The Monthly Goal - Part 1

We all have those things we say on a consistent basis that we want to do, but never actually get around to doing them. Either that, or we finally start doing what we say we want to do, but only to put in half the effort. Only then giving up after a short period of time and yet finding yourself right at the beginning still wishing you were doing these things. I am not referring to cleaning the kitchen or tidying up the pile of clothes on the couch, I am talking about the things you want to do for yourself but never seem to find the time to fit into your day. So one day I decided I was tired of hearing myself say the same thing over and over, I was starting to sound like a dam broken record. "Girl, get it together already" is all I could think of when I kept hearing all of my unfulfilled wishes.

The one thing I was tired of saying and I am quite sure others were tired of hearing me say was "I'm giving up coffee". Now in the past, every time I attempted to not drink coffee, I would do great for the first three or four days then the cravings would kick in and the effects of everyday life would settle in. I was quick to always give in, never seeming to have or be able to find the willpower to not give in to what I considered a bad habit. Always finding some reason or another just to get that fix in and have that one cup. This strategy of just giving up coffee was simply not working, it is time for another solution. So that's when I decided to get a little wild and try something new. "How about giving it up for one whole month?" was the question that crossed my mind. They say it's supposed to take 21 days to form a new habit, "what's a few more days?". After careful consideration and lots of pondering, I fell in love with this idea. It is simple, at the beginning of each month I will set a goal and carry it out for the entire month. All the things I have been saying I want to do, I am going to just do them for the whole month without any pressure of carrying it out further, if I chose not to do so.

Giving up coffee for a whole 31 days was one of the hardest things that I have had to do in a long time. I know, it sounds so dramatic, but the amount of willpower and strength it took, oh my goodness. The lack of caffeine did not even phase me. It was the sugar addiction and the comfort of my daily routine that I struggled with. Removing this tiny factor was like ripping away my comfort blanket. Each morning used to start with either making something at home or hopping in the car and going for a ride to one of my many favorite local cafés. I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself in the mornings anymore, I was lost and looking for a new routine. Learned a new lesson; when removing a bad habit, it should be replaced. Ideally, that habit should be replaced with a good habit, because what is the sense of replacing one bad habit with another? Not replacing the bad habit ends up leaving you sitting there dreaming about what you want to give up. Also, here is a fun fact, however you start your day sets the tone for the remainder of your day. This was another lesson learned, I noticed on the days that I would wake up and sulk about this change I would have a tougher day. On the other hand, when I woke up and decided I was happy about this change my days seemed to be a lot more positive, motivating, and uplifting. These lessons were learned towards the end of the month, not having this knowledge made it rough.

There were a few occasions I debated on just giving in, but I kept strong. Something inside me spoke up and would say don't do it, it is not worth it, and you are stronger than this. That intuition guided me in the right direction, so thankful I listened. Just like that, August was over. I have to admit that was painful, or so it felt. When putting in that much work, you should reward yourself later on, for a job well done. So you bet your ass, the first thing I did at the end of the month was have a big ol' cup of coffee, and I enjoyed every single last drop. In most cases, you should not reward yourself with something that you are attempting to give up. However in my situation, my overall goal was not to give up coffee completely, but more to limit my consumption. Here I am now months later and I am happy to report that I am only consuming about one coffee a week.

September had arrived and I found myself asking, "where will the month take me?".