My 30-Day Trial Thread

[allen080105]

Welcome

After doing my first 2 30-day trials, I decided that I wanted to do a lot more of these. I like the setup, I enjoy the supportive environment and feedback, and it helps keep me accountable. I don't know exactly how many 30-day trials I will do which is why I thought it would be best to just make a single thread, so here goes.

30-Day Trial #3

Goals

1) Wake up at 6:00 am and stay awake!

2) Walk for 40 minutes (6:30am-7:10am)

3) Visualize for at least 20 minutes

4) Write/edit for 2 hours

5) Market for an hour

6) Read for an hour

7) No processed starches, foods containing refined sugars, cheese, or fruits (for now).

For anyone interested I posted more detail about each one here.

I want to be done with all of this by 2:00pm so I can have the rest of the day to relax. On Sunday I'm going to cut out #4 and #5. I'll check in here daily and give updates every three days on my blog. Let the 30-day trial begin!

[allen080105]

Day 1 - Just finished. That was not easy at all, but it did help me see how easily I got distracted and I'm suprised I was able to get through it all. I did do a lot of writing today so I expected it to take longer, but still, I started at 6:00am!

Distractions came from internet browsing and T.V. during extended 'breaks'. Tomorrow I really want to push through some of those times where I feel like taking a break. Often I don't need them and they add up. It feels good to know that I can accomplish all that though.

[allen080105]

Day 2 - Finshed earlier, but just posted about it now. I finished about about 6 so I did make some progress. I want to put more efforts in marketing but it's going pretty well. This is really pushing me pretty far, so if I do another 30-day trial it won't be much different from this one because I want to lock this in.

[allen080105]

Day 7 (30-Day Trial #3 Revised) - After Day 2 I just stopped lol. I really felt like it was too much and it no longer was about building habits for the long-term. It felt more like an overwhelming job. Also, I want to give more time and attention to learning more about each goal, so I'm going back to focusing on one goal at a time. So far, I have two habits locked in - Visualizing and not eating any processed starches, cheeses or foods containing refined sugars. The third habit I want to work on this month is waking up at 6:00am because I still haven't got that down yet.

I've lost 20 pounds as a result of the diet change with no real exercise and have learned a lot about the alternatives. I'll have to see if I can keep that up for the long term so it'll probably be about 3-4 months before I really feel like the processed stuff is gone for good. The thing I like the most about it is that there's no need to over-eat anymore. I don't think about eating as much and it feels like I've let go of an addiction. It's almost like weight loss on auto pilot. BUT since the goal isn't just weight loss, I want to incorporate some weight training and cardio, but for now I'm taking it slow.

[isufreak24]

Originally Posted by allen080105

Day 7 (30-Day Trial #3 Revised) - After Day 2 I just stopped lol. I really felt like it was too much and it no longer was about building habits for the long-term. It felt more like an overwhelming job. Also, I want to give more time and attention to learning more about each goal, so I'm going back to focusing on one goal at a time. So far, I have two habits locked in - Visualizing and not eating any processed starches, cheeses or foods containing refined sugars. The third habit I want to work on this month is waking up at 6:00am because I still haven't got that down yet.

I've lost 20 pounds as a result of the diet change with no real exercise and have learned a lot about the alternatives. I'll have to see if I can keep that up for the long term so it'll probably be about 3-4 months before I really feel like the processed stuff is gone for good. The thing I like the most about it is that there's no need to over-eat anymore. I don't think about eating as much and it feels like I've let go of an addiction. It's almost like weight loss on auto pilot. BUT since the goal isn't just weight loss, I want to incorporate some weight training and cardio, but for now I'm taking it slow.

Congratulations on the progress you have made so far! That's pretty darn good- I'm guessing when you combine your improved eating habits with weights and cardio, you won't even recognize your new fit and trim body!

I wouldn't worry about your original 30 day trial not going as planned. I'm reminded of Steve saying one time that when you try to change too many things at once, it's like someone tossing multiple balls to you at the same moment; you may catch one if you're lucky, or you'll drop them all. I think focusing on one or two at a time is the surefire way to make continued progress!

Keep up the good work, and be sure to keep this thread updated!

