A few years ago, I decided to create a 30-day challenge for every month of the school year. My intention for this was to see if I could help myself find some balance in my life as teaching was always an all-consuming career for me. It was one of my many attempts to tweak the outside pieces of my life to see if I could make it fit for me on the inside. It was after that year, when the challenges didn’t do what I was hoping they would, that I realized once and for all that I needed to leave teaching. I really enjoyed the challenges, though, and learned a lot about myself through them.

So now, I want to do them again. I’ve already started. However, my intention is much different this time around. For the foreseeable future, I am not moving anywhere new, not changing jobs, and not taking on any major life changes that I know of. With nothing of note on the horizon, I could see it being very easy for me to sink into a rut of sorts. Going through the motions of my life without any real purpose or drive. I don’t want that for myself.

I want to keep growing and learning and pushing myself. I want something to give me focus each day with more to look forward to. I just want more for my life than the everyday stuff.

I did steal some from the first time I did these because I really liked them and found them worthwhile and beneficial to me. But I’m not the same person I was then, so there are some I threw out to make room for others because my interests have changed. I’m excited to see how they all go and what my life looks like in a year. And maybe next year, I’ll find 12 new ones to embark on, so that I am never stagnant.

This month, I wanted to move every day. I started easy. I already worked out five times a week coming into January, but I found that I could easily sink into the couch Saturday morning after running errands and not move until I had to get going Monday morning (maybe a slight exaggeration, but you get the idea- I can be quite lazy at times). I know that isn’t good for me. Rest days are great, but not moving at all is not. This forced me to at least take a walk, get outside if it’s nice, or do an easy yoga routine to get my blood flowing a little. And honestly, I have loved it.  

The saying holds true “a body in motion stays in motion.” I now can’t imagine just doing nothing for an entire day. It was a great way to start the year on so many levels. It was good for my body, yes, but even more it’s been good for my emotional state. I fight SAD every year starting in mid/late January through February, and even with other emotional challenges I came into the year with, it hasn’t been nearly as bad.

I want to take this challenge with me moving forward, making it part of my lifestyle rather than something I only do for the month. I’m excited to see how it goes.