Our first Day Three was two years ago – 730 days, more or less. What can happen over 730 days? In particular, how can a four-week “fitness challenge” bring about a change? Basically, I think the most significant change is perspective; 730 days ago, my perspective was that a fitness challenge was about fitness – doing something active for a month to “get in better shape.”

I don’t deny that this can happen. but taking part in a simple challenge can actually have a more gradual, but broader, impact on your whole life. Doing the challenge once activates something in your motivation system – literally. If you can identify some aspect of your own wellness, and then actually do something intentional and positive to improve your wellness, you have not only flashed your motivational circuits. You have turned the switch ON, even if for a month. I didn’t say “just” a month.  A month is a significant amount of time to sustain a new behaviour.

What I’m driving at with the 730 days thing is this: if you did this challenge, and then came back and did it again a year later, your perspective will have changed. You are no longer someone who did a challenge once (which, incidentally, is an accomplishment). Your view of yourself has been indelibly altered by your accomplishments. Once is great. Twice is awesome. And if you are at it again for the THIRD time, you are demonstrating a trend.

I have been grappling with the whole idea of what happens to you when you do “self-improvement” kinds of things on a regular basis, but has just been coming into focus this year as we approached the third annual challenge. Change over time shows trends, so, if you are trending up and to the right on your personal wellness activities, it says something about you.

My hope is that you have found the motivation to try this challenge. If you have taken part in previous wellness challenges, I encourage you to reflect on how your perspective of your own wellness has changed over time. You are no longer the same.  I would argue that your ability to tackle and accomplish challenges has significantly improved.  Way to go!