I can’t believe the TF Soft 30 is officially over!
Whilst November is usually a time where the good habits that I practice throughout the year are replaced by the start of holiday celebrations; where routine goes out the window and all days start to blur into each other as part of the build up to December; this year was different.
The TF Soft 30 challenge really helped me to create some structure, focus on my wellbeing and develop a consistent routine.
Completing any challenge is an achievement. I always find it helpful to write down my reflections at the end as it helps me to process, grow and learn from the experience.
Key benefits/learnings
1. I consider cutting out alcohol to be the biggest benefit of the challenge. Even though I’m not usually a big drinker, I do really enjoy a glass (or two...) of wine from time to time. Cutting it out completely for a month made my head feel much clearer and improved my sleep. Often, I would drink out of habit or because of the social setting. I realized that I didn’t miss it during the TF Soft 30 challenge like I thought I would. This is a learning I will definitely take with me into the holiday season.
2. I always considered myself someone who is mindful about their health and practicing good habits consistently. This challenge made me realize that I am not as consistent as I thought. That’s why I loved using the routine builder! It really helped to bring structure to each day. Using such a simple method to track daily habits really helps with consistency. I will definitely be using this tool to work on other habits on a monthly basis.
3. Whilst I am a huge fan of the Gua Sha, I never tried using for 30 days on a daily basis before. I really noticed a huge change to my face and all its benefits including relieving tension, reducing puffiness and inflammation.
4. Overall, the TF Soft 30 challenge made me feel more productive and consistent. This sense of achievement really influenced how I approached other aspects of my day. I found that I was more productive in my work because I felt more grounded having taken time out to priotize myself.
Challenges
1. The most challenging aspect for me was making sure I got everything done every day. At times, I had to remind myself that I’m doing a challenge and why I started this in the first place. This really helped me put things into perspective, as well as visualizing how great it would feel at the end once I had worked on these habits. Of course, there were some days where I just couldn’t manage every single task, but that’s ok! I would just remind myself that tomorrow is a new day, bringing a new opportunity to try again.
2. The single most challenging habit for me was the meditation element. With so many things going on in daily life, I find it hard sometimes to quiet the mind, even just for 5 minutes. It requires so little from us but sometimes that’s why it’s so hard to do. Someone once told me that “if you think you don’t have time to meditate, you don’t have time NOT to meditate”. This really helps to remember that prioritizing just a few minutes for yourself each day will really help you when approaching the rest of your day.
If I would do the challenge again, I would make sure to get my daily habits ticked off in the morning. I’m a morning person and I find it really beneficial to have a morning routine. Adding these items to my morning routine would have helped me to get everything done right away. Some people enjoy ticking things off throughout the day, but for me this always comes with the risk that other responsibilities take priority and we struggle to find extra time in the day for ourselves. I find that working on our personal habits in the morning also adds an extra boost to the day, knowing I’ve accomplished so many things for myself before starting on other things.
I would LOVE to know how you found the TF Soft 30 challenge. What did you like? What did you find the most challenging? Anything you didn’t enjoy? If you’d like to share your reflections please send these to reply@tashafranken.com.
Love, Tasha