You did it! Today is the last day of our very first 10 – 20 – 30 Challenge. If you’ve been with us the whole month, you have completed 20 minutes of daily positive action for the last 30 days! Woohoo!
I bet, like me, you’ve learned a thing or two throughout the month. For this challenge, I committed to working on my picture project for 20 minutes each day this month. I’ve also continued exercising 20 minutes a day everyday, alternating between running and toning exercises and I’ve made it my goal to write for 20 minutes a day. This is what I’ve discovered this month in no particular order:
1. We have three adorable children who take some darn cute pictures.
2. However, on occasion our children look so horrendous in a picture that I’ve been tempted to print it and file it in an envelope in case I need to blackmail them by threatening to show their friends during their teenage years.
3. Last year was an exceptional year of travel for me. I was in California twice, went on an Alaskan cruise, visited my grandpa in Mexico, and went on a family vacation to Arizona. Super spoiled! I haven’t been anywhere since November and I feel like I’m in travel withdrawal. Please can somebody put me on a plane?!
4. After printing 600 pictures and completing 3 photo books, I’ve decided that I prefer the photo books. They take up less space, I am more discerning in my picture selection, and I can write better captions. From now on, I’m going to do only the photo books.
5. My picture project was harder for me to commit to than the exercise. I found that I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t passionate about it like the exercise. Even after running everyday last year and now alternating that with toning and aerobics, I can’t wait to do it each morning. I never really felt that way with the pictures.
6. After 20 minutes everyday for the last month I have made lots of progress on my photos – I’m already a third of the way done!
7. Just like with the exercise, there were some days that I spent more than 20 minutes on my photos, but on the days when I only had 20 minutes, it felt great to fit it in and get it accomplished.
8. When you commit to something for 20 minutes a day and know that you are going to do it again tomorrow, it takes a lot of the stress out of getting it finished. By exercising everyday I have committed myself to keeping my body as healthy as I can. The 20 minutes a day has taken away the pressure of losing weight, getting to a certain size, or even running a certain time. 20 minutes is enough and the rest will take care of itself.
9. Finding 20 minutes 3 times a day is easier than finding an hour once a day. That being said, I would encourage you to limit your 20 minute commitments to three at the most, and when you are just starting, stick to one.
10. When you Commit2Twenty, you immediately put yourself on the right path to improving your health, your happiness, and you life! Keep going, my friends – you can do it!
What have you learned this month? Are you going to continue with your same 20 minute commitment as we flip the calendar tomorrow? Have you decided on a new twenty for the next month?
Commit2Twenty 
I’ve learned that I can “fit” 20 min of exercise into my day, no matter what! I will continue on this journey, I hope to make another 20 min goal this next month. Thank you for inspiring me!!
Yay! I finished my 30 days straight of exercising a minimum of 20 min. daily and made it 31 today. Now that the weather is decent….we hope…it will be much easier to continue.
Thanks so much for challenging and inspiring me.
Love,
Mom
I learned that I don’t read to my kids as much as I thought I did, because sometimes that 20 minutes daily of reading to them was tough to get in, but other days of course I read longer. I truly believe in life it is important to you you will make time, so instead of continuing to do 20 minutes every day, my goal is to look at quality and quantity- so I’m going with 140 minutes of reading/week- some days may be longer than others and some days their dad, grandma/grandpa, aunt, or each other need to do the reading :).
That sounds like a good plan. My whole goal with Commit2Twenty is to let people know that 20 minutes a day is enough. You don’t need more than that. I think that when it comes to reading to your kids, 140 minutes a week is a great goal. I know that around our house sometimes sleep is more important than books so we have to keep the bedtime reading to only a few minutes on nights when our kids have gotten home late from a game or practice. We too, then seem to make up for it on the nights when we have more time. Way to go on instilling the reading habit in your kiddos!