The Take Yourself Seriously 60-Day Challenge

Today's the day we start the Take Yourself Seriously 60-Day Challenge.

The rules are simple:

1. Choose three things that will make you a healthier person--physically, emotionally, spiritually--and do them for this 60-day period, from now through April 26.

2. If it's the kind of thing you do every day (like drinking enough water), do it every day. If it's the kind of thing you do less often (like exercising three times a week, or seeing a therapist once a week) do it at that frequency.

3. If you don't do it one day, rub some dirt on it and keep going. The important thing is hanging in there through the end, not doing it perfectly every day.

4. If you realize one of the things you picked just isn't going to work for your life, pick something else and switch. There's no point in dragging yourself through something that doesn't make sense just because you posted here that you would. This is for you, not for the internets at large.

5. Post your three things here today. Every day I'll post a little check-in post, where you can keep a record of what you did the day before. If you want to post, post. If you don't, don't. Once a week I'll post a longer post to discuss how it's going.

6. No judging other people's three things, but if you have info that could help them, please post it.

7. Have fun!

Now for my three things:

1. Asleep between 10 and 10:30 on weeknights.

2. Eat five servings of vegetables a day. Part of a bigger plan to eat better in general, but 5 vegetables is doable.

3. Coffee: I've been thinking about it, and really I just want to be more mindful of what I eat/drink. So no more free coffee at work. If I drink coffee it's going to be fair trade or really delicious in some other way. And that afternoon "it's three o'clock so let's have coffee"? Nope--green tea. I hate green tea. I think I'm going to be drinking a lot of green tea.

Comments

[Michelle]

1) wake up fifteen minutes earlier than everyone else, hole up in the locked bathroom and drink as much coffee as possible.

2) Start running on my lunch hour- even once a week.

3) Start eating soup for lunch.

[heather]

Great idea Moxie!

Mine are:

1. No eating after 7pm.
2. Stop using the elevator at work. Really, 6 floors is not an impossible climb.
3. Exercise 3 evenings per week, practice my oboe 3 evenings per week, and take 1 evening per week to do whatever I feel like.

[pnuts mama]

@tracy- like rudyinparis, i'm also a former smoker, and it was hard to quit!! if you need some support, i'm here too.

two quick things that worked for me- putting off that first smoke of the day- the longer i waited the grosser it was, and that helped *a lot*. i also know i was definitely hooked on the tactile part of smoking (holding the cigarette, having it in my mouth) and i went to mcd*nalds and stole a ton of their straws which were the *exact* diameter of p*rliament lights (my final smoke of choice) and chewed away at them for the oral fix.

i haven't smoked as an addiction since before being pg w/ pnut, have smoked a few times socially since, and don't miss it anymore. every so often i want one, 99% of the time don't have one, and am ok. and i used to smoke a pack a day- so you can do it! best of luck to you!

***
am loving all the "have more sex" choices and tips- i find i am way more interested if i've gotten a backrub first. in fact, i can't remember the last time it *didn't* lead to sex. that and a glass of wine (though not now) is a guarantee.

off to do my own #3.

[Becky]

1. Continue vitamin and skincare regimen started last week.

2. Get up at 6am every weekday.

3. 15 minutes of exercise/6 days a week.

[ruby's mama]

Amazing! I've been reading your comments and it seems like almost all of us are resolving the same things: exercise more, take vitamins, have sex, drink water, break up with chocolate...

It says so much to me about what we're all up against on a daily basis. It tell me that all those things that I get down on myself, all those negative thoughts about myself that I have...those are also being experienced and felt by so many of you. I wish it weren't that way, but I find it encouraging somehow that we're all struggling through this stuff.

That said, here are my three:
1. Fill up my 32 oz Nalgene bottle in the morning and keep sipping till it's all gone. A refill would be super, but not required.
2. Dust off my pilates and yoga DVDs and do something 3x/week between baby's first wake-up and morning nap.
3. Take my multi-vitamins and omega 3s daily.

I'm so glad we're going to try to make improvements. I also like some of your desires to change your THINKING (think more positively, not judge, etc.), and I'd like to emulate that.

[Nell]

1) Write at least 15 minutes Monday through Friday
2) Meditate -- however briefly -- every day
3) 30 minutes of exercise, three times a week

[Allison]

I am excited! I really need some accountability....

1) Do yoga, stretching and/or Core Program every day

2) Walk 30 mins 3 times a week, at least

3) Get up at 5:30 AM and read (don't go on the computer!) This also necessitates going to bed earlier.

