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Ready for a change this year? This ultimate 30-day challenge list will help transform your life! Start your journey with us and learn how to live a more fulfilled life.
What is a 30 day challenge?
A 30 day challenge is an activity you choose to do for 30 days to improve any area of your life. This challenge is meant to bring more happiness and joy into your life. A happy life is a balanced life.
A 30 day challenge could be used to form new habits or break old ones with new habits.
Choose an area in which you would like to work on, and do a related activity for 30 days straight.
These activities will help you sustain wellness in all areas of your life, from relationships, mental health, spirituality to career pursuits.
Why do a monthly challenge?
We all have goals and dreams we desire to achieve by the end of the year.
But, you are what you repeatedly do.
The best way to create your dream life this year is to create systems not just goals.
If you have New Years resolutions only to lose motivation 2 weeks in the year, these 30 daily challenges are for you.
The reason they work so well is that you are creating a habits and systems instead of wishing and hoping, you are making a plan and taking action on it.
Do 30 day challenges work?
The monthly challenge works so well because studies show that it takes an average of 66 days to build a habit, discrediting the 21 day rule. PHD, senior researcher at the University College London, Phillippa Lally published a study to support this statistic. Lally also confirms that it takes about 18 – 254 days for a habit to become a lifestyle.
Developing healthy habits is the key to lasting transformation. Commit to making small changes everyday and before you know it, you’ll find that you’re living the life that you’ve been dreaming about.
Doing a 30 day challenge helps you track your progress on your goals while holding yourself accountable.
It helps to reward yourself with little treats at the end of every challenge.
I rewarded myself with a new plant last year for every time I reached a new milestone or accomplished a goal and let me tell you it definitely worked and made the whole process fun for me!
30 day challenge ideas for health & fitness
1. Drink at least 2 litres everyday
Drinking water is essential for our health and wellbeing.
It helps removes toxins from the body, helps to increase bowel movements which aids with weight loss, keeps our skin hydrated and reduces fatigue.
Suffer from headaches? Have trouble losing weight? Are you always bloated? Always tired? Water might be the answer.
Water has many benefits and though it’s not the cure all for everything, drinking water is a great place to start if you want better health.
If you really don’t like the taste of water (haha I know right water has no taste) and you want to make drinking water less boring, try this electrolyte mix drink from cure, it comes in loads of different flavours.
2. Do a gut cleanse
Eat more plant based foods as they introduce good bacteria in the gut.
Switch up your diet and make it a goal to eat the rainbow diet.
Your gut bacteria is responsible for producing serotonin which is your happy hormone. Melatonin, the sleep hormone is formed from serotonin.
Optimum gut health is key for regulating your mood and getting a good night sleep.
Signs that you need a gut cleanse asap includes low energy, poor sleep, depression, skin issues, headaches, muscle and joint ache to name a few!
Try opting for alkaline foods as opposed to acidic foods like processed foods, meat, dairy products etc.
3. Take daily walks
Start with 15 mins walk and work your way up, ideally you want to aim for 10,000 steps daily. Not only is waking good for relieving stress, it is also a good excuse to leave the house daily.
Walking is an underrated form of exercise. If you want to get a flatter stomach, lose weight and tone up your muscles, take up walking!
It can also prevent you from health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke and cancer.
4. Do a fitness challenge
Get your endorphins and your confidence levels up by taking up one of these 30 day fitness challenges, your body will thank you for it.
Cardio challenge: Try running, jump rope, burpees, jumping jacks, dancing or any other preferred cardio exercise to get your heart pumping. Make it fun!
Yoga challenge: Do a different yoga pose each day for 30 days straight.
Strength challenge: Try incorporating weights to your workouts, depending on how new you are to working out, I suggest to start out with lighter weights that push you just enough.
Core challenge: Strengthen your core with a 1 min plank or do a 20-30 crunches in different variations.
Try the Chloe Ting 2 Week Shred Challenge
Join the Yoga With Adrienne 30 Day Challenge
30 day challenge ideas for mental health and happiness
5. Journal
Make it a daily habit to write your thoughts down. Try the stream of consciousness writing, you never know what thoughts you have going on in your mind.
Journaling brings awareness to your thoughts and your feelings, helping you to understand yourself better.
As you start your journal practise you will notice how much lighter you become and how healing journaling can be.
If you need help starting out with what to journal about, check out this 50 life-changing journal prompts for healing.
