Why You Should Go "Monk Mode" for 30 Days Every Year
“I started thinking — if life can fall apart so rapidly, can the opposite be true? Can things go incredibly right in 30 days time?”
It’s amazing how much your life can change in one month.
January 2021:
Covid forced my employer to make some tough staffing decisions, of which I was a casualty.
My girlfriend and I broke up (for good this time).
I had to move. Moving in January sucks.
Needless to say it was a pretty stressful start to the year.
The dust settled as winter gave way to spring. My new life began to take shape. I had ample opportunity to reflect on what happened, why it happened and how to make sure I didn’t repeat certain mistakes.
I started thinking — if life can fall apart so rapidly, can the opposite be true? Can things go incredibly right in 30 days time?
In May of that year I embarked on an experiment. I committed to a month of enhanced focus, discipline and productivity in the name of self-improvement. Going “monk mode” as they say.
Here’s what I did, what I learned, and why I can say unequivocally that May 2021 was one of the most transformational and enlightening periods of my life.
I canceled all my plans
Aside from a couple previously scheduled family functions, I canceled all my plans. No nights out, no dinners with friends, no nothing. If I wasn’t working I was at home.
What I learned
The volume gets turned down.
You can hear yourself think. Thoughts, ideas, and opinions that arise are more substantial than normal — more reflective of what you actually believe. I didn’t really understand how much life’s clamor and commotion negatively impacted me until I experienced the flip side.
And no, purposefully spending time alone is not the same as being lonely. You’ll see.
I didn’t drink alcohol
Not a drop.
What I learned
I’m not a big drinker to begin with, so I figured this wouldn’t impact me much.
I was wrong.
I hit 7 days alcohol free, then 10 days, then 14 days…it was like a game! How long could I go? How hard could I push?
The challenge became more mental than physical. Every day without alcohol represented another step on the path towards better self-control.
If you can avoid alcohol in a society that idolizes it at every turn, that speaks volumes to your tenacity and fortitude.
I got at least 8 hours of sleep per night
The alarm goes off at 7 am, meaning I was in bed lights out by 10:30 each night. Not gonna lie, this one was tough. I rarely go to bed before 11. Adjusting even 30 minutes had me restlessly tossing and turning the first few nights.
What I learned
Boy does sleep matter.
Some of the positive effects are easy to guess. More energy, better recovery, a clearer mind.
Some effects are less obvious. Fewer hunger pangs throughout the day, allowing me to (finally) not be a slave to the snack drawer. My stress level decreased. I wasn’t cold all the time. My skin got better.
You should consider picking up sleep as a secondary hobby. For real though.
I cooked all my food
Honestly, this came from necessity. I wasn’t going out to eat. I couldn’t survive on soup and saltine crackers from my pantry.
What I learned
Cooking isn’t the worst thing in the world. And this from someone who historically doesn’t enjoy cooking.
Turns out, you can eat creatively (and healthy) without too much effort. It simply requires a little upfront research and a willingness to go to the grocery store more than once every two weeks. You also save a ton of money.
My friend Joshua Black has a great smoothie recipe for all you health nuts.
I saved as much money as I could
Eating meals at home and not going out was a good start, but I wanted more. What else could I go without? How could I have minimal impact on the environment and my wallet?
I began slashing costs left and right. It became an obsession. No more dormant club membership. I could go without the latest iPhone. I didn’t need another pair of Air Jordans.
What I learned
Being mindful of your spending eliminates a MASSIVE amount of stress. When there’s less money going out the door there’s less on your mind, whether you realize it or not.
Unexpectedly, a reduction in clutter accompanied my reduction in spending. I gave away clothes I wasn’t wearing anymore. I cleaned out several junk drawers full of items I never use. I donated some dust-covered books to the nearby bookstore.
Cleaning up your spending cleans up your life.
I wrote every day
Even if I didn’t publish anything, I sat and wrote for at least 45 minutes each day.
What I learned
I’m not much of a conversationalist, but that doesn’t mean I have nothing to say.
I love to write. It’s one of my favorite things. Writing allows me to organize and coordinate my thoughts and ideas. To think critically, creatively and succinctly. To communicate with others the best way I know how.
And maybe learn a thing or two.
If you want to know what you really think about something, if you want to determine just how well you know something, write it down. There’s no better metric for understanding.
I read every day
After my writing session (and perhaps a few minutes of PlayStation) I read for a minimum of 45 minutes. Non-fiction, fiction, it didn’t matter. Screens off, music low, book out.
What I learned
What I learned is I love to learn. And there’s no better tool for learning than reading.
Reading is your portal into another time and space. Reading takes you to the centers of black holes, to the depths of the ocean, to the beaches of Normandy in 1941. Wherever you want to go reading can take you.
But it’s not simply about the subject matter.
There’s no better gateway into a human mind than the words that mind pens to paper. You discover an author’s desires, their fears, their passions, their flaws.
Reading is as much a study of the human condition as it is the study of the subject matter.
I trained every day
I took time for fitness every day, alternating between running, walking, biking and lifting weights. While I trained hard, not every workout was an all-out dogfight. I sacrificed intensity in favor of consistency.
What I learned
I’m in awe of the inexorable connection between body and mind. As one goes so does the other.
With my sleep and nutrition on point, my workouts were mind-blowing. I wasn’t prematurely tired. I wasn’t prematurely fatigued. I didn’t mentally check out halfway through.
This was the best I had felt physically in several years.
Taking care of your body is to take care of everything else. You’ll sleep better, you’ll feel better, you’ll reduce stress and anxiety and depression. You’ll work better, you’ll communicate better, you’ll even, ahem, f*** better (sorry mom).
In short, you’ll simply be better.
