- Structured thinking
Our mind is buzzing with thoughts. But when we start speaking, we fail to structure them. What is needed, is a way to pace our thoughts.
That is where writing helps. Writing is the slowest form of expression. When we write, we are not just thinking about what we wish to communicate, we are also selecting the most important thought from all other thoughts.
Do it for 90-days.
- Confident speaking
We get conscious when it comes to public speaking. Even if we are confident of the content.
Record a video of yours for 90-days, on ANY topic.
Record a video of yours for 90-days, on ANY topic.
Do not share it with anyone. Review it, identify improvements and correct them the next day.
- Sugar craving
Whenever you feel like having sugar, drink a glass of water and then have sugar-free chewing gum. ( Orbit, Extra Cool Breeze, and Trident Sugar-Free Chewing Gum ) Spearmint
Water fills your stomach. Gum satiates your sugar craving. Because you are chewing it, you can't have anything else.
Water fills your stomach. Gum satiates your sugar craving. Because you are chewing it, you can't have anything else.
90 days and you won't crave sugar anymore.
- Reading
Pick up a book you wish to read, not a book that thinks you should read. And read for 10 minutes every day. for 90 days,
Do not share the name of the book with anyone the fact that you are reading it. Do it for yourself. If the book doesn't interest you, drop it and pick another one. But read every day for 10 minutes.
Do not share the name of the book with anyone the fact that you are reading it. Do it for yourself. If the book doesn't interest you, drop it and pick another one. But read every day for 10 minutes.
- Meditation
Put on a nature sound ( beach, rain, birds, etc,). sit straight ( on the floor, or a chair ). Close your eyes. And just observe your thoughts. For 10 minutes.
Don't try to stop any thought. Don't try to record any thoughts. Don't try to go deep into any thought. Just observe them, as if you were observing cars passing by on the road. You are not attached to any car. You at best observe the color, and the driver, and admire that make model. And then it's gone. And you move to the next car. 90 days, you will be changed!
Don't try to stop any thought. Don't try to record any thoughts. Don't try to go deep into any thought. Just observe them, as if you were observing cars passing by on the road. You are not attached to any car. You at best observe the color, and the driver, and admire that make model. And then it's gone. And you move to the next car. 90 days, you will be changed!
- Getting rejected
We all hate rejection. We fear it. We fear it so much, that we don't even start anything, for the fear of being rejected.
Rejection though is like a muscle. That can be built. For us to get "comfortable" with it.
Every day. for 90 days, pick up a small, immaterial harmless task where we have a high chance of getting rejected.
Asking a stranger for a favor. Sending an email. Saying Hi to a random person. Asking parents for permission.
Rejection though is like a muscle. That can be built. For us to get "comfortable" with it.
Every day. for 90 days, pick up a small, immaterial harmless task where we have a high chance of getting rejected.
Asking a stranger for a favor. Sending an email. Saying Hi to a random person. Asking parents for permission.
Then, reflect upon 3 things
- How did I feel?
- Why did I feel what I felt?
- What could I have done, be accepted instead of rejected?
Attempt the same task again, with this reflection. In 90 days, you would have a very different, meaningful relationship with rejection.
- RESISTING THE OBVIOUS
If we do what everyone does, we will end up more or less where everyone else does.
To have a shot at changing our orbit, we have to look beyond the obvious. And consider it, if not follow it.
But we are not trained to think beyond the obvious,
For 90 days, when faced with any decision, ask yourself, "What would most people in my situation do?"
To have a shot at changing our orbit, we have to look beyond the obvious. And consider it, if not follow it.
But we are not trained to think beyond the obvious,
For 90 days, when faced with any decision, ask yourself, "What would most people in my situation do?"
And then for some time, ignore that option. As if it doesn't exist. And force yourself to consider other alternatives. As crazy as they sound.
And for each of those options, ask yourself these two questions:
And for each of those options, ask yourself these two questions:
- What's the worst thing that can happen?
- What's the best thing that can happen?
This simple exercise for 90 days, will change the way you look at decisions.
- Waking up on time
If you get up at 8 AM today and wish to get up at 6 AM, it won't happen by just setting up an alarm. You might win 2-3 days, maybe even a week. Post which, your body will crave to go back to "normal".
The key is to trick the body into waking up early. Whatever time you get up today, set the alarm for 10 minutes earlier.
So 8 AM becomes 7:50 AM. Get up at 7:50 AM. No snoozing! Do that for 10 straight days.
Your Body won't even notice the difference. Again 10 minutes earlier. 10 days. 10 minutes earlier. 10 days. By the 90th day, You are waking up 1.5hrs earlier than you were.
Of course, this will only happen if your body doesn't feel sleep-deprived. So ideally, you should have slept on time as well.
"The key to asking up early is not waking up early. The key to waking up early is sleeping on time!"
- Over-thinking
Our mind is our best friend, for it has the power to imagine.
And our worst enemy, because it is trained to imagine the worst more than anything else,
Our mind focuses on possibilities. Not probabilities. Each time we step out, there is a possibility of getting hit by a bus.
But we still step out fearlessly, right? How come? Because we have told our brains, that the probability of that is low.
For 90 days, assign probabilities to EVERY POSSIBILITY your mind comes up with.
At the end of this, you would have trained your mind this tricked it, into not overpowering you with its possibilities.
Because you now know the probabilities too.
And our worst enemy, because it is trained to imagine the worst more than anything else,
Our mind focuses on possibilities. Not probabilities. Each time we step out, there is a possibility of getting hit by a bus.
But we still step out fearlessly, right? How come? Because we have told our brains, that the probability of that is low.
For 90 days, assign probabilities to EVERY POSSIBILITY your mind comes up with.
At the end of this, you would have trained your mind this tricked it, into not overpowering you with its possibilities.
Because you now know the probabilities too.
- Procrastination
Here is the simple reason we procrastinate: We think we still have time! That's it.
So the way to deal with procrastination is to realize that we do not have time.
If I ask you to clap every second, you will do a near-perfect job. If I ask you to clap every 5 seconds, you will begin to falter. If I ask you to clap every 17 seconds, you will be out of sync instantly!
The goal then is a break down every task into a "1-second clap"
For 90 days, pick a task you would otherwise procrastinate, and break it down into smaller tasks.
Really small tasks. And then estimate the time it would take you to accomplish that small task.
Add up the individual times. You will have your answer. isn't it fascinating that just 90 days can change your life if you comment on it?
Add up the individual times. You will have your answer. isn't it fascinating that just 90 days can change your life if you comment on it?
Just 3-months to a whole new mindset?
That is all it takes.
Don't pick all of them in one go.
The key is to train your mind, be patient with it, be calm with it, and keep challenging it.
If someone told you that in less than three years, you could think in a structured manner, speak confidently, reject sugar, read regularly, meditate every day, handle rejection, and think laterally. Wake up early, not overthink and not procrastinate, you would laugh at that person!
That person is me today!
Ankur warikoo shares these 90- day challenges not as an expert, but instead, as someone who has tried each one of them and has witnessed the powerful outcomes.