Problem Mode Activated ✅

Right here’s one thing loopy:

I went 123 days with out a sip of espresso 😱😱

And likewise…

101 days with out a 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 consider I even have. Who offers up all these items on the similar time??!

However extra on that in a bit…

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Hi there!!! It’s been some time! 😁

And it’s utterly my fault.

I made it my mission this yr to swap out “display screen 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 sturdy! 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 put up to y’all (!!!) which is approach too lengthy…

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

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

Final yr’s “Undertaking of Me” continues in full drive, and now on high of the juicing and understanding and volunteering and yoga’ing day by day, I’ve added just a few extra life enhancements to the combination. Or relatively, improved *habits*. Not that any of those had been all too horrible actually, however it’s at all times good to hit “reset” now and again to see what you actually want in life, ?

And I made a decision to hit the toughest, most trickiest, behavior first: COFFEE!!

One thing I really like and devour each single day, however one thing I’m certain my physique doesn’t precisely respect. I had been slowly trimming it down through the years, going from 3-4 cups/day to 2-3 cups after which most not too long ago simply 1 cup/day, however by no means in my 25 years of ingesting it have I dared to go chilly turkey. I imply, why would you try this to your self??! 😂

However as soon as the seed will get planted I can’t depart issues alone till I am going ALL IN, and someday I simply awoke and thought, “Immediately 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 filled with rowdy little boys!) however ultimately I finished desirous about it and discovered to reside my life as I had the primary 20 years of it 🙂

I don’t know if it’s had a tremendous huge influence on me, apart from chilling me out extra and perhaps lessening some anxiousness (I really feel extra “even” lately, like, no extra big 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, similar to lemon-ginger which I’m at the moment ingesting as I sort this, in addition to the turmeric based mostly, “Golden Latte” – an actual deal with in the event you’ve by no means tried!

It’s additionally been a fantastic reminder of how highly effective a drive *momentum* may be. The start levels 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 in contrast to 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 yr once I joined that soccer league, which then received me to start out consuming and ingesting higher, which then received me to start out 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 Telephone 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 – For those who’ve at all times wished to strive meditation however didn’t understand how, that is a straightforward option to get began. You simply set the timer for five minutes after which sit there and do nothing besides try to focus in your breath. Which you’ll by no means do all the best way, in fact, however you continue to try to ultimately get higher at it. When the 5 minutes are up you’re performed and hopefully really feel a bit extra peaceable! Then you definitely repeat for the subsequent 30 days 👍

For those who crave just a little tougher problem, which I used to be, you do the identical 5 minutes day by 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 wonderful problem in the event you’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 –This can be a yoga problem a buddy of mine and I did collectively, however even in the event you’re not into yoga you can strive it (simply watch out!). With this problem all it’s a must 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 speeding down after which again as much as enhance circulate?). However – it’s additionally simply plain FUN 🙂

You are able to do a hand arise towards the wall, or a head stand in the course of the seashore and even simply have a buddy dangle you at your ankles for just a few seconds! 😂 So long as you get the other way up day by day you’ve achieved 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 total life??! I used to be shocked! I informed him I in all probability apply it at the least 5-6x day mechanically with out even desirous about it, and that it’s one of many three issues I *at all times* carry in my pocket:

1. Telephone
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… until the rumors are true that they put *addictive* substances in it which might 100% clarify my obsessive conduct with it!!!)

He then informed 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 joyful 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 sort 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 Telephone Problem — This one happened after simply being uninterested in being on my cellphone someday and seeing everybody else on theirs too. Which this problem doesn’t precisely remedy (if something it will get you to understand how MUCH everybody else is on their cellphone!) however it’s a good begin to breaking your personal scrolling habits.

In a nutshell, you simply cease opening up any apps exterior of these made for communication (like textual content, calling, and many others) after which see in the event you can survive 😉

I began it on trip which might be the worst time to start out because you normally have a lot downtime!, however it 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 digicam and one or two different extra *productive* apps too, however up to now it appears like I’ve damaged the behavior of haphazard scrolling and getting misplaced to time. I’d wager I exploit the cellphone at the least 50% much less now!

(One other trick to not choosing it up as a lot? Carrying a watch! It might probably’t suck you in like once you go to your cellphone to examine what time it’s!)

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And that’s the place we’re as we speak 🙂 Searching for the subsequent good problem!! lol… You could have any for me?

However whereas it might appear to be I’m making an attempt to devoid myself of all one of the best 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 carefully!) – whereas the ChapStick and cellphone scrolling ban nonetheless stays absolutely in tact.

And naturally, you are able to do all this together with your funds too! In actual fact, that’s the place my love of pushing myself all began from – once 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 saved forgetting and discovering myself in shops!) however ultimately the brand new behavior kicked in lengthy sufficient the place I trusted myself to start out spending once more with out overdoing it.

A number 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 Every part” experiment, and on the finish of 12 months I had saved $5,484.07 and eternally lower out $200/mo going ahead! Half of it coming from swapping cellphone 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 stepping into the behavior of investing extra and paying off money owed and all other forms of challenges you can tackle to higher enhance your future.

Listed below are among the ones we’ve featured through the years in the event you’re pumped and able to take some on!

The trick is simply beginning with one space after which letting the momentum (and confidence!) hold 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 stepping into some enjoyable stuff too! I actually thought this was going to be a gentle regular yr over right here after which BAM – the hearth was lit and the sparks began flying! Haha… However I adore it… You gotta be always altering in an effort 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 yr 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 in addition one of the best cellphone service round! Even Deadpool makes use of it!

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