Challenges and Changes

I started listening to podcasts about one year ago and I’m amazed at that medium, which is why I often refer to podcasts and certain episodes. Likewise, this blogpost is inspired by a podcast I listened to in the (very) early hours of today. I’m a morning person. My best routine so far is waking up early with a coffee and a podcast. You know what they say: You win the morning, you win the day. 

On today’s episode: A Better You by the TED Radio Hour podcast.

Whilst sitting in my chair, this podcast motivated even the little hairs on my toes to go out into the world. I’d really advise you to give this episode a listen. But in a nutshell, it discusses ways in which you can get rid of all the useless mind-fluff and bring your good ideas, intentions, and actions to the forefront. The two ideas that attracted me the most were:

1. The Rejection Challenge – A 100 days of seeking rejection so that you can get comfortable with this otherwise uncomfortable feeling, which so often stops us from doing and achieving what we want! (Don’t go all crazy and load yourself up with heartbreak or nightmares. Ask someone if you can paint their front door orange or ask someone to sing you a song.)
2. The 30 Day Challenge – Try something new every 30 days and practice it every single day until your new challenge starts. Always wanted to be an artist? Pick up a pencil every day for the month of March (you’re still on time!) Want to build a boat? Read a bit about the how every day for the month of April. And then build it in May. Take some of June, too, if you need it. 

You might not struggle with rejection all that much, which is awesome. The point is that most of us have something we struggle with and could improve to make our own lives easier. Maybe even the lives of others. This challenge seems like a pretty slick strategy to get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
I absolutely love the latter challenge. I’m always up for trying new things. It’s a good excuse to do the things I’ve wanted to do but didn’t. I often expect myself to do it the best and do it forever. This approach makes it much more fun, and temporary. Of course, if I do love it or if it’s really good for me, I’ll simply just continue it if I can.

Another strategy that I learned about and have incorporated into my life already but which was not included in the Podcast, is the Tiny Habits strategy. Find out which things you do every single day as part of your daily routine. Brushing teeth, changing from your sexy llama pyjamas into your work suit, eating breakfast, drinking coffee etc. Then, figure out what you want to do more of in your life, or something that you want to learn. Divide that into smaller steps. Done? Now divide into smaller steps again. Done? Repeat this step again. The point is that we want to create a habit out of this, and get you to achieve your goal in small steps at a time. What would otherwise seem daunting, now you are perfectly capable of doing EVERY SINGLE DAY! Isn’t this wonderful? I’ll give you two examples of tiny habits that I have now: Say two affirmations in the mirror after showering, and do two squats after peeing. Yup.
If you need to get into the habit of getting into the habit, Tiny Habits provide free guidance for a week! (Linked above.)  

As I’ll be sitting on the plane or waiting at the airport in two days to head back to Shanghai after an AMAZING long-ass working holiday back at home in South Africa, I’ll be figuring out what my next 30 Day Challenge will be.
Are you with me?  Hayoooooo! High-five.