30 Hands Challenge

In line with my last post about getting Beyond Boredom, I have been making a point to slow down my life and focus on a small handful of tasks. Instead of trying to do everything under the sun and getting nothing done, I am focusing on doing a few things and doing them often and well. There are 5 elements and I am trying to do this for 30 consecutive days, so I am calling it my 30 Hands Challenge (cause there are five fingers in a hand and it is easier for me to remember that way).

The 5 Elements:
1) Sleep - this may seem obvious, but often I get too little sleep. And then I go the other direction and get too much. Since sleep is an important daily routine I want to be mindful and consistent. 6-8 hours per night. Not stay up too late, not sleep in too late.
2) Lots of Water/Good Food - When I am drinking lots of water I feel better. I have heard that the majority of Americans are clinically dehydrated, and I can tell the difference when I make a point to drink lots of water. Half of my body weight in ounces (I weigh about 170 pounds, so that is 85 ounces of water every day). Minimal sweets, minimal coffee, no alcohol. Lots of fruits and vegetables. This is not a diet but a lifestyle challenge.
3) Write - For me this applies mostly to words. Most of my day is spent writing music, so I do not feel the need to create time for it. But words: spend at least an hour every day writing letters to family, friends. Write essays, articles, blog posts. Tweets do not count.
4) Read - This is the biggest change for me. Read at least an hour every day. The internet does not count even if it is the NY Times. I am talking about books. Even good magazines will get the job done. Do not watch TV or movies. 30 days without movies is a challenge.
5) Exercise - For me this is yoga. It takes care of my body, calms me and focuses me. Again, this is not a diet or an exercise regimen, but our bodies are important and we should take care of them. Take care of your body every day.

I made this little chart to document how long I have been going. Each day I cross out another number at the top. (Feel free to download and/or print this sheet for your own use.) I have already done 10 days in a row of this lifestyle challenge. I have noticed a shift in my ability to generate longer threads of thought and sustain ideas over time. The hardest part has been not watching movies, which I normally do regularly at the end of the day. Now I read instead which is usually very peaceful and not really a sacrifice.

This may seem like a small challenge, but I mainly want to do what is best for my ability to create. I feel that the abundant stimulation in the forms of TV, movies and the internet is distracting and detrimental to coherent and extended thought. This is a search for my higher self.