[Karen]

1. work on loving my body as it is
2. exercise daily 15 minutes
3. eat only when hungry and eat only til full

[Lisa]

long time reader, first time commenting!

thanks for having this challenge,it's quite timely & interesting to see the similarities in our goals.

1. Less Internet
2. Exercise for at least 15 min every day.
3. initiate sex 1x every 2 weeks.
4. continue trying to find support, childcare, therapist, MD, naturopath.

[Claudia]

Yay for the first day of the challenge!

Mine are as follows:

1) More sex. At least once every two weeks, but aiming for more.
2) Five veggies and fruits a day.
3) Do T Tapp 4-day boot camp, then every other day for a couple of weeks, then three times a week. Do some stretches, etc. every day.

@Karen: The Japanese (probably not all of them, but you know) practice eating until 80% full. It makes sense, since your brain takes up to 15 minutes to acknowledge that you're full. Some day I'll practice that, too!

[gansgirl]

1. I'm halfway through my first T-Tapp bootcamp and feeling fine. I'll continue to claim the 8-9 pm hour for myself for T-Tapp, and on resting days I will use the hour for personal reading and/or writing.
2. Daily skin brushing. (I really dig it!)
3. Progress reasonably through my "We're selling the house and need to get these things done" list. Things like paint touch-ups, cleaning the glass in the kitchen cabinets, putting the trim piece between the wood floor and new carpet that was installed last year...etc.

[Maura]

Thanks for this, Moxie!

1) Drink more water. I'd like to try by alternating drinks throughout the day between water and non-water drinks (coffee, soda) so at least every other one is water. I'm lucky if I drink one bottle of water a week, so this would be a big step for me.

2) Go to yoga at least 3x/week. This is difficult right now because my job is all-consuming, but I know I need to make it happen.

3) Brush my teeth and wash my face every night before bed. I used to be able to get away with just a morning brush (I know, that's terrible) but now that I'm in my mid-30's, all that tooth neglect is adding up to serious dental problems. Floss, too.

[Sky]

Ooh, this is just the oomph I need to get myself going again. It was just hard to select 3!
1. Get to bed by 10pm each night
2. Eat 5 servings of fruit and veg each day
3. Protect my mental health by going to either the mum and baby group or the breast feeding support group each week, to meet some other mums. After nearly 6 months on maternity leave, I still haven't met any local stay-at-home mums.

For those looking to up their water intake, I was given the advice to make it a habit, set a time/place/activity where you always drink water. I used to drink a bottle of water on the bus on the way to work and one on the way back, meaning that I had drunk a litre each day without really thinking about it. It became a habit, just like brushing my teeth.

[victoria]

my three:

bed by 10:15, having washed my face and put on old lady cream.

take my vitamins and O3's

more fruit and veggies.

[Beth]

My three goals:
1. Get on the treadmill or get outside for a walk for 30 minutes everyday.
2. At home set of 4 strength training moves every Mon/Wed/Fri.
3. 64 ounces of water everyday and no soda.

[Amy]

Great idea! Here are my three:
1. Take vitamins every day
2. Do yoga at least once a week
3. Spend more reading time with toddler

[Pamela]

I'm encouraged that other women are having trouble making sex a priority. My list:

1. Plan for sex once a week.
2. 5 servings fruit/vegetables.
3. Read my Bible and pray everyday.

[veggiewarrior]

1.) T-Tapp 4 days a week (15 minute basic work out counts)

2.) Take my vitamins

3.) Spend 15 minutes a day doing Flylady routines (i.e. cleaning, decluttering etc.)

[Stephanie]

Drink at least 60 oz. water
Take my vitamins
Do one household cleaning item a day (I've made a schedule)

[LuckyJen]

My three:

1. No refined sugar because I am a serious sugar junkie!
2. 5+ servings of fruit/vegs (combined) per day
3. daily exercise (generously defined, this may be getting out for a stroller walk with my toddler or doing some yoga in the living room while she naps)

Thanks for the idea and inspiration, Moxie!

[Rachel]

1. No soda
2. Initiate sex once a week
3. Write something personal every day--even if it is just a sentence.

[Allison]

1) Omega 3s and multi-vitamin each day.

I somehow manage to remember my thyroid pill each day, so why cant I add a few other pills!