6. Gratitude
Practising gratitude can improve your mental health drastically.
It can help to shift your mindset by focusing on what you actually have which will consequently make you feel positive.
Studies show that taking time each day to be grateful can improve your overall wellbeing, while also decreasing levels of stress and depression.
Start by writing down three things that you are grateful for each day.
Or you can take the time throughout the day to appreciate the small things in your life.
You can also show someone appreciation for the positive impact in your life, not only will it boost your mood, it will boost theirs and attract more things to be grateful for.
Related: Gratitude List : 260+ Things That Will Make You Smile
7. No social media
Social media is good for connecting with others, however it is important to take time off social media when it starts to make you feel more bad than good.
Not only can social media be a major distraction from living life in the present, it can also conjure of feelings of dissatisfaction with life, envy, and comparison.
Challenge yourself to go off social media for 30 days and notice the shift in your mental health or you can limit time on social media to just 30 minutes a day.
Cutting down on social media can help you lead a healthier lifestyle and you will find that you have time for other meaningful pursuits.
Watch this short video to find out what happened when this guy quit social media for 30 days.
8. Reading
Aim to make reading a habit by making it a goal to read 1 book a week.
If you are not sure where to start or find reading boring, pick out books that you have a genuine interest in. It makes reading a lot more enjoyable and is great for expanding your knowledge in your chosen genre.
When you have more knowledge in your interests, you naturally become more confident at it
Reading is a mindful habit that contributes to your learning, vocabulary and overall mental development.
Related: 23 Best Self Help Books On Audible
9. Self care
Self care is how we show love to ourselves. Try the 30 day self care challenge if you want to maintain balance and take control of your life.
We can often lead busy lives which can lead to extreme stress and burnout, neglecting other areas that make life worth living.
If you are guilty of being the neglectful busy girl you might find that these self care tips will help.
Find out how you can reset the mind body and soul with some self care sunday ideas.
You can also subscribe to the newsletter to join the self care club. There are some self care gems waiting for you on the other side!
30 day challenge ideas for productivity and time management
10. Track your time
We live in a world filled with distractions, if you are not careful you end up spending 4 hours on tiktok, getting dragged in pointless arguments with someone you barely know on social media and just like that the day is unaccounted for.
Track your time for 30 days and notice how much you get done. Your life can change in 6 months only if you get rid of these distractions.
Distractions aren’t limited to just social media. If it’s hindering you reach your goal its a distraction.
Figure out the distractions in your life and remove them or simply cut time spent on them.
Related: Shiny Object Syndrome: How To Stay Focused And Not Get Distracted
11. 80/20 rule
The 80/20 rule is how can you get the most result with the least amount of effort. 20% of the work you do, brings you 80% of the result.
Look at the list of things you want to accomplish and pick one goal that would make the most difference in your life.
This main goal could act as a domino effect in other areas of your life.
You don’t get more results by doing more, multi-tasking and burning yourself out. You get more done by focusing all your efforts into one pursuit.
Think about being MORE effective and efficient with your time.
Apply the 80/20 rule to your work, and watch how easier and more productive your life gets.
12. Batch create
Life gets in the way sometimes and you might not have the time to do things on your to-do list.
If you have a day job and a side hustle for example, it might help if you spend one evening batch creating tasks.
It is a great way to save time and energy and it also ensures that you stay consistent no matter what.
You could even use an auto scheduler that automates the batch content process for you so that you can have more freedom in your life.
Related : Multitasking – We simply don’t have the brainpower to do it
13. Wake early
Get up an hour or 2 hours earlier that is if you are not already waking up early.
This frees up more time for you to get things done in the day.
You will find that there are less distractions, you finish your work earlier, and the day appears to be longer.
Waking up early frees up time for you to do other things during the day because you are more productive.
To wake up early start by choosing to go to bed early. For extra motivation, here are 10 reasons why you should wake up at 5AM for 30 days straight.
14. Delegate tasks
Lets face it, sometimes we just need a little help. Especially when you find that you have 1001 things on your to do list.
Give yourself a break, shorten that to-do list, give up control and delegate the task. You could ask a friend for help. Hire someone. Or buy something that makes your life a little easier.
I’m sure you would love to do it all but it’s not possible, you’re only human and you only have 24 hours in a day.
Start working smart by leveraging other people’s time. Learn more about how time leverage to create more time for yourself.
