Take This 21-Day Federal Employee End-of-Year Challenge

Are you up for a challenge?

Ok, let’s face it, this year is almost over. Please take a few minutes to reflect back on your 2015 year. Are you pleased with what you accomplished?

• Did you accomplish all that you wanted?
• Did you lose that 10lbs?
• Did you get that job promotion?
• Did you pay down your debts?
• Did you forgive that person who hurt you?
• Did you establish and stick to a savings plan?
• Did you contribute more money into your retirement plan?
• Did you spend more time with your family?
• Did you stop procrastinating and start that project?

Well, if you didn’t I’m here to tell you that all is not lost. Don’t throw in the towel just yet. You’ve still got time in this year to accomplish at least one very important thing that you want to do before you say farewell to 2015.

That’s why I invite you to take the 21-day Federal Employee End-of-Year Challenge.

What I’ve learned from doing 21-day challenges is  that it is rarely about the task and more about what comes from 21 days of doing something consistently.

In most all endeavors, consistency is the key. As an example, you consistently go to work each day, it’s a no-brainer, you wake up, get ready and go. The more you do it, the easier it becomes (the waking up part anyway J. The same is true of an outside endeavor you want to explore. Although it may be painful in the beginning, if you do it consistently, it gets easier over time.

Why 21 days? Because it takes about that length of time to form or break a habit.

The key to a successful 21-day challenge

 The key is to choose something that you know you can achieve. Yes, start small. Focus on doing something small each and every day. Ideally, it should be something you can do in less than 30 minutes every day.

Why? Because psychologists who analyze goal-setting recommend setting expectations that are not too easy but not so hard that you’re quickly discouraged. So start small.

Remember, if you are going to stop doing something that you’ve been doing for years, be sure to replace that habit with something constructive. For instance, if you want to lose 10lbs and improve your diet, over the next 21 days, just stop doing one thing and replace it with something else. You could stop drinking soda and replace it with water for the next 21 days. Focus on something small you can change and try not to go to extremes.

There’s an old quote that says, “What gets measured gets done.” Basically, this means that when we track what we do we improve. That why devices such as Fitbit are popular, because they help you track your progress and you’re motivated to continue.

21-day challenge ideas 

If you don’t know where to start, here are some ideas to spark some inspiration:

• Smile at everyone you meet
• Be kind to your boss/co-workers
• Give a compliment to someone for 21 days
• Say “I love you” to your loved ones
• Give a friend a hug
• Swap soda for water for 21 days
• Walk around your block
• Read for 10 minutes every day for 21 days
• Swap coffee for tea
• Say thank you every day
• Hold the door open for someone
• Spend 15 minutes doing something you love
• Take one item from your closet that you don’t wear and donate it. Do this for 21 days
• Spend 15 minutes learning something new about social media – especially if you are afraid to use it
• Stop spending money on nonessentials for 21 days
• Save all your change
• Update your Federal Resume – list all your accomplishments for this year
• Finish that unfinished thing that has been nagging you to complete

You get the point. Pick something you know you can do for 21 days and be sure to track your progress. If you start now, this will take right into 2016 on an emotional high. In fact, if you want to really jumpstart your 2016, check out the Peak Work Performance Summit and learn from some leading thinkers in the worlds of psychology, business, wellness and productivity.

The summit is free, so you’ve got nothing to lose. Why not check it out?