Days 24-30

Day 24: Write a love letter to yourself.

I had somewhat of a hard time beginning this challenge and I pushed it off until the very last minute. I can do self-care well enough, but (sometimes) I have a difficult time with self-love. But the moment I sat down and began tracing out letters in cursive, I realized just how much I needed this. It's amazing to read the words you need to hear and receiving them from yourself is even more so. If you have a few minutes in your day, I would recommend doing this.

Day 25: Have a social media free day.

When I cautiously opened my laptop to begin blogging, I was surprised at how quickly I clicked the Facebook shortcut.

I definitely think I made it more difficult than it had to be, but I had to find things to do to occupy my time and being that I chose a Sunday, one of the most inactive days of my week, that made this a bit more challenging. I wrote some rough blog post drafts, I practiced writing Elvish letters (from day 19's "Learn Something New"), and all this I did quite well, until I put on a YouTube video. Then I realized I'd failed the challenge.

The truth is, so much of my time is used up by my computer that when there is an absence of it, I just don't know what to do. It was like the time I sold my first iPad. I posted it and within 3 hours, it was sold. Selling my iPad was what kicked off my whole "Pinterest crafts" phase. So, taking time out of my day to be more present, was kinda boring and a little agonizing, but also kinda nice.

Day 26: Drink at least 5 cups of green tea.

Mainly because it what all I had available, I went with black tea. However, I was not prepared to drink 5 cups in addition to the amount of water I drink daily. I didn't really understand the point of this and I don't think it really did much for me apart from dry me out.

Quick links to the benefits of: GREEN tea and BLACK tea.

Day 27: Say positive affirmations.

So, I have this giant mirror that I got when I was in a slight mirrors phase. (Don't ask.) And I was thinking about getting rid of it recently until I started doing daily (let's call it) positivity homework. As part of that "homework," I bought a stack of colorful Post-It notes and began writing affirmations on them and sticking them on my mirror. I can honestly say, this has been one of the most empowering tasks I've done in this whole thirty day challenge. Words have so much power and repeating them to yourself out loud shifts your thinking.

Day 28: Do one thing you’ve been putting off.

I updated my resume. I took a little bit of time over a couple of days to get it done. It was much more relaxing doing it that way as opposed to doing it all at once. And now I have a flexible template ready for interviews!

Day 29: Try a new physical exercise.

So,...I try new exercises ALL the time. I love swimming, running isn't that bad, and I do workout DVDs a lot. I guess I don't really consider yoga to be a workout because I like to sweat. However, my "new physical exercise" I happened upon was a happy discovery.

I went jogging to the library to drop off some items and along the way there, I was seeing a lot of trash on the ground. I told myself that if the trash was still there when I came back that way, I would pick it up. So, instead of running back home, I picked up trash along the way to throw out.

So even though this may be twisting the daily challenge (a little bit), a trash walk is both a physical exercise and a benefit to the community.

Day 30: Define some short-term goals.

> Read Tim Ferriss' "The 4-Hour Workweek" by the end of October.

> Post a YouTube video cover or original song by the end of the year (2018).

> See The Lion King on Broadway before my next Birthday in May!

I HAVE COMPLETED ALL OF THESE GOALS! (As of May 31st 2019)

Final Thoughts

I appreciated these thirty days more than I knew I would. And I've carried on some of the daily challenges to start healthy habits.

~ Day 2: "Drink 70 ounces of water"

I make it a daily goal to drink at least 70 ounces of water. It makes me fuller quicker and during meals, I don't eat as much.

~ Day 3: "Create a new morning routine"

I've kept a consistent morning routine and I love that I'm not rushing around and also making myself feel more fulfilled every morning.

~ Day 11: "Practice yoga"

Continuing this has profoundly impacted my posture. I love that I'm walking taller and straighter everywhere I go.

~ Day 18: "Create a new evening routine"

I will say that turning off all my electronics earlier has helped me wind down a lot better, even though I'm reading for literally hours.

~ Day 19: "Try something new"

Instead of doodling on worksheets, I practice writing in Tengwar. It's such a beautiful script and I like that it challenges me to think in "another language."

~ Day 22: "Get rid of 3 things you don't use"

It was actually kind of nice to get rid of items I'd been holding onto because of their value (the DSI) or because I might use them again (the Projecta-Scope and Zoya nail polish). I was happier to see them bring joy to other people than to keep them to myself.

I would HIGHLY recommend trying out ANY of these 30 Day Self-Care challenges. Personally, they're very eye-opening, can help you develop new personal habits, and more. Let me know if you do!

Check out the entire series, starting from Days 1-9 HERE!

Next, HERE is Days 10-16!

Followed by Days 17-23 HERE!