This morning I woke up and right away I felt stressed and overwhelmed with everything going on in my life as well as everything needing done on an ever growing “to-do” list. I’m sure you know the feeling. I know I’m not the only one who tends to overbook myself to the point of forgetting to make myself a priority.

Instead of jumping in on tackling tasks that I needed to complete, or going to the gym as I usually do in the morning due to lack of motivation, I went for outdoor run instead. I love how many trails surround the area, and I love escaping the chaos of life for a bit and just spending time in nature. I’ll admit I haven’t been very fond of the idea of bracing the cold this winter so today was my first outdoor run in quite a few months. I ran on one my favorite trails as well as hiked off trail to one of my favorite spots on top of a hill overlooking a portion of Coralville. I spent some much needed “me time” clearing my mind and refreshing myself. As I was jogging back home I felt so at peace and realized I needed to make this time for myself away from the world for a bit more of a priority. And with that realization, I created a challenge for myself.

I started this year off with a blog talking about how 2016 is my year of no excuses. This is the year I want to try new things, have more experiences, and focus on personal growth. Being a competitive person, what better way to do all of that then to come up with a challenge!

They say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit, and I have found that to be true over the years. So I’ve come up with the idea to partake in a new 21 day challenge for myself each month this year! Each month I will come up with a new goal, a new challenge to spend 21 days working on. While yes, this doesn’t really have a whole lot to do with Everyday Helper, I receive so much feedback from my personal blogs and so I’ve decided to share my journey through blogging. And who knows, maybe I’ll inspire you to challenge yourself.

I didn’t blog about it, but in January I competed in a month long challenge with a friend to get in at least 10,000 steps a day. I only missed 3 days of the entire month for reasons I didn’t have much control over. But here we are the ending of the first week in February and I still make 10,000 steps a daily goal. Even if that means walking dogs late at night because I still have steps to get in. Not every day is easy.

My goal for February is inspired by my trail run today. And conveniently I’ve come up with this challenge with just enough time left in February to complete it. This month’s 21 day challenge is to spend at least 30 minutes daily disconnecting from the world and focusing on myself. That also means escaping technology during that time. So whether it’s time outside in nature, reading a book, journaling, watching the sun rise, practicing mindful movement, or whatever else, I challenge myself to 30 minutes of undisturbed “me time” daily for 21 days. I’m excited to see what I learn from this new challenge, I think it will be a good one. It’s so important to escape our busy lifestyles for a bit to focus on ourselves and to just be present in our own lives.

Don’t forget to make some time for yourself. And maybe, just maybe, challenge yourself to join me in 21 days of making YOU a priority. 30 minutes may seem like a lot, but I’m betting you could add it to your schedule. Cut out some time spent on your phone or computer, wake up 30 minutes earlier, or just so “no” to a low priority commitment in your daily life.

 

Kelly