Pop the Champagne! Strike up the band!
Today is day 30 of the 30-Day Challenge. I/we made it!
Thirty full days have passed since I started my first-ever 30-Day Challenge. My task: to do yoga every day for 30 days without fail; without missing even a single day.
Did I succeed in my endeavour?
Yes! Yes I did!
So what does this mean? What’s the significance of all of this?
What it means is that I made a commitment to myself to step toward a healthier lifestyle and I kept that commitment. I chose good health over poor. Activity over inactivity. Flexibility over stiffness.
But perhaps more importantly than any of those, I put myself first.
By focussing on what is a change for the betterment of my overall health and fitness, I was in effect saying, I am important; I value myself and I am willing to do what it takes to ensure I remain on the path that I am trying to lay out for myself.
I guess I need to take a step back and realize that in order to have done that, I needed to have had a vision in the first place. There must have been something that I wasn’t happy with or a will to achieve something more for myself, which I guess isn’t unusual or earth-shattering. I would assume most of us, if not all, have desires for things we haven’t done, things we want to achieve, things we would like to be, things we would like to do.
What this 30-Day Challenge did for me was to make me think about those things; evaluate my priorities, but mostly, it made me get my butt in gear and actually do something about it.
My daily yoga practice lead to another unplanned and positive change. Upon completion of my morning routine, I followed it up by making a healthy smoothie. Good-bye toast and jam, so-long sugary cereal, sayonara fatty muffins.
Did the 30-Day Challenge teach me anything?
Most definitely.
I learned:
- I can achieve my goals.
- Flexibility is gained slowly.
- I have limitations but can work within them.
- Small daily changes amount to greater gains.
- It’s never too late to try something.
- If at first you can’t do something, keep trying. It gets easier.
- One small change can spur on others.
- Learn from the masters.
- Be patient with your progress and you will see results.
- Those who are stiff in the beginning can limber up over time.
- Progress takes time.
- Habits can be formed and unformed.
Some 30-Day Challenges are meant to be executed, completed and checked-off a list; a fulfilment of Bucket List items. Some are meant as a spring-board. Some are meant to instil permanent change. I am intending my yoga to be the latter of these three.
I intend to continue building on the foundation I have begun; adding strength-building and other methods to my repertoire all working toward my goal of healthy living.
Will I attempt another 30-Challenge? You’d better believe it!
Check back on Thursday, November 1st to see what I am doing next. You may want to join me!
In the meantime, start thinking about what you would try for 30 days. Just imagine, by November 30th, you may have accomplished something you have always meant to try.
Until next time,
Namaste.
Did you complete an October challenge? Share it below!
photo credit: http://photopin.com
flickr.com/photos/toniblay/77906706/
Embracing Pollyanna 