Tuesday, April 8, 2014

30 Days to Change

We are always in the process of change and renewal, sometimes through conscious intent and sometimes out of our conscious awareness. Even our cells are continuously in the process of change and renewal.  At the risk of sounding cliché, change is the only constant in all of our lives. For me, the key questions that I struggle with on a regular basis concern change and intent, specifically: “How do I want to change?” and, “How can I facilitate this type of change?”

There are many books and articles written about change that detail the change process and the development of new habits as a very serious and difficult endeavor. I suggest taking an alternative approach. What if change could be less serious and more like a playful experiment? How different will our experience of change be if we take it on for a limited period of time, have fun with it and  notice what occurs for us – both internally and externally?

Matt Cutts’ TED Talk, showcased below, cuts to the chase regarding integrating the serious nature of change with the playfulness of an experiment. His talk inspired me to try something new for 30 consecutive days in several aspects of my life. My first challenge around the “try something new for 30 days” approach was to write and post on my blog site for 30 consecutive days. I then moved into the world of drinking more water for 30 days, walking several miles for 30 days, eliminating television for 30 days and then eliminating sugar from my diet for 30 days. I am now dedicated to the delightful habit of "trying something new for 30 days." Each “try something new” adventure is challenging and delightful in terms of self-awareness and being fully present in the world. To date, the most challenging 30 day experiment was the no sugar one, although the result in terms of how I felt  being sugar free was amazing.

I invite you to play with the “try something new for 30 days” approach and notice how your life gently shifts in surprising and delightful ways. What do you have to lose? What might you have to gain?

Janet

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