Problem Mode Activated ✅

Right here’s one thing loopy:

I went 123 days with no sip of espresso 😱😱

And in addition…

101 days with no glass of whisky (or any alcohol for that matter)

70 days with out making use of ChapStick to my lips

and 43 days of not utilizing the web or any apps on my cellphone (!!!)

Problem Mode activated, child!! And it feels nice! Additionally – kinda boring, lol, however tremendous happy with myself for pulling it off up to now and actually can’t imagine I even have. Who provides up all these things on the identical time??!

However extra on that in a bit…

*******

Good day!!! It’s been some time! 😁

And it’s fully my fault.

I made it my mission this yr to swap out “display time” with extra “actual life” time, and I’ve gotten so good at it that I nearly forgot the web nonetheless exists, haha…

However I’ve missed you and I’m again now! And I hope your $$$ remains to be going robust! Something juicy occur since I’ve been away?? Nonetheless saving and budgeting your hearts out? I simply checked and it’s been precisely 6 months since my final submit to y’all (!!!) which is method too lengthy…

As for us, life continues to be good and our well being and wealth are trucking alongside properly. Positively decrease on the earnings aspect of issues since that’s what occurs whenever you unofficially retire, lol, however fortunately the choices of youthful J$ hooked us as much as be simply positive 😉 Even with out including something further our internet price continues to develop! The ability of compounding at its best!

However whereas I haven’t been “working” a lot, I have been channeling all that point and power into elsewhere: myself.

Final yr’s “Mission of Me” continues in full power, and now on prime of the juicing and understanding and volunteering and yoga’ing daily, I’ve added a couple of extra life enhancements to the combo. Or slightly, improved *habits*. Not that any of those have been all too horrible actually, but it surely’s all the time good to hit “reset” now and again to see what you actually want in life, you already know?

And I made a decision to hit the toughest, most trickiest, behavior first: COFFEE!!

One thing I like and devour each single day, however one thing I’m certain my physique doesn’t precisely admire. I had been slowly trimming it down over time, going from 3-4 cups/day to 2-3 cups after which most lately simply 1 cup/day, however by no means in my 25 years of ingesting it have I dared to go chilly turkey. I imply, why would you try this to your self??! 😂

However as soon as the seed will get planted I can’t go away issues alone till I’m going ALL IN, and in the future I simply wakened and thought, “At present is the day – no extra espresso!” and that was that.

The primary week was a bitch, not gonna lie (these complications are actual! Particularly when your life is filled with rowdy little boys!) however finally I ended serious about it and discovered to reside my life as I had the primary 20 years of it 🙂

I don’t know if it’s had a tremendous large affect on me, aside from chilling me out extra and perhaps lessening some nervousness (I really feel extra “even” lately, like, no extra large HIGHS or LOWS, however simply kinda sorta floating within the MIDDLE, if that is smart?) however it’s wonderful how briskly our our bodies can adapt when given the possibility. Life with out espresso appears simply as regular now as life was with it! And within the course of I discovered that I actually take pleasure in decaf teas, comparable to lemon-ginger which I’m at the moment ingesting as I kind this, in addition to the turmeric based mostly, “Golden Latte” – an actual deal with in case you’ve by no means tried!

It’s additionally been a terrific reminder of how highly effective a power *momentum* might be. The start phases are all the time the toughest, however as time goes on you get higher and higher with much less effort till the purpose of not even actually paying consideration anymore. Not not like saving or investing actually!

Much more importantly – doing these little challenges helps prime you up for even MORE challenges in life. Momentum breeds momentum, and just like what occurred final yr once I joined that soccer league, which then received me to begin consuming and ingesting higher, which then received me to begin exercising extra, one constructive act propels you to a different till you’re left with a string of higher habits stacked on prime of one another.

30 days into the Espresso Problem I then took on a 31 day Meditation Problem, which then led to a 21-day Inversion Problem, after which a random No ChapStick Problem (??) after which lastly a No Web on Your Cellphone Problem which is my current dare I’ve taken on… A dare, after all, I dared myself with 😉

Right here’s extra on every for these curious:

31 Day Meditation Problem – If you happen to’ve all the time wished to attempt meditation however didn’t understand how, that is a simple approach to get began. You simply set the timer for five minutes after which sit there and do nothing besides try to focus in your breath. Which you’ll by no means do all the way in which, after all, however you continue to try to finally get higher at it. When the 5 minutes are up you’re carried out and hopefully really feel a bit extra peaceable! You then repeat for the following 30 days 👍

If you happen to crave a little bit tougher problem, which I used to be, you do the identical 5 minutes daily BUT you add 1 extra minute on prime of it with every passing day. So, day 1 is 5 minutes, day 2 is 6 minutes, day 3 is 7 and many others and many others till you understand you’re at 35 minutes/day and really feel like a monk! It’s a wonderful problem in case you’re into such issues, and naturally the hope is that you just proceed with it till it turns into a day by day behavior – even when not for lengthy. (I’ve discovered the candy spot for me is 7 minutes, which I can simply slip in any time of the day!)

