Today is Wednesday 1 July 2015. It’s the first day of the second half of the year. It’s the first day of the new financial year. The days have just started to get longer (I’m counting!). In July I like to reevaluate the year, reassess my goals and plan actions around changes I’ve been thinking about since January. It makes sense for me to write about this halfway point as a chance for refocussing and realignment. In that vain, this July, I’ve decided to include a detox challenge around three things: alcohol, coffee and plastic.
I am an active recycler, I’m not a big drinker and I have a coffee or two a day but I have started thinking about the impact that these substances have on my health, my finances, my productivity and my stewardship. I want to make sure that the way I use these three things aligns with my values.
This experiment is about pressing pause on three things that are constants in my life, and in which I can foresee some inconvenience by taking a break from them. I know that detoxing is good for my health and productivity. I know that I will save money and that I will be doing more to protect our beautiful earth. All of these I value highly.
What’s interesting is that I have experienced my own weakness in sticking to a resolution that, despite its alignment with my values, causes me inconvenience or discomfort. (I feel like a coffee, why shouldn’t I have one? Everyone else is having a glass of wine, so it’s easier to have one too. I don’t have time to put these leftovers into a container, so I’ll just use cling wrap.) I’ve decided it’s time to strengthen my ‘perseverence’ muscles.
So for a month, I will be going without coffee and alcohol, and reducing my use of plastic to only the recyclable kinds. In the process, I’d like to learn more about each substance and the impact I have, on myself or on the environment, by using it.
To tell you the truth, I’ve been anxious about going through with this and even more anxious about the thought of telling other people because it means a much higher level of accountability! I think that’s a good sign though. It indicates that what I’m doing will be a proper challenge that will require preseverence. Perseverence builds character and that’s what this is all about. I want to be someone who can align and realign my choices and actions with my values, and not just give in when it’s inconvenient.
Two campaigns have inspired me in creating this challenge. They might inspire you too:
Can you think of choices you make, simply out of convenience, that don’t align with your values? What’s one step you could take do to bring them back into alignment? Do you have any tips for me on practising perseverence?!
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