We are about to head into the season of New Years Resolutions and 30 Day Challenges, or 6 Week Challenges or 100 Day Challenges. But do you know why you are doing it? It might be a great way to kick start something, but then what?
Take a look at this video that debunks the 30 day challenge.
Prefer to read it? Take a look at the transcription…
Hi team its me Christopher Lawrence with Change My Life Coaching. Do you participate in 30 day challenges? I’m asking this question or maybe it’s a 100 day challenge, but I’m asking this question because I find them realty fascinating. I’ve done a couple of 30 day challenges and I did them with the promise, of some kind of result that I would get at the end. So it was like oh try going meat free for 30 days, do the 30 day challenge. Do a 30 day challenge on making a video a day, this kind of thing.
I find them really interesting because as a coach who focuses on behaviour modification, and habit setting and performance, what I don’t see is a continuation or a change in the habit after it happens. So I started to ask around and do a little bit of research and see why people participated in this, and here’s what I’ve come up with. The reason why we do 30 day challenges is for our entertainment. So if you’re doing it for entertainment and you want to have a new experience, I think that’s a really good idea to do a 30 day challenge.
But if you actually want to change something, I don’t think a 30 day challenge is really the thing because it doesn’t create lasting change. You’ve heard that old adage that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. Actually if you go look at that research it is not 21 days to form a habit, it’s a minimum of 20 days depending on the person, and the circumstance, and the habit that they’re trying to form. But for some people it can take a life time.
So what I say instead is if you’re actually trying to do something that is beyond entertainment and having a new experience then try something else. Like set yourself up for a complete lifestyle change, like a lifestyle choice where it’s like this is who I am. It’s not something I’m doing, but it’s who I actually am. Here we are at the middle of February most people have already stopped their New Year’s goals, or their New Year’s resolutions, some people are totally against them.
They’re kind of cynical about them. I can tell you with absolution that it is important to set goals and have goals. The New Year is a really great time to revisit those goals. Or birthdays, or sometimes when someone is born, or somebody dies. Those are all really good opportunities. The fall tends to be another one for us here in the west, because that’s when school starts in August to September. So people start to revisit and revise their goals again at that time. I can tell you it’s really important, but most people have already stopped their New Year’s ones by now.
And I find a lot of the 30 day challenges it’s like what’s the point. I think you have to ask yourself why am I doing this, and be comfortable with the answer. If it’s to set a habit, then don’t call it a 30 day challenge. Go do something else that is actually going to create lasting change. If it’s to feel significant or for entertainment, then I say go for it jump in, have a new experience. So that’s kind of my two cents on it, I would love to know your thoughts below. Let me know if there is an angle that I just didn’t quite see here. Let me know if you absolutely love it. Thanks very much. Bye.
Christopher is the CEO and Founder of Change My Life Coaching — a fast growing whole-life coaching company, and the only one of it’s kind. He is also the author of “Go Beyond Passion: Discover Your Dream Job”. Christopher spent 15+ years working in the corporate world with a plethora of industries and companies. His focus was primarily in planning, strategy, and leadership of change management and communication. Christopher is a Certified Master Coach Practitioner (CMCP), trainer and facilitator, and a passionate public speaker who truly cares about the success of each and every single person he comes into contact with. You can reach him at [email protected].
