The RARE SENSE Challenge
Happy New Year, everyone. Today is when many of us try to change something about ourselves. We commit to doing certain activities differently, or not at all. Others we choose to start, maybe for the first time. On a fundamental level, we attempt to develop new habits.
Often we focus on physical habits like diet and exercise. Personally, my workout routine never changes that much, and I’m happy with it. So January 1 doesn’t represent a fresh beginning for me in that regard. But after a few weeks of questionable eating and drinking choices through the holidays, I try to clean up that part of my regimen.
Whatever you have planned for the weeks or months to come, I’d like to offer you something else to try—a challenge for your mind. The RARE SENSE Challenge lasts twenty days and consists of twenty minutes of daily practice in various mind-body techniques, including breathwork, meditation, journaling, reading, problem-solving, and skill development.
To my knowledge, there isn’t something else like this out there. Most other “challenges” are basically physical. Of course, pushing through extended workouts or dunking your body in ice water can undoubtedly develop some measure of mental toughness. But the scope of mind fitness encompasses much more than just grit. What I’m offering is a much more holistic mental training starter package.
Before I get into the details of the challenge, I want to make a point about habits themselves. I prefer to use the term “patterns.” That’s all habits are—patterns of behavior. And most people think of them as something you do, that there is a separation between oneself and their patterns. But if you’ve read my article “The Five W’s of You,” I surmise that everyone has forgotten well over 99% of their own lives. So the only thing that makes you feel like you at any moment is an amalgamation of repetitive processes established throughout your life. Everything about you is a pattern. The way you breathe, the way you talk, the way you think, etc. You are nothing but patterns. There is no fixed you that exhibits habits. You are the habits.
So if you want to change yourself fundamentally, you need to recognize the patterns that constitute you now, figure out which ones are worth keeping, and alter the rest. That’s what the RARE SENSE Challenge is designed to help you do, among other things.
To complete the challenge, you must perform each of the following for at least twenty minutes a day, twenty days in a row. Break up the activities however you like. For example, you can meditate for ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes in the evening to get in your twenty minutes daily. Additional time on any activity is also acceptable.
Breathwork. Suggested exercises can be found here. Experiment with different ones to find out what works best for you.
Meditation. There are many guided meditation apps out there. If you don’t have one, try Waking Up or Headspace.
Journaling. It does not need to be pretty. Just write down whatever comes to mind and realize you don’t have to identify with any of it.
Reading. During the challenge, complete any book about consciousness, philosophy, how we think, or another similar topic.
Problem-Solving. Puzzles, crosswords, Sudoku, etc. Ideally, do something non-digital. ThinkFun has fantastic games you can try.
Skill Development. It must involve your body: archery, a musical instrument, juggling, card tricks, woodworking, etc.
Physical Exercise. Just move your body. Even a walk is acceptable. Two workouts a week must be yoga or qi gong. Take a class or download an app.
Getting Outside. Preferably early in the morning. Watch the sunrise (don’t look directly at the sun), even in the rain, without sunglasses. This can be combined with any previous activities, e.g., meditating outside.
In addition, while this isn’t a nutrition or physical challenge per se, maintaining our bodies (including our brain) is critical to overall mind fitness. So do your best to follow these additional guidelines:
Eight hours of sleep a night. In bed with no distractions. Turn off your WIFI and put your phone in another room in airplane mode.
Eat and drink well. The more you restrict or eliminate alcohol, caffeine, sugar, etc., the better. The bottom line is just don’t ingest a bunch of crap.
You can download a copy of the challenge instructions, a sample schedule, and a daily checklist for free on the RARE SENSE website under the Resources Page. If you really want to make the new year the start of a new you, I encourage you to give this a go. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. And you might learn a lot about yourself in the process. Ready to get started?
DISCLAIMER: RARE SENSE content is not medical advice. Nor does it represent the official position or opinions of any other organization or person. If you require diagnosis or treatment for a mental or physical issue or illness, please seek it from a licensed professional.