Challenges Healthy habits. Better Business.
ComingSoon Anticipate today
The Coming Soon Challenge invites you to write something down you’re anticipating in the next 24 hours, for the next 30 days. If you don’t have anything you’re looking forward to, adjust your schedule and plan to do something you will enjoy. Anticipating something you’re looking forward to can be just as satisfying as experiencing it.
Purpose
Monthly Challenges PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL
DailyPlan Plan your day
Focus5
Identify your top priorities
The Daily Plan Challenge invites you to take a few minutes each day to plan your day for 30 days. Planning your day helps you get the most important things done, giving you a sense of accomplishment and making you feel more in control. PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL
The Focus 5 Challenge invites you to list the top 25 things you want to do—and then reduce the list to only five. Dreaming up your big list of all 25 is vital to this challenge. Keep the five items that you want to accomplish the most where you can read them often. PURPOSE | OCCUPATIONAL
GiftList
Ask 10 people what you're good at
The Gift List Challenge invites you to compile a list of your talents or gifts by asking 10 people what they think you’re good at and then put their responses into a single list. It’s that simple. Don’t be shy. Your friends and family will be more than willing to help you out. PURPOSE | SOCIAL
Say it’s going to be a great day
LookForward Write about an anticipated event
PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL | OCCUPATIONAL
The Look Forward Challenge invites you to write down one thought a day about an anticipated event for the next 30 days. Write down your thoughts in your journal or on your computer. Your daily entry can be about anything you are anticipating. PURPOSE
MissionReady
Read your mission statement out loud
The Mission Ready Challenge invites you to say your mission statement out loud each day. Post it where you’ll see it every day and read it out loud. Vocalizing your mission statement every day will remind you of your purpose. PURPOSE
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
GreatDay
The Great Day Challenge invites you to say out loud, “It’s going to be a great day!” once a day for the next 30 days, preferably first thing in the morning. Stop reading right now and try this out loud. The immediate feeling of exhilaration and hope it creates is amazing.
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MountRushmore Write about 4 people you respect
The Mount Rushmore Challenge invites you to write about the four most influential people in your life. Write about each person, stating why you respect them and what attributes they have that you’d like to have. The point is to better understand who you’d like to become. PURPOSE | SOCIAL
PictureIt
Visualize for 150 minutes
The Picture It Challenge invites you to practice the technique of visualization for 150 minutes over the next 30 days (an average of 5 min/day). Find a comfortable place. Then picture yourself doing something you wish you could do or that you’d like to do better. PURPOSE
PrayerList
Write down what you are praying for
The Prayer List Challenge invites you to compile a list of things you’d like to pray for—and use it as you pray for the next 30 days. List things you are grateful for, things you’d like to change, people and their specific needs, troubling situations, and areas in your life where you need additional support. PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
RememberMe Spend 300 minutes writing a memoir
The Remember Me Challenge invites you to spend 300 minutes over the next 30 days writing an autobiography. Start with your earliest memories or write about your most recent experiences first. You can always make changes as you go, so don’t worry about making it perfect. PURPOSE
Reflect for 300 minutes
TopPriority Create a daily to-do list
TrueNorth Ponder your purpose
PURPOSE
The Top Priority Challenge invites you to create a to-do list each morning and use it throughout the day. Write down everything you want to get done for the day. You might not finish everything on your list, but you can use what’s left as a starting point for the following day. PURPOSE
| OCCUPATIONAL
The True North Challenge invites you to spend a few minutes each day for the next 30 days thinking about your purpose in life. Simply ponder your personal mission statement each day, thinking about how you can apply the principles to the situations you are facing in life. PURPOSE
WriteIt
Journal for 20 days
The Write It Challenge invites you to keep a journal for 20 days during the next 30 days. It doesn’t matter if you use a computer or paper and pen. You can write for as little or as long as you’d like. The goal is to see what journaling can do for you. Don’t worry about grammar or punctuation. PURPOSE
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
StopThink
The Stop Think Challenge invites you to spend 300 minutes reflecting during the next 30 days (10 min/day). You pick how you would like to reflect on your life. You can meditate, pray, ponder, plan, journal, write letters, blog, play the piano, walk, or spend time in nature.
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Say “thank you” 100 times
EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
40Day
Give up something for 40 days
5Stars
Praise 3 local businesses online
Emotional
100Thanks
The 100 Thanks Challenge invites you to say “thank you” 100 times over the next 30 days (about 3 times/day). The goal of this challenge is to train your mind to look for things that you are thankful for, ultimately becoming aware of all the good in your life.
The 40 Day Challenge invites you to give up something for 40 out of the next 45 days—you get five exception days. The best part of this challenge is that you get to pick what you will give up. Choose something you may want to cut back on long-term. EMOTIONAL
The 5 Stars Challenge invites you to write a positive post online for three local businesses. Be specific about what you like about them. Not only will you be helping out the business you review, you’ll be helping other patrons. EMOTIONAL
AcceptIt
Let go of what annoys you
The Accept It Challenge invites you to write down something about someone who annoys you and decide to let that thing go—do this each day for 30 days. Write down the name of the person and what annoys you. Then pause for a moment and tell yourself to overlook whatever that is—and instead focus on the good qualities in that person. EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
AromaTherapy 15 aromatherapy sessions
BackBite
Don't speak badly about others
The Aroma Therapy Challenge invites you to use aromatherapy 15 times in the next 30 days to help you relax. Aromatherapy is the practice of inhaling the aroma of natural oils extracted from various plants, which can benefit both the body and the mind. EMOTIONAL | PHYSICAL
The Back Bite Challenge invites you to not say anything unkind about other people, whether they are present or not, for the next 30 days. You won’t be perfect at this. The important thing is to try each day and eventually you’ll break the habit of talking badly about other people.
BeGrateful
List 90 things you’re thankful for
BePositive No complaining
The Be Grateful Challenge invites you to write down three things you are grateful for each day for 30 days. By the end of the challenge, you will have a list of 90 different things that you are thankful for. EMOTIONAL
The Be Positive Challenge invites you to stop complaining for 30 days. Negativity and constant complaining can not only drag you down a dark road, but it can infectiously do the same to those around you. EMOTIONAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
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BreatheDeep 40 breathing sessions
CandleLight Burn candles
ChillPill
Relax for 500 minutes
The Breathe Deep Challenge invites you to slow down and breathe deeply twice a day, five days a week, for the next four weeks. Focused breathing can help you become calm when you feel anxiety, like right before a job interview or giving a presentation. EMOTIONAL
The Candle Light Challenge invites you to burn candles each day for 30 days. You can burn a single candle or various arrangements any time of the day. If you forget one day, burn the candles a little longer the next day. EMOTIONAL
The Chill Pill Challenge invites you to relax for 500 minutes during the next month (17 minutes a day). Do something you enjoy, something that is not part of your daily routine. Track how many minutes you relax each day. To complete the challenge, track 500 minutes or more. EMOTIONAL
CleanDesk Declutter your desk
ColorfulLife Color for 300 minutes
The Clean Desk Challenge invites you to clean off your desk 5 days a week for the next four weeks. A clean workspace will free your mind to be more creative, allowing you to start each day with a clean canvas. EMOTIONAL
The Colorful Life Challenge invites you to spend about 10 minutes a day coloring for the next 30 days, totaling 300 minutes. Coloring has been proven to reduce stress, increase focus, and put you in a state of consciousness like meditation. EMOTIONAL
CreateIt
Express yourself for 500 minutes
The Create It Challenge invites you to spend 500 minutes creating something during the next 30 days (17 min/day). Play music, write, dance, draw, garden—even organize a room or tackle a do-it-yourself home repair. Being creative stimulates your mind, giving you a sense of identity and accomplishment.
DoOver
Relive something in your mind
The Do Over Challenge invites you to ponder your day, then write down at least one thing you wish you had done differently—noting specifically what you should have done instead—for the next 30 days. This challenge can help you pinpoint where and how you need to change so you can be the person you want to be. EMOTIONAL | OCCUPATIONAL
DoubleDare Try 2 new things
The Double Dare Challenge invites you to try two new things during the next 30 days. Try a new food, like octopus. Go to the opera. Volunteer at a shelter. Go rock climbing. Change your hairstyle. Write a letter to your senator. Sing at an open mic night. EMOTIONAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
EMOTIONAL | OCCUPATIONAL
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EnjoyLife Do something you enjoy
ExcuseMe No negative self-talk
ExcuseYou No blaming
The Enjoy Life Challenge invites you to do something you enjoy each day for the next 30 days. First, pinpoint what you truly enjoy doing, then, choose a time in your day to make that happen. The amount of time you spend doing what you enjoy is up to you. EMOTIONAL
The Excuse Me Challenge invites you to not say anything negative about yourself for 30 days. If you catch yourself doing that, quickly say something positive about yourself and go forward from there. EMOTIONAL
The Excuse You Challenge invites you to stop blaming others for the next 30 days. Often it takes the form of explaining why you are frustrated, upset, late, unhappy, or some other negative consequence. Eventually, you’ll stop blaming people in your mind too, and feel a sense of liberation knowing that you are in control. EMOTIONAL
ExpressThanks 20 thank you notes
The Express Thanks Challenge invites you to write 20 handwritten thank you notes within the next 30 days—an average of five per week— pushing you to thank people you might not normally thank. This may seem old fashioned, but a handwritten thank you note can express appreciation more fully than by text, email, or even face to face. EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
FlowerPower Keep flowers on your table
The Flower Power Challenge invites you to beautify your surroundings by keeping fresh flowers on your table at home or your desk at work for 30 days. Pick up flowers from a local florist, grocery store, or even from your backyard. The cost can be surprisingly reasonable. EMOTIONAL
GoFetch
Play with your pet 20 times
The Go Fetch Challenge invites you to play with your pet 20 times in the next 30 days. The goal is to set aside some time to spend with your pet—without your usual distractions—and simply enjoy your time together. If you don’t have a pet, offer to walk a neighbor’s dog, feed a friend’s cat, or just spend some time observing animals in nature.
GoodDeed
30 random acts of kindness
The Good Deed Challenge invites you to do 30 random acts of kindness over the next 30 days. Hold the door for someone, do the dishes, give up your seat on the bus or train, or pay someone a compliment. There are always opportunities to help others, and it’s often the small things that have the greatest impact on others. EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
GoodReception No television
The Good Reception Challenge invites you to limit TV watching. For the full experience, turn off your TV for 30 consecutive days. If that’s too extreme for you, limit your TV viewing to a single program or a certain length of time. EMOTIONAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
EMOTIONAL
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GreatStart Make your bed
The Great Start Challenge invites you to begin your day with a success—making your bed—for 25 out of the next 30 days. There’s no need to go crazy and achieve military bed-making standards. Fluff your pillows, pull up your sheets and bedspread, and tuck in any loose ends. EMOTIONAL
HelpingHand Serve others for 300 minutes
IChoose Never say "I have to"
I’mOkay
List 30 good things about yourself
InspireMe Learn from others
The Helping Hand Challenge invites you to look for opportunities to serve others for at least 300 minutes in the next 30 days (an average of 1 hour and 15 min/week). Most of us would love to serve others more often. EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
The I Choose Challenge invites you to refrain from saying, “I have to” and replace it with “I get to.” Realizing that you “get to” do something can help you view the situation with more positivity and gratitude. If you catch yourself saying “I have to,” just say it again with, “I get to.” EMOTIONAL | OCCUPATIONAL | PURPOSE
The I’m Okay Challenge invites you to give a compliment to the one who deserves it the most—yourself! For the next 30 days, write down one good thing about yourself every day. You are your biggest critic. Send yourself positive messages instead. EMOTIONAL
The Inspire Me Challenge invites you to write down one thing someone did that day that inspired you each day for 30 days. It could be anything—how they responded in a tough situation, the way they made you and everyone around them feel important, or how patient they were—that makes you reflect and want to be better. EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
KindWords Don’t criticize
The Kind Words Challenge invites you to only say kind words about other people for 30 days. It always feels uplifting to say something nice to another person, yet we often find ourselves doing just the opposite when we dwell on others’ weaknesses.
LOL
Laugh out loud daily
The LOL Challenge invites you to literally laugh out loud at least once a day for the next 30 days. Place yourself in an environment that promotes laughter. Listen to a funny morning show on the radio. Hang out with a friend who always makes you laugh. EMOTIONAL
LookingGood Dress for success
The Looking Good Challenge invites you to dress nicer than you normally would for 20 out of the next 30 days. You get to decide what “nicer” means. You don’t have to buy a new wardrobe to dress nicer. Look at what you have in your closet and see what outfits you can come up with. EMOTIONAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
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LoveMachine Project love
The Love Machine Challenge invites you to spend five minutes or more each day projecting love for the next 30 days. To project love, spend time thinking about (or even writing about) those in your life who you are grateful for—pondering the specific reasons you have love for them and the specific ways they’ve shown love to you. EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
LuckyDuck List 30 fortunate events
MeditationMaster Meditate for 150 minutes
The Lucky Duck Challenge invites you to recognize how lucky you are by listing one fortunate thing that happens to you each day for 30 days. Identify something that shows how you were in the right place at the right time. Big or small—anything positive qualifies. EMOTIONAL
The Meditation Master Challenge invites you to meditate a total of 150 minutes during the next 30 days (just 5 min/day). Meditation will help you become more present, grateful, and aware. It can make some of your worst physical and mental problems literally evaporate. EMOTIONAL | PURPOSE
MouthWash No swearing
MyWord Keep 30 commitments
NiceJob List the good in others
The Mouth Wash Challenge invites you to not use any swear words for the next 30 days. If you slip up, just restate your sentence without the swear word and call it good. EMOTIONAL
The My Word Challenge invites you to follow through on 30 promises you make to yourself in the next 30 days. Each morning, think of one thing you want to do that day and promise yourself that you’ll do it. Then do it! It’s that simple. EMOTIONAL
The Nice Job Challenge invites you to write down three things each day that you like about other people. Simply write down a name and something you like about that person. By the end of the month, you will have a list of 90 positive, uplifting things that you have noticed about those around you.
