Anna Swanson: New Year’s challenges

PLYMOUTH — A New Year is the perfect time to kick-start a new beginning and finally achieve the things you’ve always wanted to get around to. Whether you’re yearning to learn a new skill, improve on your existing skills, better yourself as a person, or even overcome some obstacles, what better way to push yourself than with a New Year’s challenge.

Why take a New Year’s challenge?

New Year’s resolutions are great; they not only encourage us to reflect on the last year and see what progress we have made, they also inspire us to change and make better choices for the year ahead. But ask yourself this: how often do you achieve your New Year’s resolution?

Resolutions are too easy to break. No one is watching you or cheering you on, and there’s simply nothing on the line that drives you to accomplish them. If you really want to achieve something real, a New Year’s challenge is the way forward. A challenge has more urgency than a resolution and if you have a competitive side, challenges push you and make you rise to the occasion.

How to prepare for a New Year’s challenge

Preparing for a New Year’s challenge isn’t as simple as saying, “this is what I want to do” and then doing it. These are the things that will help you achieve success:

• The reason people take a New Year’s challenge is to improve — either you want to save money, adopt a healthier lifestyle, etc. Whatever your reason, you need to remember that you have a reason. Your reason is your motivation. Write your reason down and stick it somewhere where you will see it every day such as the bathroom mirror.

• You can also get a challenge buddy. If you want to train for a marathon or learn a new language — those are great challenges to do with friends. By working together, you can easily motivate each other.

• If time is an issue, set an alarm on your phone every day and label it as "challenge time," that way you will never forget to do what you set out to do.

• Break your goal into smaller chunks (a.k.a. mini-goals). If your goal is a big task, such as writing a book, you should set daily limits (like how many words you will write each day) that eventually add up to achieve your overall goal.

• Research says it take on average 66 days to change a habit, but there are some who manage to kick bad habits in as little as 18 days. So if you want to make a change, we recommend choosing a challenge that lasts between 30 and 100 days.

Now that you are mentally in the zone, let’s look at some popular challenge ideas for you to choose from.

30-day challenge ideas

A 30-day challenge is a great idea for those wanting to try something new, different, healthy, or enjoyable, just for the fun of it. Here are some popular ideas:

1. Give up buying coffee. Or give up coffee completely

2. Go 30 days smoke/vape free

3. Make your own lunches for work

4. Declutter your house. (Choose a room a week and throw out all those unused or expired items)

5. Take a social media detox for 30 days

6. Give up sugar

7. Give up meat — or try Veganuary

8. Drink 2 liters of water a day

9. Take a photo a day — photography challenge

10. Learn a language using Duolingo or Babble

11. Go 30 days without snacking

12. Give up a bad habit such as biting your nails

13. Watch every sunset

14. Read 30 minutes a day

15. Try intermittent fasting

16. Sweat every day: 40-minute walks, 50 squats, 50 sit-ups

17. Draw a doodle a day

18. Wake up at 6 a.m. every day

19. Do 10-15 minutes of yoga or meditation a day

20. Write down one good thing that made you laugh or smile a day

21. Start a new craft or hobby

22. Do one act of kindness a day

23. Tell someone you love them every day

24. Sing a song or dance every day

25. Spend an hour a day in nature

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is a trusted, nonprofit agency proudly serving 29 towns in central and northern NH since 1967. Expert services include at-home healthcare and physical therapies (VNA), hospice and palliative care, and community programs including: American Red Cross CPR/AED/FA, Caregiver and Bereavement Support Groups and Ask A Pemi-Baker Nurse days at your local senior centers. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals and also your neighbors. In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.

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Pemi-Baker is located at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Suite 3, Plymouth. To contact us call: 603-536-2232 or email: info@pbhha.org.