[allen080105]

I appreciate the encouraging comments isufreak. I've still got some issues I want to work out with this but I think it's going pretty well so far. I should be able to keep this updated regularly now that I know what exactly I'm doing.

[allen080105]

Day 8 - Finished earlier this morning.

I had an interesting insight about pushing yourself and really giving it your best VS focusing on less and working on one habit at time.

I started this trial trying to push myself with 7 goals because back in October when I tried to only work on visualizing for 20 minutes a day (the less part), I always felt like I could do more. Like I could definitely give my growth more than 20 minutes a day. BUT 7 goals was too overwhelming so I cut back to three goals and I'm feeling like I could do more again. I'm on a see-saw.

Basically what I've realized is that most of Steve's blog is about combining the two. Turning the "VS" into an "AND". Focusing on less (health, finance, productivity, and fashion now) while at the same time pushing himself and really giving it his best to learn about that one aspect (immersion, discussing it with other people, reading 5-10 books on it, talking to people in the fashion area, writing articles and tweeting about it).

Since I'm working on waking up earlier I'd really like to immerse myself in that and read books on it and talk to other people about it. Write some articles about what I learn.

[allen080105]

Day 9 - Woke up at 6:00am then went back to sleep at 8:00am but ....that's because I went to sleep at like 1:30am the night before. Getting up when the alarm goes off isn't the problem. I would say the problem is going to bed when I'm sleepy, so from now on I want to be in bed by at least 11:00pm. Usually when I go to bed by then I wake up anywhere between 5:00am and 6:00am.

I'm reading Steve's articles about waking up early, and I've finished 3 of them. Some interesting insights in there, especially the one about practicing waking up during the day while you're already awake. Probably the most useful to me right now is his article on waking up feeling totally alert.

[allen080105]

Day 10 - Woke up and went back to sleep...still did the other parts of the trial.

Day 11 - I did it. I woke up at 6:00am and stayed awake and did the other parts of the trial. Looks like going to bed when I was sleepy was the difference.

I've really been underestimating waking up early. In my life I don't think I've ever slept past 10:00am. When I was working at a job and going to school I would wake up at 6:00am BUT when I woke up for those things I never felt fully rested and had to really force myself to get up. I didn't realize how different that situation is from waking up at 6:00am feeling well rested and alert simply because you want to.

[allen080105]

Day 12 - I woke up and went back to sleep...

Day 13 - Went to a party that lasted till 1am so 6am was out of the question for me.

Day 14 - Woke up at 6:00am and stayed awake. It's almost to a point now where if I go to bed when I'm sleepy (usually before 11:00pm) then it's pretty easy to wake up at 6.

Lately it's really been coming down to decisions. Friends might come over or I get invited to a party and now I either have to leave by 10:30 or say no. Most of my friends think I'm crazy for some of the things I've been doing and I know that's supposed to happen but it's still kind of weird to deal with.

With all days visualization and the diet change has been going very well. Weight loss is at about 24 lbs so I'm feeling pretty good. The best part is that I don't think I'm on any kind of a weight roller coaster and I could keep this up for who knows how long since the food tastes good, so it's easy for me to see myself losing 50 or 75lbs like this. I don't go through nearly as many emotional highs and lows and feeling extremely lethargic. I thought it was pretty interesting that the part of this trial I wasn't really trying to work on has worked the best.

[Divajules]

Hello allen080105,

I just wanted to lend my support and make a random comment. It appears you have been doing some really good stuff for yourself here. Good job, man! While reading through your posts, something that you said struck me - this one sentence:

"Lately it's really been coming down to decisions."

And oh, how right you are! Really, everything does come down to a decision! And, the beauty of it is that we can make a new decision at any time. Recently, I've learned the value in changing my mind. It's great to make a committment and stick to it. But, I had to learn there are also times that changing your mind (or making a new or different decision based on new insights, experiences etc.) is perfectly fine too. Fortunately for you, you seemed to get this pretty early as you revised your original plan to better serve yourself. That is fantastic. Keep up the good work!

[allen080105]

Originally Posted by Divajules

Hello allen080105,

I just wanted to lend my support and make a random comment. It appears you have been doing some really good stuff for yourself here. Good job, man! While reading through your posts, something that you said struck me - this one sentence:

"Lately it's really been coming down to decisions."

