7 New Year Challenges to Change Your Life
Who among us couldn’t use some self improvement? I know I surely can and I’m going to start out 2024 trying these 7 New Year Challenges to Change Your Life! No need to do them all, just choose the ones that appeal to you and that you think will help you live a better life. I’m also sharing the changes I made to jump start my new year and can feel the benefits already. Who’s with me?
21 Day No Complaint Challenge
Popularized by Tim Ferriss and Will Bowen, this challenge involves not complaining, criticizing, or gossiping for 21 consecutive days. Every time you slip, you start over.
Another reason to stop being negative is that when you talk badly about someone, the person you are gossiping with will attribute those bad qualities to you!
30 Day Minimalism Challenge
Calling all my fellow maximalists (borderline hoarders)! Decluttering and purging is always high on my list and this one seems like a necessary challenge and one I hope to accomplish this year.
Proposed by The Minimalists, the idea is to get rid of one thing that you don’t need on the first day, two things on the second day, and so on, leading to decluttering and simplifying your life.
Don’t Miss My Decluttering Tips Here
Tech Free Saturday Challenge
Brad Stulberg encourages us to take a “screen sabbatical” one day a week. This means putting away all digital devices. The goal is to reduce screen time, unplug from the constant stream of digital information, and reconnect with the physical world around you.
52 Week Money Challenge
Who doesn’t want to save more and spend less? You save $1 the first week, $2 the second, and so on. By the end of the year, you will have saved $1,378 (not including interest).
You can double the challenge by starting with $2 the first week, $4 the second week, $6 the third week and on and on until you are saving $104 in week 52. This will grow your savings by $2,756!
3 Day Phone Charger Challenge
To gain more time in your day, try placing your phone charger outside of your bedroom. When your alarm sounds, you’ll have to get out of bed instead of hitting the snooze button. Doing this one simple thing would gain you at least 10 minutes a day or 60+ hours a year!
Morning Pages (Daily Journaling) Challenge
Get your creative juices flowing by taking a page from “The Artist’s Way”. Every morning, grab a pen and paper and just start writing. Don’t think too much just jot down anything that comes to mind in your stream of consciousness thoughts every morning. This will lead to clearer thinking and creative ideas.
75 Hard Challenge
This one seems daunting and I’m not sure if I like the idea of all or nothing but if you want to really develop mental toughness, try the 75 day challenge, invented by Andy Frisella. It involves a strict diet, drinking a gallon of water a day, reading 10 pages of a non-fiction or self-help book, taking a progress picture, and doing two 45-minute workout daily (one must be outside).
To me, these all or nothing approach are a great guidelines but some seem very strict (especially the 75 Hard Challenge!). Instead, I believe we should all aim to do our best every day.
My new year is off to a great start …
Kelly’s New Year Changes
- Apple Watch – track steps
- Stop group fitness classes – Aim for 10,000 steps/day & lift weights at home
- Protein – 30 grams minimum per meal
- Cut out sugar!
- Read every night before bed
- Less stuff, more experiences!
I bought an Apple Watch to help me track my steps and keep me motivated.
I stopped going to group fitness classes at the gym and instead will focus on taking daily morning walks (shooting for 10,000 steps a day).
I am prioritizing protein and focus on getting 30 grams at every meal. Eggs, protein shakes and bars, ground turkey (I love to season a pound with taco seasoning and have on hand for the week), grilled chicken that I shred and add to salads, big salads with lots of good stuff like veggies, nuts or seeds (I need the crunch!) and homemade salad dressing.
Kelly’s Favorite Salad Dressing
Tip: I like to quadruple the recipe, whisk it all together and store in a small covered plastic container in the fridge then shake it up really well before each use.
Are you setting new goals and making changes to your life for the new year? Share with us in the comments!
When I pulled out my Christmas decorations, I downsized a lot that I wasn’t using. I was losing weight till the holidays ruined me, now back to it. Thanks Kelly for these great ideas.
I got rid of a bunch of Christmas before I decorated last year too Marlene and need to do more! Happy New Year!
Thank you for sharing these ideas and the salad dressing recipe! I’ve been decluttering and organizing and my goal is to continue to stay on top of it. Happy New Year to you and your family!
Happy New Year Lisa!