NoSnoozing
Don't press snooze on your alarm clock
PlayTime Play for 300 minutes
The No Snoozing Challenge invites you to get up right away when your alarm clock rings instead of pressing the snooze button. If you know you need to sleep longer, set your alarm for later—and then get up right away when it rings. EMOTIONAL | PHYSICAL | OCCUPATIONAL
The Play Time Challenge invites you to play for 300 minutes over the next 30 days. Playing is important no matter what age you are. It exercises your mind and body and provides an opportunity to be creative. Playing creates an environment where we can socialize in a natural, unique way. EMOTIONAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
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RealWorld No social media
The Real World Challenge invites you to take a break from social media for 30 days. That’s right, no Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and the like for 30 days—a real challenge! Texts and email are still fine during the challenge, as well as LinkedIn, since it’s often work related. EMOTIONAL
ReRoute
Take 10 different routes to work
RockStar Sing daily
The Re Route Challenge invites you to take 10 different routes to work in the next 30 days. The purpose of taking different routes is to stimulate your mind by introducing the unexpected to your day. EMOTIONAL
The Rock Star Challenge invites you to sing for five minutes or more every day over the next 30 days. Singing is a natural antidepressant and it strengthens your immune system, increases your lung capacity, and brightens your day. If you miss a day, no worries—just sing for twice as long the next day. EMOTIONAL
Find the good in the bad
TidyUp
Declutter for 300 minutes
TreeHugger Enjoy nature for 300 minutes
WalkingZone Meditate while you walk
EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL | OCCUPATIONAL
The Tidy Up Challenge invites you to spend 300 minutes decluttering your life (about 10 min/day). Tidy up your desk. Clean out a drawer. Get rid of clothes you don’t wear. Organize the files on your computer. EMOTIONAL
The Tree Hugger Challenge invites you to enjoy nature for 300 minutes over the next 30 days—about 10 minutes per day. Choose something you enjoy doing. Enjoy lunch on a park bench or take a hike on a walking trail. EMOTIONAL
The Walking Zone Challenge invites you to meditate as you walk each day for the next 30 days. After you find a steady pace, focus on your breath, the sound of your steps, or an object in the distance. Explore other sensations you are experiencing, like how you feel, and what you see, smell, or hear. Try to do this for five minutes a day. EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
WireLess
Take a break from your phone
The Wire Less Challenge invites you to take a one-hour break from your mobile phone each day for the next 30 days. Find a time during the day that you don’t necessarily need your phone—then turn it off or leave it behind for at least an hour. EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
SilverLining
The Silver Lining Challenge invites you to find something good in one negative situation each day for the next 30 days. When you encounter misfortune, write it down—then identify how that misfortune could possibly be a good thing.
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WorryWart Let go of your fears
YouRock 30 sincere compliments
The Worry Wart Challenge invites you to list one thing you are worried about each day for the next 30 days—and then let go of it. Recognize that you have little to no control over your worries. Once you’ve written your worry down, crumple it up and get rid of it. EMOTIONAL
The You Rock Challenge invites you to give 30 sincere compliments to different people during the next 30 days. Sure, you could sincerely tell a bunch of people that they look nice, but instead, challenge yourself to think of something really meaningful to say to each person.
5Questions
30 question-based conversations
The 5 Questions Challenge invites you to ask five or more questions of someone each day for the next 30 days. Whether you’re the type of person that can carry a conversation or the type that does more listening, asking questions can improve the depth of your conversations.
Social
EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
SOCIAL
BeFriend
Do 5 things with a friend
BeThere
Put your cell phone away
The Be Friend Challenge invites you to do 12 things with a friend in the next 30 days. You can choose whether you’d like to do all 12 with one friend or split the experiences among several friends. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
The Be There Challenge invites you to put your cell phone away when you’re with other people for 30 days. The idea is to focus on people when you’re with people—your cell phone can wait. Don’t miss out on one of the most enjoyable parts of life—interpersonal relationships. SOCIAL
BestThing
Help others focus on the positive
The Best Thing Challenge invites you to ask one person a day about a “best thing” for 30 days. An example is, “What was the best thing about your weekend?” Try to ask as many different people as you can, but if you ask the same person more than once during the challenge, that’s fine. If you miss a day, catch up by asking two people the next day.
BodyLanguage Touch your partner
The Body Language Challenge invites you to touch your partner in a respectful, loving way at least once a day. Give a hug, hold hands, or simply sit close enough that your hips or shoulders touch.The touch doesn’t need to be long, but make it significant enough to feel a connection with your partner. SOCIAL | PHYSICAL
Connect40 40 conversations
The Connect 40 Challenge invites you to have 40 meaningful conversations with different people in 30 days. Call an old friend. Talk to your neighbor. Strike up a conversation with a stranger. Phone your mom or a grandparent. Having strong social ties can help you live a longer, healthier life. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
SOCIAL
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DCompose Compost for 30 days
The D Compose Challenge invites you to compost your organic waste for the next 30 days. Composting can dramatically reduce the amount of trash we put in our landfills. The process of composting releases fewer harmful gases into the environment than if the organic material were to decompose in a landfill. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
DinnerTalk No phones at dinner
The Dinner Talk Challenge invites you to eat dinner without your phone for the next 30 days. With no phone around to distract you, practice your mindfulness skills: savor your food, enjoy your conversation or your solitude, and survey your surroundings. SOCIAL
EarthBound Don't brag
The Earth Bound Challenge invites you to not brag to others about all the good things you do—for the next 30 days. If you’d like to push this challenge a little further, whenever you feel the urge to promote yourself, you could compliment the person you’re talking with instead. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
FamilyNight 4 evenings with your family
The Family Night Challenge invites you to spend time with your family four evenings in the next 30 days. It’s easiest if you choose the same night each week; a night when everyone is free. Keep it simple. Enjoy dinner together as a family, watch a fun movie, whip up a favorite treat to eat, play games, or just sit around and talk. SOCIAL
FamilyTies
Spend 300 minutes with family
The Family Ties Challenge invites you to spend 300 minutes with family (or close friends) over the next 30 days. What you do doesn’t matter, just do it together. Eat together, play together, cook together, or work together. If you don’t have any family around, spend the time with your friends. SOCIAL
Talk with 7 relatives
FlipSide
List the good in others
SOCIAL
The Flip Side Challenge invites you to write down one good thing about someone who annoys you—each day for the next 30 days. Think of a person who does things that bother you or just doesn’t do things like you would. Then find a time each day to write down the person’s name and something good about that person. SOCIAL | OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL
FreshlySqueezed Hug someone daily
The Freshly Squeezed Challenge invites you to hug one person each day for the next 30 days. It doesn’t matter if you hug the same person each day or 30 different people, just hug someone each day. When you hug someone, oxytocin—known as the bliss hormone—is released and helps us feel less stressed and happier. SOCIAL | PHYSICAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
FamilyTree
The Family Tree Challenge invites you to reach out to seven relatives and have a conversation with each one over the next 30 days. You can reach out to immediate family or distant relatives, but you should choose people that you don’t normally talk to on a day-to-day basis.
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GameNight Play group games
Give30 Give daily
GoodConnection Talk with your partner daily
The Game Night Challenge invites you to play games with your friends or family four times in the next 30 days. You get to choose the game, who you will play with, and where you will meet. You can play cards, board games, video games, bowling, golf, or any other kind of game. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
The Give 30 Challenge invites you to give daily for the next 30 days. You can give a physical gift or the gift of service to others or to the earth. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
The Good Connection Challenge invites you to speak with your partner daily. There’s no time requirement for how long you should talk. The purpose of the daily check-in is to increase communication between the two of you—hopefully strengthening your relationship. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
GoodIntro
Give 5 high-quality introductions
The Good Intro Challenge invites you to give a good, thorough introduction for five people who you know. You can introduce anyone you know to someone else. When you introduce the person you know, share interesting facts—point out some of their strengths, and express appreciation for them. SOCIAL
GratitudePartner Exchange gratitude notes
The Gratitude Partner Challenge invites you to have an exchange with your partner, sharing one reason you’re grateful for each other, each day for the next 30 days. If you don’t have a significant other, do this with a family member or a close friend. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
GreatJob
Write 10 LinkedIn recommendations
The Great Job Challenge invites you to write 10 LinkedIn recommendations over the next 30 days. Browse your LinkedIn contacts for people you feel positively about and write a recommendation for 10 of them.
HardQuestion Ask thought-provoking questions
The Hard Question Challenge invites you to ask one person a day a thought-provoking question for the next 30 days. The intent of the thought-provoking question is to get the other person to think for a bit, then share their thoughts with you so you can grow your relationship. SOCIAL | OCCUPATIONAL
HeartFelt
Tell 20 people why you appreciate them
The Heart Felt Challenge invites you to tell 20 different people why you appreciate them over the next 30 days. This is actually harder than it sounds. First you need to reflect on why you appreciate someone, then you need to actually tell that person—which may feel a bit awkward. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
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HelpMe Ask 5 people for help
HighsNLows Discuss your day as a family
LitterBug
Keep your neighborhood clean
LunchBuddy 8 lunches with others
The Help Me Challenge invites you to ask five people for help in the next 30 days. Receiving help may enable us to do something we wouldn’t be able to do otherwise. More importantly, by accepting help from others, we allow others to experience the joy of serving. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
The Highs N Lows Challenge invites you to discuss your day as a family for 20 out of the next 30 days. Here’s how it works: Each person takes a turn sharing the best thing (their “high”) and the worst thing (their “low”) that happened that day. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
The Litter Bug Challenge invites you to make the world a cleaner place by picking up one piece of trash for 21 out of the next 30 days. The goal is to make it a habit, not just a one-time major cleanup day. Every little bit makes a difference. SOCIAL | PHYSICAL | EMOTIONAL
The Lunch Buddy Challenge invites you to enjoy ten lunches with ten different people in the next 30 days (about 2 lunches/week). You can bring your own lunch or dine out. Invite anyone you’d like. Call an old friend. Grab your boss or co-worker. Take out the new employee. Go out as a group. SOCIAL
Ask how you can help
MovieClub Talk about a movie
NewAcquaintance Meet 4 new people
NightOut Go out 4 times
SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
The Movie Club Challenge invites you to see a movie with friends or family members and then talk about it. Think of it like a book club, only you watch a movie instead of reading a book. SOCIAL
The New Acquaintance Challenge invites you to meet four new people during the next 30 days. This will be easy for some and a true challenge for others, but everyone will benefit, including the people you meet. SOCIAL
The Night Out Challenge invites you to go out with your friends and/or significant other four times in the next 30 days, or once a week. Technically you don’t have to go out. The important thing is getting together with others because socializing and relaxing have tremendous health benefits. SOCIAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
MayI
The May I Challenge invites you to ask one person each day for the next 30 days if you can help them. Think of the question as a conversation ender. When you’re wrapping up a conversation, just ask, “Is there anything I can do to help you?”
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PaperLess Avoid using paper
PayBack
Pay for the person behind you
PenPal Write 4 letters
The Paper Less Challenge invites you to minimize the amount of paper you use for the next 30 days. Instead of printing documents, read them on your computer. Take notes electronically. Keep your todo list on your phone or computer. SOCIAL | OCCUPATIONAL
The Pay Back Challenge invites you to pay for the person behind you twice in the next 30 days. You can do this when you’re in line for coffee, at a drive-thru, or even at a toll booth. You could also pay for the next drink in a vending machine. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
The Pen Pal Challenge invites you to write and send four letters in the next 30 days via regular mail. Writing your letter by hand is optimal, but if you must type it, be sure to add your signature at the end after you’ve printed it. (Email isn’t allowed for this challenge.) SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
PlayNice No teasing
PositiveIntent Give others the benefit of the doubt
The Play Nice Challenge invites you to not tease anyone for 30 days. Remember when your parents told you that it isn’t nice to tease? Well, it’s still true. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
The Positive Intent Challenge invites you to write down one thing someone did that bothers you and a possible valid reason for why they did it—once a day for the next 30 days. Even if you don’t feel bothered or upset, you can choose a situation where you viewed a person as being selfish or negative. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
Send a positive text message
SayMore Build up others' ideas
Secret007 Do 7 things for someone
SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
The Say More Challenge invites you to help others develop their thoughts in 10 different conversations over the next 30 days. Asking questions is a great way to encourage this. SOCIAL
The Secret 007 Challenge invites you to do seven nice things for another person in the next 30 days without them knowing it. Big or little, noticeable or not, it will make a difference for both of you. SOCIAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
RippleEffect
The Ripple Effect Challenge invites you to send one positive text message each day for the next 30 days. It doesn’t matter who you send it to, just make sure the message you write is uplifting. If you miss a day, send two the next day.
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ServeNProtect Thank 3 public servants
The Serve N Protect Challenge invites you to thank three public servants. All you have to do is find three different people who work in civil service and thank them for what they do. Although this may be out of your comfort zone, you will see how much joy a simple thank you can bring. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
ShoppingBag Use a reusable bag 6 times
ShoutOut 30 public compliments
SkinDeep
Don't comment on appearance
The Shopping Bag Challenge invites you to use a reusable bag at least six times over the next 30 days. If you don’t want to purchase reusable bags, you can reuse disposable bags instead for this challenge. SOCIAL
The Shout Out Challenge invites you to compliment 30 people in front of others over the next 30 days. Make sure your compliments are genuine—otherwise, it’s best to say nothing. SOCIAL | OCCUPATIONAL
The Skin Deep Challenge invites you to not comment on anyone’s appearance for 30 days. The goal here is to compliment someone on something that’s deeper than how they look, like how thoughtful, generous, or smart they are. If you slip up and comment on someone’s appearance, add a deeper compliment to make up for it. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
SmallFavor Help 5 people for 5 minutes
The Small Favor Challenge invites you to help five people for five minutes each in the next 30 days. The idea is to get in the practice of always looking for small and simple ways to help other people. We are all busy, but we can all find five minutes to help another person. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
Make 60 people smile
TakeOne
Use a single disposable
SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
The Take One Challenge invites you to use a single disposable napkin when dining and a single paper towel when drying your hands in the washroom. If you end up needing more, just take one at a time as you need them instead of a bunch that you may never need. SOCIAL
UnBirthday Give 5 gifts
The Un Birthday Challenge invites you to give an unexpected gift to five different people over the next 30 days. Gifts for birthdays or other occasions don’t count for this challenge. This way the recipient will know that the gift is from your heart, not from a sense of obligation. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
SmileBig
The Smile Big challenge invites you to get 60 different people to smile in the next 30 days (two people per day). That’s right—60 different people, so you have to be constantly on the lookout for someone new to entice to smile.
