I did this #SeptemberJanuary Challenge last year, and I loved it so much that I carried it through until March. (Read all about the challenge here and here). Then I didn’t do it any more.
Why?
One reason is that we went on a cruise for a week, which was totally awesome, and one thing I did during that cruise was to unplug. That was REALLY awesome and SO needed.
But by unplugging, I also got out of the habit of writing at least 5 minutes a day Monday-Friday. While on the cruise, I’d think, “Oh, I should write a blog post about this, or this, or this.” You can get some great creative ideas while on a cruise. 
Then when we got home, and I was so busy getting caught up that I kept telling myself, “When _____ is done, I’ll get back to my challenge.”
But that time never came, and by then, I was totally out of the writing habit. And once you’re out of a habit, it’s really hard to get back into that habit again.
I definitely let life get in the way. I wanted to get back into that habit, but obviously, not badly enough.
And I never wrote those blog posts about this and this that I thought about on the cruise or others since then. Although I still have them on a list. Which I guess is worth something. And I have posted blogs from time to time since March. But not nearly as regularly as I was posting from September-March.
So when Jon Acuff posted about doing another #SeptemberJanuary Challenge this year, I knew I just HAD to do it. And so far, I’m 4 for 4. And it’s not like I just jumped right back into the habit and it was easy peasy. Oh no. I’ve had to seriously talk myself into writing for at least 5 minutes a day every. single. day. so far this month. Which is kinda’ crazy because I loved this challenge last year!
Habits can be frustrating. Like with a lot of things in life, we want to do something, we know we need to do something, we know the benefits of doing that something, yet…we try and talk ourselves out of doing that something and/or think of a lot of excuses (many are pretty flimsy) to not do that something.
Like last night, for example. It was late. It had been a really long—although very productive—day. And once again, I really had to talk myself into doing this challenge.
But you know what? I spent 8 minutes just typing this post.
Challenge done that day! 
Up for a challenge? While Jon’s challenge is closed for this year, start your own! What’s your top goal you want to accomplish? Take 5 minutes, or 10 minutes, or another small step towards that goal every day this month and see what happens. The key is to set that daily goal small enough that no matter what life throws at you, you can still check that daily goal off your to-do list every. single. day.
Join me? It really is amazing!
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