This challenge begins on June 1 and lasts just for a month. Choose an addiction, or more than one, that you'd like to give up. Read yesterday's post for more details on how to choose. It's up to you whether to maintain your life without your chosen addiction after that.
UPDATE: It starts again on July 1 for another month! See this post to sign up.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Jennifer of Veg*n Cooking and Random Musings will be hosting this challenge for the month of August.
Several people commented yesterday that they don't want to give some things up until they absolutely have to. I understand, really I do. I feel that way about coffee and won't be giving it up for this challenge. However, I am also urging you to think about how hard it may be to have to give up multiple things at the same time. It will be tough! Maybe you can ease the transition later by learning to live without some things now. If nothing else, you'll likely save a few bucks, get a little healthier, and learn that you can beat your addictions.
If you want to commit, leave a comment and grab the little doodad for your blog. Note for those of you with blogs on platforms other than Blogspot: when leaving a comment, choose OpenID instead of Google/Blogger. Once you click the OpenID button, it will give you a choice of platforms, such as Typepad, LiveJournal, Wordpress, etc., and a place to type in your blog address. It makes it easier for me, and the other readers, to find your blog!
- Copy this code:
<a href=http://chilechews.blogspot.com/2008/05/quit-now-challenge.html><img src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_2H3G4C5T6s0/SD1ruwqisEI/AAAAAAAAAy8/SMeXCf9rzUE/s400/Addiction+logo+mini.jpg" /></a>
- In Blogger, go to your layout options, and click on Add a Page Element.
- Select Text.
- Type whatever you want for the title or leave it blank.
- Click Edit Html
- Paste the code you copied in the body.
- Then click Rich Text to confirm the image shows up.
- Save.
When you view your blog, the sidebar image should now appear and have a hyperlink back to this blog.
Hi Chile,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the graphic, I'll put it on my site later today.
Since I already gave up coffee and alcohol last month...I really liked the way you put it - addicted to toilet paper! We all have something that we can give up and help ourselves out.
Anyhow, I will be giving up makeup. We've talked about this before - I'm not a makeup hound but I can't shake the feeling every morning I go to work that the stuff I'm putting on my eyelashes is TOXIC. So there it begins. No more makeup! I feel so liberated already. Day 2!
Hiya,
ReplyDeleteI just recently started reading your blog... and now I'm facing this challenge already! The one thing I consume that I'd be better off without for lots of reasons is junk food... I don't eat tons of it but I do like me some processed, packaged salty snacks now and again. So I'll be giving that up from June 1 to the 26th.. then I'm going on vacation and can't promise anything. I don't have a blog but I'll play along at home. =)
On second thought, I think I'll give up TV for the month. I need to cut back, my son needs to cut back (he got addicted recently while fighting a flu), I can't think of a reason not to!
ReplyDeleteIt is going to be difficult in the evenings when the whole family is huddled around the boob tube while I'm trying to work on the computer. I'll find a way! Or at least I'll ignore it, heh.
I'm not sure I have an addiction. I procrastinate a lot, and I probably eat too many potato chips. I could give up the internet at home, but I would need to access it during the day for work and to pay bills, do research and such.
ReplyDeleteHow about giving up procrastination? Just for one month.
ReplyDeleteHmm. I seem to have many, many more addictions than those who have already responded. I'm hoping I'm the first of your novice readers to sign up, rather than being THAT far behind the curve on moving into a greener lifestyle. Oh well, baby steps...
ReplyDeleteAll that being said, I have to admit that I (gasp!) eat lunch out nearly every weekday. Now, before you leap to conclusions, I'm not offering to change that for this challenge. With all the other changes I'm starting to make, that may just be too much for me. But what I will do for the challenge is commit to vegetarian lunching for the month.
I'm new to your blog, but I'm going to jump right in - I'm going to give up eating for comfort or boredom - only for hunger! No more handfuls of chocolate chips just for getting through the day with two kids finally in bed!
ReplyDeleteGeesh, now I'm feeling scared - what will I do without all that kitchen towel?
ReplyDeleteActually, it's the yogurt that is terrifying me. I priced up milk today and I'm not sure I can make it for the same price. Mmmmmmm.....
Thought provoking stuff.
Great graphic - I'll add it over the next few days.
Mrs G x
Oh goodness... Giving up procrastination for a month? I honestly find that thought terrifying!
