It’s no secret around here that I’m a huge advocate for self-development.
I love the idea of always trying to improve my life and work towards becoming the best version of me that I can possibly be.
It just so happens to be one of my greatest passions in life to help others do the same 🙂
I’ve been a big fan of 30-Day challenges and the positive impact that they can make on your life. It’s said that 30 days is enough time to solidify a new habit that you want to incorporate into your daily routine, or even to subtract a habit that hasn’t been good for your health or well-being.
Matt Cutts did a Ted Talk on this very subject that is totally worth the 3 minutes to watch and gain some inspiration from!
There are so many ways that 30-day challenges can make a huge difference in your life, which include:
- Gaining more self confidence
- Feeling empowered
- Achieving your dreams
- Becoming healthier
- Being more adventurous
- Finding happiness
….amongst many other benefits!
The best part of 30-day challenges is that making small changes one at a time (aka focusing on only that one challenge over the course of 30 days), is much more sustainable over the long-term that trying to overhaul all of your habits and routines at once.
In the spirit of wanting to provide a little inspiration to you to try a 30-day challenge of your own, I thought I would compile a list of 30-day challenge ideas that you might like to try for yourself.
Now, the key is to remember that this list is just full of suggestions, so maybe you will choose one challenge to take on….or maybe you will feel so inspired that you’ll want to try twelve different challenges over the course of the next year. It’s totally up to you!
The important thing is that you carve time out of your schedule every single day over the course of 30 days to devote to whatever challenge you choose.
Fifteen 30-Day Challenge Ideas that will change your life:
1. Quit a bad habit that bothers you
Maybe you bite your nails, smoke, or have a tendency to devour a pint of ice cream every night. If you have a daily habit that bothers you and is something you have wanted to stop doing for awhile now, this is your chance to make a change and phase this habit out of your life. You can quit anything for only 30 days!
2. Get outside
If you find yourself spending most of your days cooped up inside looking at a computer screen and want to experience more fresh air, then making a point to get outside every day might be a great challenge for you!
Even if it’s just taking a quick 15 minute walk around your neighborhood or sitting out on your deck for a few minutes, being outside for even small amounts of time can do so much for your sense of calm and allow you to feel more centered. Plus, a little sunshine never hurts to boost your mood either! 🙂
3. Become a morning person
Mornings can be rough. As a former night owl who took an awesome course (Makeover Your Mornings) that helped to turn me into a morning person, I can honestly say that life is a lot better when you start your day on the right note.
In this post, I share various ways that you can make your mornings happier and I also include a free printable to walk you through my strategies. If you want to become a morning person too, be sure to check it out!
4. Start up a side business doing what you love
Creating a side business of your own that you love and are passionate about can bring so much joy into your life!
This blog is something I consider to be a side business, and it’s continued to amaze me that something I love doing so much can even help to pay my family’s bills! Talk about empowering.
Maybe you’ve had dreams to sell your homemade crafts, run a freelance business, or even start a blog of your own. Take the next 30 days and spend an hour every day dedicated to getting your new side business up and running, and finally make your dream a reality! And if starting a blog is something you yearn to do too, be sure to check out my free tutorial where I walk you through all of the steps to do it!
Related: 5 Home Business Ideas
5. Give up TV or social media
While it can be fun to indulge in TV or time spent on social media, it can also be easy to allow ourselves to become addicted to it.
If you struggle with how much time you spend watching TV or engaging on social media and think it’s having a negative affect on your happiness, try going without it at all for 30 days and see if it makes a positive impact on your energy and overall state of mind!
Related: 5 Signs You Have an Unhealthy Relationship with Technology
6. Keep a gratitude journal
Life is never going to be perfect, so it can be easy to feel like a bad day means we have a bad life. I know I certainly am guilty of forgetting all of my blessings when things start to go a bit awry.
Something that really helps to combat this is to keep a gratitude journal. Every night, challenge yourself to write down just three things you were grateful for that day or that put a smile on your face. At the end of your 30-day challenge, you’ll be left with a list of 90 things you were grateful for that month to look back on when life feels rough. What an amazing resource to have!
