#3W30CHALLENGE – A reboot for the new year

In our 40s, many of us have families, own home/s, many professional achievements to talk about, relative financial security, an average health index and a mind which is getting comfortable and secure with the ecosystem. If you are in this group, CONGRATULATIONS! Your hard work, support from loved ones and some luck has brought you this far.

 

Going by Maslow’s original hierarchy of needs, you are among few humans at stage 4. This may not have been a straight, unidirectional upward journey. Many may have encountered setbacks resulting in downward shift/s and later bounced back to stage 4. It’s time now to introspect with a simple question  “how do I feel?”. 

“I feel stuck…”

“Lacking motivation…”

“Looming deadlines wear me down…”

“Not energetic enough…”

“Work is no longer challenging…”

If your answer is far from the statements mentioned above, it’s time, again, to CONGRATULATE yourself and continue with your blessed life. You need no reboot, so move on from this post and hopefully share your energy and kindness with folks around you. 

During the last few years, some of my good friends, whom I think of being successful in life, have expressed in many ways the notion of ‘hitting a wall’. Not having the thrill of dealing with scenarios they have excelled at in the past or developing an impatient temperament at home or expressing their frustrations more frequently at work. These discussions and my personal experiences led me to research this topic.

The more I dwelled, I realized how widespread it is – with very few recognizing it and actively pursuing a path for change. A very close friend of mine did the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostel in Northwest Spain. My father did the Sabrimala pilgrimage, a trek to Sannidhanam (in the state of Kerala, India) an abode to Lord Ayyappa, multiple times in his lifetime. Few other acquaintances completed the challenging Vippasana program, a 10 day silent meditation retreat. One of our neighbors did the Hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. Many pursue more physically challenging endeavors like completing a marathon or climbing Mount Everest. Kudos to all these people, because these experiences help your body & mind reboot. They were able to take a break from normal routine and invest a decent portion of their resources (time/money), but what if you can’t? Introducing #3W30CHALLENGE.

What is #3W30CHALLENGE?

Wakeup – Workout – Whole30

For 30 days.

 

Wakeup

Jolt your system by starting your day early. The definition of early is before 5AM local time. Research indicates that only 8% of Americans are in this club. Some find this routine easy and many think of it as an insane ask. If you are in the ‘insane’ camp, then this is your first challenge.

I have always been an early riser and can’t give my creative or focused best after 10PM. I am known to fall asleep in late night work calls. I vividly recall a conference call, where the organizer (my manager) had to boot everyone off his bridge, because I had begun to snore and was not responding to their pleas. On waking up, I remained quiet, trying to catch up on the discussion, only to realize I was the only one on the call. Needless to say, the next day, I had a sheepish start at work.

Benefits from the ‘Wakeup’ challenge:

• Most of the days I would wake up a few minutes before my alarm. Every time this happened, it reinforced the power of the mind. You honestly feel good beating the alarm. I thought 6 hours of sleep was good for me, however now I know that to be a fact. Every time I got 6 hours of sleep, my day started strong – on a high note. On other days, sluggishness plagued me. 
• I was looking ahead and planning not only for my next day’s schedule, but for the entire week. Mentally, I would be walking through my activities and that realization only occurred when I was in week 2. Needless to say, this got me more organized and prepared. Also, when you think of a problem or an important meeting a week ahead, it begins an iterative process, resulting in more creative and multiple point of views. 
• During the weekends, my fitness center opened at 7am and I would end up reading or writing after waking up and loved those peaceful moments. I was well rested, there was no rush and my home environment quiet. There is a certain ‘zen’ feeling to it. The only interruptions were the creaking of our wood floors or the humming of our central cooling system. 
• I was doing this challenge in Chicago during summertime and taking Bambi (our pet dog) for an early morning walk or run was simply blissful. You hear birds chirping, feel the morning mist on your skin and see other people who are also ahead of the rest of the world. To be out without the noise of vehicles and be among the first to experience that state has a calming effect for the rest of your day. 

