I went 123 days with no sip of espresso 😱😱

And likewise…

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 pleased with myself for pulling it off up to now and truthfully can’t imagine I even have. Who offers up all these items on the similar time??!

However extra on that in a bit…

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Hiya!!! It’s been some time! 😁

And it’s utterly my fault.

I made it my mission this 12 months 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 $$$ continues 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 publish to y’all (!!!) which is manner too lengthy…

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

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

Final 12 months’s “Challenge of Me” continues in full drive, and now on high of the juicing and figuring out and volunteering and yoga’ing every single day, I’ve added a couple of extra life enhancements to the combo. Or slightly, improved *habits*. Not that any of those had been all too horrible actually, but it surely’s at all times good to hit “reset” every so often to see what you actually want in life, you recognize?

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 positive my physique doesn’t precisely admire. I had been slowly trimming it down through the years, going from 3-4 cups/day to 2-3 cups after which most just lately simply 1 cup/day, however by no means in my 25 years of consuming it have I dared to go chilly turkey. I imply, why would you do 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 at some point I simply awakened and thought, “At this time 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 stuffed with rowdy little boys!) however ultimately I ended enthusiastic about it and discovered to dwell my life as I had the primary 20 years of it 🙂

I don’t know if it’s had a tremendous large influence on me, apart from chilling me out extra and possibly lessening some nervousness (I really feel extra “even” as of late, like, no extra enormous HIGHS or LOWS, however simply kinda sorta floating within the MIDDLE, if that is sensible?) however it’s wonderful how briskly our our bodies can adapt when given the prospect. 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, akin to lemon-ginger which I’m at the moment consuming as I sort this, in addition to the turmeric based mostly, “Golden Latte” – an actual deal with for those who’ve by no means tried!

It’s additionally been an ideal reminder of how highly effective a drive *momentum* will be. The start phases are at all times 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 much like what occurred final 12 months after I joined that soccer league, which then received me to begin consuming and consuming higher, which then received me to begin exercising extra, one optimistic act propels you to a different till you’re left with a string of higher habits stacked on high 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, in fact, I dared myself with 😉

Right here’s extra on every for these curious:

31 Day Meditation Problem – In the event you’ve at all times needed to strive meditation however didn’t know the way, that is a simple approach to get began. You simply set the timer for five minutes after which sit there and do nothing besides attempt to focus in your breath. Which you’ll by no means do all the way in which, in fact, however you continue to attempt to ultimately get higher at it. When the 5 minutes are up you’re carried out and hopefully really feel a bit extra peaceable! Then you definately repeat for the following 30 days 👍

In the event you crave a bit more durable problem, which I used to be, you do the identical 5 minutes every single day BUT you add 1 extra minute on high 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 notice you’re at 35 minutes/day and really feel like a monk! It’s a superb problem for those who’re into such issues, and naturally the hope is that you simply proceed with it till it turns into a each 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 –It is a yoga problem a good friend of mine and I did collectively, however even for those who’re not into yoga you would strive it (simply watch out!). With this problem all you need to do is get *the other 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 arise towards the wall, or a head stand in the midst of the seashore and even simply have a good friend dangle you at your ankles for a couple of seconds! 😂 So long as you get the other way up every single day you’ve completed the mission.

No ChapStick Problem — That is going to sound bizarre, however subsequent to espresso this was in all probability 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 few times in his whole life??! I used to be shocked! I advised him I in all probability apply it no less than 5-6x day routinely with out even enthusiastic about it, and that it’s one of many three issues I *at all times* 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 habits with it!!!)

He then advised 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 had been my lips not blissful as they had 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 form 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 at some point and seeing everybody else on theirs too. Which this problem doesn’t precisely remedy (if something it will get you to appreciate 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 for those who 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 appears to be like like I’ve damaged the behavior of haphazard scrolling and getting misplaced to time. I’d guess I take advantage of the cellphone no less than 50% much less now!

(One other trick to not selecting it up as a lot? Sporting a watch! It could’t suck you in like once you go to your cellphone to verify what time it’s!)

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And that’s the place we’re at the moment 🙂 In search of the following good problem!! lol… You will have any for me?

However whereas it could seem like I’m making an attempt to devoid myself of all the perfect issues in life, the purpose as talked about earlier is extra to interrupt myself out of my each day habits which have primarily 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 a lot better sparsely!) – 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 – after 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 ultimately the brand new behavior kicked in lengthy sufficient the place I trusted myself to begin spending once more with out overdoing it.

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

After which in fact there’s entering into the behavior of investing extra and paying off money owed and all other forms of challenges you would tackle to raised enhance your future.

Listed below are among the ones we’ve featured through the years for those who’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 entering into some enjoyable stuff too! I actually thought this was going to be a gentle regular 12 months over right here after which BAM – the hearth was lit and the sparks began flying! Haha… However I like it… You gotta be continually altering with a view to develop and I welcome each final little bit of it.

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

// High portray by my 6 12 months outdated, titled “EYE BLEEDING” lol… Just about precisely how I felt the primary few days of those challenges!! 😂

* Mint cell hyperlink is an affiliate hyperlink… and likewise the perfect cellphone service round! Even Deadpool makes use of it!

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