7. Complete an act of kindness or give a compliment
Putting a smile on someone else’s face is always a guaranteed way to put a smile on your face too! Spend 30 days either completing one random act of kindness or giving a compliment to someone every single day and see if making others happy makes you happier too.
Check out this post for more ideas on how to show gratitude for others to inspire you in this particular challenge.
8. Set aside time to devote to your favorite hobby
Too often we fail to make time for the things we most love to do. If you have a hobby that you tend to not always make the time for, try carving a few minutes out of your day for 30 days straight to spend on it.
Spending time doing things we love and working on our passions is a surefire way to be happier and feel more fulfilled!
9. Exercise for 30 minutes
Have you been trying to make exercise a regular habit for years now? Use this challenge as your muse to finally get on board with that habit! Try adding in just 30 minutes of exercise to your day. Even if it’s going for a walk or playing with your kids, just being active in any way is sure to give you more energy and make you feel better about yourself.
10. Read a book just for fun
When is the last time you read a book just for fun? Not because you had to, but just for the sake of enjoying a good book?
It can be difficult to carve time out of your day to cozy up with a good book and let yourself get lost in it, but it always feels so amazing when you do! It’s good to let your mind wander and just enjoy a good story or even learn something new. Try reading one chapter of a book every night before bed for the next 30 days and see if it helps you feel more relaxed and maybe even inspires you!
Related: Inspiring Books to Help You Live Your Best Life
11. Kick negative thoughts to the curb
Negative thoughts happen to all of us. Sometimes when things are going wrong, it can be difficult to find even one good thing about the situation at hand.
Challenge yourself for the next 30 days to see if you can try to find the positive in every single situation you encounter. When negative thoughts start to creep in, try to instead replace them with positive ones. You might be surprised at the end of your challenge to see that you’ve permanently changed your overall mindset and attitude!
12. Give up sweets or caffeine
If you are a huge caffeine addict or dessert lover (I’m guilty!), it might be interesting to challenge yourself and see if you can go an entire 30 days without consuming your favorite guilty pleasure.
Perhaps at the end of 30 days you will still want to have your usual morning coffee or the occasional sweet treat, but maybe you will find yourself cutting back to an amount that you’re more comfortable with and can feel good about!
Related: 17 Tips for Living a Healthier Life
13. Don’t buy anything new
If you tend to find yourself purchasing items you don’t actually need on a regular basis, try going for 30 days without purchasing anything new. Obviously you will still need to pay for groceries, gas, bills, etc., but try to go without purchasing things like clothing, gadgets, decor, and other “fun” items.
See if taking on this challenge opens your eyes to your spending and consumption habits and if you find yourself enjoying new hobbies other than shopping!
Related: 10 Ways to Stop Emotional Spending
14. Donate or toss one item every day
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the amount of clutter and general stuff in your home lately, use this opportunity to ease into the process of decluttering and freeing up space. Try donating, tossing, or selling just one item a day for 30 days in a row.
While this might not sound like it will make a huge impact to get rid of one thing at a time, just think about how at the end of the challenge, your home will be 30 items lighter than it was before you started. Small changes have the potential to make a big impact, especially when it comes to decluttering!
Related: Keep or Toss? 12 Questions to Help You Declutter
15. Only use your smart phone for actual phone calls
With smart phones being so prevalent these days, it’s really easy to allow ourselves to get sucked into constantly texting, surfing the internet, and playing games on our phones. Spending more time looking at our phones to engage in these activities can cause us to lose sight of what’s actually happening around us in “real life”.
Try spending a whole 30 days only using your phone for actual phone calls – no texting, no email, no internet, and no apps. See if making this change allows you to be more present and in the moment!
