Have you ever signed up for a 30-day challenge?
Maybe you’ve tried one before or maybe, up until this point, the idea never crossed your mind.
Personally, I’ve done dozens of challenges and didn’t realize how effective they were until I took a step back.
I’ve gone over 100-days alcohol free.
I trained for a 10k using a 5 week plan.
I’ve also given up refined sugar for 30 days, over the past holiday season I may add.
I’ve even done 30-day workout challenges where some programs I loved and others were miserable.
I also tracked my blood sugar levels for 30 days to see what I could learn.
And I’m not some obsessive data nerd.
Rather, in each case, I attempted these challenges because I wanted to make some real progress.
Instead of being so inconsistent all the time and starting and stopping, I vowed to push through the challenge for at least 30 days.
In this guide, I’ll share 4 positive benefits that come with challenges, some tips for finding the right one for you, and troubleshooting strategies to help you finish strong.
If you’ve never completed a challenge, I encourage you to keep an open mind as you read this.
Challenges don’t have to be extreme.
A small 10-minute-a-day practice can make a huge difference in your life.
With that said, here are the positive perks that come with challenges.
4 Reasons Why Challenges Are a Good Idea
These are just a few of my favorite reasons to try a challenge:
1. For one, they give you the exact plan to follow.
So there’s no guesswork or having to spend time creating the actual plan.
Someone’s already done the heavy lifting on the front end and all you need to do is show up and put in the work.
The set schedule also makes it easier to plan for.
Since you can look ahead in the schedule, you can move things around to fit your lifestyle, which makes it a little easier to stick to.
Instead of winging it and canceling last minute, you can adjust for your commitments and fit everything in nicely.
Another positive benefit here is:
2. Challenges are also a great way to try new things and switch things up.
No matter what advice you read online, it’s crucial that you experiment to see if it works with your body.
And this is true when it comes to workouts and nutrition advice.
30 day challenges can be the perfect vessel to try something new to see how you react.
This could be something like giving up caffeine, dairy, or even nuts for 30 days to see what it does for your body.
You could also try a new workout to see if it’s something you might like.
I’ve tried 2 workout challenges, both 30 days each, and found out I absolutely hated the first one and it was definitely not right for me while the second one couldn’t be a better fit.
But, I wouldn’t have known this had I stayed on the sidelines contemplating which one to go with.
Plus, by switching to another workout, I was able to challenge my body in different ways and use different muscles.
This is exactly what happened when I did my 10k training plan.
The schedule the plan laid out was nothing like the one I used to use for myself and it made so much more sense for making progress.
Since that program, I’ve moved on and have stuck with this new style of working out for 3 months now and just signed up for a new 90-day challenge within that framework.
There’s another reason why challenges are worth it:
3. There’s enough time to see some real progress.
No matter what you do, if you stick with it for at least 30 days, you will see a difference.
It may not be huge or a full before and after transformation that’s Instagram-worthy but you’re bound to see positive side effects fairly quickly.
You may sleep better, have more energy, feel less stress, or you may even just gain a momentum you’ve never had before.
Challenges help to get the ball rolling and your job then becomes keeping it in motion.
Do this and you’ll see some real changes within the first 7 days and with each subsequent week that passes.
And eventually you’ll crave how good you feel afterwards and for check-ins that it will continue to motivate you to keep going and power through to the end.
While this is happening, you’ll also be building a positive habit, which also happens to be the next benefit.
4. Create better habits instead of staying inconsistent.
Consistency really is the key to making progress but it’s also one thing many people struggle with.
Challenges can help you combat this by giving you something to show up to each day.
If you miss one day, you’ll fall behind which also encourages you to keep up.
It’s also both fun and rewarding to check off each day and week as you successfully move through your challenge.
Once you see a few days checked off in a row, you’ll be more likely to stick with it instead of skipping a day.
This slowly builds the routine and makes it become second nature.
So, after your challenge is done, you’ll be ready for the next one instead of having to start over once again because you were inconsistent.
Now that you know more about the benefits of trying a challenge, here are some tips for finding one that’s right for you.
