My 20 Day Challenge

20 Days Challenge

I have become very irregular with blogging these days because I am going through a lazy phase. I wouldn’t call this ‘writer’s block’ because there is no dearth of ideas. I even managed to write a few posts however never posted them. Therefore, I have decided that I will post something daily on the remaining 20 days of this month. This is just a desperate attempt to revive my blogging and come out of this stupid shell that I have gone into.

Today morning I got shocking news that our fellow blogger Alok Singhal from The Learning Curve has left us forever. It was unbelievable. Alok was one of the first bloggers whom I had started following in the early days of my blogging career. His travel blogs always inspired me. He was a blogging senior whom I always looked up to. I cannot imagine how his lovely wife Saru must be coping. Saru herself is also an accomplished blogger. Her poems are sensitive and poignant. They were one of the great blogger couples. It is difficult to imagine how a lovely couple is torn apart.

In July, my husband lost his best friend. These days, we get to hear of so many young people dying that it scares me. Stress, unhealthy lifestyle, emotional issues are leading our generation to a dark hole. These days I do not find anyone who is genuinely happy. Whenever we gather for a friend’s meet, the only thing we discuss is office/business stress.  Even kids are stressed. I do not remember hearing the word ‘stress’ when I was growing up. My father used to have occasional stress in office yet most of the time he was happy. Most of them were happy, however, these days most of us are in pursuit of happiness. We should rethink the whole thing.

Now coming back to me, I am realizing that I am gradually becoming addicted to my mobile phone. Just like a typical addict I know I am wasting my time on social media yet I am unable to withdraw myself. Therefore as the saying goes ‘desperate times, desperate measures’, I took some drastic steps and deleted all social media apps on my mobile. I have only kept Whatsapp because these days most people use WhatsApp instead of email to send messages. I will strictly stop using social media on my mobile for 20 days. If I succeed then I am going to continue this forever. In the next 20 days, I wish to read more books.

The other thing that I wish to do is make phone calls. FYI, I am a person who hardly calls anybody. I am fine with sending messages but hardly make any effort to call people. I often get complains from my Aunt, Uncle, Mom-in-law that I never call them. Unlike other wives, I don’t even call my husband. Therefore if I ever call he immediately understands that there is some emergency. I admit I am bad at calling people. I even call my best friend once in two months. Therefore in the next 20 days, I plan to call up people. Today I already started and made the first call to my Masi. She was pleasantly surprised. Her first question was “are you okay?”

So to sum up…

Do

  1. Post Daily
  2. No Social Media usage from mobile
  3. Call up people
  4. No sugar (bonus resolution)
  5. Exercise daily (bonus resolution)

So friends, stay tuned and check my progress…..

24 thoughts on “My 20 Day Challenge”

  4. Corinne Rodrigues says:
    Reply

    I’m glad you are going to be writing more regularly. I’ve been meaning to blog every day too. Perhaps, I’ll start in October. I’ve taken off Twitter and Facebook and only kept Whatsapp. But I do need to make more calls like you plan to.
    Good luck with your plans.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Antoinette Truglio Martin says:
    Reply

    Wow you are taking a huge challenge. Good luck. Ans so sorry to hear of the passings of friends. You are right, we all seem to in pursuit of happiness, and forget that we need to make our own happy.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. the bespectacled mother says:
    Reply

    Who are you, Balaka’s? Are you ‘you’ or are you ‘me’? 🙂
    I have gone through an almost similar phase as you. My case was of laziness-no writing-despair was accentuated by son’s summer vacation and husband’s working from home 2-3 times a week. By the time the 6week summer holidays finished I had gone completely out of my mind. I told you how someone ( whom I thought I could be friends with) took one point out of my one post became irritated with me and began acting in a manner which irritated me back. When I don’t write, I tend to become Chandi and when on top of that I used to see happy photos and happy write ups of people on FB, I could stick myself together no more. I deactivated FB for a week and have uninstalled WhatsApp and Instagram. (Have you ever checked the Status button on WhatsApp? People are using it to post their photos same as they do on FB. So even WhatsApp had become unbearable.) I got back online yesterday with my post and have unfollowed all those who have nothing more to do than posting photos every other day. I thought I have become a jerk but with you around atleast I know I am not lonesome.
    So both of us chose to come back to blogging on the same day. All the best, Balaka’s, for everyday posting and all the bonuses you have set for yourself.
    The sad news of Alok’s demise is unbelievable and came as a shock to me.

    Like

  8. the bespectacled mother says:
    Reply

    I wrote a very long comment here but I guess your blog rejected for some reason. As usual it had turned into a mini post yet again. Now I don’t have the energy to write everything again. Okay I will try.
    “Who are you, Balaka’s? Are you ‘you’ or are you ‘me’? I have gone through an almost similar phase but my case was accentuated by son’s summer vacation and husband working from home 2-3 times a week. One person whom I took for a friend, who took offence by reading one of my post, I told you about that, we have become a mutually irritable society. The social media became unbearable too with constant photo updates and writing updates. I deactivated FB and uninstalled WhatsApp and Instagram. WhatsApp has become another hell. The status link on it – people are using it to post and share their photos on it as well just as do on FB. There wasn’t just any escape as if they are holding me by the collar and saying ” dekhkogi Nahin to Bach ke Kahan jaogi”. In absence of writing I had become akin to Chandi and Kali.
    I got back yesterday and saw that you too 🙂 Happy writing and all the best for all the to-dos and bonuses you have set for yourself.”
    Done.
    *Phew*

    Liked by 1 person

    • Balaka says:
      Reply

      It is always good to read your comment, I honestly missed blogging but I just can’t take facebook and Instagram anymore..I would have loved to deactivate WhatsApp as well..but these days starting from son’s school to office people everyone uses it..so just can’t escape… WhatsApp is one menace but it is just like a mominlaw..whom you have to tolerate..I was going through a rough phase with my son that I told you about.. thankfully he is much better..so I am getting some time for myself. ..I also become irritable when I do not write.. actually since long I am planning a fun post on social media but hi nahi Raha hai

      Like

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