DAY 1

Your Day 1 Assignment

Welcome to your first assignment! 

And it will SEEM so easy, you might laugh at me.

But I believe in the power of small wins. You see, if I sent you on a 2 hour walk on the first day, would you find time for that and actually do it? Maybe. Maybe not...

So instead, let’s get this challenge going with a simple assignment that will build momentum for the whole week.

The good news is:

Just this first assignment might actually add years to your life!

Because what you're probably doing RIGHT NOW, is slowly killing you. Yes, I'm talking about sitting.

The health hazards of sitting range from organ damage, to muscle degeneration, to a strained neck, and serious back pain.

So, Dr. Levine seems to be right:

”Sitting is the new smoking!”
James A. Levine, M.D., PH.D.
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And that’s why the goal for today - and for the rest of the week - is to REGULARLY get your butt out of that chair!

Here's what I want you to do now:

 

Step 1: Set a Reminder to Stand Up Every Hour

Sitting all day is bad for your health. But what you'll find is that regularly standing up will increase your productivity, too.

I know this first hand. But there's research to back it up:

The productivity app DeskTime found that the highest-performing users work on average for 52 minutes, followed by a 17 minute break. And research from Cornell University says the same. Those who take regular, short breaks were 13% more accurate in their work.

Now, I believe those who do nothing, achieve nothing. But as it turns out, taking short breaks will actually help you achieve MORE...

Now, to break the habit of sitting for too long, we need to create a CUE that reminds you to get up.

There’s two easy ways to do this:

• Set up a timer for 50 minutes on your phone (and restart it when you sit back down)

OR

• Download the Stand up! app for your iPhone and set up a reminder there.

The advantage of using the app: You don’t have to reset your timer. The app will keep reminding you automatically. It works great. 

Remember:

When you take regular breaks and GET UP, you’re killing two birds with one stone.

1. You counter the harmful effects of sitting.
2. You increase your productivity.

Maybe you’re familiar with a popular time management method called the “Pomodoro Technique”. This is very similar: You simply set a fixed number of minutes to work, and a fixed number of minutes to rest. Then repeat until you’re done with a particular task. 

Simply breaking up your tasks is a powerful way to be more productive in itself (and we’ll talk more about productivity and focus later in the challenge, too).

Oh and just one more tip: Maybe you’ll find that an interval of 50 minutes is too long or too short. If so, just set the timer somewhere between 30 minutes and 1 hour.

Step 2: Walk (or Stand) for Just 5 Minutes

Yup, that’s it. Just 5 minutes… And if you’re wondering:

“What the hell am I supposed to do during my break?”

Don’t worry - I’ve got you covered. Here a few ideas:

• Clean up your desk
• Empty the trash
• Walk to the bathroom
• Take a short walk down the hall
• Get a glass of water or have a snack (just make sure it’s healthy)
• Chat with a co-worker if you work at an office (but don’t interrupt anyone if they’re busy)
• Make a quick phone call
• Do one of these simple exercises to undo the damage of sitting
• Or try some of these discrete yoga techniques (that won’t freak out your co-workers) 

And that’s it!

It almost seems TOO easy, but you might be surprised…

Let me know how it goes in the comments below. (And be honest: Did you stand up at least every hour?)

P.S. IMPORTANT: Remember for you Day 5 Assignment you need to invite someone for lunch. Check the Challenge Welcome Page where you'll find a word-for-word script.