Results of first 30-day challenge

As I wrote back in February, lately I’ve adopted this idea of 30-day challenges (thanks to DJ Adams and others). And yesterday I’ve finished my first challenge which consisted of doing abdominal crunches each day. So I thought I’d do a small blog to share how I did and what’s next.

Result of first challenge

Well, to be honest I didn’t make it completely: I skipped one day, Tue Feb 26th. And what’s even worse: it wasn’t because I didn’t have the time, but simply because I forgot! So much for making a habit out of something…

Other results/findings

• My abdominal muscles have been strengthened 😎 .
• I tried consistently to do my exercises just before going to bed, as it’s the only time of day that was available each day, and it felt like my evening was seriously shortened (it was about 15 minutes 🙂 ). Now for background information: my typical evening (where I can do whatever I want) starts at about 20.30h, and ends at 22.00h (I have to get up early during the week). So having 15 minutes less each evening has more impact than you might think, and I didn’t like it.
• I’ve become less motivated to do these challenges. This is partly a consequence of the previous point, and partly because I’m very busy right now.
• Despite skipping that Tuesday (26th), I still feel a sense of accomplishment. Or am I kidding myself and is it really just relief that I’m finished now? Nah…
  

So what’s next?

Well, I’m taking a break in March. As I said, I’m very busy at the moment, and adding something else to my plate doesn’t feel right. Does this mean this will be the end of 30-day challenges for me? I’m pretty sure it won’t, but next time I think I’m going to do a challenge that doesn’t cost as much time, or can be planned easier.

Now, I’ve heard something about gamification coming to SCN, and I’m sure there are some missions that I can use as a challenge. So I’ll wait for that to happen.

To be continued…