One of the things I frequently mention is an Epic Quest. And it seems that I have not yet done a great job of letting people know what it is or why they want to participate in one. Let’s see if this helps.
An Epic Quest is an adventurous journey to reach a goal.
In the Shape Good Habits world, that means reaching a goal of establishing a powerful new positive habit.
Why?
Our well being depends on how well we take care of ourselves. In our fast-paced world of distraction it is so blessedly easy to pick up habits that wear away at our health.
Like a drop of water carving out a canyon, each drop of a bad habit pulls up one grain of our health and carries it downriver to dump into the ocean.
The Grand Canyon took five or six million years to erode into the beautiful canyon that it is today. And it started with just a few grains of dirt sliding away.
Poor habits erode our health in the same way.
Adopting a positive habit must be intentional and it takes our attention to make it stick.
How does an Epic Quest work?
Simply connect with an accountability partner or two. Set a start date.
Make a firm decision of which 5 minute practice you want to set as your goal. Report to your partner(s) whether or not you followed through each day. After 21 days, celebrate.
You can go longer if you choose. I don’t recommend you go for fewer than three weeks though.
Traditional wisdom says it takes 21 days to begin a new habit. But, that’s 21 consecutive days. It can take even longer to truly ingrain a habit. With 21 days, though, you gain a clear understanding of what it takes.
There are a few guidelines
Never skip more than one day. Don’t go two or more days without doing it. If that happens, start over. Just don’t stop!
Celebrate the reporting even more robustly than the doing.
Trust that a small practice of five minutes or fewer will help establish your new identity as someone who does this daily.
When your accountability partner let’s you know their status, always always answer them as quickly as possible and celebrate with them!
Do not offer advice when someone is struggling. If they want your help, let them ask. Unsolicited advice has an underlying message that you know better than they do. Even if it were true, that’s an oppressive attitude.
Simple and doable, the Epic Quest is an adventure with life-shaping results.
Love yourself enough to do this!
