The 'complete this challenge' challenge...suitable for all!

scrooge2008

Here's an interesting bit of research. 66 days appears to be the magic number :eek:. Who's up for a 66 day Shred challenge???????

How Long Does it Take an Action to Become a Habit; 21, 28, or 66 Days?

By Kathryn Goetzke

So you start a lot of great new approaches, but they never seem to stick.

Ann Graybiel of MIT’s McGovern Institute has shown through research that neurons change their firing patterns when habits are learned, and then change them again when unlearned. However, as soon as something kicks back in the habit, they are fired back up. That is why it is so easy to pick back up negative addictions like smoking and drinking, but also why if you establish good habits but lose them, you can kick them back up much easier as well.

So how long does it take to establish habits? While the well established rule on habits is 21-28 days, the UK Health Behaviore Research Centre recently came out with research that found it took 66 days to form a habit. I would tend to agree with the latest research — if we can do something for 66 days straight, we can do it for a year, five, or thirty. 21 or 28 days seems to be just enough time to make it questionable, or make you confident but not be able to stick to it.

Different_Corner

Oooh Scrooge that's interesting reading.

Would explain why I procrastinate so easily lol !
I'm not up for the shred, but am still in awe of your determination, blood sweat and tears at doing it.

scrooge2008

Different_Corner wrote: »

Oooh Scrooge that's interesting reading.

Would explain why I procrastinate so easily lol !
I'm not up for the shred, but am still in awe of your determination, blood sweat and tears at doing it.

Hi DC,

I am always looking for an easy way to change, but I have never found one. It makes sense that it would take around 66 days rather than 28 days to establish a new habit.

When I think about it, most of my bad habits have been practiced pretty solidly for the last 25 years, so changing them in 66 days doesn't sound so bad in comparison .

scrooge2008

Good morning,

It's another beautiful day up here in Bonnie Scotland. DS and I are going on a long bike ride today and taking a picnic, so I am looking forward to that.

Plan for today - Four must do's:-

Find a place for everything in the kitchen - Joining DC in a declutter challenge.

Bike ride and picnic with DS

[STRIKE]The Shred[/STRIKE]

Finish writing up MS report for GR


Outstanding To Do List -

- Fill in licence application (5)
- Call sisters (4)
- Call Dad (3)
- Look out stuff for HBOS (2)
- Finish writing up MS for GR (1)

DH is doing a bar-b-que in the back garden this evening, so that will be nice too.

Have a great weekend everyone.

wilf55

morning all

today's list

nip to shop
put washing on
and out to dry
freeze some drinks for golf
feed everyone
got to golf with ds
this eve i plan to continue to ebay

keep going all

scrooge im sure you will have a lovely bike ride...i have memories of the very same as a child !

cha97michelle

Hello. It is a real hive of activity here today, my friend is arriving in a little while, and the house although not spotless is inviting and they will be able to get in without tripping on toys, and have a comfy seat to have a cuppa.

DH and the kids are on with demolishing the bathroom. So far it has been hard going. DH shouted me to go up with towels. The radiator valve wouldn't turn off and we lost the whole of the central heating systems worth of water out the radiator, and then some came through the kitchen ceiling. Not too bothered about anything other than it has splattered the window i cleaned only yesterday and left water marks everywhere. :cool:

I've done 2 wash loads, and been and got a food shop in as i am cooking for the old uni friends tonight. So, thought i would see where we are up to. Delete done things from yesterday and scratch off todays stuff.


Right:
DIY:
every room needs access to the radiators for thermostatic valves to be fitted
purchase a new bathroom door
purchase radiator from BILs friend - Fri night
purchase a loft ladder and hatch to meet building regulations for boiler going in the loft
paint radiator for the playroom and put back on the wall








Cleaning:

• Playroom - keep tidy, clean window and sill
• kids room - major tidy/declutter, hoover and dust, move furniture for access to radiator
• our room - tidy,declutter, hoover and dust
• bathroom - [STRIKE]complete empty cabinet and other toiletries[/STRIKE], [STRIKE]take all tiles and tongue and groove off the walls, [/STRIKE][STRIKE]remove loo roll holder and towel rail[/STRIKE], rip out airing cupboard, take all rubbish to tip 1 car load gone
• hall/landing/stairs - make sure they are all clear and hoovered before we go. Take airer down.
• living room/dining room - clear away all toys, wash windows and clean floor, get rid of ironing pile, hide ebay mountain in garage
• kitchen - empty pantry for access to gas meter while they are working, clean fridge and make sure we leave unopened milk and tea/coffee visible. clear both benches off and make sure it is all clean, clean microwave, empty off and clean 2 shelves

Social:
meet friends on Saturday, have meal at our house
take kids to see the wiggles at Sheffield City Hall Wed 23rd








Earn money:

• have ebay auctions ending on[STRIKE] Fri/Sat[/STRIKE]/Sun and Tue - make sure all purchased items are packaged so at the worst we can take with us to post while away
• unlist amazon stuff for while we are away
• take a holiday on readitswapit
• Mystery shopping - print out paperwork for 2 jobs on Sunday, do jobs, write reports. Try to get some for while we are away.

Holiday prep:

• sort out boxes of baby stuff to go to BIL and girlf, and DHs best friend.
• check what stuff i need to buy
• check what needs washing and ironing and do it
• finish packing
• remember to take something for fathers day and SILs present for her birthday - wrap presents.
• take cats to cattery for their hols - sort food, vaccination certificates, and spend some time grooming fat cat before he goes.

So coming along quite well. Our bedroom is a complete pigtip as all of the bathroom stuff had to go in there, so some rejigging will be needed before bedtime.

DH is making great progress. It would be even better if the kids would leave him to it, but that is life with kids isn't it.

scrooge2008

Well done cha97michelle.

You are sounding mighty chilled, considering water was coming through the kitchen ceiling. Great self control.

I hope you have a lovely evening tonight with your friends, what are you cooking?

cha97michelle

Strange for me as i am not normally chilled but then again, what can you do other than mop up and get on. The kitchen needs doing anyway hopefully later in the year, so i don't really care about anything other than now needing to clean it again.

Tiles all off. Ceiling down. Just the airing cupboard to demolish now. I've just sent my DH out with the kids on a tip run and to pick up our friends. I've ran the hoover round upstairs and cleaned the bath, sinl and loo again, and i think i have time for a coffee before they get here.

I'm not cooking anything too fancy. I normally try to, but these friends are really fussy eaters, so just plain old spag bol. I bought some garlic bread, and an apple pie for pudding. Good enough i think. I am not going to try and pretend i am something i am not this time. I normally get stressed and attempt a tricky recipe, and don't get to sit down much.I'm going to enjoy it today. :beer:

scrooge2008

cha97michelle wrote: »

Strange for me as i am not

I'm not cooking anything too fancy. I normally try to, but these friends are really fussy eaters, so just plain old spag bol. I bought some garlic bread, and an apple pie for pudding. Good enough i think. I am not going to try and pretend i am something i am not this time. I normally get stressed and attempt a tricky recipe, and don't get to sit down much.I'm going to enjoy it today. :beer:

It sounds delicious, and they will enjoy it all the more so, with a happy, relaxed hostess.

I have had a really chilled day today. Apart from the Shred, i've done little else, but laze about enjoying this amazing weather. I'll catch up tomorrow. :rotfl:

cha97michelle

It was lovely, and we ate early enough for the kids to join us. They were here about 5 hours, and it has been great to catch up. Some friends you don't need to see often to stay close to.

I last saw the male friend about 2 summers ago, and my female friend stopped a few days in September and is about to start travelling again for at least a year, so we had to work hard to make the meeting happen before she left. So glad we made time in this weekend when it would have been easy to say we couldn't be bothered.

We are slobbing now but i think we deserve it as tomorrow is likely to be just as busy as we need to finish the bathroom and get my mystery shops done. I guess i will also be cooking a feast at some point for fathers day.

The only thing we need do is remove all the bathroom stuff from our bed to the landing so we can get in it, and then start again with the giant rubicks puzzle tomorrow. :rotfl:One day i will have full control.