Related: Ways to Be Fully Present
Bonus challenge > Take my free 4-week course to improve your life
I created the Simplify course to be a free resource to help you simplify your life in just 30 days. This course is designed to help you declutter your home, improve your relationship with technology, put an end to busyness, and assist you in managing your time wisely. And did I mention it’s entirely free?! Click here to learn more and sign up 🙂
Are you ready to take on a 30-day challenge? Which challenge(s) appeals to you most, or do you have any other challenge ideas that you’d like to share with the rest of us? Leave a comment below!
These are all great ideas. I stopped exercising for a while and am starting up again. I do a little in the morning before work and then some more exercises in my apartment after work. Then, on the weekends when I have more time, I hit the gym.
That’s great Aliyyah! Even just a little bit each day makes such a difference, doesn’t it?
This is amazing!! I just heard his talk and I couldn’t think of what to do for a month. Your blog has fantastic ideas and resources. Thank you
Yes it does for sure
ok
exercise douse not work only 1 percent are able to stay thin you are wasting your life!
What you mean is “exercise does not work for weight loss”. Which may be true, taking all factors into account.
But a wise person once advised me “I can give you 100 reasons to exercise, but weight loss is not one of them”.
Exercise for your mental health, for your physical fitness, for relaxation, to enjoy the outdoors, to feel strong, for your health, for your cardiovascular health… you get the picture.
Wish I could print this out!
Something that realy helped me with weight loss was changing my diet and mindset you truly hav eto love yourself where you are right now no matter what because if you dont you most likely won’t when you loose wight either.Wieght loss isn’t about how you look it is about how you feel.
Why discourage Alex?
I would like to recommend you a positivity challenge
Actually not all people exercise to lose weight. Some people do it for mental health and to get them going. And not “1 percent of people are thin”. If you are commenting from your own personal experience then I hope you understand that you cant work out one time and expect to lose all the weight over night. It takes time and patients. Also you shouldn’t say that people are wasting their life exercising because again a lot of people might not do it to lose weight. I hope you have a wonderful of your day and may your family be blessed.
You misspelled patience. See patients, above.
At Alex, you need to incorporate healthy eating habits and maybe it will help you lose weight. I agree with one of the above commentators, there is definetly more benefits of doing it to make the commitment.
shut up…. let people feel confident
your dumb for saying that stuff, let people be themselves and better themselves!!
Awesome! Keep up the food work!
I’m currently in the middle of numbers 2, 3, and 12! Thank you for the ideas and resources!
Yay Audrey, that’s awesome! How did your 30-day challenges end up going? I’d love to know!
All great positives for a better life! I have been clearing out the house in the pass several months and cannot believe how much stuff I actually have. I don’t need to shop and because of that I can read, walk, bike ride and just enjoy a simpler less stressful life.
Glad to see you posting again so soon. Hope All Is Going Well 🙂
Aw thank you so much Lisa! I’m glad to be back to posting, and am trying to stay more consistent with it. I miss blogging so much when I don’t write any posts! That’s such a huge perk of not needing to shop, I would enjoy all of those activities way more than shopping anyway. Shopping is actually stressful to me now, haha! Going for a walk sounds so much more appealing to me these days 🙂
hello
I love the idea of completing a 30 day challenge! Out of the ones you mention I like the get outside, keep a gratitude journal, or don’t watch TV ideas best.
Thanks for the great ideas!
Amanda
You bet Amanda! Thanks for the comment!
I never thought of doing my own 30 day challenge, but that is a terrific idea! You can pick whatever it is you need to work on, and do it! I tried a 30 day “no spend” challenge and failed miserably, but I want to give it another go.
Absolutely Sahvana! And definitely give it another shot, perhaps the timing will be better for you now! 🙂
I love TED talks! I would be most willing to challenge myself to get outside more, exercise, and/or give up a few sweets. I hate to say that health is the area of my life where I usually slack off and I want to change that.
I do too Chonce, they are always so inspiring! And eating less sweets (even when I’m not pregnant, haha!) is definitely my guilty pleasure. I could improve in that area too!!
