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Finding time in your busy day for your own personal projects and passions is challenging – and it’s also vital to your personal growth and well-being!In this week’s Self-Help Crash Test Dummy Experiment, I was inspired by Matt Cutts’ TED Talk, Try Something New for 30 Days. In his short motivational talk, he demonstrates how committing to just 30 days of a task can change our lives.
In 30 Days, we:
… become more mindful of our daily lives.
… find inspiration, motivation, and perseverance we never knew we had.
… learn new habits (or kill old ones) through daily practice.
It’s hard not to be inspired by that, right?
I took Matt’s idea, and decided to apply it toward building a habit I’ve been wanting to achieve: waking up earlier to have time for my personal projects – namely this podcast! Over the course of one month, I woke up fifteen minutes earlier each week compared to my normal alarm time (so week 2 was 30 minutes earlier, week 3 was 45 minutes earlier, and week 4 was 60 minutes earlier).
By the end of the month, I had gained an extra hour in my day. Even better, I found an extra hour to devote to myself and my passions. Here’s what else I learned:
Waking Up Early Was Easier Than I Thought
By progressing from 15 minutes to 30 minutes and finally to 60 minutes, I was much less stressed out than if I had just tried to wake up an hour earlier on the very first day. Honestly, I would have struggled to stay committed to waking up an hour earlier right away, but by building up to it, I grew accustomed to it much more easily.
It’s Okay to Make a Mistake
Matt didn’t mention it in his TED Talk, but I learned through trying his 30-day experiment that sometimes mistakes happen. Instead of beating yourself up, give yourself the “Not Yet” grade (we talked about back in episode 10) and recommit as soon as you can. The goal is to be perfect, but to make progress! So don’t give up if you miss a day, and don’t beat yourself up, just start again. Celebrate the progress!
It’s Easy To Give That Time Away…
Personally, my goal in waking up earlier was to have time for me and my projects. I wanted to spend time reading in the morning, work on this podcast, and not be rushed in starting my day or going to work.
I actually found that when I wasn’t purposeful with my commitment to myself, I ended up giving that time away: I did chores or went to work early. I did not wake up early to do chores or more work! By the fourth week, I realized this, and corrected myself by writing down one goal I wanted to achieve, to help focus my time the following day.
…Instead Should Pay Yourself First
Whatever your commitment for personal growth – whether it’s riding your bike to work for 30 days or cutting out TV for a month – you will create an opportunity to give yourself a bonus (better health, more time without background noise, etc.). When you find those opportunities, like I did by waking up earlier, be sure to pay yourself first. Give yourself the benefits of your hard work, and you’re more likely to stay committed.
So, go on: try something new for 30 days. Big or small, whatever is on your list: take one thing and make it – and yourself – a priority in the process.
What else did I cover in this week’s episode?
I discuss how For Some Men, Mark Zuckerberg Is a Lifestyle Guru in the New & Noteworthy section, give my thoughts on Jim Rohn’s quote that “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with…,” and share a personal growth celebration from one of my listeners!
Thanks for Listening!
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