Changing your life, 21 days at a time

We will begin to take back the control in our life by committing to these small 21 day challenges. The goal of these challenges is to break negative habits while creating positive habits. Why 21 days you ask? Because NASA says so… Well, they actually say it takes around 24 days to rewire our neurons into alternative patters, according to this article:  Which Part of Your Brain do You Use, but 21 days seemed like a good start!

Each section of challenges are designed to build upon one another, so once you’ve reached 21 days it doesn’t mean go back to your old habit. Continue to keep controlling your own life instead of creating excuses as to why life inhibits your ability to achieve.

Today marks the last day of our first challenge: Eat only home prepared meals made from organic, healthy and natural foods.

Originally the point was to start eating intentionally by putting healthy calories into our bodies; however, as a natural consequence of preparing food at home I was able to dramatically decrease the amount of money I was spending on food, increase the amount of quality time with friends and family (it’s always fun to cook with your loved ones!), and my energy level went through the roof!

My normal week would cost between $300-$400 on food, which is more than I spent in 3 weeks of preparing home cooked meals! And it’s not like we were living off top ramen. We had steaks, fish, and scallops amongst other foods. My girlfriend and I have had so much fun cooking, using this time to continue to grow and learn together (neither of us our very knowledgeable cooks, although her knowledge is vastly superior). My normal days begin at 6:30am and don’t slow down until about 10:00 at night. During these hours I am constantly operating at high intensity, and as such would get often get tired during the afternoons. During this challenge, by lowering my normally high-glycemic diet to a more healthy and balanced diet, my energy was sustained throughout the entire day! By having to plan and prepare my meals, I began to eat more intentionally. I’ve learned so much about preparing meals quickly that are delicious, whereas before I would run to a fast food joint, or order to go from some restaurant. Now it seems to take way more time to eat out than it does to prepar my food throughout the week!

The next 21 day challenge is to drink only 0 calorie drinks like water, black coffee, or natural teas.

I’m sure there are more out there that I don’t know, which I’m looking forward to experiencing! I know this is a challenge, but that is the point. And so, I challenge you to partake in taking small steps towards regaining the control in your life! Be the decision maker instead of letting life make the decision for you! Live on purpose! Live intentionally! It is easy to make excuses, but the accomplishments are worth so much more!

-Harrel