New Challenge: 30 Days of Music

My family is doing this diet.

My mom keeps calling it  a "lifestyle game"

Bull. It's a diet. Here's more about it if you want it: http://www.thegameondiet.com/  

And much as I hate the small portion sizes, lack of pasta and beer (sigh), I will admit three positive things about it:

1. It requires me to work out 20 minutes a day. This has really helped in the "clearing my head and making me feel active" thing.
2. It requires you to give up an old bad habit. While I could have chosen to give up internet time, I chose something a little different.  Remember in the last post I told you that 2013 is the "year of self love?"
I'm giving up negative self talk. So no calling myself an idiot, a loser, a fat ass...you name it. It's a no no. In fact, any time I start on the negative track, I need to look myself in the mirror, take the statement back and say something positive.
It's actually going surprisingly well. I've been catching myself. AND rather than dismissing poor behavior on my part (not getting things done and then just calling myself an asshole) I'm making plans to FIX my behavior: You're not an asshole for not finishing your lesson plans, you're feeling a little frazzled and overwhelmed. That's ok. Take a 20 minute break, and then work for 30 minutes. I'm setting better goals and rewarding myself when I succeed. It's much more efficient.

3. It requires you to take up a new good habit. While journaling is not "new" to me, it is something that I have done VERY infrequently in the last year or so because I have been so busy. Journaling makes me SLOW DOWN, even if it is for 10 minutes at a time. But between this blog, my written journal (I keep thinking, of this scene from Bridesmaids") and my daily Advent reflection, I've found a lot of comfort in writing again.

The "lifestyle game" (blah) only lasts for 4 weeks (we just finished week 2) but I'm going to start a new challenge that will help me journal more.

In November, I chronicled 25 days of things I am thankful for.

In January (erm, mid-January) I will chronicle the "30 day song challenge"

I definitely did this a few years ago, but I've changed since then. It'll be interested to see what I have to say this time around. Plus I think it will keep my motivation up when it comes to writing.

So. Starting tomorrow: http://heckyeahtumblrchallenges.tumblr.com/post/6152604154/30-day-song-challenge