2) Put something away in the house EVERY day (we moved in 6 months ago and, of course, are still not unpacked completely). Not just regular cleaning or chores, but empty boxes, hang up pictures, etc!

3) Sex twice a week, every week

Crossing my fingers that I can make this happen!!

[Pamela]

For those of you with "SEX!" as a goal, there is another blog I read that has a 20 week "have more sex" challenge that might be, er... inspriational.
http://thediaperdiaries.wordpress.com/

[Katherine G]

1) Each day call or reach out to one person in my life in an effort to stay in touch

2) Eat 5 servings of fruit/veggies each day

3) Sex 2x a week

FYI The Ultimate Omega Fish Oil capsules made by Nordic Natural do not have the fishy "revisit" that so many of them do...
Pricy, but worth it for me.

[Carla Hinkle]

Sarah -- are you nursing? I found the discomfort did not really go away til I weaned. (Not a reason to wean/not to wesn, just an obsevation.) We just had to work around it. ;-)

[Tami]

1) Be more diligent with NFP charting. I just started a new cycle, so this works out great! We're trying to avoid pregnancy right now and bad charting means very little sex. So, I guess this is a more sex commitment too. :)

2) Devote specific time each day to prayer and Bible study.

3) Start T-Tapp. I just ordered the book, so I'm not sure where I'm going with this.

[Carla Hinkle]

1. Eat 5 servings vegetables/day

2. Get a shower every day.
With the 2 kids and working part-time from home it is *embarassing* how many days I sometimes go without a shower. I was going to aim for 5 showers/week, which I haven't even been getting, but I'm afraid if I aim too low I won't even make that. So onward, cleanliness!

3. Spend a few minutes each day reading/learning about the T-Tapp 15 minute basic workout, the progress to actually doing some, and eventually all, of it.

[Jamie]

1. Drink at least a thermos of water a day
2. Exercise 3x a week
3. Track the points in my Weight Watchers program and not just pretend that I do.

Here's to all of our progress!

[Emily]

This is the perfect start for my year! I like to start my year on my birthday - today is the day!
My three things:
1. Exercise 15 minutes a day
2. In bed, lights out at 10:30pm
3. Declutter one bag of stuff every week, by Sunday night

I think I will put these in my calendar for every day to keep myself reminded.

Thank you for the challenge!

[Shelley]

1 -- more water
2 -- less aimless time dinking around on computer, especially in the late evenings -- as someone said earlier, go to bed instead, or read something worth reading
3 -- practice that thing about being present mentally where I am present physically

[clr]

wow. this is really great.

I want to participate and have to think about my 3 but wanted to pass along a tip about flossing - the thing that really worked for me was flossing in the shower. I just keep the floss in there and floss while my conditioner sits in my hair for a minute.

[Diane]

Good timing on this challenge- now that our new year's resolutions are forgotten...
1) Drink 64 oz of water a day, for real
2) 15 minutes of T-Tapp everyday
3) Minimize use of refined sugars

[Eleanor]

1. No more trans fats. Zero. None. (If there's anyone out there wondering why they're so bad, I think the best reason is that your body's enzymes can't degrade them, so they just hang around forever. They build up in your cell membranes and change their fluid dynamics, which has dreadful consequences for a whole lot of things that happen at a very basic level of cell function. Icky, no?)

2. As little refined sugar as I can manage. I love it so...

3. Start doing crunches again. I've never had any stomach muscles to speak of, but this is getting ridiculous!

Good luck, everyone, and thanks for this great idea, Moxie!

[TheWordBird]

My three new habits:

1. Drink a big glass of water with lunch every day (I hate water, and especially earlier in the day).
2. Go to bed no later than 10pm sharp.
3. Read one novel every week (which will give me an escape while inspiring my writing creativity).

Thanks for the inspiration, Moxie!

[Tzipporah]

OK, here goes:

1. Do something in the yard/garden every day. Anything. Pick up some leaves. Take out the compost. Dig a trench and seat the flagstones, just do something.

2. No mindless eating at the computer at work.

3. Spend time every morning (in the shower, if I have to) thinking about the person I want to be that day, and how I can do that.

[Tanya]

1. Omega-3s everyday. (Does it matter fish oil vs. flax seed?
2. Increase my water intake to the recommended levels.
3. Make a sex date with my husband at least every two(!) weeks.

[plain jane]

Thank you for the push, I sure need it!
1. Less time on the computer, get out in the garden already.
2. Kiss my husband more often, he needs it and so do I.
3. Get creative, pull out the yarn and crochet needle three times a week.

