Get Out of Your Box Challenge

We launched several fun challenges to kickstart the year. There's no better way to encourage change than gamification since life just that - a game. A game wherein we've been given a certain amount of time to spend on this beautiful Earth, this playground, to figure out what to make of it, to create, to love, to experience, to play, to learn.

It's like living in a real-life game of Monopoly or Cash Flow. We take risks, we get our share of losses, we bounce back, we get a lucky break. Today, we're introducing the "Get Out of Your Box Challenge." Just like our other challenges, the rules are simple. In fact, there's only one. For this challenge, the rule is: Each day, do one thing you wouldn't normally do. That's it. Keep it positive, of course.

Examples:

- Have more than your usual serving of veggies.

- Skip meat.

- Add 5 minutes to your workout.

- Drink tea instead of coffee.

- If you walk 6,000 steps a day, bump it up to 6,100.

- If you usually listen to pop, try some classical.

- If you drink alcohol everyday, don't have any today.

- Don't park at your usual spot.

- Take a different route on the way home.

- Instead of watching Netflix before bed, read a book.

- Call that person you've been meaning to but feel scared to.

- Try a healthier dressing on your salad.

- Dress up differently. Skip the yoga pants and sweatshirt.

- Say yes to an invitation you'd typically decline.

- Invite someone you don't usually hang out with for lunch or coffee.

- Toss out one item that's just cluttering your space.

- Start a "To Donate" box.

- Skip dinner.

- Write a letter instead of an email to someone you love and mail it.

- Try listening more instead talking in your next conversation.

- Give someone you usually find annoying a genuine compliment.

- Be a bearer of just good news today.

- Don't complain.

- Sleep a half hour earlier than you normally do.

The possibilities are endless. Just pick one simple thing you'd do differently today. And do it again tomorrow and the day after. It can be one thing today and something else tomorrow. Be flexible. Remember, it's a game. The goal is to step outside of your comfort zone. To get out of the box that is you. Because there's so many awesome things to discover outside of what you're used to. It's a simple and fun way to avoid going stale and responding the next time you're asked "How are you?" with "Same old, same old."

Each day presents an opportunity to try new things and experience the world a little differently. You can bust out of the "sameness" of your life and live in a world that's different, that's fun, that's possibly better, that poses unlimited opportunities simply because you said "Yes!" when you'd normally say no.

Use hashtag #getoutofyourbox when you share what you're doing differently today. Someone else might want to try it!

Marge