, your single goal is to do what you set out to in the challenge. One month is a perfect timeframe to provide enough time to learn something new and see if it sticks with you or not.
This provides the perfect framework to try all the things you ever wanted to and since it is “only a month” it doesn’t seem too big to give it a try. Also, it is the perfect setup to become a polymath in a variety of different fields.
With this approach, you give yourself a challenge — no matter how small - each month. After one month you either enjoy the activity so much that you continue with it, or you just try the next thing.
Come up with a list of all the things you ever wanted to learn or do and never had the time or motivation to start it. In 2 years you can learn 24 new skills, imagine the person you will become!
Create a list with all the activities that sound interesting to you and just list them. Then plan out the next months or the whole year with activities that you want to do.
My challenge for this month was to write one medium post. This one. Some other examples of challenges that I did or want to do:
- eat vegetarian for one month
- learn to do a handstand for at least 30 seconds
- one month without added sugars
- start to learn a new language
- write a journal each day
- meditate each day
- learn to play the guitar
- one month without coffee
- eat vegan for one month
- learn to play the piano
- workout each day for a month
- learn to solve a Rubiks Cube
- learn to play chess
- read 100 pages each day
- watch a ted talk each day
- walk at least 10k steps each day
- learn a new programming language
- learn how to pick a lock
- learn how to knot different knots
- create your first own smartphone app or website
I think you get the idea and you will come up with a long list of things for yourself. It can be basically anything that sounds interesting to you!
Even if it is not the start of a new year right now, why not start this month?