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VideoCall Have 5 video calls
WasteNot Avoid disposables
You'reRight Do not counter others' ideas
The Video Call Challenge invites you to have five video calls in the next 30 days. The calls can be remote meetings for work or leisure calls to your friends and family. There’s no time limit for the calls. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
The Waste Not Challenge invites you to count how many disposable items you use in the next 30 days to make you more aware of how many disposables you use each day. SOCIAL
The You’re Right Challenge invites you to simply accept others’ ideas instead of countering them for the next 30 days. Your goal here is to stop the cycle of dissent and just take in what other people say. If you don’t agree, say nothing. If you do, nod your head or tell them you agree. SOCIAL | OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL
Don't interrupt others
1,000Strong 1,000 reps - 30 days
SOCIAL | OCCUPATIONAL
The 1,000 Strong Challenge invites you to complete 1,000 reps of one strength exercise in one month. Pick an exercise that is a challenge for you: push-ups, squats, lunges, planks (1 rep = 1 second), walking, or running (1 rep = 1 minute).
Physical
ZipIt
The Zip It Challenge invites you to not interrupt others for 30 days. All you have to do is not say anything while others are talking. If you’re like most people, this will be a difficult challenge and you will slip up. As long as you are trying, you can count your efforts.
PHYSICAL
Eat three meals a day
AfterMath
Track how food makes you feel
PHYSICAL
The After Math Challenge invites you to write down what you eat and how it makes you feel each day for the next 30 days. You can eat whatever you want, as often as you want—just log it and how it makes you feel. PHYSICAL
Air1,000
Exercise outside for 1,000 minutes
The Air 1,000 Challenge invites you to exercise outside for 1,000 minutes in one month. Go for a run. Take a hike. Garden. Get some fresh air. While exercising outdoors can increase your energy level and help you feel more alive and refreshed, nature also has a calming effect. PHYSICAL | EMOTIONAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
3Square
The 3 Square Challenge invites you to eat three meals a day—with no snacking in between—for 30 days. This method of eating will help you regulate how much food you eat without the complexity of counting calories.
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Arctic500
Walk outside for 500 minutes
The Arctic 500 Challenge invites you to walk outside in the cold for 500 minutes during the month. While physical in nature, walking outside can also brighten your mood and bring you together with friends. PHYSICAL | EMOTIONAL
BadFat
Avoid hydrogenated fats
The Bad Fat Challenge invites you to not eat any hydrogenated fat for 30 days. The goal of this challenge is to increase your awareness of hydrogenated fats and to learn to choose foods that contain healthy fats instead. PHYSICAL
BeanPower Make 5 recipes with beans
The Bean Power Challenge invites you to make five different recipes that contain beans (legumes) during the next 30 days. For most of us this is a true challenge. It’s worth the effort to incorporate more beans into your diet because from a nutritional standpoint, beans are hard to beat. PHYSICAL
BeatSweets No sugar
The Beat Sweets Challenge invites you to eliminate sugary foods from your diet for 30 days. Yes, you heard that right—no sugar for 30 days. Sugar provides lots of calories with little to no nutrition. When you stop eating sugar, you’ll most likely lose weight and feel better. PHYSICAL
BedtimeStory Read before going to bed
The Bedtime Story Challenge invites you to read before going to bed for 30 days. After your normal bedtime routine, relax somewhere comfy and read for a while. You can read whatever you like, but since it’s the end of the day, you may want to choose something that helps you unwind. PHYSICAL | OCCUPATIONAL
BigStink
Eat cruciferous vegetables
The Big Stink Challenge invites you to eat one cruciferous vegetable a day for the next 30 days. Cruciferous vegetables are chock-full of health benefits! They are high in vitamin C and soluble fiber, contain multiple nutrients and phytochemicals, and have been shown to prevent certain types of cancer.
Bike100 Bike 100 miles
The Bike 100 Challenge invites you to ride your bicycle 100 miles over the next 30 days. If you don’t own a bike, rent or borrow one from a friend. Always wear a helmet and bright-colored clothes for better visibility. PHYSICAL
CaffeineFree No caffeine
The Caffeine Free Challenge invites you to go without caffeine for 30 days. That means no coffee, no tea, no caffeinated soda, and no energy drinks. Decaf coffee, herbal tea, and chocolate are fine. PHYSICAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
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CanCaffeine No caffeine from a can
The Can Caffeine Challenge invites you to not drink any canned or bottled beverages that contain caffeine for 30 days. Caffeine has been shown to improve mental alertness and cognitive performance, and an intake of 400 mg or less per day is currently considered safe, but too much caffeine may not be good for your body. PHYSICAL
ChargeUp Sleep without your phone
ClassyGym 10 gym classes
ColdShower Take 10 cold showers
The Charge Up Challenge invites you to sleep with your cell phone in another room for 30 days. Your bedroom is an excellent place for you to recharge, but it’s not the best place for charging your phone. PHYSICAL
The Classy Gym Challenge invites you to attend 10 classes of your choice at the gym over the next 30 days. The classes can be high energy (like spinning) or relaxing (like meditation)—make sure to pick something at your current fitness level. PHYSICAL | SOCIAL
The Cold Shower Challenge invites you to brave a morning icebreaker by taking 10 cold showers in the next 30 days! This electrifying splash will invigorate you in the morning and will heighten your awareness for the rest of the day. PHYSICAL
DeepFried No fried foods
EatClean No empty calories
The Deep Fried Challenge invites you to go without deep-fried foods for 30 days. This includes anything cooked in hot oil like french fries, chips, fried chicken, donuts—pretty much all the good stuff. PHYSICAL
The Eat Clean Challenge invites you to eliminate sugar, fried foods, and refined grains from your diet for 30 days. This may be the hardest nutrition challenge of all. The goal is to eat more nutrient-dense foods and eliminate empty calories (foods that are high in calories and low in nutrition).
EatPlants Limit meat
The Eat Plants Challenge invites you to limit yourself to 30 servings of meat during the next 30 days. Meat includes beef, pork, and poultry. People who eat mostly plant-based foods and only occasionally eat meat, have a lower risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases. PHYSICAL
FiveAlive 150 fruits or vegetables
The Five Alive Challenge invites you to eat 150 servings of fruits and vegetables in 30 days (5 per day). A serving is about 1 cup for most fruits and vegetables and 2 cups for leafy greens. They can be cooked or raw, fresh or frozen. Five servings a day may seem like a lot, so you may need to plan ahead to make sure you get them all in. PHYSICAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
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FlexTime Stretch for 100 minutes
The Flex Time Challenge invites you to stretch for 100 minutes in one month. A quick stretch break can help decrease stress and tension, increase flexibility, reduce your risk of injury and provide a welcome mental break during the day. PHYSICAL
FoodTracker Track what you eat
The Food Tracker Challenge invites you to track everything you eat for the next 30 days. You can use the health app that comes with your phone, the app that comes with your fitness tracker, or you can download a popular food tracker app. PHYSICAL
FreshAir
Walk outside 20 minutes a day
The Fresh Air Challenge invites you to walk outside for 20 minutes each day for the next 30 days. Walking is good for us, and there are tremendous health benefits to spending time outdoors. Being out in nature can help you relax and clear your mind. You can get valuable vitamin D if it’s sunny or be invigorated by inclement weather. PHYSICAL
Fruit30
Eat 30 different fruits
The Fruit 30 Challenge invites you to try 30 different fruits over the next 30 days. The first dozen or so will be easy to find, then it may become a challenge to figure out what other fruits to eat. To get ideas, explore the produce section, head to a farmer’s market, check out a health food or ethnic grocery store, and ask others. PHYSICAL
FruitBasket Keep fruit on the counter
The Fruit Basket Challenge invites you to keep fruit on the counter for 30 days. Try placing it on your kitchen counter, dining table, or even somewhere in your office. Wash the fruit first—so it’s ready to eat— and keep it in an attractive basket or bowl. PHYSICAL
GoFish
Eat 4 servings of fish
The Go Fish Challenge invites you to eat two servings (about four ounces) of fish per week for a total of eight servings over the next 30 days. For this challenge it should be fish, not shellfish (lobster, crab, shrimp).
GoGreen 20 salads
The Go Green Challenge invites you to enjoy 20 salads in the next 30 days. Salads are a great way to incorporate vegetables into your diet. Feel free to get creative and try different types of salads like coleslaw, carrot salad, or broccoli salad. PHYSICAL
GoH2O Choose water
The Go H2O Challenge invites you to replace one or more beverages (soda, juice, coffee, alcohol, etc.) with water for 30 days. You choose how aggressive you want to be by deciding which beverages you will give up. PHYSICAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
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GoNuts
Eat 20 servings of nuts
The Go Nuts Challenge invites you to eat 20 servings of nuts over the next 30 days. Nuts are a great source of antioxidants, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Nuts are also high in healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3 fatty acids). The trick is to not eat too many since they’re high in calories. PHYSICAL
GoSlow Put your fork down
The Go Slow Challenge invites you to put down your fork (or spoon) between bites whenever you dine for the next 30 days. If you’re eating something you hold in your hands, like pizza, set it down on your plate between bites. PHYSICAL
HealthyGut Try 4 probiotic foods
HeavyMetal Strengthen for 250 minutes
HelloSunshine 100 minutes of sunshine
The Healthy Gut Challenge invites you to feel good from the inside out by trying four different probiotic foods during the next 30 days. While you can purchase supplements that contain probiotics, the best way to get them is from natural food sources. PHYSICAL
The Heavy Metal Challenge invites you to do 250 minutes of strength training during the next month (63 minutes per week). Strength training improves your coordination, reduces your chance of injury, improves your posture, and makes your bones stronger. PHYSICAL
The Hello Sunshine Challenge invites you to get out in the sun for 100 minutes (10-15 minutes at a time) during the next month. Sunshine is by far the best source of vitamin D which strengthens your immune system and is necessary to build strong bones. PHYSICAL | EMOTIONAL
Eat 10 servings of good fat
HungryJack Track your hunger
PHYSICAL
The Hungry Jack Challenge invites you to track your hunger level before and after you eat. Identify if you are: (1) famished (you would eat anything in sight), (2) hungry (you could eat a full meal), (3) neutral (not hungry but you’d be tempted by the right snack), (4) satisfied (comfortable and content), or (5) full (uncomfortably full). PHYSICAL
JustDance Dance for 150 minutes
The Just Dance Challenge invites you to dance for 150 minutes during the next 30 days. Even if you’re not exactly Fred Astaire, dancing can be a really fun way to exercise. PHYSICAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
HolyGuacamole
The Holy Guacamole Challenge invites you to eat 10 servings of good fat, also known as unsaturated fat, during the next 30 days. For this challenge a good fat is defined as a whole food like avocados, olives, nuts, seeds, or fish.
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KitchenClosed No eating after dinner
The Kitchen Closed Challenge invites you to avoid eating or drinking anything other than water after dinner for 25 of the next 30 days. Clean up right after dinner, turn off the kitchen lights, and stay out of that area for the remainder of the evening. PHYSICAL
LastMile Walk part way to work
LeadFoot Obey the speed limit
The Last Mile Challenge invites you to walk part way to work 15 out of the next 30 days. Most of us don’t live within walking distance to work, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t walk part of the way there. PHYSICAL
The Lead Foot Challenge invites you to not exceed the speed limit when driving for 30 days. If you’re not perfect, that’s fine—just keep trying. The idea is to become more conscious of abiding by the speed limit wherever you go. PHYSICAL | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
Go to bed at the same time
MagicBean 15 servings of beans
MeatlessMonday No meat on Mondays
NaturallySweet Eat fruit for dessert
NoSweat
Exercise 600 minutes without sweating
PHYSICAL
The Magic Bean Challenge invites you to enjoy 15 servings of beans (legumes) during the next 30 days. One serving of beans is only one-half a cup of cooked beans, so it’s possible to eat two or more servings in a single meal. PHYSICAL
The Meatless Monday Challenge invites you to not eat any meat on Mondays for 30 days. This includes seafood, poultry, pork, and red meat. If Mondays don’t work for you or if you forget one, choose whatever day of the week works best. PHYSICAL
The Naturally Sweet Challenge invites you to eat fruit for dessert for 30 days. That’s right. No sugary, processed, high-calorie desserts for a month—just pure and natural fruit. During the challenge you may discover many varieties of sweet and flavorful fruit. PHYSICAL
The No Sweat Challenge invites you to exercise 20 minutes a day for the next 30 days—without ever breaking a sweat. If you’ve been too busy to fit a regular workout into your daily routine, this is the challenge for you. You can add low-impact, low-intensity exercises into your normal day without going to a gym. PHYSICAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
LightsOut
The Lights Out Challenge invites you to go to bed at the same time (± 30 min) each evening for 30 days. Getting enough sleep with a consistent bedtime allows the heart and mind to rejuvenate. Best of all, being fully rested helps you feel better and enjoy life more.
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Once Done N
No seconds
The Once N Done Challenge invites you to avoid second servings of food for the next 30 days. Not taking seconds is a simple way to control how much food you eat. Often, overeating is something we do automatically. PHYSICAL
PearlyWhites Use floss daily
PeriodicFast Take a break from food
The Pearly Whites Challenge invites you to floss daily for the next 30 days. Most people brush their teeth, but many don’t take the time to floss. Over time, flossing will become as routine as brushing your teeth. PHYSICAL
The Periodic Fast Challenge invites you to try periodic fasting five times over the next 30 days. You can choose whatever method of intermittent fasting you like, but two popular formats are: (1) fast for 16 hours (skip breakfast or dinner); or (2) fast for 24 hours (skip breakfast and lunch). PHYSICAL
PhotoFinish Photograph everything you eat
The Photo Finish Challenge invites you to take a picture of everything you eat for 30 days. You can eat whatever you like, whenever you like, just take a picture of it first. If you forget, write down what you ate and take a picture of what you wrote. PHYSICAL
PlateIt
Present your food like a chef
The Plate It Challenge invites you to plate your food like a chef before bringing it to the table for the next 30 days. Plating is the practice of arranging food on your plate in a way that looks beautiful and delicious, like it would be in a restaurant. The idea of cleverly presenting food on your plate indirectly eliminates extra servings. PHYSICAL | SOCIAL
RiseUp
30 standing phone calls
The Rise Up Challenge invites you to stand up during 30 phone calls in the next 30 days. It’s that easy—just stand up when you’re talking on the phone. Even if you’re in a room with others on a conference call, you can still stand up. They will respect you for it or maybe even join you!