ReplyDeleteBut I'm going to consider doing that and nixing TV. TV time tends to contribute to procrastination anyway.
*deer in the headlights stare* Wow. No procrastination?
I guess I will give it a try! I think I will also give up caffeine. I have been drinking too much coffee lately, and I think I could do with just straight water for a while.
ReplyDeleteI added the graphic!
ReplyDeleteI love the challenge, I need something like this from time to time to keep me headed in the right direction. There is always something more we can do.
I doubt I'll completely give up chocolate after this challenge, but I bet you I will appreciate it more and 'need' it less often.
You rock Chile!
Hi
ReplyDeleteCaffeine for me which cuts out coffee, tea and chocolate. I know I can do it, I've cut them out in the past, it's more when I'm at work and the tea round is a part of the social structure - I need to replace it but I get tired of fruit/herb teas very quickly. Still none of the above if necessary or grown locally in England.
I was thinking that cutting the glass of wine with dinner would also be a good idea but I'm heading to France for a long weekend with friends and I can't see me sticking to it.
Thanks for the prompt. It's a really good idea.
My addiction: paper towels! I've told myself it is okay because I will quit once I've run out of the jumbo pack I have, but this challenge is the incentive I need to quit it now. Easier now than later, when I will force myself to stop buying them.
ReplyDeleteWow this is tough!I already quit drinking (for 14 years now this month)and cigarettes for a month now. Since I am diabetic, chocolate is not a problem, soda has never been my thing.And I aint giving up my kitchen gadgets!I know- I will not set foot in a Restaurant for the month of June!I would assume that includes fast food and starbucks. NO restaurant food. That is mine!
ReplyDeleteNo restaurant food! That's a huge undertaking requiring much organisation. I was thinking I must cut right down on this but two things stop me - the travelling and staying in hotels for work (which I could maybe exempt) and being a strict vegetarian with two extremely carnivore best friends - we end up with take-aways so that I don't have to cook meat and they don't have to eat vegetables. Again, if I was more organised I'm sure it would be possible...
ReplyDeleteI'm very impressed with all of you that are ready and willing to give it up. I've been listing people by their names - if given here or on your blog - but please let me know if you want me to list your blog name as well.
ReplyDeleteIf you have a blog but didn't sign in with a link to it, please let me know what it is so I can provide a link to it on the sidebar. We've got to be able to keep tabs on each other. Addictions are sneaky critters!
Oh, and welcome to the new readers!
ReplyDeleteChile, I want you to know that I'm thinking about it. But I'm not sure what I can give up at the moment... I've given up tv, our country life, the car except once or twice a week, a good deal of my computer time, daily showers, non-local food, meat, ... I've given up a lot. And for all those things, I just can't yet give up my caffeine and a few drinks here and there...
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to wean myself a bit by drinking only one cup of espresso instead of two in the am... I am addicted to toilet paper, it's true. I'm just not ready for that one yet. It's 100% recycled, but not cloth. Doin the Diva Cup. I don't know - have you noticed any addictions I should give up??
Nothing jumps to mind, Melinda. If you don't have anything to give up, you don't have anything to give up. But...keep it in mind and observe the next few days. See if something comes up. :)
ReplyDeleteOK, if you read my blog you saw that I had a long list but then realized that being away for two weeks in June makes most of them impractical to consider.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as I battled insomnia fueled by 12-3am road construction just outside my house and at 2am fixed myself a wonderfully delicious "eggs in a basket" with two fresh pheasant eggs a local farmer gave me, I recognized that there's my answer: Late night eating. I will not eat anything after 11pm.
GAH. I'm already nervous about how well I'll do. But I'm willing to publicly accept the challenge.
I am in... We have given up a lot already, due to the terrible economy here in Michigan and all of the green challenges so far this year. We don't eat out, we don't buy new anything, we don't use excess paper, water, gasoline, electricity and many more "give ups".
ReplyDeleteHowever, I am pledging to give up paper towels, I am down to about a roll a week and with 4 boys and 2 dogs and a husband, that's pretty good, but I can do better.
I am also pledging to give up air conditioning for the month of June. Come August, I might not be able to, but maybe going cold turkey through the month of June - sort of a training exercise - will help me break the habit, or at least cut way back.