30 day challenge ideas for managing finances
15. Track your finances
What do you spend the most money on? How much money do you have going in and going out?
The best way to understand how to handle your money is to track it.
I know it can be tempting to live in denial about how much money you have left, particularly after a big purchase.
Living in denial over your finances is a form of self harm, you deserve to have peace of mind that comes with being responsible with your finances.
Get a finance tracker app like Emma or Snoop to help you get started, they aren’t always perfect but they get the job done.
16. Make a budget and stick to it
Once you have figured out how much money you are currently making.
You want to make a plan that allows you to live comfortably but not above your means.
To ensure that you always stick to your budget, avoid impulse purchases, spend on your needs first, never spend more than what you really have.
A budgeting method that I like to apply is the 50/30/20 rule. 50% for needs, 30% for wants, 20% for savings and investment.
17. Savings challenge
The 30 day savings challenge is a great way to save money and teach yourself financial discipline and build a saving habit.
Start today by saving $1 on day 1 and increasing the number by 1 as the day goes, so $2 on day 2, then $3 the next day, up until you reach $30 on day 30.
If completed successfully you will have $465 altogether! Imagine that!
Use this #SaveUpchallenge to stay motivated!
18. Increase your assets/income
Sometimes you might have an income problem not a saving problem.
It is almost impossible to save when all the money you make is to pay for essentials.
The only way to combat this problem is to reduce your expenses, and if you can’t possible do that then finding another source of income is the solution.
Even with little to no money you are your biggest asset.
Find out why you are your greatest financial asset with this article.
Use these 30 days to work on monetising your skills, invest your time and make it your job to acquire more assets for yourself.
30 day challenge ideas for a better social life
19. Join meet ups/ Facebook groups
Want to improve your social life and make new connections?
Facebook groups are a great way to meet people who share the same interest. You can even look for events in your area through meetup and event apps.
Be sure to sign up and to actually follow through to going to these events.
Is it going to be uncomfortable? Sure. Are you going to make lifelong friends in your first meetup? Not guaranteed. But the more you put yourself out there, the more comfortable you become doing it and your chances of meeting your soul tribe goes all the way up.
20. Say yes to a social life
Are you the type of person to spend your weekends in a ho hum conundrum? Your idea of fun has suddenly become complacent with watching TV and scrolling on social media.
Make it your goal to say YES anytime someone asks you out for 30 days straight and watch how your life transforms in short period.
You will meet more people than you probably did last year and you never know what connections you are missing out on if you never give it a try.
Also, don’t be afraid to take the initiative to invite others out or call someone that you know.
21. Try a new hobby
Hobbies are a great way to meet people who share similar interests. They make for easy conversation starters and ice breakers.
There are so many fun hobbies out there to choose from so it might take a while to explore and find something that really sticks.
Some ideas include learning a new language, taking up a craft such as knitting, building a model, making pottery, learning how to play a musical instrument, painting, photography, cooking, gardening, writing, or even starting a blog.
Just remember to have fun and celebrate your little wins as well as your big ones!
22. Overcome social anxiety
As someone who suffered with social anxiety, I know how challenging it can be to overcome. But with the right attitude, there are steps you can take to overcome social anxiety.
The thing that really helps is to remember that people who do not know you are probably as nervous or anxious talking to you too.
If talking to a stranger sounds nerve-wracking, start small. Start with a genuine smile, and you’ll notice how people will tend to smile back, not all but most will. Or start with people you already know.
Practise deep breathing and visualise yourself performing well in social situations. It might also be helpful to talk to a professional about your feelings surrounding social anxiety. With time and practice, social anxiety will be a thing of the past.
30 day challenge ideas for your home, living & organisation
23. Sustainable living
Living a sustainably is a selfless way to care for the environment while also, preserving the earth’s resources for future generations.
A sustainable lifestyle means reducing waste, meal prepping, gardening, using energy-efficient appliances, purchasing sustainable goods, or reducing consumption, and managing your renewable resources.
By reducing your carbon footprint, you can save money in the long run. When done effectively it can promote a better environment for everyone.
Watch this video for 50 tips on how to live more sustainably.
24. Cleaning schedule
Cleaning can often be overwhelming when left to accumulate overtime. Unless cleaning is a service you want to pay for, you can chunk it down into smaller tasks.
The most effective plan is to start by making a list of tasks that need to be completed then prioritise them accordingly.