21 Day Inversion Problem –This can be a yoga problem a buddy of mine and I did collectively, however even in case you’re not into yoga you may attempt it (simply watch out!). With this problem all you must do is get *the wrong way up* as soon as a day which is supposedly actually good for you (one thing concerning the blood dashing down after which again as much as enhance circulation?). However – it’s additionally simply plain FUN 🙂

You are able to do a hand get up towards the wall, or a head stand in the midst of the seashore and even simply have a buddy dangle you at your ankles for a couple of seconds! 😂 So long as you get the wrong way up daily you’ve completed the mission.

No ChapStick Problem — That is going to sound bizarre, however subsequent to espresso this was most likely the toughest problem I’ve ever taken on, haha… I’d by no means realized how engrained of a behavior this was till studying that my brother has solely used it like a couple of times in his total life??! I used to be shocked! I informed him I most likely apply it no less than 5-6x day routinely with out even serious about it, and that it’s one of many three issues I *all the time* carry in my pocket:

1. Cellphone
2. Cash clip
3. Chapstick (or a variation of – this isn’t to disgrace Chapstick the model, I don’t have something towards them, lol… except the rumors are true that they put *addictive* substances in it which might 100% clarify my obsessive conduct with it!!!)

He then informed me I wanted to take it on as my subsequent problem, and 70 days later I’ve nonetheless but to use a single swipe! 🙂 Although I did early on have to use some Vaseline as WOW have been my lips not completely satisfied as they have been adjusting!! And I couldn’t rely the variety of occasions I reached into my pockets to get the Chapstick solely to recollect it wasn’t there anymore, lol… So it’s sort of a minimalism and financial savings win too! One much less factor to hold round, and one much less factor to buy too – woo!

No Web on Your Cellphone Problem — This one took place after simply being uninterested in being on my cellphone in the future and seeing everybody else on theirs too. Which this problem doesn’t precisely remedy (if something it will get you to comprehend how MUCH everybody else is on their cellphone!) however it’s a good begin to breaking your individual scrolling habits.

In a nutshell, you simply cease opening up any apps outdoors of these made for communication (like textual content, calling, and many others) after which see in case you can survive 😉

I began it on trip which might be the worst time to begin because you normally have a lot downtime!, but it surely did assist re-focus my consideration on actual life and nature and has been nice for my psychological well being too. I’ve since sneaked within the maps app and allowed for the digital camera and one or two different extra *productive* apps too, however up to now it seems to be like I’ve damaged the behavior of haphazard scrolling and getting misplaced to time. I’d wager I take advantage of the cellphone no less than 50% much less now!

(One other trick to not selecting it up as a lot? Carrying a watch! It will possibly’t suck you in like whenever you go to your cellphone to examine what time it’s!)

******

And that’s the place we’re as we speak 🙂 In search of the following good problem!! lol… You’ve got any for me?

However whereas it could seem like I’m making an attempt to devoid myself of all the most effective issues in life, the purpose as talked about earlier is extra to interrupt myself out of my day by day habits which have basically been on auto-pilot for years after which reinstitute higher ones. Some issues just like the espresso and alcohol I’ve slowly launched again in once more – having my first glass of whisky final week, and my first cup of espresso the week prior (all of it tastes so significantly better moderately!) – whereas the ChapStick and cellphone scrolling ban nonetheless stays totally in tact.

And naturally, you are able to do all this together with your funds too! The truth is, that’s the place my love of pushing myself all began from – once I took on a “No Spending Problem” again in 2008 and tried to get a deal with on the place all my cash was going! The primary week was the toughest (I stored forgetting and discovering myself in shops!) however finally the brand new behavior kicked in lengthy sufficient the place I trusted myself to begin spending once more with out overdoing it.

A number of years later, I made a decision to up my sport even additional and undergo *each final expense* I had and both nix them fully or decrease them sufficient with out affecting my high quality of life. I dubbed this the “Problem Every part” experiment, and on the finish of 12 months I had saved $5,484.07 and eternally lower out $200/mo going ahead! Half of it coming from swapping cellphone carriers alone which netted me $100+/mo (I swapped Verizon for Republic Wi-fi which not exists, and finally landed at Mint Cellular which I LOVE. Solely $25/mo!*)

After which after all there’s stepping into the behavior of investing extra and paying off money owed and all different kinds of challenges you may tackle to raised enhance your future.

Listed here are a number of the ones we’ve featured over time in case you’re pumped and able to take some on!

The trick is simply beginning with one space after which letting the momentum (and confidence!) maintain constructing and propelling you additional into others. And bear in mind – it will get simpler the extra you flex that muscle!

Anyhow, that’s what I’ve been as much as these previous 6 months 🙂 Hope you’ve been studying and stepping into some enjoyable stuff too! I actually thought this was going to be a gentle regular yr over right here after which BAM – the fireplace was lit and the sparks began flying! Haha… However I like it… You gotta be continually altering with a purpose to develop and I welcome each final little bit of it.

See you again right here once more quickly! Thanks for studying 🙂

// Prime portray by my 6 yr previous, titled “EYE BLEEDING” lol… Just about precisely how I felt the primary few days of those challenges!! 😂

* Mint cellular hyperlink is an affiliate hyperlink… and in addition the most effective cellphone service round! Even Deadpool makes use of it!

(Visited 1,169 occasions, 3 visits as we speak)