ShutDown
No media one hour before bed
The Shut Down Challenge invites you to avoid any kind of media one hour before bed for 25 out of the next 30 days. This means turning off anything with a screen—computers, tablets, phones, and television—at least one hour before you go to bed. If you can get everyone in your household to be on board, it will be easier. PHYSICAL
SkipChips No chips
The Skip Chips Challenge invites you to avoid eating any kind of chips for 30 days. Nobody can deny that chips are delicious, but we all know they aren’t healthy. Yet, we can’t stop eating them because chips are addictive. Most are made of fat, salt, and carbs—all things our body craves. PHYSICAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
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SmileUps Do smile exercises
SmoothSailing Make 10 smoothies
SnackAttack Don’t eat between meals
The Smile-Ups Challenge invites you to do 10 Smile-Ups every day for the next 30 days. To do a Smile-Up, smile big and wide, hold it for a count of three, and then relax your face muscles for three counts. Repeat 10 times for this challenge. PHYSICAL | SOCIAL
The Smooth Sailing Challenge invites you to make 10 smoothies in the next 30 days, or 3–4 smoothies per week. Caution! Stay away from using ice cream, sweetened yogurt, and fruit juices in your smoothies. Let fresh or frozen fruit do the sweetening. PHYSICAL
The Snack Attack Challenge invites you to give up snacking between meals for 30 days (except for fruits and vegetables). Limiting snacks can easily eliminate hundreds of unhealthy calories from your diet, especially since snacks tend to be some of the least healthy foods we eat. PHYSICAL
SoupKitchen Make 5 soups
Squat1500 50 squats a day
StairMaster 300 flights of stairs
The Soup Kitchen Challenge invites you to make five different soup recipes in 30 days. Generally speaking, homemade soup is healthy because it contains nutritious vegetables and beans, which are sometimes hard to work into your diet. PHYSICAL
The Squat 1500 Challenge invites you to do 50 squats a day for the next 30 days. If you prefer resting your muscles for a day, do 100 squats every other day. PHYSICAL
The Stair Master Challenge invites you to step it up—to be exact, step up 300 flights of stairs in 30 days (10 flights a day). Sorry, down doesn’t count. The goal is to build the habit of taking the stairs as much as you can instead of the elevator or escalator.
StandUp Get up every hour
SweetDreams Track how much you sleep
The Stand Up Challenge invites you to get up and move around every hour—8 times a day, for 30 days. That may sound like a lot, but the average worker spends nearly six hours a day sitting at a desk. PHYSICAL
The Sweet Dreams Challenge invites you to track how much sleep you get each night for 30 days. Knowing how much you sleep is a key step to making sure you’re getting enough (7–9 hours for adults). As you log how much you sleep each night, you may notice some patterns that affect your sleep. PHYSICAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
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TableTime Eat at a table
The Table Time Challenge invites you to eat all your meals and snacks at a table for 30 days. Sorry, your desk doesn’t count. The idea is to set aside time specially for eating without other distractions like computers, phones, or television. PHYSICAL
TightRope Practice balancing
ToeTouch Touch your toes daily
The Tight Rope Challenge invites you to spend a few minutes a day practicing your ability to balance for 20 out of the next 30 days. Pretend to walk on a tightrope by walking in a straight line, touching your heels to your toes as you walk. PHYSICAL
The Toe Touch Challenge invites you to spend 1–2 minutes each day trying to touch your toes for the next 30 days. Hinging at the hips, gently lean forward until you can’t bend any further. If you are consistent throughout the challenge, you will see flexibility improvements. PHYSICAL
TopChef 10 new recipes
TopsyTurvy Get inverted
The Top Chef Challenge invites you to try making 10 new recipes in the next 30 days. In general, home-cooked food is healthier than packaged or restaurant food because you control what goes into it. PHYSICAL
The Topsy Turvy Challenge invites you to do an inversion pose for a few minutes a day for 30 days. You can do any variation that turns your body upside down in some way. Standing on both feet and folding forward or lying on the floor with your legs up are both inversions. Check the Internet for ideas that work for you. PHYSICAL
UnRefined No refined grains
The UnRefined Challenge invites you to not eat refined grains (white rice, regular pasta, and anything made with white flour) for 30 days. Refined grains have little nutritional value compared with the high amount of calories they provide.
UpBeat
500 minutes of cardio exercise
Veg30
Eat 30 different vegetables
The Up Beat Challenge invites you to do 500 minutes of cardioexercise over the next 30 days—that’s 125 minutes a week or 17 minutes a day. The goal of cardio exercise is to raise your heart rate for 20 minutes or more at a time. PHYSICAL
The Veg 30 Challenge invites you to eat 30 different vegetables over the next 30 days. Peruse the produce section, specialty or ethnic grocers, or the Farmer’s Market to find options. Vegetables have the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients per calorie of all the food groups. PHYSICAL
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WalkMeet 8 walking meetings
The Walk Meet Challenge invites you to hold eight walking meetings during the next 30 days, two a week. Not all meetings can be done effectively while walking, but some can. In fact, getting up and moving around actually heightens brain activity, stimulating thoughts you might not otherwise have. PHYSICAL | SOCIAL
WalkThere Walk to a virtual destination
WalkieTalkie Walk and talk for 500 minutes
The Walk There Challenge invites you to walk 120 miles within 30 days (4 miles a day). Think about your normal patterns each day and look for opportunities to walk more. PHYSICAL
The Walkie Talkie Challenge invites you to walk with someone else for 500 minutes during the next 30 days (17 min/day). The easiest way to meet this health-boosting challenge is to find a friend or family member to be your walking partner. PHYSICAL | SOCIAL
WaterBottle Keep water at your desk
The Water Bottle Challenge invites you to keep a water bottle or a glass of water at your desk all day for the next 30 days. If you don’t work at a desk, keep a water bottle at your virtual desk—car, couch, or whatever it may be. As soon as you drink the last drop, refill it immediately. PHYSICAL
WaterFirst Drink water before eating
The Water First Challenge invites you to drink a glass of water before eating anything, including snacks and meals. The goal of this challenge is to build up the habit of drinking water before eating. If you keep forgetting, fill up a water bottle early in the day and leave it somewhere within plain sight, like on your desk or kitchen counter. PHYSICAL
WaterPlease No drinks when you eat out
The Water Please Challenge invites you to pass on drinks whenever you eat out for the next 30 days. By choosing water when dining out, you can reduce your average check by 30%. The the benefits of this challenge aren’t just monetary, they are also healthier. So give your wallet and body a break—ask for water the next time you dine out!
WaterWake-up Drink water when you wake up
WorkoutBuddy 10 workouts with a friend
The Water Wake-up Challenge invites you to drink a glass of water when you wake up first thing in the morning for the next 30 days. If you forget, drink a glass as soon as you remember. PHYSICAL
The Workout Buddy Challenge invites you to workout with a friend 10 times in the next 30 days. Yes, working out with the same person is part of the challenge. The stronger a relationship is, the more beneficial it is. PHYSICAL | SOCIAL
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Learn 10 phrases in another language
AccountabilityCoach Report your progress
OCCUPATIONAL
Occupational
¿QuéPasa?
The ¿Qué Pasa? Challenge invites you to exercise your brain by learning 10 phrases in another language in the next 30 days. If you don’t have a friend to help you with the pronunciation, listen to a recording on the Internet.
The Accountability Coach Challenge invites you to meet with a person of your choosing once a week for the next 30 days. Choose a family member, a friend, or even your boss. At your first meeting, commit to a list of things you would like to accomplish over the next week. Then go forward and work on your goals! OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL
BookWorm Read for 1,000 minutes
BrainTeaser
Exercise your mind for 300 minutes
The Book Worm Challenge invites you to read a book for 600 minutes over 30 days, an average of about 30 minutes a day. Digging into good books can literally add years to your mental health. OCCUPATIONAL
The Brain Teaser Challenge invites you to play brain teasers for 300 minutes over the next 30 days, or an average of 10 minutes a day. Some examples include crossword puzzles, word searches, Sudoku, and memory games. You can choose any brain teaser you like. OCCUPATIONAL
BreakTime Take a break at work
The Break Time Challenge invites you to consciously take a break at work each day for the next 30 days. For this challenge, you only need to take one break a day (your lunch does not count). If you miss a day, take two breaks the following day. OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
ContactUs Submit 3 ideas
The Contact Us Challenge invites you to submit three ideas for improvement to one or more organizations you care about. Choose an organization, then brainstorm some ideas that would help better them. Submit those ideas through their website or another means. Your perspective may be unique or something they’ve already considered.
EarlyBird Arrive early
EarlyStart
Get to work 15 minutes early
The Early Bird Challenge invites you to arrive early wherever you need to be for the next 30 days. This may sound daunting, but it’s totally possible to do. If you end up arriving late or barely on time, apologize, and try again next time. OCCUPATIONAL | SOCIAL
The Early Start Challenge invites you to arrive at work 15 minutes early every day for the next 30 days. If you miss a day, get there 30 minutes early the next day to make up for it. When you arrive early, use the extra time to organize yourself for the day. OCCUPATIONAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
OCCUPATIONAL | SOCIAL
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EmployeeReview Write a kind note to someone’s boss
FeedbackLoop Ask 10 people for feedback
GenerationGap Seek advice from other generations
The Employee Review Challenge invites you to write a note to or speak with someone’s boss about the things that person does well. It can be someone you work with or an employee at any business you frequent. OCCUPATIONAL | SOCIAL
The Feedback Loop Challenge invites you to ask 10 people to tell you one thing you do well and one thing you could do better in the next 30 days. Ask people you admire, feel comfortable around, and think might have valuable insight. OCCUPATIONAL
The Generation Gap Challenge invites you to ask for advice from two people, one from a younger generation and one from an older generation. We’ll define a generation as 20 or more years. If you’re too young to ask someone from a younger generation, then ask someone 40 years older and someone 20 years older. OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
GetSmart Learn for 500 minutes
The Get Smart Challenge invites you to learn something new or learn more about something you are interested in (one topic of your choosing) for 500 minutes during the next 30 days (17 min/day). Research a topic. Work on a skill. Practice playing an instrument. OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL
GoodAdvice Seek insight from 5 people
GoodJob
List what you like about your job
The Good Advice Challenge invites you to seek insight from five people. Meet with each person individually (a phone call is fine too) or convene a single meeting with all five people at the same time. OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
The Good Job Challenge invites you to write down one thing a day that you like about your job for the next 30 days—yes, even on the weekends! This is similar to keeping a gratitude journal, but focuses solely on your job.
InTune
Practice playing an instrument
The In Tune Challenge invites you to practice playing an instrument every day for the next 30 days. Set a minimum amount of time you will spend practicing, say five minutes. The goal is to have this become part of your daily routine so you’ll be more likely to continue expanding your musical talents after the challenge. OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL
LaserFocused Only check email hourly
The Laser Focused Challenge invites you to resist constantly checking your email—instead, only read email once an hour for 30 days. If you’d rather make it even less frequent, like every 2 or 3 hours—it would be even better! OCCUPATIONAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL
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MailHold No work emails at night
NetworkConnections Meet with 5 colleagues
The Mail Hold Challenge invites you to take a break from reading or writing work-related emails at night for 30 days. You determine if “night” means when you leave the office, after dinner, or after 8 p.m. OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL
The Network Connections Challenge invites you to meet with five colleagues (one at a time) whom you might not interact with otherwise in the next 30 days. The goal of the meeting is to better understand what they do and to get to know them better. You’ll both be better for it. OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
PodCast Listen to 10 podcasts
The Pod Cast Challenge invites you to listen to 10 podcasts in the next 30 days. Simply put, podcasts are spoken, audio episodes that often focus on a particular topic or theme. For this challenge, download a podcast app, browse for topics you might be interested in, and listen to 10 podcasts. It’s that easy! OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL
ProofreadIt Check your work
The Proofread It Challenge invites you to check over your work thoroughly before you deliver it for the next 30 days. In other words, before you send any email or share a slide deck, spreadsheet, or document, do one final review to make sure there are no mistakes. OCCUPATIONAL
QuoteMe Memorize 10 quotes
The Quote Me Challenge invites you to memorize 10 quotes in the next 30 days. Choose something that interests you—quotes from someone famous, words from a song or poem, or a passage from a book or scripture. The quotes can be long or short. You decide, but make it a challenge for yourself. OCCUPATIONAL
SingleFocus Give your full attention
The Single Focus Challenge invites you to make a special effort to focus when you are talking with someone for the next 30 days. Look in the person’s eyes when they are speaking and listen to what they are saying rather than planning your response. Try to speak less and ask more questions.
StarGazer Learn 10 constellations
The Star Gazer Challenge invites you to learn to recognize 10 constellations in the next 30 days. Most likely you’ll be able to learn the names and locations in a single evening. Get a book or app that identifies constellations, pick a clear night, and invite one or more friends over to learn the constellations together. OCCUPATIONAL
StoryBook Write down 5 stories
The Story Book Challenge invites you to write down five stories that you have shared in the past to get your point across or could use in the future to help explain a point you’re trying to make. Think of stories that you have referred to time and again in your life and write five of them down. OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
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WordWise Learn a new word daily
The Word Wise Challenge invites you to learn a new word every day for the next 30 days. Each day, select a word and read its definition. To reinforce your learning, consider searching the Internet to find ways the word is used in a sentence. The context will help you better remember it.
