OMG guys!! I DID it!!!! My first 35 day challenge has been completed, and I am feeling mighty fine about sticking to it! I don’t know about you, but I have never had a successful past with actually sticking to “30 day challenges”, let alone 35 days. I have been part of different challenge groups for working out or eating healthier, and I am really gung-ho for the first 10 days or so…but then I start falling off the bandwagon and I develop a condition known as “excusetitus”. This is when excuses start to muddy my vision for the end goal I originally had in mind. For my 35th spin around the sun, I wanted to give myself the gift of “35 day challenges” throughout the year. I wanted to challenge myself to CHANGE my previous not-so-great habit of falling off the bandwagon. This in itself is a huge challenge! I had to put some things into place in order to keep me on track. Here are the 5 things that I have done so far to support my journey.

1. I created my “35 Day Challenge Tracker” and hung it up where I could see it multiple times per day (I can be a bit forgetful which is one of the reasons why I have previously fallen off the bandwagon)
2. I had an inspirational quote that hung right next to it, which was always a very good reminder as to why I am even doing this. “What you do everyday matters more than what you do every once in a while” – Gretchen Rubin
3. I shared my intentions with my followers, which makes me feel more accountable to push myself to succeed at this.
4. I took it ONE DAY at a time. I didn’t keep the 35 days (and beyond) in the forefront of my mind…I just took it each day and completed my goals.
5. I decided to be gentle with myself. . If I missed a day, or missed part of my daily goals for a day, I just made the conscious choice to not let that deter me. I did miss an entire day, and a few other days where I didn’t complete all of my little goals, but I focused on the positive and what I HAD accomplished.

For my first 35 day challenge I chose four little self love nuggets that I have been wanting to turn into daily habits, far beyond the 35 days. I am feeling SO GOOD with my new and improved, morning and evening, self love routine. I feel great about how solid these newly created habits are, and how likely they will stick around. I chose to include daily dry brushing, oil pulling, full body moisturizing, and flossing both morning and night. As a busy mama, these little shifts in routine have made a BIG difference. It serves as a great reminder that my needs matter just as much as the needs of my children.

This time I am going to choose 3 little self love nuggets that I want to create daily habits around, and they are:

1. Drink half my body weight in ounces (water of course!)
2. Stretch/Yoga for at least 10 minutes
3. Complete a guided meditation everyday

I am looking forward to starting a new 35 day challenge, and will give a cyber high-five to anyone else who’s going to start their own 35 day challenge! Please do share in the comments so I can cheer you on! Here’s to happy, positive, self love routines! xo