On the 1st day of September, I created my version of the 30-day challenge to build good habits for myself. In an article I originally wrote for this challenge, I explained how I struggled to reach my goals and many other things.
These are the habits I listed for the challenge:
- Get out of bed before 8 AM (every day)
- Exercise at least 5 minutes in the morning (every weekday)
- Plank at least 1 minute (every day)
- Walk at least 5000 steps (every day)
- Study for a certification exam for at least 2 hours (thrice a week)
- Write an article on Medium (every week)
I also used an app called HabitNow to track my journey.
The past 30 days were not easy for someone who was used to sleeping late and waking up late. Those days weren’t easy for a couch potato. Those days were challenging for me but very fulfilling.
I have not-so-bad news. I never perfected my habit streak. I had lost a day for getting up before 8 AM because I woke up at 8:15 AM. The moment I figured out what time it was, I felt weakened. That morning, I was convincing my perfectionist self that it was okay and the challenge must still go on. The good news is the rest of the habits I listed for this challenge have perfect streaks, over which I had more control.
There were gains but also drawbacks
The things that mainly benefited from this challenge were my physical fitness and mental health. I lost a kilogram after 30 days and felt leaner. Mentally, I felt the fulfilment of getting finished with something even though there were flaws in the process. It wasn’t easy for me, to be honest.
However, I struggled with getting up earlier every morning than I used to. I loved spending more time at night, which led to not sleeping early to complete the 8-hour sleep. More often, I woke up not energised. I was still struggling with deep focusing because of that. I understand that this is something that I primarily need to improve on.
What’s next?
I will continue this challenge by setting new or improved habits. It still includes waking up early, exercising, and upskilling. I think this is a good start for me to establish good habits and build self-discipline.
All I can say is well done, self. 🙌🏻