Pack your lunch every day
FINANCIAL | PHYSICAL
CouponClipper
The Coupon Clipper Challenge invites you to use 10 coupons in the next 30 days. You can use paper coupons or digital coupons.
DropPop
The Drop Pop Challenge invites you to give up soda pop for 30 days. This includes all types of sodas: regular, diet, and caffeine-free. Although soda might taste great, it’s not great for your body or your pocketbook.
Use 10 coupons
No soda pop
FrugalChef Dine for less
FrugalDiner Dine in
GreatDeal Comparison shop
FINANCIAL
FINANCIAL | PHYSICAL
The Frugal Chef Challenge invites you to track your food expenses for 30 days. Use an app or a piece of paper. It doesn’t matter. This includes groceries and eating out, including coffee and other snacks. FINANCIAL | PHYSICAL
The Frugal Diner Challenge invites you to prepare your own food and dine in for at least 20 of the next 30 days. That means no takeout food or restaurants, including your favorite coffee house—a true challenge for some. FINANCIAL | PHYSICAL
The Great Deal Challenge invites you to try to comparison shop for five things you buy in the next 30 days. In today’s busy world, comparison shopping may seem like something you don’t have time for, but the extra savings may be worth it. FINANCIAL
GroceryBill Minimize spending on food
The Grocery Bill Challenge invites you to minimize the amount of money you spend on food over the next 30 days—which means tracking every dollar you spend on food. Of course, you still need to eat and buy food, but you can save by using coupons and focusing on how and where you shop. FINANCIAL | PHYSICAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
BrownBag
The Brown Bag Challenge invites you to pack a lunch for work for the next 30 days. Yes, it’s like being in school again, only now you get to decide what to put in your lunch instead of your mother.
Financial
OCCUPATIONAL | PHYSICAL
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HoldOn
Wait before you buy
The Hold On Challenge invites you to wait seven days before making any optional purchases for 30 days. When you want to buy something that is outside the realm of your usual, necessary purchases, write it down with the date. Seven days later, if you still want to buy it, then go for it! FINANCIAL
HomeBrew Skip the coffee house
The Home Brew Challenge invites you to skip the coffee house for 25 of the next 30 days. Instead, brew your own coffee at home or at the office. Not only does home-brewed coffee save you money, it can be better for you depending on how you prepare it. FINANCIAL | PHYSICAL
MealPlan Plan your meals
The Meal Plan Challenge invites you to plan your meals for 30 days. Ideally, you should plan your meals each week and only buy your groceries once a week. However, even if you just plan one day in advance, that’s fine too. FINANCIAL | PHYSICAL
Check-in for purchases over $50
MoneyFast
No spending money for 4 days
NoThanks No alcohol
PennyCounter Track what you spend
WaterPlease No drinks when you eat out
FINANCIAL | SOCIAL
The Money Fast Challenge invites you to not spend any money during four out of the next 30 days. You pick the days and they don’t need to be consecutive, unless you want a real challenge! FINANCIAL
The No Thanks Challenge invites you to not drink any alcohol for 30 days. Whether you’re looking to cut a few calories, moderate your drinking, or save a few bucks, the No Thanks Challenge can help. FINANCIAL | PHYSICAL
The Penny Counter Challenge invites you to track every penny you spend for the next 30 days. Track it on paper, on a spreadsheet, or online. The goal of this challenge is to categorize each item so you can better understand where your money goes each month. FINANCIAL
The Water Please Challenge invites you to pass on drinks whenever you eat out for the next 30 days. By choosing water when dining out, you can reduce your average check by 30%. The the benefits of this challenge aren’t just monetary, they are also healthier. So give your wallet and body a break—ask for water the next time you dine out! FINANCIAL | PHYSICAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
MoneyBuddy
The Money Buddy Challenge invites you to check in with your spouse, trusted friend, or significant other before making any purchases over $50 for the next 30 days. Being accountable to someone for any expenditures over $50 will help you think twice before spending.
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Set up family chores
FINANCIAL | SOCIAL
MONTHLY CHALLENGES
WorkPlan
The Work Plan Challenge invites you to set up a schedule for the household chores in your home and do it for the next 30 days. Having a set routine for keeping your home neat and tidy will contribute tremendously to the happiness and well-being of everyone living there.
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10Ten
Make 10 ten-year goals
The 10 Ten Challenge invites you to make 10 ten-year goals. In 10 years, where will you be in your profession? In your family life? Financially? Write down at least 10 ten-year goals and put them somewhere you can see them periodically or even daily.
Purpose
Annual Challenges PURPOSE
BucketList Check off one item
The Bucket List Challenge invites you to complete one item on your bucket list. If you don’t have a bucket list (a list of things you want to do before you die), your first project is to make one. After that, choose one thing from your bucket list that you can feasibly accomplish this year and put a plan in place to do it. PURPOSE
DueIt
Do something you've been putting off
The Due It Challenge invites you to do something that you’ve been putting off. Pick something important—big or small—that you’d like to accomplish and get it done. The more you desire to accomplish it, the more satisfying it will be. PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL | OCCUPATIONAL
FreeAdvice Meet with a mentor
MeRemembered Write your obituary
The Free Advice Challenge invites you to find a mentor and meet with them six times over the next several months. Look for someone who has the kind of life and work ethic you’d like to have. PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
The Me Remembered Challenge invites you to write your own obituary. While at first this might seem morbid, instead, think of it as a way to consider your end goals. Ask yourself: “When I die, how would I like to be remembered? What would I like others to say about me?”
MissionPossible Write a personal mission statement
The Mission Possible Challenge invites you to write a personal mission statement. This is much more than a catchy slogan. A mission statement will clearly express what drives you and what is important to you. It will help you define your direction and purpose in life. PURPOSE
PriorityPlan Set personal goals
The Priority Plan Challenge invites you to set personal goals for the upcoming year. Many people do this in January, but you can do it any time of the year. Consider setting goals for each area of your life: personal, family, work, health, mental, social, etc. PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL | PHYSICAL | OCCUPATIONAL | FINANCIAL
ANNUAL CHALLENGES
PURPOSE
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Top100 Set 100 life goals
The Top 100 Challenge invites you to make a list of 100 things you would like to accomplish before you die. One hundred goals may seem overwhelming, but listing them will help you realize that you have many things you’d like to accomplish—and help you figure out which ones you’d like to start with.
BadMemory
Journal something you want to forget
The Bad Memory Challenge invites you to write about one experience that you would like to forget. Take some time to write down every detail of that experience, including your thoughts, impressions, and feelings. Writing down the experience will help release it from your memory and make your life more pleasant.
Emotional
PURPOSE
EMOTIONAL
BloodDrive Give blood
The Blood Drive Challenge invites you to donate blood one time. Donating blood once may not build a habit, but hopefully it will break the ice for future donations. Did you know that when you donate blood, you can help as many as three people and sometimes even save a life? EMOTIONAL
GoodCulture Visit a museum
The Good Culture Challenge invites you to visit a museum. Any type of museum will do, including: art, science, sports, technology, or even a wax museum! Check your nearby museums for any traveling exhibits, like the Titanic disaster or ancient Egyptian relics. EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
GreenThumb Grow a plant or garden
The Green Thumb Challenge invites you to grow a plant or garden. You can grow one that is large or small, outdoors or indoors, in the ground or in a pot, edible or simply decorative. You can even buy a plant that’s already potted and keep it on your desk. EMOTIONAL
Forgive 5 people
PabloPicasso Paint a picture
EMOTIONAL
The Pablo Picasso Challenge invites you to paint a picture. Paint with watercolors, acrylics, oil paint, or even finger paint. Paint on a canvas board, art paper, clothing, a piece of wood, or paint a mural on your wall. EMOTIONAL
PayItForward Help someone in a big way
The Pay It Forward Challenge invites you to help one person in a big way. Paying it forward may traditionally involve helping three people, but starting with one person can be great and is a lot less overwhelming. EMOTIONAL
ANNUAL CHALLENGES
LostBaggage
The Lost Baggage Challenge invites you to forgive five people in the next 30 days. On a piece of paper, make a list of five people and briefly list what they did that harmed or bothered you. Next, destroy the piece of paper.
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PlayList
Create 4 music playlists
The Play List Challenge invites you to create a music “first aid kit” by compiling four playlists. Here are four suggestions, but feel free to change it up and make it your own to suit your needs: (1) music that relaxes you, (2) music that energizes you, (3) music that makes you happy, and (4) music that helps you think. EMOTIONAL
Reader'sDozen Read 13 books
ScaredyCat Face one fear
StayCation Enjoy a local attraction
The Reader’s Dozen Challenge invites you to read 13 books in one year. The books can be fiction or nonfiction and can be any genre— whatever grabs your interest. It doesn’t matter how long the book is. EMOTIONAL | OCCUPATIONAL | PURPOSE
The Scaredy Cat Challenge invites you to face one fear. Whether you have a fear of heights, public speaking, facing that fear head on or gradually and repeatedly exposing yourself to triggers surrounding your fear will actually change your life. EMOTIONAL
The Stay Cation Challenge invites you to enjoy a local tourist attraction. It can be a water park, a museum, a concert—any place nearby that sounds fun! Try to visit a place you’ve never been before or at least somewhere you haven’t been in a long time. Bring friends or family along and make it a memorable event. EMOTIONAL
Write a poem
BallotBox Vote in an election
EMOTIONAL
The Ballot Box Challenge invites you to vote in an election. This can be a local election or a general election. Prepare yourself beforehand by researching and vote for who and what coincides with your beliefs and hopes for your community and country.
Social
WilliamShakespeare
The William Shakespeare Challenge invites you to write a poem. Initially, you might think that you can’t write poetry—but you can. You can use any style that suits you and make the poem any length you’d like. There are no rules, just write.
BettyCrocker Bake someone a cake
The Betty Crocker Challenge invites you to bake a cake or make another homemade treat for someone. Taking the time to make a gift can be much more meaningful than simply buying something. You will benefit as you ponder the other person, and the recipient will feel honored you made something just for them. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
CarePackage Send a care package
The Care Package Challenge invites you to send a care package to someone. Think about what the person would appreciate, maybe something unavailable where they live. Food is usually well received, but don’t stop there, include a variety of surprises. Most importantly, include a note in your package. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
ANNUAL CHALLENGES
SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
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ComeTogether Join a group
FamilyHistory Record a relative's story
ImprovNight Play improv games
KeepWarm Donate an old coat
LittleBuddy Spend time with a child
The Come Together Challenge invites you to join a group or a club and attend at least one meeting. Find a group that interests you. If you can’t find the type of group you’re looking for, start your own! SOCIAL
The Family History Challenge invites you to record part or all of a relative’s life story. Think of a relative you admire and ask them if they’d be willing to let you record them telling stories from their life. Prepare a list of questions and set a time to talk in person or virtually. SOCIAL | PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL
The Improv Night Challenge invites you to participate in improv (improvisation) games. If you’ve never tried improv, get ready to laugh, have fun, and enjoy a challenge for your brain. If you can’t find an improv event to attend, then you can plan your own improv night. SOCIAL | PHYSICAL
The Keep Warm Challenge invites you to donate a new or used winter coat to someone in need. The coat can be of any size or style. You can give the coat directly to someone you know who would appreciate it or donate it to a local homeless shelter or thrift store. SOCIAL | EMOTIONAL
The Little Buddy Challenge invites you to spend time with a child. If you have children, use this challenge to spend some quality time with one of them. If you aren’t a parent, spend some time with a friend or family member’s child. The goal of this challenge is to change your adult perspective and see life as a child does. SOCIAL | PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL
OldFriend Reach out to an old friend
The Old Friend Challenge invites you to have a conversation with a friend whom you haven’t had contact with for five years or more. Think of a friendship you cherish and take the time to rekindle that relationship.
OneWorld
Learn about another culture
PicnicBasket Go on a picnic
The One World Challenge invites you to learn about another culture. It may be more interesting and beneficial if you choose the culture of someone you know. SOCIAL | OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL
The Picnic Basket Challenge invites you to go on a picnic. Pack up some food and drinks, a blanket or tablecloth, and head for the great outdoors. Make it a romantic date, bring your family, or invite some friends. SOCIAL
ANNUAL CHALLENGES
SOCIAL
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TakeIn
Bring a meal to someone
The Take In Challenge invites you to bring a meal to another person or family. Think of someone who would enjoy a home-cooked meal— someone who is sick or just had a baby, someone remodeling their kitchen, or someone who could simply use a break. SOCIAL
TechDump Recycle electronics
YayYou
Celebrate someone else
The Tech Dump Challenge invites you to recycle or donate your old, unused electronics. Check online for local options to recycle your technology waste. It’s easy—just gather your old electronics, drop them off, and enjoy a clutter-free home! SOCIAL
The Yay You Challenge invites you to identify someone who has had something good happen in their life and then choose a way to celebrate it with them. This challenge is a great way to get yourself thinking about others and celebrating them instead of thinking mainly about yourself.
AgeGage
Complete a health assessment
CoachConnect
Connect with your personal health navigator
The Age Gage Challenge invites you to take the health risk assessment (HRA) and find out what your real age is. Include the biometric values from your last exam and increase the accuracy of the assessment.
Physical
SOCIAL | PHYSICAL
PHYSICAL | PREVENTION
The Coach Connect Challenge invites you to connect with a personal health coach. A personal health coach can help you navigate a wide array of topics to help you stay motivated and provide focus to your personal wellness program. PHYSICAL | OCCUPATIONAL | FINANCIAL | PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
Visit your eye doctor
FiveK Complete a 5K
PHYSICAL | PREVENTION
The Five K Challenge invites you to support your favorite cause and complete a 5K run/walk. Committing to an organized race is a great motivator, and if you’re already a regular competitor, there’s always the challenge of beating your best time. PHYSICAL | PURPOSE
GoLocal Visit a farmers’ market
The Go Local Challenge invites you to visit a farmers’ market. The goal of the challenge is to make you aware of the fresh, nutritional, seasonal produce available at your local farmers’ market in the hope that you will return. PHYSICAL | SOCIAL
ANNUAL CHALLENGES
EyeExam
The Eye Exam Challenge invites you to visit your optometrist for an eye exam. Annual eye exams are important not only because they can help you see clearer, they also identify potential eye diseases early.
