Do you remember what your New Year’s Resolution was?  Did you stick with it?  One of mine is to take more pictures, but I still seem to forget to do that!  Fortunately, I found a better way to achieve our goals than a once-a-year resolution.  It’s doing monthly challenges!  Monthly challenges can help us focus on areas of our life we want to change or give us a chance to try new things.

My First Monthly Challenge

In January, my family was at a brunch with some friends, and one of them mentioned that they were not going to eat any potato in February.  When I first heard that, my immediate reaction was, “You are crazy!  I love my potatoes!”  I rarely leave any potato on my plate uneaten from French fries, baked chips, mashed, and hash browns.  But then, one by one, my family started saying, “I’ll do it.”  What was I to do?  I had to join, and that’s how our first challenge, “No Potato February,” began.

During February, I started noticing posts on Pinterest about monthly challenges, and I remembered a book I had read a few years ago.  It was “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin.  In the book, she takes one area of her life each month to focus on and challenge herself to be happier in that area.  I really wanted to do that but never put enough time into it to get it off the ground.

Monthly challenges seem like a much simpler way of accomplishing the same thing.   I want to keep these challenges going.

During “No Potato February,” I found myself making better choices.  I would choose a salad or soup over French fries.  I would have fruit instead of hash browns at breakfast.  I hope that some of those smarter choices turn into habits.  (I did have cheesy potatoes on March 1, though.  I needed my fix!)

More Monthly Challenge Ideas

For March, my family and I are doing “30 minutes of fitness a day.”  Some days this is very easy because of my exercise classes, but some days I don’t do much at all.  I’m hoping this jump starts my fitness plan.

I’m still working on the rest of the year, but I found a few ideas.

Take one picture a day

It doesn’t have to be one you post anywhere; take a picture of something you are doing to get in the habit of documenting memories.  Try the app “1 second a day” to record a 1-second video each day.

Declutter your home

Take 15 minutes a day to focus on one area—junk drawers, closets, pantry, bookshelf, end tables, desk, etc.

Money challenge

Put away $1.00 a day for each day of the month—$ 1.00 on the first, $2.00 on the second, $30 on the thirtieth.  At the end of the month, you would have almost $500!  You could do the same with quarters as well, and you would have about $125.

Sign up for the Marvelous Resource Library and find a PDF of monthly challenges and a worksheet to plan out your year! It will be under Self Care.

Love your Spouse Challenge

Show your spouse (or significant other) that you love them every day.  Ideas might be; gifts, kisses, sweet notes, dates, cook a meal, compliment, massage, conversations, or ask them, “What can I do for you today?”

Fitness challenges

This can be like ours, where you do any kind of fitness for 30 minutes or one hour a day.  Or, you could focus on one area of the body.  One month for abs, butt, legs, arms, etc.  Or, one type of exercise every day; yoga, Pilates, running, walking, swimming, boxing, etc.

Writing Challenge

Write for 10 minutes a day or write 3 pages a day.  Just write about whatever is on your mind or use these writing prompts.  20 Morning Writing Prompts to Inspire a Great Day or 30 Day Journal Challenge to Inspire You to Write or 16 Thoughtful Journal Prompts for Self Reflection.

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Social Media Detox

Only allow yourself 15 minutes a day for social media, or don’t turn it on until noon every day.  You can set limits on your phone for how much time you can spend on social media.  In Moment and Offtime are apps you can download for free to help you.

No Fast Food

Self-explanatory and, for some people, very hard.

No Alcohol

Same as fast food

Related Post: 30 Monthly Challenges Focused on Joy

Reading Challenge

Set a daily goal to read 30 minutes before bed or right when you wake up.  Maybe your challenge can be to read non-fiction or autobiography instead of the fiction books you normally read.

Wake up one hour earlier every day

It’s amazing how much more you can accomplish every day if you do this.  Maybe it is exercise, meditation, writing, or packing lunches.  This is extra time to tackle your goals.

Random Acts of Kindness

Challenge yourself to make others feel good every day.  Whether with a smile, money, compliments, or gifts, help someone else know they matter!

Gratitude

Write down 3 things you are grateful for every day and do not duplicate.  Being grateful every day increases your happiness level and makes you aware of how blessed we truly are.

Give up any food you are addicted to

Chocolate, sugar, potatoes, dairy, soda, chips, etc.

No-Buy Month

Do not buy anything that is not necessary.  There are no new clothes, new kitchen gadgets or decorations for your house, no online shopping, and no new beauty products.  Only the essentials!

Here are a few extra ideas from The Happiness Project

• Focus on vitality and boosting your energy.
• Focus on your work – aim higher, start something new
• Make time for friends
• Find ways to play

I’m not sure which monthly challenges I will commit to yet for the rest of this year, but I will keep you posted on my Facebook and Instagram accounts.  I hope to pick a couple that will jump-start some real changes I want to make in my life to live more marvelously.  One month feels so much more doable than a whole year.

These same ideas can be used for Lent as well.

Will you try any of these?  Do you have any other suggestions?

“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.”
George S. Patton