Coffee and Grean Bean's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are NON-NEGOTIABLE. Coffee for me, cookies for the kids. Hey, the coffee is fair trade, local AND organic. The cookies are homeade using organic, bulk and local ingredients. And that is waaaay better than the packaged oreos and starbucks coffee from last year!
OK, I'm in. But I'm going to take this beyond a month and actually make it permanent, so i need to go gently on myself (and am seriously afraid of the migraines I get from quick withdrawal - as in one cup of missed tea in the morning will set me off within 3hrs!). So I'm going to drop 1 cup of tea (down from 5) a week till I hit 1 cup of tea a day and I won't give that final cup up till I have to. I started last night, but I need to check what the properties of the herbal teabag were that I drank coz my mind was buzzing well past midnight!
ReplyDeleteOkay... deep breaths. No panick.
ReplyDeleteI'm giving up fizzy drinks and (gulp) shopping... again.
Okay, I'm committing to giving up Izze Pop and Store bought Potato Chips but not just for June, forever. Howza about them apples! Oh, just remembered, make apple chips *lolol*
ReplyDeleteSo, I had to come back and comment again. I am going to change what I am going to give up for the challenge. Upon talking with my partner, Brett, I realized that I was being a bit of a punk about the whole thing - I have things that would be far more of a 'sacrifice' than giving up chocolate.
ReplyDeleteSo, as much as it pains me to do this (if you look at my blog tags you will see why), I am going to change from chocolate to, eeek, avocados.
If I can survive without avocados, anything is possible. ;-) Otherwise, I'm going to have to move to California.
Sigh, Jennifer, you're pointing out my 'easy' choice, too. I was thinking fats but decided chocolate was easier. I've been consuming way too much fat in the form of Earth Balance (with evil palm oil), avocados, tortilla chips, and chocolate. I will, gulp, amend mine as well. (Darn you! And your partner, Brett, too!
ReplyDeleteOh, and just to point out the obvious to everyone...giving up some forms of your addiction to oil is also an option. Think about no driving for a month, no mail-orders or shopping (takes fuel to get to you of the store, local food, etc.
ReplyDeleteLOL I forgot to pre-excuse the hot dog stand at the farmers market. I don't feel bad about that- I am there anyway, and it helps to support the association that puts on the market. All that and they make an outrageous brat link!
ReplyDeleteI'm in.
ReplyDeleteMy addiction is eating out, especially sushi and Wahoo's Fish Tacos. I love to go to the sushi place on Monday nights, read a book, and enjoy fabulous (vegetarian) sushi. I just love it. But I can give it up for one month and see if it's truly important. Wahoo's is a fun family thing. We bike the 2 miles there, enjoy a yummy dinner outside and then bike home. It's a fun summer thing. But we can skip it for one month and see if a picnic in the park would fill our need for "bike somewhere and eat together as a family." Not sure why we love that so much, but it is really a summer thing for us.
Thanks, Chile. This is a good one.
I've been reading your blog for awhile - I'm in. I had already decided to give up juice from the grocery - a way to cut back on sugar and the cost of groceries (among other things). Also a way to drink more water!I'm also giving up my weekly PEOPLE magazine, paper and computer - I did this for Lent but went back to it after - I don't need all that paper clutter nor the gossip! We'll have to talk about something else around the lunch table - perhaps something of substance?
ReplyDelete~Madelyn in Alabama
I didn't mean to show up "anonymous" - www.xanga.com/madewyn
ReplyDeleteChile, put me down for procrastination. That sounds like a good one (amongst many).
ReplyDelete::sigh:: All I can say is that I'm glad it's not yet June 1st, since last night at just before midnight I was fixing myself another "eggs in a basket" using two fresh pullet eggs...
ReplyDeleteI knew I was in trouble when I saw the titles of your last two posts and I was right! *&C(L#2%! But I know what I need to do. Here it is - (Can I delete this comment if I change my mind?). I'm giving up my addiction to Starbucks. Not to coffee but to Starbucks and all coffee not organic fair trade. And for the month of June I'll make my own. No buying coffee on the go. And for my prize at the end I want some of Green Bean's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. No prizes? Damn it. I needed a kick in the butt on this one Chile. It's been bugging me but the local Starbucks is so convenient to my routine I kept justifying it. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks, everyone, for the great response. YOU rock!
ReplyDelete(And, no, Katrina, no backing out.)
