The 7-Day Elimination Challenge

 I quit. Well, sort of. Let me explain.

There's a common factor I find with people when I'm coaching them.

They think they have to go from sitting on the couch to running a marathon within a few days.

Sure, this sounds ridiculous, but when you hear of the expectations they have for "success", its clear that these people have the wrong idea about getting better and that's a problem.

It's totally demotivating when your goal seems out of reach. A chasm that can't be bridged.

And you know what? You're right. You CAN'T do it. Not yet. So don't bother thinking about it!

Instead focus on a smaller, more realistic goal. 

That's what I did this week when I quit soda, TV, and social media.

The results may surprise you. 

One Week Without Soda (Or Coke Or Pop Or Whatever You Call It)

This one SUCKED worse than any of the others to the point that it pissed me off.

It impacted my mood. I was antsy.

I felt like I was coming off some kind of drug withdrawal...and in a way, I was.

Our body adjusts to our patterns and what we put inside it. When we alter that dramatically, there's a price to be paid, even if its a small price.

After 4 days, the cravings really went down. I chugged water and was in the bathroom half the day so that kept me preoccupied from driving to the store and buying a 6-ack of Pepsi (yes, its better than Coke, bite me).

After day 7, I didn't even have a soda. I was fine. And when I did have one the next day, I bought the 7.5oz cans instead of a 20oz. 

Now, I only buy the 7.5oz cans and they totally satisfy my cravings. I don't even drink one everyday.

And because of that, I've lost weight and I'm in a better mood usually. Great payoff!

One Week Without Streaming Or TV

No YouTube. No cable. No Netflix. 

It was awesome. I mean, really awesome.

I got sooooooo much more done at night and picked up some old hobbies I hadn't got to in a while.

So after one week with zero streaming, I have committed to one screenless night every single week. 

It usually ends up being two nights a week and the wife has joined me. This has led to more talking and intimacy. A helluva trade-off (sorry, Ted Lasso isn't THAT good).

One Week Without Social Media

This was the most dramatic change.

I was never big on Snap from the get go so I deleted it.

I deleted TikTok completely but eventually got back on for business purposes. I moved the app to the last page on my phone and now I barely use it.

The apps I started using almost daily again were LinkedIn and YouTube (even though I don't consider YouTube social media but more of a TV substitute). 

However, this is where 3 major differences show up...

1. My screen time is down by 50% from 2 hours to 1 hour a day according to my phone
2. I don't doom scroll anymore and use it with intentionality
3. My purpose for using social media has transformed from entertainment to learning and brand building

It's worth noting, I'm generally happier and less stressed. And no one has reached out wondering where I went. 

Turns out, nobody cares. Shocking, I know yet we all still like to pretend they do.

The Big Takeaway

Modern freedom requires eliminating distractions and reclaiming your attention.

You aren't going to ever get there if you aren't healthy and are mindlessly buried in screens all day.

But the big takeaway is this: you don't have to cut something out cold turkey in order to make progress.

I hope to reach a point where I never want soda again, but I'm not there yet.

However, I'm a LOT closer to it than I was before I took that week off. And that makes me feel confident and really freakin stoked about myself inside.

You can do this too. 

Don't lose the battle before you ever begin because of crappy goal-setting.

You aren't going to get off the couch and run a marathon...so don't.

Just get off the couch and go for a run around the block.

That's how you win.