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2021 has arrived. Some of us are waking up early and hopping on the Peloton. Others are drinking more water or starting projects that have been collecting dust.
I'm starting the year by focusing on mindfulness It's easy to get caught up in the hectic rat race of our everyday lives, but I've designed The Mindfulness Challenge to help us slow down, enjoy the moment, and smell those proverbial roses.
What is the Mindfulness Challenge?
The Mindfulness Challenge consists of six everyday games that you can play as you commute, work, or even mosey around your house. You need to try each game at least once a day for three days in a row before moving onto the next one. For all you humanities majors, that's 18 days in a row to complete all six games.
Make sure to post pictures, videos, and updates of your progress on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
Game 1: Take a Hike
For your first three days, you need to take a hike. Let me explain.
You need to get out of the house and pretend you're on a nature walk. I don't care if you live in Bushwick or Boise. You need to walk around outdoors as if you are hiking through Yosemite.
See the sites. Take a closer look. Oooh and ahh at the marvels of the world around you.
Game 2: Take the Long-Cut Home
The next three days of The Mindfulness Challenge will be spent taking intentional detours.
Turn left instead of right. Take the scenic route. Park at Blockbuster and walk all the way to Sears.
Force yourself to spend more time on the journey. And let me know how it goes.
Game 3: Call It Like You Sees It
The next three days of The Mindfulness Challenge is all about pointing and naming.
To help you become more mindful of your surroundings, I want you to point to things you see and literally say what they are.
See a tree, a book, and a barbell?
Point, point, point, as you say, "tree, book, barbell."
It may seem silly, but it's a surefire way to take stock of your environment.
Game 4: Nope, Try Something Else
Your next three days are a little bit like aggressive meditation.
Every time you think a thought that you aren't that into, I want you to say, "Nope," and then let another thought take its place.
Thinking about your debts?
Literally say, "Nope," and then think something else.
Try it for three days and let me know how it goes.
Game 5: The Museum Game
I'm embarrassed to say it, but I don't love love love museums.
So I invented a game to help me make the most of things, even when I'm somewhere I'm not really feeling.
For three days, I want you to imagine you're a billionaire and you can literally buy anything you want. I'm talking Picassos and Lamborghinis.
To encourage you to be more mindful of your surroundings, I want you to imagine that you have to choose just one item to purchase with all those billions.
At a museum? It's really just your Target. Pick your favorite item and know why you made that choice.
This game could work on a hike, in a waiting room, in your office cubicle, or even in a literal store.
Pay more attention to where you are by pretending you could own all of it.
Game 6: Instahike
People say our phones prevent us from being mindful, but I say, let's use them to become more mindful.
Whip out that phone to go on an Instahike.
Now, if you search #instahike on Instagram, you're going to see some picture-perfect vistas and views of national parks and really hot people.
Don't let this stop you.
I don't care if you're walking to get the mail. Pretend you're like those hot people in Insta and snap at least 3 pics of the marvels of your universe.
Don't see a million-dollar view on the way to get that junk mail? Don't care. Take a close up of the light reflecting on the mailbox, a weirdly shaped pinecone, and that dead spot in the grass that kind of looks like the Virgin Mary.
Then make some funny captions, #instahike and #playyourwaysane, and post that shit despite all those hotties of Insta.
What Does it all Mean?
And 18 days later, you've completed The Mindfulness Challenge. You've played some silly games, but you've hopefully also become more mindful.
I don't think mindfulness has to mean meditation and yoga. Those things are great and all, but I love the idea of adding mindfulness into our everyday lives through play.
So play your way more mindful for the next 18 days and let me know how the process is for you on Insta, Facebook, and Twitter.