And oh, how right you are! Really, everything does come down to a decision! And, the beauty of it is that we can make a new decision at any time. Recently, I've learned the value in changing my mind. It's great to make a committment and stick to it. But, I had to learn there are also times that changing your mind (or making a new or different decision based on new insights, experiences etc.) is perfectly fine too.

I appreciate the support so much Yeah it would have been pretty stressful
trying to carry out my original goals. Just moving and taking some action makes it easier to optimize to get more effective results instead of being frozen because of feeling overwhelmed.

Day 15 and Day 16 - URRRGGGHhh. I woke up and went back to sleep, and it's all caused by not going to bed on time. I'm starting to wonder whether I really want this....I'm not nearly as eager to act on what I learn as I was with cutting out the processed stuff or visualization. I also think I might be blocking myself because I don't want this to turn into anything close to a job or school. Those were pretty gross memories in the mornings. I suppose I need to do more visualization as to what exactly I want my mornings to look like.

[allen080105]

whoa...I haven't updated this in a while

Day 17, 18, 19, 20 - As far as the waking up at 6:00am and staying awake..nope. Tonight I'll go to bed on time and see if I can at least wake up tomorrow at 6 and stay awake.

Visualization has been great as usual.

As far as cutting out the processed starches, foods with refined sugars, and cheese, it was going great until after I posted a blog entry yesterday (Day 19). After that I just went crazy eating all the above non-stop. It's kind of disappointing because I had some new blog material. I had post titles like "The End of Overeating" or "Life Without the Processed Crap" in mind. Guess that'll have to wait.

I'm pretty sure I know why I did it though.

About 2 weeks ago, I decided to visit some relatives and stay with them up until yesterday. I didn't think that would really have an effect but it did.

The processed breads and pastas, the sugar-filled foods, and cheese always gave me the urge to overeat. Since I cut that out of my diet I haven't had that urge at all. The food I've been eating for the majority of this trial just doesn't have that influence on me. Well, since food isn't on my mind all the time like it used to be, I ended up not eating enough so I would be hungry a lot. It was unintentional, but the effect was still the same. When I came back home, I was in a very hungry state and all the foods I had cut out are here (at my relatives they didn't have these foods) and I wasn't prepared.

Lesson learned - If you're going to make a diet change, be prepared and make sure you're eating enough so your hunger doesn't make the decisions for you.

[allen080105]

Since I last checked in, things have been going backwards. I've been eating processed starches and foods with refined sugars, waking up whenever and I haven't really set aside time to visualize since then.

I'm thinking it's either because I've moved back in a less conscious environment or the fact that I haven't been visualizing since around the 19th-20th. Visualization usually keeps my days focused, especially if I do it more than once. I want to start visualizing throughout the day now...when I wake up, anywhere between 2-4pm and before I go to sleep. I think that should really bring a lot of focus to my days and also, checking in to forums like these helps with that too. Even if I come in and say I didn't do something, it helps me get on track for the next day.

I did finish reading Awaken the Giant Within (finally) and I'm in the middle of Creative Visualization. I really like Creative Visualization.

Awaken the Giant Within was so full of good content that it seems like a book I'll probably appreciate in months when I have to reference back to it. While reading it, it seemed like I got lost in all the content. I understood it all, but it still seemed like too much.

[allen080105]

Day 29 - Visualization went REALLY well today. I actually had a couple of syncroncities to follow with it. I've found a really big answer as to why I've been feeling kind of stuck.

I actually woke up at 6:00am today and stayed awake. That's the first time I've done that in a while.

The diet change hasn't been going that great. After I cut out the processed stuff, I loaded up on meats. Now I'm pretty tired of eating meat, so I'll have to figure something else out.

I'm really happy about the visualization and waking up on time though. My days have been alot more focused to like I thought they'd be. AND I found an article written by Steve on Overcoming Negative Emotions. That was extremely helpful and I understand why he recommends listening to audio.

[allen080105]

Day 30 - Visualization went well. I could tell it affected the productivity and focus of the day. I finished Creative Visualization (excellent book) and looked at other visualization resources. I ate a lot less processed food, but didn't wake up at 6:00am.