 

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Workout

Workout for the purpose of this challenge, will be specific to each of our fitness levels. Goal is to workout for a minimum of 30 minutes with only 1 rest day in the week. Ideally, we complete this first thing in the morning, before any other commitments set in.

My routine covered weight training and aerobic exercise. Weight training targeted complementary muscle groups each week and I would choose between swimming, cycling or running for my aerobic workout. There were days when I was unable to do both and would choose between the two. 

Benefits from the ‘Workout’ challenge:

• My enthusiasm for this part of the challenge was super high, and I was eagerly looking forward to these 30 days. What I did not anticipate was the energy derived from other regulars, who also workout early in the morning. Don’t recall talking to many, but the intensity seen in their routines pushed my performance too. This may seem insignificant, but you don’t jump out of bed each day. On slow days, this focussed and high intensity energy around you gets you into the right groove.
• When you workout immediately upon waking up, you have accomplished a big goal for yourself. That feeling of having successfully completed an important task for the day was wonderful. Typically your daily family/work schedule kicks in and then you keep procrastinating your workout for later in the day. By the time you get done with work (early or late evening) and think about working out, family commitments unravel. You may also suffer from ‘guilt’ of not spending more time with family members. 
• During my graduation years, I would reach college early, workout and then attend class. Remember one of my professors lecturing the class about how some of us were burning our energy out in the morning and running low through the rest of the day. Now that is total BS. Science has attested to the link between working out and getting your endorphins flowing. These endorphins certainly help you for the rest of the day. You are able to manage stress better, you are in a good mood and have a spring in your step! 
• I do want to make a cautionary statement about taking baby steps before walking or running. It is crucial to not let our egos drive us to an injury. During this challenge, I was embarking on weight training after many years and there was no shame in working with light weights for the first two weeks. It is crucial to focus on ‘form’ and there are many tutorials available online. So please leave your ego out on this challenge.
• Chitra (my better half) always comments that I take too long to get ready when we “both” have to go out some place. A self admission, the last few weeks I have spent more time in front of mirrors admiring my body. Last evening we were all heading out for dinner and waiting in the mudroom I was admiring my triceps in the mirror. That was precisely when Yash (my 10 year old son) walks in, commenting “admiring yourself, because no one else does!!”, followed by a comical reenactment. Hah! I loved that moment, also admiring your body is definite benefit! 🙂

Whole30

The third element to this challenge is to consume only whole30 compliant food.  My last post focussed on Whole30 and its life changing impact. So here I am capturing some brief material. Please read my earlier post for more details.

https://shantatman.com/2019/09/02/whole30-welcome-energy-and-peace-back-into-your-life/

A one line answer of what to eat when on whole30; food before the farming revolution. So anything that could be hunted or fished and what could be picked/gathered from trees/plants. Quick reference table:

Why 30 days?

Actions need to be repeated to form habits. There is research suggesting it takes 21 or 28 days to form a habit. Psychologist Author – Jeremy Dean – states in his book that both these values are demonstrably incorrect. It can take us much longer to form a habit, depending on the action/activity. So if you were hoping to start tracking your daily food calorie intake, that may be possible to achieve in 21 or 28 days. However, if you want to create an early morning workout habit, it could take longer. In short, activities that are challenging for you mentally or physically, take longer to develop as a habit.

I have been recording my daily calorie intake for more than a year and now my day seems incomplete without it. This habit of mine, was not difficult to form. 

The 30 day challenge helps you develop easier good habits and encourages you to pursue more challenging ones. 

In conclusion

We are all unique, beautiful people and #3W30CHALLENGE not easy to complete. There are always excuses in life and only we can overcome them. I challenge you to this journey and no better way to start a new year. So here is wishing you and your loved ones a healthy and memorable 2020.

 

Related data points

• Waking up time research: https://www.edisonresearch.com/wake-me-up-series-2/
• Maslow’s hierarchy: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
• Camino De Santiago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_de_Santiago
• Sabarimala pilgrimage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabarimala
• Hajj pilgrimage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajj
• Changing habits: https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/02/how-long-it-takes-to-form-a-new-habit/