Maybe your year is already mapped out and you can't change it. Some of you might think that’s too long – or maybe that it’s too difficult.
How about a 30-day idea?
I have talked with clients about this before and it's an idea that was featured on Ted Talk many years ago (see the link and 3-minute video here - https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare)
The speaker, Matthew Cutts, has this idea of doing one thing, every day for 30 days. Then, at the end of 30 days, pick something else.
For example, he made a point of walking 10,000 steps per day for 30 days. He took pictures outside for 30 days. He quit sugar for…you guessed it, 30 days.
What is the result of 30-day activities? Matthew says that the days and months were more memorable. And he helped himself learn new things that he would never have spent time doing otherwise.
We have done this in our house and with my family. What did we do?
I taught the kids how to play poker and we made a point of playing poker each night. The result? They know how to play poker (kind of a life skill, IMO) and they have never forgotten the month they spent playing poker.
What else did we do?
We tried a new flavor of ice cream each night for 30 days. How? I went to Baskin and Robbins each week, purchased seven kids scoops of a different flavor and then we tried ice cream after every dinner.
The result? We all found a new ice cream that we enjoyed. And each of us remembers the month that we had ice cream every night.
We also tried nuts for 30 days. A friend taught his kids to do handstands. Another friend journaled every day. A colleague tried making a new meal for her family each night.
Are they always successful and do it for the whole 30 days? No.
But it's fun to do it. It's memorable. You might learn something. And it's easy.
Give it a try…. list something in the comments that you will do for 30 days and report back to us.
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Alex Bishop, CRPC®, MS, is a Private Wealth Advisor and Franchise Owner with Bishop Financial Partners, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC in Huntersville, NC. He specializes in fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for 22 years. To contact him, www.ameripriseadvisors.com/alex.h.bishop, 704.896.9985.
The views expressed here reflect the views of Alex Bishop as of March 7, 2023.These views may change as market or other conditions change. Actual investments or investment decisions made by Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, whether for its own account or on behalf of clients, will not necessarily reflect the views expressed. This information is not intended to provide investment advice and does not account for individual investor circumstances.
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