14 Day Challenge Debrief- Naboni

Keeping track of goals has always been really helpful to me. At the beginning of the third semester, Miss Disa provided us with a 14-day challenge, which was a similar pursuit I do regularly. The challenge involved a game plan for the day, a kind act, a task to complete by the end of the health, and a snippet of healthiness. The plan had to be made consistently for 14 days in the morning at 7 pm, and right after 12 hours at 7 in the evening, we had to give feedback on how the day went. Possessing the misdemeanor of procrastination, for a person like me, the activity is an aid to build up good habits and prepare you for the long run in life. 

Even though I prepare a to-do list of tasks almost every day, laziness strikes me and I fail to fulfill all the tasks by the end of the day. But knowing that my grades will depend upon the way I perform in the challenge and I am not doing it alone, as the whole AEP class is doing it, gave me a boost of motivation and an adamant mindset to finish the task at the end. I would say, the most healthy habit that I made in the span of 14 days is, the habit of drinking water which I bet I haven't done enough throughout my lifetime. From the very first day, I decided to drink at least 7 cups of water a day. After some days I figured out, it happened automatically without me keeping track of it. It has had a huge effect on me as for now, I am still regularly drinking enough water as required. Staying hydrated, not only helps me to stay active but also it has a visible effect on my skin. One thing I wish I could do was to replace coffee with water, but I find it difficult yet to function properly without drinking at least one cup of coffee a day. Well, maybe some other time, in some other challenge tee hee. Also, the daily calisthenics along with making a healthy habit, provided me with a solution of how to tackle laziness. Now whenever I feel unfocused I get out of my study area and try to take a walk or some light exercise for 2- 5 minutes. That helps my mind to again get on track. 

Sleeping early. A huge battle in my life is to fight with insomnia( maybe this has a bit of an exaggeration😝). During the two weeks of 14 days challenge, I actually managed to sleep before 11 every single day! Yes, I was even surprised! The first 3-4 days were all about rummaging through the blanket or the pillow in my bed for some hours until I fell asleep, but then it definitely worked in my favor. Well, I guess I passed that challenge, but I haven't passed my real challenge in life. As for, after that two weeks, I got back into my old ways. I am still trying to gain a proper sleeping schedule and hopefully will be able to succeed one day.

As for the game plan, I mostly kept it on my mental health. I feel like sometimes I forget that keeping sound mental health should also be one of my priorities while I focus on my growth. So, I took advantage of this challenge and decided on a game plan that would help to keep a positive mindset throughout the day. It was hard to keep up with those some of the days but overall I would say, the game plans did show a beneficial effect on my mood all around the 14 days. 

Last but not the least, my favorite of all challenges was to do at least one act of kindness a day.  As I have always been a giver, it was the easiest for me. At first, I was not sure what this would entail, but then I found out that keeping track of kindness is a great way to improve my mood and connect with others. Somedays my kind act was as simple as greeting everyone I meet warmly with a smile or texting a friend to let them know I am there for them. On other days, I helped the people around me with doing chores or helping with my studies, etc. 

Overall, I believe this 14-day challenge is really helpful as it has helped me to build a lot of good habits. I would definitely try it again when I feel the need of making a new habit!