How to Find a Challenge Worth Doing
I’ve done plenty of challenges to know that not all of them are going to be right despite how perfect they sound.
So you may come across some that, no matter how hard you try, don’t work. This shouldn’t discourage you though.
By keeping the tips below in mind, you can reduce your chances of starting a challenge that may not be a good fit.
Tip #1: Find One that’s Ridiculously Easy
With my 10k challenge, I was a bit too ambitious.
I went from not running to trying to train for a 6 mile race in 5 weeks when I could barely make 4 miles.
As a result, it was really really really hard and not as enjoyable as I was hoping.
My body was also not prepared well for it even though I was working out and in shape.
To avoid this, it’s crucial that you don’t overreach and try a plan that’s too advanced just because you want to see results faster.
Do this and you’ll burn out or may cause an injury, and you’ll end up quitting early because of it.
The goal here is to finish the challenge after 30 days, not quit early because you couldn’t complete it.
When looking for a challenge, make sure it says beginner-friendly if you’re just starting out and read the fine print to see if it’s more intermediate or advanced.
And if you’re really just starting out, find a plan that starts with 10 minutes a day and goes up to 20 or 30 after a few weeks.
I’m doing this now with a yoga plan that only requires 20 minutes of practice time.
I’ve found that the 40+ minute classes made it hard for me to stick with so I’m switching to one that’s easier to fit in with my schedule.
Once you get used to the easy plan, you can eventually upgrade and progress further.
As you assess the challenge you’re considering, keep this next tip in mind:
Tip #2: Try a Free (or Inexpensive) Version First
Before forking over your hard earned money, see if you can try out the challenge for free or at a slight discount first.
Many programs have free 3 or 7 day trials that give you a sneak peek into how their program is designed.
This is a great way to see if you’re in shape enough to follow the plan without having to torture your body for a long stretch like 30 days.
I’ve also tried beginner plans for $13 that have been just as helpful and were worth it in the end.
I also assess the program’s overall price and whether or not they offer discounts throughout the year.
After all, you don’t want to get stuck paying a ton for a plan that ends up being something you don’t like.
If you can put a small amount of money behind the plan, you may be more likely to do it. But that’s not a guarantee.
And once you find the right plan, keep these next set of tips in mind so you can stay on track.
Challenge Troubleshooting
One of the keys to successfully completing a challenge is to properly prepare for it.
This doesn’t just mean having the right outfit or sneakers.
It means having the right mindset and knowing what needs to get done ahead of time so you’re not left with excuses as to why you couldn’t complete that day’s challenge.
So each day you should look ahead to the following day to see what you need to do to get ready.
Whether that’s time, equipment, or a back up plan if it rains, for example, figure out what needs to be in place for you to succeed.
And if life really throws you a curveball and you end up missing a day, don’t throw in the towel completely.
Instead, just pick up the day you missed and continue through the sequence like it didn’t happen.
If you try to skip ahead, your body may not be prepared for the next day’s challenge.
As for sticking with it, only you can tell what’s right for your body and lifestyle.
But, that also doesn’t mean you should give up right away either.
Test the waters for at least 1-2 weeks before quitting unless the plan is really taxing on your body.
You may feel sore for a few days as you start to wake up unused muscles, but that’s normal.
So you’ll need to figure out the balance between pushing yourself and protecting your body by not taking things too far.
In the end though, pushing yourself just after you want to quit is the sweet spot that will give you the most rewarding feelings.
The sense of accomplishment only comes when you push through what you thought you were capable of.
So don’t quit too soon! And if you feel like doing that, email me first — devan@behappynothangry.com — and we can figure out together if it’s not the right fit before you throw in the towel.
Sign Up for a 30 Day Challenge Today
Now that you know the benefits of trying a challenge, some tips on finding the right one, and you have some troubleshooting help under your belt, you’re ready to choose a challenge.
There are tons of options you can pick from:
- Walking
- Running
- Reading
- Meditating
- Yoga/stretching
- Working out
- A new diet
- Journaling/writing
So the only question left is, which one will you try first?
Let me know via email (devan@behappynothangry.com) or in my private Facebook group.
To completing your next challenge,
Devan