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HandsFree
No mobile phone while driving
The Hands Free Challenge invites you to not touch your phone while you are driving—not for a phone call, not for texting, not for music, not for directions, not for anything! You can only touch your phone when your car is fully stopped and in park. If you can’t wait until you arrive at your destination, pull over and check it while you’re safely stopped. PHYSICAL
HeadsUp
No smartphone while walking
The Heads Up Challenge invites you to not use your smartphone while walking, and, yes, this includes talking on your phone. Walking can be a wonderful way to enjoy nature, relax your mind, and greet others—if you’re not using your phone. If you are present, walking can be healing for the soul. PHYSICAL
HealthyU School yourself
MeasureUp Complete a biometric testing
MinuteMan Build a 72-hour kit
MoveIt Get your steps in
The Healthy U Challenge invites you to complete four wellness courses in the next year. You can find courses online easily and take heart that gaining knowledge about being healthy is the first step in forming healthy habits. PHYSICAL | PREVENTION | EMOTIONAL
The Measure Up Challenge invites you to complete biometrics testing to find out your current health status. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it can help you identify any health problems before they become big problems. PHYSICAL | PREVENTION
The Minute Man Challenge invites you to build a 72-hour kit. This lightweight kit contains all the food, clothing, and supplies you would need to survive for three days if you had to evacuate your home. PHYSICAL
The Move It Challenge invites you to take 5,000 steps a day for the next year. It’s not hard to walk 5,000 steps in a day. It’s only 2.5 miles (4 kilometers). The trick is doing it every day (or almost every day). That’s the habit this challenge is trying to build—a minimum amount of activity each day.
NiceGenes
Compile a medical family tree
The Nice Genes Challenge invites you to compile a medical family tree. Knowing your family history can help you take the necessary precautions to prevent certain genetic conditions you may be prone to. PHYSICAL
NoButts
Attempt to quit smoking
The No Butts Challenge invites you to try to quit smoking. This is the most important thing you can do for your health. For most people, this will not be their first attempt as it usually takes several tries to quit smoking. Considering the price of tobacco, not to mention the obvious health risks, why not try again? PHYSICAL | FINANCIAL
ANNUAL CHALLENGES
PHYSICAL
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OpenWide Visit your dentist
PlantFood Eat vegan for one day
The Open Wide Challenge invites you to visit your dentist for a checkup. A quick cleaning and checkup can prevent major dental problems. PHYSICAL | PREVENTION
The Plant Food Challenge invites you to try a vegan diet for one day. A vegan diet is stricter than being a vegetarian. In addition to not eating any meat, a vegan diet also excludes any other animal products like eggs, dairy, and even honey. PHYSICAL | SOCIAL
PreventIt
Have a preventive screening
ProjectZero Maintain your weight
ProtectYou Get your flu shot
The Prevent It Challenge invites you to schedule your gender appropriate annual health screening. While these exams can be less than pleasant, they are key to helping spot any abnormalities so you can get immediate treatment when necessary. PHYSICAL | PREVENTION
The Project Zero Challenge invites you to maintain your weight over the six-week holiday season. The average person gains up to seven pounds during this time. With weekly weigh-ins, you can keep an eye on your waistline so you don’t add to that statistic. PHYSICAL | EMOTIONAL
The Protect You Challenge invites you to get an annual flu shot. While there are no guarantees, the shot does ensure you don’t get stuck with the CDC-identified most common influenza strains for a particular flu season. PHYSICAL | PREVENTION
Weigh yourself monthly
SafetyCheck Check your smoke detector
SayAah Visit your doctor
PHYSICAL
The Safety Check Challenge invites you to check the smoke detector(s) and carbon monoxide detector(s) in your home. These devices can literally save your life—unless they don’t work or have a dead battery. PHYSICAL
The Say Aah Challenge invites you to visit your primary care physician for an annual physical. A quick visit to your doctor can make sure your body is running well and identify any problems before they become big problems. PHYSICAL | PREVENTION
ANNUAL CHALLENGES
RightWeigh
The Right Weigh Challenge invites you to track your weight each month. Regularly weighing yourself can help make sure you stay on track.
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Play on a sports team
CertifiedExpert Earn a certification
PHYSICAL | PURPOSE | SOCIAL
The Certified Expert Challenge invites you to earn a certification in a field related to your job or a hobby you enjoy. Some possible ideas include: education, project management, CPR, nutrition, physical fitness, software, cooking, teaching, diving, flying—the possibilities are endless. OCCUPATIONAL
ErnestHemingway Write a 5,000-word novel
FirstPlace Enter a contest
Occupational
TeamPlayer
The Team Player Challenge invites you to play one season on a sports team. Soccer, softball, basketball, volleyball—even dancing counts. Choose whatever sport you want. If you can’t find a team in your area, start your own team.
The Ernest Hemingway Challenge invites you to write your own 5,000word novel in the next 30 days. If you write one-third of a singlespaced page each day (167 words), you will reach your goal. You’ll likely be more successful if you set a specific time each day to write. OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL
The First Place Challenge invites you to enter a contest. Whether or not you actually get first place isn’t important—the goal of the challenge is to enter a contest, hope for the best, and enjoy the experience. OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL
JobCraft Redesign your job
The Job Craft Challenge invites you to change your job in a way that makes it more enjoyable for you. Of course you can’t redesign your job completely, but you can make small changes to your job that can dramatically affect your job satisfaction. OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL
KnowledgeShare Report what you learned
The Knowledge Share Challenge invites you to learn something new and then present what you learned to a group. You can attend a conference, take a class, read a book, watch a webinar, or use any method of gaining knowledge. Teaching others is a very powerful way to reinforce your learning.
LessonLearned Take a class
The Lesson Learned Challenge invites you to take a class. It can be a training class for work or a leisure class that sounds interesting. Just don’t choose a fitness class. (You can save that for a fitness challenge!) OCCUPATIONAL | PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL
LifeSaver Take a CPR course
The Life Saver Challenge invites you to take a CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) course. Look for a CPR course in your community— many fire departments teach CPR for free. You can also check with your local hospital, community college, or do an online search to see what’s available in your area. OCCUPATIONAL | SOCIAL
ANNUAL CHALLENGES
OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
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Give a speech
TakeCharge Lead an initiative
CharitableGift Increase the amount you give
OCCUPATIONAL | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
The Take Charge Challenge invites you to proactively find a way to lead a new initiative. This could be an initiative at work, at home, with your friends, in the neighborhood, at church, or any other organization. The idea is to lead the people helping you, not do everything yourself. OCCUPATIONAL | SOCIAL
The Charitable Gift Challenge invites you to increase the amount of money you give to charitable organizations. This can be for your church, local school, fire department, a veterans fund, a campaign fund, or whatever organization you want to support.
Financial
PublicSpeaker
The Public Speaker Challenge invites you to give a speech or presentation. Your speech doesn’t have to be long, but it should be at least five minutes so it has some depth. You can use notes, accompanying slides, or just deliver it from memory.
FINANCIAL
Request your free credit report
EmergencyFund Create a bank account for emergencies
EstatePlanning Create a will
Fine-ToothComb Review your bills
FINANCIAL
The Emergency Fund Challenge invites you to create a separate bank account for emergencies. Call your bank, ask them to set up a new savings account, move some money into it, and you’re done! It’s that easy. The amount you put into the account is up to you. FINANCIAL
The Estate Planning Challenge invites you to create a will. If you already have a will, review it and see if you’d like to make any changes. If you don’t have a will, now is a great time to make one! FINANCIAL
The Fine-Tooth Comb Challenge invites you to review all your bills for one month. Go through each bill slowly to make sure you understand every charge and that you are still using the specific service for which you are paying. FINANCIAL
GarageSale Sell a used item
The Garage Sale Challenge invites you to sell something you no longer need. No, you can’t just give it away, you need to sell it for money. Go big and have a traditional garage sale or use an online service and list a single item. Selling something you no longer need can be a great way to get a little extra money and declutter your life at the same time. FINANCIAL | SOCIAL
ANNUAL CHALLENGES
CreditReport
The Credit Report Challenge invites you to request a free credit report. To request your free credit report, go to AnnualCreditReport.com. If you find any, the credit report will contain instructions on how to dispute errors.
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GoodPlan Check your service plans
The Good Plan Challenge invites you to make sure you are on the best plans for your home phone, Internet, mobile phone, cable, music, and video subscriptions, etc. It may take some time to research, but it’s not hard, and you can probably save hundreds of dollars. FINANCIAL
GoodStuff Donate old stuff
The Good Stuff Challenge invites you to search through your closets and find old stuff (or maybe even new stuff) that you can donate to a local thrift shop. You’ll have more room in your closets, more space in your rooms, and you’ll feel good inside. FINANCIAL | EMOTIONAL
HardTimes Donate food
The Hard Times Challenge invites you to donate non-perishable food to a charity. You could complete this challenge by donating a can of soup, but why not make it more than that? When selecting the items to donate, think about what you would want if someone gave you a bag of groceries. FINANCIAL | EMOTIONAL
HealthyParty Attend a wellness fair
InterestFree Pay down your debt
The Healthy Party Challenge invites you to attend a wellness fair. Take a minute to visit the wellness fair and see what you can learn. You may even find some fun giveaway. FINANCIAL | PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL | PHYSICAL | OCCUPATIONAL
The Interest Free Challenge invites you to increase your monthly payment for one of your loans or credit cards. You decide how much. Determine an amount that you can maintain until that debt is paid off. Using auto pay functions allows you to set and forget the additional amount. FINANCIAL
LostInterest Check your loan rates
The Lost Interest Challenge invites you to check the interest rate for each of your loans to make sure you are getting the best possible rate. Rates change and so does your financial situation and credit score, sometimes allowing you to qualify for a lower rate.
MoneySmart Read a financial book
MoneySpent Create a budget
The Money Smart Challenge invites you to read a financial self-help book. If reading is not your thing, get an audio book and listen to it while you exercise or commute to work. FINANCIAL | PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL
The Money Spent Challenge invites you to create a historical budget from the past three months. Gather your old bank statements and credit card statements and figure out how much you earned versus how much you spent in different categories. FINANCIAL
ANNUAL CHALLENGES
FINANCIAL
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NetWorth Calculate your net worth
The Net Worth Challenge invites you to calculate your net worth. You can calculate it by adding all your assets (what you own) and subtracting all your liabilities (what you owe). Assets include: bank accounts, investments, cars, businesses, and personal property. Liabilities include: loans and credit card balances. FINANCIAL
NightIn
Invite some friends over
The Night In Challenge invites you to have some friends over to your place. Have dinner together, enjoy dessert, play games, watch a movie or sporting event, sit around and talk, or some combination of these. Part of this challenge is to have a good time together by staying in and not spending too much money. FINANCIAL | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL
PiggyBank Visit with a financial advisor
RiskyBusiness Check your insurance rates
SaveYourself Increase the amount you save
The Piggy Bank Challenge invites you to meet with a financial advisor or, if you already have one, to set up a meeting with your advisor to see if any adjustments should be made to your investment strategy— something you should do at least annually. FINANCIAL
The Risky Business Challenge invites you to get one or more competitive insurance rate quotes for each type of insurance that you hold. This includes auto, home insurance, life, and any other type of insurance you may have. FINANCIAL
The Save Yourself Challenge invites you to increase the amount you save each month. One of the best ways you can do this is to increase your monthly contribution to your employer sponsored savings plan. However, if you haven’t set aside an emergency fund, you may want to start building this first. FINANCIAL
Attend a lunch and learn
SmartWeb Attend a webinar
SocialSecurity Create a Social Security account
FINANCIAL | PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL | PHYSICAL | OCCUPATIONAL
The Smart Web Challenge invites you to participate in an online webinar. Clear your mind and enjoy an interactive learning experience from the comfort of your own desk. FINANCIAL | PURPOSE | EMOTIONAL | SOCIAL | PHYSICAL | OCCUPATIONAL
The Social Security Challenge invites you to create an account with the Social Security Administration. Go to ssa.gov to create your online account. FINANCIAL
ANNUAL CHALLENGES
SmartFood
The Smart Food Challenge invites you to attend a lunch and learn. Grab your lunch and a friend and seize the opportunity to learn while you eat.
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TimeSaver Shop for groceries online
The Time Saver Challenge invites you to order your groceries online for the next 30 days. You can either have them delivered or pick them up, whatever is most economical and convenient for you. Be sure to order your groceries the same way at least twice so you can experience how easy it can be to reorder the same things. FINANCIAL
Buy a used item
FINANCIAL
ANNUAL CHALLENGES
TreasureHunt
The Treasure Hunt Challenge invites you to buy something that is used. It saves waste to buy something that someone has already used. You can often find a higher-quality used item for less than a new standard item would cost. So, get ready for an adventure and see what treasures you can find!
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MGR
BigPicture Give some context
The Big Picture Challenge invites you to take the time to explain the context surrounding a work situation to your team. This situation could be an announcement, a reorganization, or how your team contributes to your company’s overall success. Everyone on your team will feel more connected.
Purpose
Manager Challenges PURPOSE | COMMUNICATION
MGR
BigQuestion Create a driving question
The Big Question Challenge invites you to create a driving question for your team. This question is a lot like determining your team’s mission statement, but it’s much more tactical. Involve your team in its creation, and then print the question on signs around the office to keep it in the forefront of their minds. PURPOSE | COMMUNICATION | MASTERY
MGR
ChangeNTell Role model positive change
MGR
DreamCoach Help people dream big
The Change N Tell Challenge invites you to pick something you’d like to change about yourself and share your goal with your team. The point is to role model positive change so people recognize you are well aware you’re not perfect but that you’re trying to become better. PURPOSE | MASTERY
The Dream Coach Challenge invites you to help everyone on your team prioritize one item on their bucket list, that is, the list of things they want to do before they die. Explain that the goal is for you to encourage them to complete the goal in the coming year. PURPOSE | COLLABORATION
MGR
GoodIntentions Understand others’ purpose
The Good Intentions Challenge invites you to find out the personal mission of everyone who works for you. Ask probing questions about each person’s purpose to help you better understand where they are coming from and why they chose that statement.
