by Vickie Austin
Any 30-day challenge is a game changer, according to those who’ve taken them on. From physical challenges to new career moves, signing up for a 30-day challenge can change more than your job or physique. According to Naphtali Rosenberg, a popular YouTuber, choosing any hobby can change the way you think.
The magic of 30 days
There’s something about doing something with consistency over time that allows anything, whether it’s a hobby or a bad habit, to slip onto our lives. Thirty days is enough to solidify a habit, so why not choose something that gives you joy, like a hobby?
Here are the hobbies recommended by Rosenberg for making a radical mind shift.
Writing
Keeping a journal is often recommended by therapists to help us sort out what’s going on in our lives — and heads. Whether you’re writing a newsletter, a blog, personal essays or you’re in a 30-day journaling workshop, the act of writing can help you grow and develop your opinions.
You’ll see where thought patterns drift, and you’ll build up a vocabulary that helps you express yourself. By writing, you see the gaps in your thinking.
Walking
There’s a clear correlation, backed by science, that getting outdoors and walking clears our heads and helps our bodies. By taking on a 30-day walking challenge, you’ll notice yourself thinking in new ways. Walking encourages “ideation,” the creation of new ideas. Notice how grounded you are and the quality of your thinking after 30 days.
Take on a new skill set
Skills sets include hobbies like photography, rock climbing, learning a new computer program or playing an instrument. Learning new skills forces us to think differently, and we may see the world through new eyes. Discipline allows for improvement.
Public speaking
Want to shake up your life? Take up public speaking. Join a local group like Toastmasters, give talks at your kid’s school, talk to the YouTube camera or just record yourself. Get in front of an audience and practice your ideas. Public speaking is a great way to see what’s important to you.
Reading
This, Rosenberg says, is self-explanatory. Reading broadens our world and exposes us to others’ ideas expressed in ways that educate, move or inspire us.
Reading as a hobby can be a superpower.
Meditation
Meditation can be a superpower, too. You allow yourself to slow down, taking on the perspective of an observer. This hobby when practiced over time can lead to better physical and mental health.
Gym
Working out is simple, Rosenberg says: show up consistently, increase your repetitions or weight and you’re going to see improvement. You’ll see incremental progress over those 30 days. This will change your life in ways that affect your brain health and the way you see how you can progress toward your goals.