I’m actually in the middle of a 30 day blog challenge right now and I’ve seen some improvement. It is amazing how much of a difference focusing on one thing for a specific amount of time can make!
That’s awesome Emily! It really is amazing.
I absolutely love the book reading challenge. Since the beginning of the year I promised myself that for 10 minutes each day I will read a book. It’s how I choose to start my day over, checking emails, visiting social media etc. , and it’s made a world of difference in my day.
That’s a wonderful goal Terri! I would really like to start reading more myself, so I might have to try that too!
OWO UwU
Hi there! I love these ideas. I too am striving to live a more positive and productive life. I think 30 day challenges are fantastic, as just a simple task repeated daily can make such a difference. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the sweet comment Abbi!
YOUR WELCOME
lmao
I just found out about the Plastic Free July challenge and I’m going to give it a try. You have some great ideas too that I think would be easy to do along with it, like declutter and not buying anything new!
Ooo I’ve never heard of that challenge before, that sounds like a great one though. Thanks for sharing Katherine!
ima try that one too. the beginning of the month is just starting. no plastic, yay! I like your “no negative” ima do that one because it sounds fun, challenging, and life changing. to transform your mind to see the beauty in everything is magical and empowering 🙂
love it! I’m going to try
Once you stop watching television, it’s rather like not being around cigarette smoke any more. It never used to bother you but now you realize how offensive it is. I occasionally wander into the room where my husband watches only an hour or so a day and those usually Learning Channel shows or the like. Then I scoot right back out again. Those commercials …. yuck.
Haha I love that analogy Mandy! So true!
I love the concept of this 30 day challenge. I feel like if I try to do something or to stop doing something for 30 days it will inspire me to keep continuing on. Thanks for the amazing idea!
You bet Natalie! 🙂
Wow, incredible ideas! I love these challenges, and because new year is almost here, I have decided to do a challenge every month… I haven’t any idea, you have inspired mě, thanks! xx
Aw that’s awesome to hear, thanks so much Hanna. Best of luck with your challenge goals!!
Christmas 2015, I decided that I would not eat out for the month of January. The first two weeks were difficult, but then it became normal for me to buy fresh food and actually cook in my kitchen. I saved money, and I lost extra pounds that I had been worried about. After my one-month committement, I kept it up through February. I didn’t eat out until spring break in March. My body and my wallet were much happier.
That’s so fantastic Amy, way to commit to your goal and follow through with it 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!
Great resources. Thanks for sharing!
A few years ago, when seemingly surrounded by negativity and negative people, I decided to start saying hello and smiling at everyone I pass by. I also started complimenting strangers…on their hair, outfit, whatever. I was amazing to see the responses. In six or so years, I have never been responded to with negativity. People seem surprised when someone makes a tiny effort to smile or notice them.
I have seen people who look angry, sad, overwhelmed, brighten with just a small compliment.
you never know what struggles someone is facing, so be kind.
Aw I love that Brenda, such a sweet testimony. Thank you for sharing and for inspiring me, I am going to start making more of an effort to do that as well. What a bright light you are!
Awesome article!
I have been putting off starting my own blog. Every time I get myself up to the point where I feel confident to begin,I tend to just talk myself out of it and put it off…again!
So from today I’m taking up the 30 day challenge of creating my blog!
Thanks so much Gaytri! That’s awesome, how is your 30 day blogging challenge going?!
HI Christina, am putting together a package for my mindfulness tribe and found this post. Just wanted to send out a big thank you for giving me some clarity and getting my work off to a good start – these are great launch points – all of them. Very grateful to you indeed!
Thanks,
Bren
In our home we have been trying to be more positive. We have seen a real difference in our lives because of it. Whenever a negative situation or thought comes around we counter it by saying or doing something positive. It absolutely works.
love that idea!
I really like your list and I love challenges in general. I think the best way to start being productive and change yourself is becoming a morning person. It’s such a difference when you wake up early, it seems like a day is so much longer.
