Tips on how to successfully complete a 21 day challenge

Lisa Coleman | Choose Joy Now Network
Mar 22, 2017
2 min read

I recently successfully completed a 21 day health challenge. I had the option to select my area of health focus. I was really thoughtful because there are so many things I could choose. I decided to choose a daily goal that would have a positive ripple effect on other areas. I chose to drink 80 oz of water daily. I knew if I drank 80 oz of water consistently, my energy would be increased, it would help control my appetite, and aid in digestion not to mention all the other attributes.

Now I was ready to begin my 21 day challenge. Or so I thought. The first day I found myself drinking 24 oz of water at 10 p.m. Although I was successful in completing day 1, it was not all good. I was up about 4 times during the night to use the restroom! It was reminiscent of when my children were babies. I was sleepy all the next the day, but this reminded me of a key concept: always have a plan, even when doing a 21 day challenge!

My plan:

I broke my goal into smaller actions (in this case by hour):
Drink at least 20 oz of water about every 2-3 hours
Create milestones to track my progress:
20 oz by 9 a.m., 20 oz by noon, 20 oz by 2 p.m., 20 oz by 5 p.m., and 20 oz by 8 p.m. No water after 8 p.m. (so I can have a good night’s sleep..smile)
Add reminderalerts on my phone
Track my progress on the My Fitness Pal app

Recap:

Pick 1 thing to focus on. Pick something that means a lot to you. Pick something that could potentially create a positive ripple effect in other areas of your life.
Create a plan by breaking down your daily goal into smaller actions
Create milestones you can track to let you know whether or not you are on track.
Set a reminder on your phone/calendar regarding the goal.
Work the plan and track your daily progress using the tracking system of your choice
Enjoy the sweet success of achieving your 21 day goal! (If you miss a day, keep going, each day is a new day to begin again)