Alright folks, let me tell you about this little experiment I cooked up called “31 x 5”. Sounds simple, right? Well, the concept is, but sticking to it? That’s where the fun begins.
So, I stumbled upon this idea somewhere online – probably while doom-scrolling at 2 AM. The premise is straightforward: for 31 days, you pick five things you want to improve or implement in your life, and you commit to doing them every single day for that entire month. No excuses.
The Setup
First, I had to figure out my five things. I wanted a mix of habits, skills, and just generally good stuff. Here’s what I landed on:
- Read for 30 minutes: I’ve got a stack of books gathering dust, and I wanted to make some progress.
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes: Gotta keep the engine running, you know?
- Write 500 words: Any kind of writing, just to keep the creative juices flowing.
- Learn something new for 30 minutes: Could be a new coding skill, a bit of history, anything that stretched my brain.
- Meditate for 10 minutes: Needed some zen in my chaotic life.
The Execution (and the Stumbles)
Day 1: I started strong. Nailed all five things before lunchtime. Felt like a freakin’ productivity ninja.
Day 3: Already feeling the burn. Woke up late, skipped breakfast. Squeezed in a quick workout during lunch. Reading and writing happened late at night, fuelled by coffee and sheer willpower.
Day 7: The first real challenge. A friend invited me out for drinks. I knew I had to be disciplined. I ended up going, but I made sure to get my reading, writing, and meditation done before leaving. The workout and learning were pushed to the next day (I allowed myself a little flexibility).
Week 2: This is where things got tough. Life started happening. Work deadlines, family commitments, the car needed repairs. Some days, I was literally forcing myself to do the bare minimum just to keep the streak alive. The meditation sessions got shorter, the workouts less intense, and the writing… let’s just say some of those 500-word chunks were pretty rough.
Week 3: Almost cracked. One day, I completely forgot about the “learn something new” thing. Only realized it as I was drifting off to sleep. Had to drag myself out of bed and watch a quick YouTube tutorial on… well, I don’t even remember what it was about.
Week 4: Surprisingly, things started to get easier. The habits were becoming more ingrained. I was finding ways to integrate them into my daily routine without too much struggle. The guilt of skipping a day was a powerful motivator.
The Finish Line
Day 31: I did it! A full month of sticking to my five things. It wasn’t always pretty, but I got it done.
What I Learned
- Consistency is key, but flexibility is crucial: You’re gonna have bad days. Don’t beat yourself up too much. Just get back on track as soon as you can.
- Start small: If I had tried to commit to an hour of exercise or 1000 words a day, I would have burned out in the first week.
- Track your progress: Seeing the streak grow was a huge motivator. I used a simple spreadsheet, but there are tons of apps out there that can help.
- It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress: Some days, I only managed to do the bare minimum. But that was still better than doing nothing.
- Habits take time to form: 31 days isn’t a magic number, but it’s a good start. I’m definitely going to continue with some of these habits, even if I don’t stick to the rigid “31 x 5” format.
Would I do it again?
Absolutely! It was a challenging but rewarding experience. I’d tweak a few things next time (maybe make the goals a bit more specific), but overall, it was a great way to kickstart some positive changes in my life.
So, if you’re looking for a way to build some new habits or improve yourself, I highly recommend giving the “31 x 5” challenge a try. Just be prepared for some ups and downs along the way. It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely worth it.