I’m currently working on couple of things combined – I’d like to use less TV and smart phone in the evening and read more books to get a better sleep. Also I try every month to not buy any cosmetics, just for one month and I fail every time, but I won’t give up 🙂
I would love to try this, as I have been going through some changes and I need something to help me start.
A very Big Thanks for you.
Honestly this post inspires me alot.
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I recently got a fitness journal with a space for 30 day challenges. I kept drawing a blank on what challenges to write down. Do I only write down fitness challenges or something else? Then I found your list and I love it. I think I would like to add a challenge involving my kids. Perhaps getting them outside with me. Or getting them to school on time.
I love all these ideas! I am in sixth grade and my core teacher is allowing us to do a 30 day challenge and keep an account of how it is going each day! At first I was sceptical as to what challenge I should do after hearing all of my classmates ideas and their own challenges. But thanks to your neat ideas I was quite inspired, in fact I am going to push myself even harder to pursue and follow up with my challenge. I actually saw the video of Matt Cutts on Ted talk as my teacher had shown the class. I can relate to all the commenters and how they are and were excited about their challenges after watching him speak. I thought it very clever of you to add that video there. I have decided to keep a gratitude journal for 30 days as my 30 day challenge. I hope this will improve my abilities to count my blessing each night with the knowledge that some people have no blessings to count. Thank you again, I will be sure to count you and your website as one of my blessings because I am sure that it will be a huge benefits towards my life.
I love your blogs, they inspire me so much! I have decided to keep a gratitude journal as my 30 day challenge, because I have been putting off the idea of writing daily in my own blank notebook. I will be sure to include your blog as one of the things I’m grateful for. Thank you so much, and keep doing what you love.
this is gonna help me with school(: (:
These are awesome challenges..its not really the challenge itself but the discipline which is really the challenge.. I’m going to tackle #6,#7, and #9 for starters..
Thank you
Really liked what you said about building up the habit of discipline. I’m also planning to take on #7: acts of kindness this year!
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I love this post…I already stopped social media two weeks ago before reading this and plan to through end of year. It’s been amazing how much more free time I have so I started connecting with people in person. I think the phone thing is going to be a 30 day challenge in another month as I do miss talking to people and will probably have to let people know so that they don’t think i’m ignoring them. I wish there was an app that said I’m currently not responding to Text – please call me if you need to reach me. Thanks for sharing.
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Hi there! I know this is an older post, but I actually have a blog based on 30 day challenges that can change your life. So when I came across this I was so excited! What made me start these monthly challenges was from the exact same TedTalk. That’s amazing! It has really inspired many people. You have some amazing ideas here, next month I’m doing a budgeting challenge but I hope to one day do the don’t buy anything new! I think it will be really interesting and will save me a lot of money. Thanks for all the great tips. 🙂
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Thank you for these amazing ideas. I actually have underestimated number 15, telling myself, that it’s pretty easy since I’m not into online games or I don’t have an active facebook account but I was wrong. Stopping myself from checking notifications and messages in Instagram was entirely a tough challenge for me but it’s very doable and what’s great about it is that it helps you develop mental resilience and self-control. I guess having a battle with your impulses and mind is not as easy as what other people think. Started my blog way back 2019 but was not able to sustain it. Still contemplating if I should rebuild a new one this 2021. Thanks so much for this 🙂 I feel more inspired
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Hy Christina,
There are some wonderful ideas. Actually, I have done some of them for 30 days and eventually end up making them a lifetime habit.
I tried the “give up sweet or caffeine” challenge but I failed. I love coffee so I can’t ignore it.
The idea of “don’t buy anything new” hit me. This will be my next 30 days challenge.
Thank you.
Hy Christina,
There are some wonderful ideas. Actually, I have done some of them for 30 days and eventually end up making them a lifetime habit.
I tried the “give up sweets or caffeine” challenge but I failed. I love coffee so I can’t ignore it.
The idea of “don’t buy anything new” hit me. This will be my next 30 days challenge.
Thank you.
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