The Tri-Weekly Habit: The Unforseen Obstacle and the 10-day Hump
Now, I have no science to prove it, but I firmly believe that whenever you embark on a new 21 days of good-habit forming that some obstacle will get in your way. Something will need your attention, the weather will go insane, a big project will need your attention at work. So I wasn’t surprised when after a successful morning of yoga and writing, I woke up from a mid-afternoon nap on Saturday with what I could already tell was the beginnings of sinus cold.
Still, I managed to pull off my 20 minutes of exercise and writing in on Sunday. The unforeseen obstacle is a great asset, because it allows you to double-down on your 21-day challenges. There seriously may be no better feeling than achieving your 20 minutes, even though you feel terribly or had to surmount some other obstacle. It also allows you get creative. I might not have been able to pull off 20 minutes of prenatal yoga or walking around my hilly neighborhood yesterday, but I did get 20 minutes of kegel exercises in and my pelvic floor will thank me for it as I get further along in my pregnancy.
Another 21-day obstacle that you might want to prepare for is the 10 day hump. I call this the 10-day hump, but it’ll happen on the 10th, 11th, 12th, or 13th day. You’ll get lulled into a false sense of security and on one of these days you will just not feel like doing your 21-day challenge. The feeling will be very persuasive: you’re tired, you’re bored, you’re not in the mood. You’re already seeing results from the first 9 days, skipping one won’t hurt you. But let me tell you this, it is way more difficult to only skip one day than to actually complete your challenge on this difficult day. If you power through the hump the next day will be easier, guaranteed. But if you indulge yourself on day 10, then the desire to skip will appear again on day 11 — even stronger, then again on day 12, and day then again on day 13. Brace yourself before day 10 and prepare to power through the hump day, so that you don’t completely throw yourself off your 21-day game plan.
Next week: Beware the Big Finish
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