Then, break them up into daily, weekly, monthly tasks and categorise them according the room you will be working on. Here is a great cleaning schedule so that you can create your own.
With that plan in place, your home will always be organised and cleaning will never be something that brings dread but something that you simply can’t live without.
25. Declutter
Decluttering brings new energy into your home and makes space for new things to come into your life.
Our space can often reflect our mental state so by clearing out old unloved items and giving them away for donations, you improve your mental health.
To make decluttering a habit apply the 12-12-12 rule. Look for 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate and 12 items to organise. Or anytime you buy something new, make it a rule to throw something out.
Having doubts about if you should keep something or not? When in doubt throw it out.
Try this 30 day decluttering challenge by creating a list of areas in your life that need decluttering and tackle each area each day. Think office, car, garage, books, kitchen utensils, refrigerator, bathroom, clothes, kids clothes, medicine cabinet, shoes, jewellery etc
30 day challenge ideas for your career/work
26. Networking
Looking to level up in your career? Taking on a 30 day challenge is a great way to jumpstart your professional life!
Whether you’re a recent graduate, a working professional, or someone looking to switch careers, networking can help you move forward.
Make it a commitment to network with one person every day. Reach out to others in your field for advice, collaborations or strike up a conversation with someone you find interesting.
This challenge will help build valuable connections and could open more opportunities to further your career.
27. Invest in learning
Set a goal to learn a something new everyday. Pick up a book to read, listen to an audio book or podcast, take a new course in a certain topic or industry to gain insight into what it takes to succeed in that area.
If you are considering switching careers or if you’ve been out of the game for a while, consider getting updated on the latest trends and learn from successful people in your chosen field.
This challenge will expand your skillset and make you an asset in any company or industry.
Think about the career opportunities that will come knocking on your door when you work on skills that are in demand in your field.
28. Take risks
Take the risk and build momentum for 30 days straight towards something that scares you. Whether you want to apply for a new job you have your experience in, move to a country with better opportunities, start your own business, the time to take the chance is now.
Read my post about How To Manifest Your Dream Life.
If it’s in your vision board to live the life of your dreams then you absolutely cannot do without taking a risk.
You get to choose the life that you want. When making your decisions, ask yourself is this taking me away from who I want to be or is it bringing me closer to who I want to be?
Find out how you can take asymmetric risk to change your life.
29. Online presence
Spruce up your online presence on LinkedIn or any applicable social media where you can receive more work opportunities.
Make sure that your image online is professional and also represents your greatest accomplishments. Don’t forget to clean up your resume while you’re at it.
Engage with your target audience on social media platforms by sharing relevant content.
Take advantage of these marketing channels to build relationships with potential clients/customers.
30 day challenge ideas for a spirituality & conscious living
30. 15 minute meditation
Challenge yourself to practise staying present everyday.
Focus your mind on the awareness of your surroundings, your breathing and observe the thoughts you have come and go without judgement. Here is a good affirmation meditation to start with.
Research shows that meditation can help reduce anxiety and depression, increase focus, boost your immune and even improve your memory.
Meditation increases your self awareness, clears your mind, allowing you to make better decisions and be more in control of your emotions. It is a great way to reduce stress and improve your overall wellbeing.
If you do not want to meditate you also have the option to practise mindfulness. Try mindful eating or mindful breathing.
31. Connect with your feminine divine
Connect to your feminine intuition by partaking in creative activities such as cooking, drawing, painting writing.
These activities will develop trust within yourself and help you express your feelings and the essence of your being.
Seek to develop a stronger relationship with your intuition by always listening to your body, your gut, the small still voice, and that ‘feeling’ especially when looking to make decisions.
32. Make time for spiritual practices
Set your daily intentions through spiritual practises such as prayer, joining a spiritual gathering or chanting.
Believing in a higher power helps you feel more optimistic about life as you cope with life’s challenges.
Whether you set out to manifest your desires or become a better person, it can be a very personal and transformative experience.
Everyone’s belief systems are different, but connecting to something bigger than you can bring a sense of peace and fulfilment. Other spiritual healing practises you could try are reiki, chakra energy healing, breath work and yoga etc.
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Oh wow definitely share that with him! Best of luck in the new year!
Honestly I have thought about it a lot! I wondered if I had the time for it, didn’t want to burn myself out. This is another sign for me to go for it when I’m ready. Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback