I am overdue to give a quick recap on my most recent 30 day challenge. If you recall, about a month ago was the Siyum Hashas. I decided that at the next one (in 7.5 years), I wanted to have a bigger part in it.
So I started that night, while I still had that moment of inspiration. For a short while I was one page ahead of everyone else because I started one night before, but taught myself a valuable lesson. Grab insiration when it comes. Once it passes, if you don’t grab it, its much harder to grab onto.
I also learned a few things, specifically related to studying this text, but I am sure are transferable to everyday life.
– Dont do it on the couch at 10pm. You are guaranteed to fall asleep. I did and fell behind half a daf (page).
– It is much more powerful listening to a shiur (study class). I was personally not able to leave the house in the evening to go to a class, so I watched one online. A HUGE thank you to Rabbi Eliyahu Fink who tirelessly posted the daily daf on youtube (who also, until I just sent him this, has no idea I am listening 🙂 ).
– Lots of others all around are doing it, and you didn’t even know it. It was beyond inspiring to go to a shiur and have all these other people learning the same thing I was. It was like a secret society.
– Sometimes it was hard. One night, I totally flopped and spaced out. It was on a Thursday when my sister came over for dinner. This put me behind one day. But I caught up… which is rough.
– Prioritize your day. Its a challenge to plow through when you are tired. In order to stay this commited, you really need to plan ahead. It always has to be scheduled for.
That’s what I got. Anyone else have anything else to add?
(Oh and on a side note, I actually did do the entire 30 days and am going to keep going for as long as I can… wish me luck!)