MGR
GutCheck Go with your gut 5 times
The Gut Check Challenge invites you to go with your gut feeling for five decisions that you need to make—big or small. To get in touch with your gut instinct, you may need to find some quiet time to clear your mind. Relax, clear your head, then listen to your heart. PURPOSE | MASTERY
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JobHacker Help others job craft
The Job Hacker Challenge invites you to initiate conversations with those who work for you to help them job craft. Job crafting is molding a job in a way that makes it more interesting or furthers the person’s career goals. PURPOSE | COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | COLLABORATION
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LookForward Help others create a 5-year plan
The Look Forward Challenge invites you to help everyone on your team create a five-year plan for themselves. Your role will be to give advice, encouragement, and moral support. If you have helpful ideas, then make suggestions, but be careful since the plan ultimately needs to be theirs. PURPOSE | MASTERY | COLLABORATION | RELATIONSHIPS
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MoonShot
Set a big, hairy, audacious goal
The Moon Shot Challenge invites you to set a huge, ambitious goal for your team. Once you’ve gained the support of key stakeholders (or the whole team), put together a plan and announce the goal in grand style! You’ll want to follow up by posting the goal somewhere people can see it every day and track your progress at periodic update meetings. PURPOSE | COMMUNICATION | MASTERY
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OnTarget Set quarterly objectives
The On Target Challenge invites you to have the members of your team set between three and five quarterly performance objectives. At the end of the quarter, score your objectives red, yellow, and green based on attainment of the defined results—then set your objectives for the next quarter! PURPOSE | COLLABORATION
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PeerSupport Set weekly goals together
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PurposeDriven Create a group mission statement
The Peer Support Challenge invites you to set individual work goals in a team setting and report back. On a weekly basis, take turns announcing one goal each for the week. On successive weeks, start by reporting on your goal for last week, then announcing a new goal. PURPOSE | COMMUNICATION | MASTERY
The Purpose Driven Challenge invites you to create a team mission statement. Gather your team together and ask why they do what they do and how it contributes to the company’s overall success. Knowing your collective purpose will help you reach greater heights. Make sure to post your mission statement physically or virtually. PURPOSE | COMMUNICATION
RoadMap
Create an annual plan together
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SharedValues Define what you stand for
The Road Map Challenge invites you to create an annual plan as a team. Get your team together and map out what you would like your next year to look like. Write up the plan listing tasks with due dates, or if you prefer pictures make it more of a project schedule Gantt chart. PURPOSE
The Shared Values Challenge invites you to create a set of shared values with your team. Your shared values will state the principles that define the culture of your organization (e.g., trust others, exceed expectations, have fun). Make sure to include everyone and post the end result somewhere for everyone to see! PURPOSE | COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | ENVIRONMENT
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TeamSpirit Adopt a mascot
The Team Spirit Challenge invites you to adopt a team mascot that reflects the characteristics of your organization. Start by identifying the attributes you would like to exemplify as an organization. Once you’ve decided on your mascot, create a logo, and/or look for a figurine or stuffed animal and display it in a prominent area in your office. PURPOSE | COMMUNICATION | MASTERY
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3Cheers
Launch a peer-recognition program
The 3 Cheers Challenge invites you to create a platform for people to recognize each other. It can be as simple as having a wall where anyone can post a card recognizing another person, or as formal as creating a form that people can fill out to nominate someone to be publicly recognized. COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | ENVIRONMENT
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AllStars
Share what you like about each other
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The All Stars Challenge invites you to hold a session for your team where you all share what you like about each other. Arrange everyone in a circle so they can see each other. Encourage people to be specific, give examples, and try not to repeat what others have said. COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | ENVIRONMENT | RELATIONSHIPS
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BraveHeart Give constructive feedback
The Brave Heart Challenge invites you to give constructive feedback to three different people. You can give feedback on anything, big or small, but try to choose something meaningful that will help them excel in their career. COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | RELATIONSHIPS
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CheckIn Proactively reach out
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ClearExpectations Put someone on a performance plan
The Check In Challenge invites you to proactively reach out to someone each day for the next 30 days. Select a person who you don’t normally talk to on a daily basis—maybe even your boss! Focus on work people during the week and family and friends on the weekend. COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | ENVIRONMENT
The Clear Expectations Challenge invites you to put someone on a performance plan. Remember, a performance plan is not a step in the termination process—it’s a tool to help people succeed. Once expectations are clearly communicated, most people rise to the challenge. COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | COLLABORATION
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CreditDue Give credit to 5 others
The Credit Due Challenge invites you to give five people or teams credit where credit is due in the next 30 days. Think of five things that impressed you that you haven’t acknowledged, appreciated, or given credit for. When you do give credit, make sure to tell as broad of an audience as makes sense.
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DrillDown Learn what 3 others do
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FaceTime Opt for in-person
The Drill Down Challenge invites you to learn about what three people do in their jobs. Ideally these will be three people who work for you but they could be others too. Spend some time with each person figuring out which parts of their job would be important for you to understand. COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | COLLABORATION | RELATIONSHIPS
The Face Time Challenge invites you to choose an in-person conversation instead of an email or text for a total of 20 times in the next 30 days. Ideally the communication should be with someone in your organization, but it can be with someone outside your firm. The goal is to enjoy the conversation and be fully present. COMMUNICATION | COLLABORATION | RELATIONSHIPS
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FortuneTeller Help others see their potential
The Fortune Teller Challenge invites you to help each member of your team understand the potential you see in them. Point out the person’s strengths and explain where you see them going in their career and/or in their life. Often it’s hard for people to see the potential within themselves. COMMUNICATION | PURPOSE | MASTERY | RELATIONSHIPS
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GetTrendy Discuss industry trends
The Get Trendy Challenge invites you to spend time with your team discussing industry trends. Get together with your team and talk about what’s happening in your industry in general, what is going on with your competitors, and what your company is doing to address the industry trends. COMMUNICATION | PURPOSE | MASTERY
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ListenUp Ask for feedback
The Listen Up Challenge invites you to ask for feedback from each person who reports to you. You can ask for unlimited general feedback or ask for one thing you do well and one thing you could improve upon. When receiving feedback, resist the temptation to either downplay compliments or defend yourself—simply listen. COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | COLLABORATION
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MajorAward Give an award
The Major Award Challenge invites you to give an award to an individual or team. Order an official prize to give the winner, such as a metal trophy cup. When you give the award, make it a big deal— present it in front of a large group of people and explain in depth why the award is deserved. COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | ENVIRONMENT
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MarchingOrders Update your job descriptions
The Marching Orders Challenge invites you to create an up-to-date job description for each employee who reports to you. You can write the job descriptions and have your employees review them or do the opposite. Either way, it should be a collaborative effort. Update your own job description and share it with your employees too. COMMUNICATION
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OnTrack
Hold daily stand-up meetings
The On Track Challenge invites you to hold a brief stand-up meeting each day with your group. The term “stand-up meeting” means that the meeting won’t last any longer than you’re comfortable standing (5–10 minutes) and ensures people are succinct and on-point when talking.
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PositiveBuzz Give positive feedback
The Positive Buzz Challenge invites you to give positive, work-related feedback to at least one person in your group each day for the next 20 work days. If you miss a day, you can give positive feedback to two people the next day to catch up. COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | ENVIRONMENT
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ScoreBoard Maintain a group dashboard
The Score Board Challenge invites you to track your organization’s key metrics in a place where everyone can see them. To complete the challenge, post your metrics at least twice. Hopefully, you’ll never stop! COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | COLLABORATION
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StatusCheck Publish 4 status reports
The Status Check Challenge invites you to create and publish four status reports—perhaps one each week or whatever frequency you determine is best. Your status report can be as simple as an email update or it can include tables, numbers, and charts. Consider copying your team so they can see what is being measured. COMMUNICATION | PURPOSE
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TownHall
Hold an all-hands meeting
The Town Hall Challenge invites you to hold an informational meeting for everyone in your group. The objective of the meeting is to update everyone on what’s happening within your group and throughout the company as a whole. You only need to hold one meeting, but hopefully this will become part of your routine.
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BSchool Review a case study
The B School Challenge invites you to use the business case learning method that is commonly used in business schools. Find a business case online that is relatable to your business, then hold a group discussion.
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BookClub Read a book together
The Book Club Challenge invites you to form a book club within your group and read together. Pick a book that supports a current initiative or one that is outside your area of expertise to help gain new insights. To complete the challenge, read and discuss the entire book together. MASTERY | RELATIONSHIPS
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BookLearning Read a leadership book
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CheckList Create a checklist
The Book Learning Challenge invites you to read a book on leadership, management, or some other topic pertinent to your position. If reading is not your thing, get the audiobook version and listen at the gym, at night, or during your commute each day. MASTERY | PURPOSE
The Check List Challenge invites you to create a checklist for a process in your area. Pick a process that’s straightforward and simple, but also has steps that could possibly be missed—like a new employee training checklist. Don’t overthink it.
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ClassMates Take a class together
The Class Mates Challenge invites you to attend a class together as a team. Pick a topic that you would all enjoy and from which you will benefit (mandatory training doesn’t count). If you can’t all attend training at the same time, hold classes at different times or select an online course. MASTERY | RELATIONSHIPS
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CorporateAssets Write down your team's strengths
The Corporate Assets Challenge invites you to list the strengths of every member on your team. You can do the activity by yourself, or turn it into a team exercise and take turns listing the strengths of each team member. Don’t stop with work-related strengths—list other strong points and even character traits! MASTERY | PURPOSE
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CrossPollinate Hold a knowledge exchange
The Cross Pollinate Challenge invites you to teach another group what your team does and in turn, learn from that group about what they do. The other group may be in your organization or from an outside organization. MASTERY | COMMUNICATION | COLLABORATION | RELATIONSHIPS
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EducationPlan Help people create an education plan
The Education Plan Challenge invites you to help five people on your team create an education plan to increase their general knowledge. The education plan can be super simple, such as taking a course, attending a conference, or reading a book. You can also develop a plan that could take multiple years to accomplish. MASTERY | COMMUNICATION | COLLABORATION
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GreatExpectations Give 10 people something to live up to
The Great Expectations Challenge invites you to give 10 people something to live up to. Think of something someone does well and compliment them on it—and do that for 10 different people. In addition to giving praise, you have also set an expectation the person will now try to live up to. MASTERY | COMMUNICATION | RELATIONSHIPS
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MeTime Meet with yourself
The Me Time Challenge invites you to schedule a weekly meeting with yourself once a week for the next three weeks. Create an agenda for the week with things like your top-three priorities, what you did well last week and what you could have done better. MASTERY | PURPOSE
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NoAuthority
Lead for a volunteer organization
The No Authority Challenge invites you to be a leader at a volunteer organization. While it can be any organization, the important thing is that the people you are leading must be volunteers. This presents an interesting dynamic for you as a leader since you will have no authoritative leverage. MASTERY | PURPOSE
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Peer2Peer Meet with an industry peer
The Peer 2 Peer Challenge invites you to find someone at another company who has a job similar to yours and meet with them. If you want to make the meeting even more productive, prepare a list of issues you are dealing with and invite your peer to do the same.
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PostMortem Figure out how to do better
The Post Mortem Challenge invites you to debrief after a major project. Consider inviting your internal or external customers, if appropriate. Before the meeting, distribute a questionnaire to get people thinking ahead of time. Include questions like, “What went well? What could have gone better? What should we do differently next time?” MASTERY | COMMUNICATION | COLLABORATION
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PreMortem Anticipate problems
The Pre Mortem Challenge invites you to hold a meeting with your team to anticipate problems before they happen. Hold a brainstorming session to identify things that might go wrong, and identify which preventive actions make sense to do and assign an owner to each of them. MASTERY | COMMUNICATION | COLLABORATION
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SpecialGuest Invite an expert to speak
The Special Guest Challenge invites you to bring in an expert to speak to your group. The expert can be from a different part of your organization or from outside the firm who can speak on a subject that is pertinent to your group. An in-person address is optimal, but a web conference works, too. MASTERY
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StopIt
Retire an unnecessary process
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StrengthFinder Take a strength assessment
The Stop It Challenge invites you to find an unnecessary process or activity your group is doing and stop doing it. If you can’t think of anything, hold a brainstorming session with key people to identify opportunities. For this challenge, think eliminate, not improve. MASTERY | PURPOSE
The Strength Finder Challenge invites you to have your team take a survey that identifies each individual’s strengths and then discuss the results as a group. Allow each person to announce their survey results and share their feelings about it. Afterward, discuss how understanding each other better can lead to a more productive workplace. MASTERY | RELATIONSHIPS | PURPOSE
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SuggestionBox Solicit improvement ideas
The Suggestion Box Challenge invites you to ask 10 employees for improvement ideas. Even if no one has any ideas, simply asking can have a big impact on job satisfaction because it gives people an opportunity to activate their brains and contribute to making your organization better. MASTERY | COMMUNICATION | COLLABORATION | RELATIONSHIPS
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SupportingPillar
Ask 5 people how you can better support them
The Supporting Pillar Challenge invites you to ask five people how you can better support them in the next 30 days. Some may be reluctant to answer—ask again and assure them that you’re willing and happy to help. Write their responses down, preferably while you’re still with the person. MASTERY | COMMUNICATION | COLLABORATION
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TeamChallenge Run a department challenge
The Team Challenge invites your group to do a challenge together. Pick an activity that will foster an attribute you are trying to build in your group. Make sure what they need to do is clear and achievable. Make it fun by having a reward for successful completion, like bringing in lunch. MASTERY | ENVIRONMENT | RELATIONSHIPS
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WatchNLearn Watch a video and discuss
The Watch N Learn Challenge invites you to watch a short, thoughtprovoking, or educational video and discuss it as a team. Find a video that addresses something pertinent to your workplace. Watch the video with your group and discuss it. You can prepare a short list of questions to spur the conversation.
