30-day challenges: Do they make sense or just another trend?
Have you tried any challenges?
If you've ever come across a challenge like "30 days of yoga", "sugar-free month" or "read a book a day", you may have taken it on with enthusiasm. And maybe you haven't. I always start with great determination, but after a few days the enthusiasm wears off and I don't even remember the challenge. Except for the yoga, which I quit after the first day, and the challenge, Yoga for Beginners, was renamed a course by me: The Shortest Way to the Chiropractor.
But why are we failing? Maybe because just moving alone isn't enough. Once the initial euphoria wears off, it suddenly becomes difficult to make time for a new activity every day. And most importantly, when we go into something without a deeper meaning, it's easy to give up.
A challenge as real change
If a challenge is meant to last 30 days, it means that real change is expected of us, not just short-term enthusiasm. The brain is said to need at least 21 days to form a new habit, so a month-long challenge becomes a hard training of willpower. If we don't make time for it, we probably just won't give it a go. It's not just about ticking a box on an app, it's about a total attitude change.
It's also important to remember that not every challenge is for everyone. Just because someone can handle getting up at 5 am and going for a run doesn't mean it will work for you. We all have different lifestyles, different responsibilities, and different motivations. A challenge should be meaningful to you first and foremost and should bring you joy or benefit, not stress and feelings of failure.
Which challenges are worth it?
We live in a time when challenges come to us from all sides. Drink more water, exercise more, read more, lose weight, have more beautiful skin, and be the perfect mother - and preferably in 14 days. The truth is, that most of these challenges are just marketing ploys. The goal is to get you a contact, money, or membership in a program. In short, someone is trying to turn your good intentions into their profit.
But that doesn't mean the challenges are bad in themselves. On the contrary! If you choose the right one that fits your needs and goals, it can help you create a new healthy habit or improve a certain area of your life. You just need to watch out for unrealistic promises and make sure the challenge is actually beneficial to you and not just another obligation.
You and your challenges
You are an adult and know best what you need to change in your life. Take a moment, face yourself, and give yourself an honest answer: What really bothers you?
A bigger butt - is it really you, or is it just what the leggings and gym ads say? Do you feel like you should read more books - or is it just social media telling you that? The biggest challenge is to discover what really bothers you, not what you think should bother you.
Once you've figured that out, you can start working on your own challenges and changes. And really stick to those, because the reward won't just be a diploma or a promotional mug, but your own satisfaction. But if it doesn't work out? That doesn't mean you've failed. It means you've learned something about yourself, your needs, and what really works for you. And that may be the biggest win of all. And to quote Batman, we fall down to get up again, so you can always try again.
