30 Days I Will Never Forget
Late last year, while riding a pre-workout supplement high at the gym, an idea for a social experiment popped into my head.
I’m constantly on the look-out for high-impact/low effort habits that I can add to my routine. I realized that there had to be a few things people in my social circle swear by that I’ve never tried. I also recognized that a few of the habits I’ve developed while destroying my DadBod would be very worthwhile for others to try.
Thus, Habit Swap 2017 was born.
I reached out to a group of close friends and family members to see if anyone would be willing to share one of their best habits while simultaneously adopting another person’s tried and true habit for 30 days.
The goal was to give everyone the opportunity to try something new that has had a big positive impact on someone else. It was a chance to experiment with a best practice that was strongly endorsed by someone they knew and trusted (or by someone who was vouched for by a person they knew and trusted).
I set the following ground rules for submitting habits:
Your submission must be a habit that you personally abide by and have maintained for at least three months.
Your habit should be something that has a significant positive impact on your life but doesn’t require significant time (no more than 15 minutes/day) or effort.
It should be practical and economical. Ideally it shouldn’t cost anything.
It must have a prescribed frequency of at least three times/week. Daily habits are encouraged.
Try not to choose something that could run counter to someone else’s values.
If you choose to participate, you must make every effort to comply with the habit for 30 days.
You must be willing to share your experience with the group at the end of the month.
To my utter delight, 16 people were excited to participate. I gathered the habits and randomly assigned each one to another person in the group. The supplier of each habit remained a mystery until the end of the month, when we had a big party to celebrate and debrief.
You can bet your ass we had habit-themed participation prizes:
Because I’m a glutton for punishment and I like the idea of a challenge, I adopted all of the habits for the month. Here, in all its glory, was my daily routine for November 2017:
Wake up at 5:00 AM, fill up quart-sized water bottle with ice water.
Set phone timer for 10 minutes, step into office and do alternating sets of bodyweight squats, jumping jacks, burpees, flutter kicks, and push-ups with 15-30 seconds rest in between.
Finish ice water during post-workout stretch with focus on hamstrings and hip flexors.
Stretch some more in a warm shower, including 3 Jefferson curls. Finish shower with 30 seconds of 100% cold water.
Have the same breakfast everyday: 8 ounces plain kefir, splash of skim milk, scoop of vanilla whey protein.
After 5 Minute Journal morning routine, write about any other topics that are on my mind for another 5 minutes.
10 minutes of mindfulness meditation: Sit cross-legged with eyes closed, focus on my breathing, acknowledge thoughts as they pop up in my head and then bring my focus back to my breath.
Complete a self-affirmation in the mirror before leaving for work: make eye contact and genuinely think “I love you”.
Commute to work in silence, focusing on what I want to accomplish during the day.
During the workday, spend at least 15 minutes walking around away from my office.
After work, read a book for at least 15 minutes. If I attend a social event, set a phone alarm for 10 minutes before I need to leave so I stay fully present.
Take a 15-minute hot bath before bed, followed by 5 minutes of foam rolling.
To end the day, write down the three best things that happened.
I have a confession: I lied earlier when I said I did all the habits because I like a challenge. That was partially true but the main reason I did it was to prove something that I essentially already knew: you can do pretty much anything for 30 days.
It was a very memorable month but I’m well-adjusted enough to admit that it wasn’t sustainable for the long-term. However, it was a terrific reminder that acting your way to a new way of thinking is 10 times easier than thinking your way to a new way of acting.
If you’re truly serious about reinvigorating an area of your life that has been mediocre (at best) for some time, you absolutely must commit to experimenting with new habits.
I can promise you that some will be absolute duds. But I can also promise you that if you keep at it, you will find habits that feel a little awkward for a few weeks, then gradually become part of your routine, then transform into pillars of your personal growth.