I think I'm dropping the waking up early next month. For some reason, I don't think I want it now. On the days I do wake up at 6:00am it seems pretty pointless to do so if I'm not focused and productive until 8 or 9am.

Overall I'd say it was a good 30 days. I didn't do all that I intended too, but it was a great learning experience.

[SAE]

You made excellent progress. I have started waking up early and had the same problem as you to begin with (no productivity until 7/8). The night before I go to bed I make a list of things that need to be done in that day. The next morning I am so committed to it, I finished it before anybody else in the house wakes up.
It feels good to do this.

[allen080105]

Originally Posted by SAE

You made excellent progress. I have started waking up early and had the same problem as you to begin with (no productivity until 7/8). The night before I go to bed I make a list of things that need to be done in that day. The next morning I am so committed to it, I finished it before anybody else in the house wakes up.
It feels good to do this.

Good to hear Brett and thanks for the input. I've seen the list work too many times to doubt it and it helped tremendously when I tried it. I still have my alarm set to 10:00pm to remember to plan the next day (even though I haven't done it in a while).

Where I ran into problems with that was fear. If you put something on the list and you're scared to do it but it needs to be done, it COULD freeze you up and stop the momentum you had going. I guess that's why courage is so important. But I don't think it will be as much of a problem now, so I'll probably implement it soon.

[allen080105]

30-Day Trial #4

This month I really want to focus on visualization. I did a semi visualization trial on here before, but I didn't get into it as much as I want to now. I plan on reading at least 5 books on the subject, listening to different audio resources or any other resources I happen to come across.

I've been visualizing for 20 minutes each day since October 1st with the exception of about 10 days in December. Usually I do it randomly throughout the day though, so this trial will be a little different.

I really want to post each day on here so I'm really going to make an effort to start writing and posting updates earlier in the day.

[allen080105]

Day 1 - Since one of the parameters of the trial is to visualize right before I go to sleep I guess I have to check in on this forum the following day.

I finished it all on New Year's. I definitely like this setup better than randomly visualizing throughout the day or waiting until later at night.

I re-read Steve's article on Manifesting Intentions Without Resistance. I really thought a lot about it. I'm going to do more work with my fears and seeing what they are, but I can definitely see that attraction works easier and more effectively when you act with courage.

[allen080105]

Day 2 - Finished the visualization. It's becoming more and more apparent that I need to change the people I hang out with and talk to daily. I think I keep running into a wall with the law of attraction every time I slide back into a comfort zone of being around old friends and family. It's almost impossible to keep fighting against that current.

[allen080105]

Day 3 - Finished. I'll talk more about it tomorrow, but just checking in for now.

[allen080105]

Day 4 - Finished it up. Reading/listening/watching different sources on visualization has gotten off to a slow start but I'll still finish what I intended to do.

[allen080105]

Day 5 - Finished the visualization yesterday. I just realized I need to do more work on keeping that vibration than on the visualization itself. Usually after I visualize I feel exactly how I want to feel for a while then it wears off and then I find myself angry, frustrated, stressed, etc.

One great thing about visualization or meditation is that you become aware of how you were feeling before you started visualizing or meditating. Usually the process starts with calming the mind chatter till it's nothing then creation (your imagination). That's why I added visualization in the middle of the day. I wanted to see how my days were going and so far there has been a lot of frustration and stress.

[allen080105]

Day 6 - Finished it. Today I started reading Happy for No Reason. I'd like to work on being happier, so I imagine this month I'll be reading a lot of happiness books. After this I'll probably read The Art of Happiness then The Mood Cure.

Slowly, I'm finding out there could be a lot of blocks to feeling happy. Blaming, complaining, food, sunlight, relationships and the people you are in contact with the most, etc.

[allen080105]

Day 7 - Finished it. Been going great so far! Lately I've been drawn to listening to a lot of interviews... I'm in the middle of an interview by John Reese with Jeremy Schoemaker and before that I was listening to am interview with Julia Ross, author of The Diet Cure and The Mood Cure. Good stuff in all of them.

[allen080105]

Day 8 - Finished it. Today I did quite a bit of thinking. Unfortunately I think there's a point where you can do too much thinking and not enough doing, but some of these thoughts are pretty cool to have anyway.