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1on1
Meet individually with your team
The 1 on 1 Challenge invites you to have a one-on-one meeting with each one of your team members. You only need to meet once with each person for this challenge. Be sure to make it a two-way dialog, so you both leave with a clear understanding of what’s going on in each other’s minds. COLLABORATION | COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | RELATIONSHIPS
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30/60/90 Launch a new hire
The 30/60/90 Challenge invites you to get a new employee off to a good start. Meet with the employee on day 1 and define what success will look like at day 30. On day 30, meet again to review their progress and define what success will look like at day 60. Repeat on day 60 and day 90. COLLABORATION | PURPOSE | RELATIONSHIPS
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AdvisoryBoard Seek advice from 5 people
The Advisory Board Challenge invites you to seek advice from five people. Think of something that has been troubling you or a decision you can’t seem to make. You don’t have to take the advice; however, receiving guidance can help you weigh things out in your mind to find the best solution. COLLABORATION | MASTERY | RELATIONSHIPS
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BrainStorm Hold a brainstorming session
The Brain Storm Challenge invites you to hold a brainstorming session. Begin your meeting by exploring the problem thoroughly, then start brainstorming. Collect ideas. Don’t judge them—ponder them. Anything goes. A seemingly bad idea may lead to a great idea. COLLABORATION | MASTERY | RELATIONSHIPS
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BuddySystem Set up a peer-mentoring system
The Buddy System Challenge invites you to create a peer-mentoring program within your group. This can take any form you like, but it’s meant to be leadership directed. However you decide to set up your buddy system, follow up to make sure it’s working, adjusting pairs as necessary. COLLABORATION | MASTERY | ENVIRONMENT | RELATIONSHIPS
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CustomerCall Talk to a customer
The Customer Call Challenge invites you to arrange for one of your customers to come talk to your group. Ask the customer to explain why they use your product or service, how they use it, and how their experience with your product or organization could be better. COLLABORATION | COMMUNICATION | MASTERY
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DesignReview Review a deliverable
The Design Review Challenge invites you to review a document or other deliverable as a group. Set up a meeting to review the document with key players and others who could learn from the process. As each area of concern is discussed, determine if it as a suggestion or an error that must be addressed.
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FirstImpression Solicit ideas from a new hire
The First Impression Challenge invites you to have a conversation with someone who is new to your organization. Schedule a formal meeting or grab lunch together—whatever suits your style. Use this as an opportunity to welcome the new person into the organization and get better acquainted. COLLABORATION | COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | RELATIONSHIPS
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PartyTime Form a fun committee
The Party Time Challenge invites you to organize a fun committee—a small group whose only aim is to plan fun events for the office. Let the chair know how often to host events, what kind of a budget is available, and if there are any particular events you wish to have. Then get out of their way. COLLABORATION | ENVIRONMENT
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SharedPower Create a committee
The Shared Power Challenge invites you to create a committee to handle an ongoing initiative or a one-time deliverable. Be clear whether you are asking for input or handing over decision-making authority. Identify what resources are available for the committee’s work. This challenge is complete after the committee has its first meeting. COLLABORATION | RELATIONSHIPS
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StressTest Ask how you stress people
The Stress Test Challenge invites you to ask the people who report to you how you stress them out. You may need to ask several times in different ways or seed the discussion by bringing up things that others have mentioned. Once they start talking, don’t get defensive. Listen and write their answers down. COLLABORATION | COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | RELATIONSHIPS
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TongueTied
Hold a meeting where you can't talk
The Tongue Tied Challenge invites you to hold a meeting to gather feedback. The unique aspect of this challenge is that you attend the meeting, but you cannot talk. Try not to express your opinions through your facial expressions as they speak—instead, keep a cheery disposition. COLLABORATION | COMMUNICATION | MASTERY
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TopPerformer Coach your best employee
The Top Performer Challenge invites you to spend four hours with your best employee, coaching your top performer to become even better. It can be one four-hour meeting or several shorter meetings. Instead of being in the manager mindset, trying to correct deficiencies, get into the coaching mindset. COLLABORATION | COMMUNICATION | MASTERY
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You'reIt Delegate 10 tasks
The You’re It Challenge invites you to delegate 10 tasks to other people in the next 30 days. Try to delegate something to as many different people on your team as possible. The tasks don’t have to be big—just something you’d normally do yourself.
ArtGallery Post family artwork
The Art Gallery Challenge invites you to set aside an area in your workplace to display the artwork of coworkers and their families. Consider including other types of art like poems and photo art. Mount a title on the wall so visitors understand what it is. ENVIRONMENT | RELATIONSHIPS
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BeReal Do something silly
The Be Real Challenge invites you to do something silly or out of the ordinary. It doesn’t have to be extreme, just something that most people wouldn’t expect from you. Try to choose something that will create memories and break down barriers with your team. ENVIRONMENT | RELATIONSHIPS
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CelebrationTime Celebrate an accomplishment
The Celebration Time Challenge invites you to celebrate a significant accomplishment of your team. Think of something really great your team has recently completed—one of your top accomplishments of the year. Then plan a fun way to celebrate! ENVIRONMENT | RELATIONSHIPS
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CleanHouse Hold an office clean-up day
The Clean House Challenge invites you to hold an office clean-up day. Designate a day for clean up and be sure everyone knows about it in advance. Provide desk cleaner, paper towels, and extra trash bags. Go big and declutter—remove excess or undesirable furniture, equipment, and whatever else clutters the office. ENVIRONMENT
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EmailPolicy Reduce email frustration
The Email Policy Challenge invites you to create an email policy. The policy should set the expectations around email etiquette, without creating too many rules. For instance, it may teach good email manners and allow each person the right to set their own personal response boundaries. ENVIRONMENT
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FreshPerspective Take a break from the routine
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GoodPractice Start a tradition
The Fresh Perspective Challenge invites you to change things up and do something different in your team’s daily routine. Get creative so it truly feels like a refreshing break from the normal day-to-day activities. The more creative the idea, the more memorable it will be for everyone. ENVIRONMENT | RELATIONSHIPS
The Good Practice Challenge invites you to start a new tradition for your group. It can be a simple tradition, but make sure it’s something that adds fun or brings unity to the team. Choose the tradition yourself or ask your team for ideas. ENVIRONMENT | RELATIONSHIPS
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GoodbyeFriday Wish everyone a nice weekend
The Goodbye Friday Challenge invites you to go around the office on Friday afternoon and tell everyone to have a nice weekend—three Fridays in a row. Ideally you’ll do this right before you leave, but if you are staying late you’ll need to make the rounds earlier so you can see everyone before they leave. ENVIRONMENT | RELATIONSHIPS
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GreenOffice Help the environment
The Green Office Challenge invites you to help your office become more environmentally friendly. People love to feel like they are doing something good in the world and this can be a simple way for your team to collectively make an impact.
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HealthyStart Energize together
The Healthy Start Challenge invites you to start each work day by gathering your team together for a quick group activity. Gather in a common area and do something invigorating, such as stretches, jumping jacks, singing, or meditation. The activity can change over time—see what your team likes and let it evolve. ENVIRONMENT | RELATIONSHIPS
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Meetings101 Learn how to run a meeting
The Meetings 101 Challenge invites you to hold a training session for everyone in your area about how to run a meeting. Create a simple document with meeting tips and a set of guidelines for running a meeting you can send around and/or post on conference room walls. ENVIRONMENT | MASTERY
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NiceDigs
Improve your work environment
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PowerOn Energize others
The Nice Digs Challenge invites you to make your work environment a more enjoyable place to be, a place where everyone can feel more at home. The changes you make can take any form: set up a break room, add artwork, improve workstations. ENVIRONMENT
The Power On Challenge invites you to energize at least one person a day for the next 30 days. If you miss a day, energize two people the following day. Your goal is to be the person who increases other people’s energy, especially your employees. Remember, not everyone is energized in the same way. ENVIRONMENT | RELATIONSHIPS
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QuietHour
Set aside an hour with no meetings
The Quiet Hour Challenge invites you to set a time one or more days a week where no meetings will be scheduled for your area and everyone is able to work quietly. The idea is to provide a time when people can focus on their work without interruption, increasing productivity and job satisfaction. ENVIRONMENT
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QuietZone
Designate a quiet workplace
The Quiet Zone Challenge invites you to designate an area where people can work without being interrupted. Pick a conference room or a lounge with enough space for several people to work. Set some simple rules for the Quiet Zone, like no talking, and no disturbing others when they’re in the Quiet Zone. ENVIRONMENT
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ThankFirst
Begin 20 meetings with gratitude
The Thank First Challenge invites you to begin 20 meetings by expressing your appreciation for those in attendance. The meetings can have hundreds of attendees or be a simple one-on-one. Use words that specifically connect with those people you address so they know how truly thankful you are. ENVIRONMENT
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VitalStatistics Conduct a survey
The Vital Statistics Challenge invites you to conduct a survey, which can be on any topic, for any audience. As you write your questions for the survey, consider what you want from the results. Make sure to include open-ended questions to collect information that numbers don’t. Choose your target audience carefully and keep it brief. ENVIRONMENT | MASTERY
WarmUp
Start 3 meetings with a fun activity
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FullHouse Hold a family event
The Warm Up Challenge invites you to start three meetings with something different, fun, or thought-provoking. Anything goes! Whatever it is, try to keep it to five minutes or less—you don’t want to derail the entire meeting! ENVIRONMENT
The Full House Challenge invites you to hold a work event that includes the families or housemates of your employees. Brainstorm ideas with your team and ask for a volunteer to plan the event with the help of a committee. RELATIONSHIPS | ENVIRONMENT
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HeadChef Cook for your team
The Head Chef Challenge invites you to cook something for your team. Have some fun and set aside some time for people to critique your food. Go big and prepare lunch or invite the team over to your house for dinner. If cooking’s not your thing, ask for help. RELATIONSHIPS | ENVIRONMENT
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HeadCoach Mentor someone
The Head Coach Challenge invites you to conduct three mentoring sessions with one person from your organization. Switching things up from the norm, you get to choose whom you mentor. Pick someone you’d like to groom for the future or whom you think would enjoy the mentoring process. RELATIONSHIPS | COMMUNICATION | COLLABORATION
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KidDay
Sponsor a children-at-work day
The Kid Day Challenge invites you to sponsor a day for employees to bring a child to work. If your organization already celebrates Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, actively promote it. Create an expectation that the child can participate in the workday by attending meetings and performing small tasks. RELATIONSHIPS | ENVIRONMENT
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LunchLotto Organize random lunch dates
The Lunch Lotto Challenge invites you to set up lunch dates between random people in your organization. Randomly select groups of three people to go to lunch together to promote new relationships. If you have the funds, pay for the lunches—everyone loves a free lunch! RELATIONSHIPS
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LunchTime Have 6 lunches
The Lunch Time Challenge invites you to have six lunches with people in your organization. Grab a quick bite or enjoy a relaxing, hour-long lunch together. Work topics will probably come up, but do your best to spend time talking about non-work topics so you can get to know everyone on a more personal level. RELATIONSHIPS | COMMUNICATION | MASTERY | COLLABORATION
NameGame Learn 10 names
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PhotoWall Post employee pictures
The Name Game Challenge invites you to learn the names of 10 family members of your employees. Try to learn the name of a family member for each person in your area, especially their spouse or significant other. RELATIONSHIPS
The Photo Wall Challenge invites you to designate a wall in your office where people can post informal pictures of themselves. Make it easy by allowing people to tape or pin up pictures on the wall—even pictures straight off the printer. If some of your team is remote, use an online tool to create a virtual wall. RELATIONSHIPS | ENVIRONMENT
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PotLuck Hold a potluck
The Pot Luck Challenge invites you to organize a potluck for your group—breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even snacks! Consider a theme for the event around healthy foods, ethnic foods, or family favorites. A potluck provides a unique opportunity for people to get to know each other better. RELATIONSHIPS
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RoughTimes Help someone having a hard time
The Rough Times Challenge invites you to band together as a team and help someone who is going through a challenging time or lifealtering situation. It could be any struggle—like an illness, death, marriage, or move. If there’s no one on your team facing a challenge, look outside your team or wait until you see a need. RELATIONSHIPS
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SantaClaus Give gifts to your team
The Santa Claus Challenge invites you to give gifts to your team members. You can give everyone the same gift or give different ones. The more thought you put into it, the more powerful the experience will be for you and the recipient—so try to stay away from gift cards! RELATIONSHIPS
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ServantLeader Serve 5 people
The Servant Leader Challenge invites you to serve those who work for you—five people to be exact. Complete some unpleasant paperwork for them, help them with a presentation, or offer to pick up lunch for them when they’re in crunch mode. If you can’t think of anything, just ask what you can do. RELATIONSHIPS
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ServeTogether Serve the community
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The Serve Together Challenge invites you to organize a service event for your community. Choose a project that you can work on together as a team so there will be opportunities for bonding and unity. If you’re worried about attendance, hold the event during work hours and end with a happy hour. RELATIONSHIPS
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SocialButterflies Have a team outing
The Social Butterflies Challenge invites you to sponsor a company event outside the office with your team. Pick something that will appeal to everyone on your team. Whatever you plan, make sure it gives them the chance to socialize. RELATIONSHIPS
StoryTime Tell 3 stories
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TrueFeeling Ask 10 people how they feel
The Story Time Challenge invites you to tell three stories to inspire your team or to make a particular point. The stories can be your own personal stories, ones you’ve read, or ones you’ve heard others tell. Tell the stories in meetings or in one-on-one conversations. RELATIONSHIPS | COMMUNICATION
The True Feeling Challenge invites you to ask 10 people how they feel in a general sense or how they feel about something specific, like their job or a particular situation. Ask them specifically how they “feel,” not just how they are doing. Don’t negate their thoughts—feelings are always true for the person having them. RELATIONSHIPS | COMMUNICATION
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WalkAround Manage by walking around
The Walk Around Challenge invites you to spend 15 minutes each day at work mingling with others—especially those in your group—over the next 30 days. Spend five minutes with three people or 15 minutes with one. The important thing is you are taking time to connect with others. RELATIONSHIPS | COMMUNICATION | COLLABORATION
MANAGER CHALLENGES
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