How To Get Lasting Results From Personal Development Challenges

As someone who has supported hundreds of people through my own 21 Day Challenge, and who has completed nearly a dozen self-improvement challenges myself, there are some things I see come up time and again that I want you to be aware of.

It’s tricky because on one hand Challenges are so effective at igniting fast transformation... But on the other hand the transformation often the Challenge doesn’t do much more than offer a small blip of motivation that fades until you go back to how things used to be.

These are the 4 things you need to have a plan for so that you can lock in the growth and good habits you worked hard to earn in a Challenge.

1) Environment. When you’re in a personal development Challenge, it’s likely that you told the people in your life about it like work colleagues, family, and friends. In doing so you established boundaries that other people receive, and you invite them to support you in completing the tasks of the Challenge.

However, when the Challenge ends, so do people’s perception of their role in your growth. They don’t have the same discipline, patience, or influence on you. So if you want to keep with it you need to set up a new supportive and protective environment.

2) Clarity. When you’re in a Challenge you know exactly what’s expected of you. When the Challenge is done, especially if it was difficult, you’re likely to find a version of it that you want to continue on with.

But if you don’t clearly define what the new task is you give your brain space to negotiate, offer excuses, and make exceptions that slowly pull you off track. So be clear about what your continuation plan is so that you know exactly what you’re accountable to.

3) Accountability. Plain and simple, our behavior and choices are drastically different when we have accountability. We desperately want to escape the pain of social confrontation so we follow through on our commitments even when we don’t feel like it.

Often Challenges incorporate a version of accountability in that you need to report your progress. This creates an expectation and pressure to stay consistent. So if you leave the challenge and lose accountability, find a way to supplement it immediately.

4) Commitment. By accepting a Challenge, you made a commitment to yourself to try something new and show up different. But this means that there’s a time-frame and end-date to your new, motivated approach. So when a Challenge ends many people quickly lose motivation and they allow their mentality to rest. Your level of discipline no longer has something to live up to and strive toward.

Instead, find a new package that your new self can step up to. A new commitment that makes demands of you. A better environment, clarity of plan, and accountability have no weight if you aren’t mentally bought into what’s happening next.

Ironically, that’s my 21 Day Challenge gives you the infrastructure you need to permanently have an enriched environment, clarity of plan, accountability to your choices, and a commitment to always pursue being your best-self. Click here to check it out!