[Obay]

Originally Posted by allen080105

Day 7 (30-Day Trial #3 Revised) - After Day 2 I just stopped lol. I really felt like it was too much and it no longer was about building habits for the long-term. It felt more like an overwhelming job. Also, I want to give more time and attention to learning more about each goal, so I'm going back to focusing on one goal at a time. So far, I have two habits locked in - Visualizing and not eating any processed starches, cheeses or foods containing refined sugars. The third habit I want to work on this month is waking up at 6:00am because I still haven't got that down yet.

I've lost 20 pounds as a result of the diet change with no real exercise and have learned a lot about the alternatives. I'll have to see if I can keep that up for the long term so it'll probably be about 3-4 months before I really feel like the processed stuff is gone for good. The thing I like the most about it is that there's no need to over-eat anymore. I don't think about eating as much and it feels like I've let go of an addiction. It's almost like weight loss on auto pilot. BUT since the goal isn't just weight loss, I want to incorporate some weight training and cardio, but for now I'm taking it slow.

You should not of stopped, you should continue to work at it and it'll get back into the day to day retuine that you should be in - you'll see the big benefits trust me.

You lasted 1 week, however you should make that for four weeks, if you pass this mark, it'll be in your system until you stop! .

[allen080105]

Originally Posted by Obay

You should not of stopped, you should continue to work at it and it'll get back into the day to day retuine that you should be in - you'll see the big benefits trust me.

You lasted 1 week, however you should make that for four weeks, if you pass this mark, it'll be in your system until you stop! .

So far, I'm actually glad I didn't keep going with that. I wrote about why on my blog post Doing Your Best vs Focusing on Less. When I stepped back and looked at what I wanted to do, there were two things - push myself and build habits that would last long-term.

I was kind of torn between what route to take. I had read about Steve finishing college in three semesters and his different productivity articles and I wanted to try pushing myself to that level, but I've also read The Power of Less and visit Zen Habits where he talks about focusing on less and taking it one step at a time. I had my day wide open so I was wondering which of the two ways I should go with it.

When I tried doing "less" and focusing on doing one goal at time (20 minutes visualizing every day) I always felt like I could do way more. When I tried taking on 7 goals for the 30-day trial I felt overwhelmed and stressed (not in a good way) because my focus was all over the place.

Then I realized it doesn't have to be one or the other. It could be both. You can push yourself and really immerse yourself into learning and experiencing one thing at a time (less). Steve's article Rapid Improvement helped with that.

[allen080105]

To give an update, I have been visualizing from time to time, just not everyday.

I've been getting kind of frustrated because answers keep coming in and I'm just scared to act on them. Hmmm. I guess I could visualize acting on the answers didn't think about that until I started writing this .

As much as I've tried to ignore it or work around it, there has been a flood of signals telling me this environment isn't the right place for me. It's a huge block to most of the things I try pertaining to personal growth. I really didn't realize how much I had grown until I was submerged back in this old vibration.

To give some background there was a point in college where I decided to never have a job again and I quit college too also. I really wanted to burn the bridges and focus on building a blogging business. Looking back I think that was a point where I should have asked for help, because as time went on I could see I started putting more and more energy into fear. I didn't have any money coming and I had racked up a pretty big student loan balance and maxed out some credit cards. I still had a little student loan money left but not enough to pay rent (even after selling everything in my apartment on craigslist) so I got kicked out of my apartment but I really didn't want to go back to my parents house, so I stayed at different hotels. I thought about living out of my car, but that eventually broke down too.

I thought that might be a stressful time, but it really wasn't. It was extremely exciting. The only time I was fearful was when I talked to people scared for me. Eventually I ran out of money to even pay for that so I moved back in with parents.

I've mostly stayed with parents for the last 9 months, but I've been staying with other relatives too just to see what effect my environment has on my growth. I actually got to stay with a family that wasn't worried about money at all for two weeks. I was suprised to see I got more done, I felt better, and I got my first direct sale on my blog with the advertiser coming to me and offering a small deal. I didn't even try and that money just came. After that I was like..geeeez...what more of a signal do I need?

Right now I'm REALLY considering just taking a bus somewhere to a different city and starting from scratch.