Continuing a challenge for a year builds a habit. You can break it down in a variety of ways. You might choose to do daily, weekly or even monthly challenges, depending on your goals.
Steps
1. One Year Challenges.
Taking a challenge that lasts an entire year can be intimidating at first. You can pick something very complicated like writing and launching a book or preparing for a marathon. You can do monthly challenges that might involve planning monthly events for a group. You may do daily challenges for an entire year. Brainstorm what challenge, theme or even daily improvements you would like to incorporate.
2. Check out some challenges.
Not sure what you want to do? Check out the supplement “Challenge Possibilities” for some general ideas or one of the themed sets of ideas. If none appeal to you, grab your favorite search engine and find something that looks interesting.
3. Enrichment Project challenge.
Spending an hour a day working on a variety of badges gives you 365 hours. For the basic version of the badges at 3 hours of time each, you can earn over 120 badges. This knowledge gives you enough to work with young children on things like creating artist trading cards or simple service projects. In case you’re asking – yes, there are that many! If you want to earn the gold version which is 40 hours or more, you can go in depth for about 9 badge programs. This level of knowledge allows you to work with any age group OR teach other adults about the subject. Look through the digital badge possibilities.
4. Open-ended items.
You may plan on improving a skill or knowledge over the long term. For that type of challenge, you may find you need to tweak it as you move through the year and learn more. Explore challenges that allow you to grow beyond what you can think of today.
5. Doing the same thing or something different.
Depending on your challenge, you might do the same thing or different things every day, week or month. For example, if you have a business, you may choose to create and launch a newsletter every month to improve your communication with your customers. It is the same thing with just the changes in content. If you’re working on training for a marathon, you’ll be working to do the same thing, just extending your time. If you want to do a “skill a day”, you can pick a theme for the month and learn different things over the month.
Of course, doing completely different things may sound more appealing. Planning for them is a lot more challenging.
6. Schedule.
You’re more likely to succeed if you plan your challenge. Scheduling is just one part. Remember, most people are more motivated in the mornings. Determine when it would be best to schedule your challenge activities.
7. Tracking your success.
Tracking your days is important. You can keep track on your calendar, use a planner or even print and mark up the tracking sheet that comes with this badge program. In addition, keeping notes on what works for you and what you struggled with. If your challenge needs tweaks over time, you can pencil in what you wish to do overall and then refine it later. What works best for you?
8. Find non-participant support.
Even if you don’t have someone doing it with you, encouragement can make a huge difference. Discuss your challenge with your friends and family and ask for their support. This is especially true of longer challenges. You can share your activities in your favorite social media channel. You can build a following of people who are seeing what you are doing.
You could even do a podcast for the duration to explain what you learn along the way. Not only will it share with others what you’re doing, but they can support you and at the end, you’ll have a verbal accounting of your journey.
9. Find a partner.
Sometimes a partner can help you complete your challenge. You have someone to discuss difficulties with, find alternatives to things you’d rather not do and more. Find a partner who is looking to do a similar challenge. In addition to scheduling time for your challenge, schedule time to meet with this person to discuss your struggles along the way.
10. Build a team.
Ask yourself how a virtual or real team might help you in determining your challenge, supporting you during the challenge and even brainstorming to make it better the next time you attempt it. In fact, you might want to add a little friendly competition to your challenge.
11. Rewards.
Often, the reward of a long-term challenge is completing it. Look beyond this. What can you do once you’ve conquered your challenge? Is there a way to do incremental “rewards” that will encourage you to continue to the end of the challenge?
12. Do it again.
After a year, look back at what you’ve accomplished. Do you want to try it again? Perhaps another challenge with different goals?
13. Challenge badge set.
The Enrichment Project has a series of digital badges featuring different timelines and challenges. The badge set for challenges includes:
- 1 Year Challenges
- 7 Day Challenges
- 12 Week Challenges
- 30 Day Challenges
- 100 Hour Challenges
- Youth Challenges
Supplement
SUPP_Chall Time_12 Month_52 Week_lrl.pdf
- Tracking: My 12 Month / 52 Week Challenge
SUPP_Chall Time_26 Week_182 Day_lrl.pdf
- Tracking: My 26 Week / 182 Day Challenge
SUPP_Chall Time_52 Week_365 Day_lrl.pdf
- Tracking: My 52 Week / 365 Day Challenge
SUPP_Chall Time_BB_40 Hour_lrl.pdf
- Tracking: My Basic Badge / 40 Hour Challenge
SUPP_Chall Time_FB_40 Hour_lrl.pdf
- Tracking: My Full Badge / 40 Hour Challenge
SUPP_Challenge Journal_lrl.pdf
- My Challenge Journal
SUPP_Challenge Poss_lrl.pdf
- Challenge Possibilities — Possibilities for Personalizing Challenges
SUPP_Challenge Supp_lrl.pdf
- Challenge Supplement — Information about the Challenge Lists
SUPP_CL_Arts_Crafts_lrl.pdf
- <em>Challenge List: Arts & Crafts
SUPP_CL_Brainstorm_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Brainstorm
SUPP_CL_Cooking_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Cooking
SUPP_CL_Disney_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Disney
SUPP_CL_Exercise_Sports_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Exercise & Sports
SUPP_CL_Gamers Video_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Video Gamers
SUPP_CL_Give Up_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Give It Up
SUPP_CL_Gratitude_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Gratitude
SUPP_CL_Inspire_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Inspire Creativity
SUPP_CL_Kindness_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Random Act of Kindness
SUPP_CL_Lettering_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Lettering & Writing
SUPP_CL_Look Inward_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Look Inward
SUPP_CL_Organization_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Organization
SUPP_CL_Read Adult_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Reading for Adults
SUPP_CL_Read Kid_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Reading for Kids
SUPP_CL_SelfImprovement_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Self-Improvement
SUPP_CL_Write Personal_lrl.pdf
- Challenge List: Write Prompts – Personal
Sites to Explore
Because of the sheer number of possible links for this badge set, I am suggesting you search your favorite search engine or social media site to find what is there. Start with “challenge” and add specifics on your choice of topic or theme.
To download a PDF of this badge program, click here: EP_1 Year Challenges_lrl
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