My recent spike of interest in all things motivational and inspirational led me to the world of 100 day challenges. 

First, a few truths:

• Change can be hard to do
• Making lasting change is even harder
• It takes about 30 days to make or change a habit
• Staying motivated is difficult
• Making lists is motivational (at least to me)
• Small changes over time add up to big(ger) results
• I need and want to change a few things
• 100 seems like a very accomplished number

Never one to miss embarking on a self-improvement project, I designed my own 100 day challenge.

I am focusing on small wellness behaviors. I made a list of 8 daily goals, all of which are do-able. Little things add up!

Here’s my list:

1. Weigh myself every day
2. Drink at least 8 8-oz glasses of water
3. Do 25 sit-ups (I know this is a small amount! This is the minimum I’m going to set for myself, with the goal of doing more every day).
4. Do 10 push-ups (see above).
5. Record the food I eat
6. Exercise
7. Avoid alcohol (while this may make me seem like a huge lush, I tried to pick something that was the epitome of empty calories. It was either wine or M&Ms, and I had to go with wine. Eliminating both would have been too cruel and probably impossible).
8. Reach out and connect with a friend every day

 For accountability, I did three things:

• Publicly declared my attention here and to my family and friends
• Printed out calendars with the daily 8 and the challenge day printed on them. I made two sets so I can have one at home and one at work.
• Posted the calendars in visible places

Here’s my September:

You can download and edit your own calendar here.

Looking for your own ideas for 100 days of self-improvement? Find ideas here and here.