“Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.” – Bruce Lee, Author of Tao of Jeet Kun Do
Have you ever wondered which nutrition plan would make you look, feel, and perform your best? How about which habits would make you more productive, feel happier, and give you a better sense of well-being? Are all the mixed messages about what’s good for you confusing? Then this may help.
I’ve been into nutrition for about 10 years now. I like to listen to podcasts and follow blogs on the Paleo lifestyle because it really resonates with me. After trying it and incorporating it into my life, I have never felt better.
But I thought that my viewpoint may be a little biased. How can the Paleo community argue that their way of eating is the best when there are a myriad of other nutritional plans out there with just as many advocates. It didn’t add up, so I started to expand my knowledge. I began listening to the Rich Roll podcast. He’s an avid vegan and ultra tri-athlete (the complete opposite of Paleo). He interviews many experts on these topics.
That’s when I figured it would be better to just experiment with both and see which made me look, feel, and perform my best. Hence the birth of My21DayX (My 21 Day Experiments) – experimenting with lifestyle modification to see what makes me thrive.
I like how Leo Babauta from ZenHabits puts it –
“See decisions not as final choices, but experiments. The anxiety (and paralysis) comes when people are worried about making the perfect choice. And worried about making the wrong choice. Those are two outcomes that aren’t necessary to make a decision, because if we conduct an experiment, we’re just trying to see what happens.
With an experiment, you run a test, and see what the results are. If you don’t get good results, you can try another option, and run another test. Then you can see what the outcomes of the choices are (the info you didn’t have when first thinking about the decision), and can make a better-informed decision now.”
You can join me in each experiment or just participate in the ones you like. I can promise you that you will expand your comfort zone and experience significant growth on a personal level.
What better way to know what works for you then to try it!
Why 21 days?
Twenty-one consecutive days is a manageable amount of time to see if an experiment will make a positive change in your life. It’s long enough to make legitimate progress toward reversing years of adverse lifestyle habits but not so long to be a daunting undertaking. It is also enough time to turn the practice into a habit, making it much easier to maintain long-term. Twenty-one days is the sweet spot for eliminating old habits and replacing them with new ones.
Key to Success
In order to be successful at this, you have to want it. Find your motivation. When you find the why, it will be much easier to stick with and much more fulfilling when you accomplish it. If you slip up one day, keep going. Look at why you slipped up, how to prevent it in the future and then finish out the 21 days.
The key to success with any lifestyle modification is to change your environment – removal, elimination, and avoidance of the agents of opposition to your desired lifestyle. Craft an environment that works for you; get rid of junk food if you’re trying to eat healthy or wake up 10 minutes early to make time for meditation.
If something works for you, keep doing it; if it doesn’t, stop doing it. But don’t rule it out forever. We change over time so what may not work for you now may work later on in your life.
n=1
In any experiment, n is the sample size. Starting now, n=1 (me!) but I hope more will join and grow with me and be part of the experience. Find out what makes you a happier, healthier, and more productive person.
I’ll do the research to get everyone started but I’ll need you to share your knowledge – I can’t do this alone!
ONLY EXCEPTION: The experiment must create a positive habit (i.e. no experiments like “eat fast food for 21 days”)
21 Days of Being 100% Primal
For my kick-off experiment starting in November, I’m going 100% Primal and the whole family will be joining me.
If you’re interested in trying this Paleo-like lifestyle or just want to know more about it, check out a recent webinar I did called Intro to Paleo. View here.
TAKEAWAY: Customize your diet and lifestyle to make it sustainable for you; make it something you thrive on.
QUESTION: What are some 21 day experiments you would like to try?
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Now, I want to learn from you – share your questions, thoughts and stories!
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