[vanessa]

Ok...here goes...
1. Make it to the gym 3x/wk.
2. Limit soda to one per day, and drink tea if I need the coffee hit.
3. Have some fruits or veggies every day.

[Cindy]

I'm in!

1) Weather and work schedules permitting, take a walk outside on my lunch break every day instead of surfing the web
2) Spend less time mindlessly watching TV, and spend at least two nights a week doing something else (reading, crafts, etc.)
3) Cut back to no more than two sodas per week

[Amy A]

1. Exercise for at least 15 min every day.
2. Do some cleaning for at least 15 min every day.
3. Limit myself to 45 min computer total a day.
Thanks!

[Emily]

It's been great to think about this for the past week! And 60 days works out nicely for me, since the end is about the time we were talking about starting to try to get pregnant again, so it'll be nice to get some good habits going before then (not that I haven't had almost 3 years since Z was born to develop good habits).

- work out 3x a week
- don't eat after 8 p.m.
- pray and read scriptures daily

[kate]

1. home yoga practice at least 2 times per week

2. eat 5+ fruits & veggies

3. try to taste and chew my food (in between chasing my 17 month old and convincing her to eat her food)

[Mommy-O]

My goals are in the comments of the challenge post: more veggies/fruit, more exercise, more sexual activity (with my husband) and earlier bedtime.

While waiting for my T Tapp stuff to arrive I am planning on dancing 15-20 minutes a day with my 3 year old daughter. Great way to get our yah yahs out when trapped inside because it is too cold outside.

[Anne]

okay here we go -

1. more veggies
2. cut sugar (well at least cut the obvious things like ice cream and the like)
3. initiate sex at least once a week

(been working on this one for a while but I'll include it anyway - take my multivitamins and fish oil EVERY DAY)

[Sarah]

I've been thinking about this a lot since you first mentioned it. It's actually hard to pick just three, but I know if I try to do more than that I will get overwhelmed and not do anything.

1. Earlier bedtime - between 10-10:30 asleep by 11. I'm a night owl, but I'm not a good mom when I stay up too late.

2. Exercise of ANY kind 3x/week. I think #1 will help make this possible.

3. Pray daily. I need to balance my physical and spiritual health.

[Suzie]

My three things:

1) Trade out soda for water -- I did this once before, but the damned stuff crept back into my beverage repertoire... but this time, I hope it's for good!

2) Start the T-Tapping already. Just did my first little bit today -- the DVD in the back of the book. Once my workout DVD arrives, I'm planning on starting a bootcamp. Wish me luck!

3) Read something every day. I have been doing far too little of this since giving birth to the lil' pumpkin 4.5 months ago, and I know it's important both in terms of setting an example for her and keeping my mind and soul exercised and working at full capacity.

I'm feeling really good about all three of these things. And 60 days will be more than enough time to turn them into habits (I believe it is usually said that it takes 21 days to make changes turn into habits?), which will be fabulous.

Good luck with the challenge, everyone. We can do it. :-)

[kirsten]

thanks for doing this!
1. Exercise 5x a week for at least 30 min.
2. Stop eating by 8pm
3. Multivitamin every day.

[NannyLady]

okay, here's my 3:

1. take multi-vitamin every day.
2. work out for 15 minutes every day.
3. brush and floss at night.

there are SO many other things i also want to do, but my tendency is to overwhelm myself with everything that MUST be done - i can handle that at work, but at home i cave under pressure, so if i get more done, great. but only these 3 things are mandatory for the next 2 months.

eee! i feel more grounded already!

[Nikki]

I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments! It's nice to see that I'm not the only one who's thirsty, tired and guilty of turning down sex too often...
My goals are:
1) No more diet coke-- I plan to drink at least 40oz of water a day in it's stead.
2) In bed by 10:15, lights out before 11. I have a bad habit of going to bed at a decent hour, but staying up WAAAAAAAY too late reading. (Alas, the only time I seem to have for recreational reading with a 2-year-old underfoot...)
3) Initiate sex with my sweet, patient husband at least every other week... he might keel over from shock!
It's nice to have some sort of accountability... thanks, Moxie!!!

[O]

1) In the bedroom by 11pm
2) 10 min a day paper-clutter-busting in the kitchen/dining room
3) Back to weekly menu planning and following it.

Boy, the list of possibilities is endless, isn't it? This is inspirational, though, Moxie. Thanks. Good luck to all--