Okay, Chile - I'm in. I just needed another evening at home to decide for sure. I became quite a TV-couch potato during our cool, wet Spring, waiting for nice weather so I could start gardeining. I'm going to give up watching TV while sitting.
ReplyDeleteExplanation: I have a very small & old B&W tv that my mother bought from Penney's back in the 70s so my daughters could have their own set to watch in their room while I was studying. It's living on a stool in the corner of the dining area where I can see it from the kitchen while I'm busy in there.
Why not give it up completely? We-e-e-llll, I like to watch the local news & weather in the early evening and then the Lehrer News Hour. I can do this while I'm preparing my supper & cleaning up the kitchen. Last night, after a bit of garden work, I baked bread & tried a new bar cookie recipe while watching.
If I DON'T turn the other TV on, I get to bed at an earlier hour, & can read for a bit, too. If I DO turn it on, I usually fall asleep while watching & then have to drag my grumpy self off to bed way too late.
I've been thinking about doing this anyway - your challenge is just the perfect impetus! Thanks, Chile!!
Carla in Idaho
I've been trying to think of the best thing to give up here. I should give up soda or takeout. I'm going to give up mindless vegging out in front of the Internet. Wait--I'll give up soda too.
ReplyDeleteI'm giving up the dryer. I know this sounds way too easy in this beautiful weather--but I've never been able to get in the habit of planning my laundry days well enough to actually hang things on the line regularly. I've been trying for a long time, but this challenge is what I need to really force myself to do it all the time. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOk, after much thinking I will give up sugar for the month of June. I've been pretty good lately with just a bite or two of dessert, but sometimes that turns into a small piece of cake and then keeps going from there. Of course, there is sugar in so many things, but I will do my absolute best. And I won't cheat with honey or agave either.
ReplyDeletewww.greenervegas.blogspot.com
OkAy, Chile, I thought alot about this. I'm giving up running errands. I will do all of them on one day with careful planning. And holy cow, is there a lot to get done before school is out for my kids!
ReplyDeleteI think I've got everybody on the list that's signed up so far. I'm simply listing what people are giving up. Yeah, yeah, I know we had all that talk about positive focus, but this challenge is about quitting something so that's what I listed.
ReplyDeletePlease let me know if I didn't get your item(s) right.
I've meandered over here for the first time and can I just say....I need you in my life right now...=)
ReplyDeleteI'm in the midst of quiting smoking...today is day #5 for both my husband and I.
But I'm also, and this is a biggy, giving up plastic grocery bags. I'm not green. I'm as far from green as you can be. But you along with several other bloggers are educating me and making me feel like a heathen! I'm change'n my ways! But I'm take'n baby steps to do it! First step....grocery bags!
Tammy - congratulations on quitting smoking! You got a week's jump on the rest of us with giving up something. :)
ReplyDeleteOK, I've decided to give up diet coke. I'm down to only 1 or 2 a week but I want it gone from my life completely. My son will keep me honest on this one, he is the diet coke police around here.
ReplyDeleteOK, here's my plan. I came up with three things I'll give up in June for the Quit Now Challenge. First, the 'excessive' internet time -- I will limit myself to four hours daily. I'm sure that sounds like a huge amount, but I'm usually online much longer than that, and I'm really REALLY tempted to make it five, which I know would be doable. Four will be a real challenge for me, believe it or not. I am taking an exception for any paid work that involves using the internet, of course. That's not common for me but it does happen sometimes.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I will not drink anything carbonated. I don't drink regular soda, but my 'occasional' Crystal Geyser sparkling grapefruit juice has become more and more frequent, and I want to step back.
Third, I will eat no snack chips in June. No potato chips, no tortilla chips, no rice chips. Again, an occasional treat had snuck up on me until I was eating them fairly regularly. I'm not swearing off them (or the grapefruit drink) forever, but I won't have any in June.
Okay, here we go!
O.k., I'm in. I've been challenge free for a while because we have already been reducing so much.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to go AC free for June. I'd like to make it much longer so this will be a testing ground. I will use box fans and ceiling fans, but no general AC.
I'm also going (dare I say addiction) to give up my paper tablet and notepad habit. I use tons every single month between work and home. I'm going to make my own homemade ones out of scratch bummy paper from work. This will severely bother the neatnick in me.
Hmm... I will really have to think about this one. I think that I will try to quit eating fast food, which will be a challenge, working at a FF restaurant. I will be weaning myself off of it, and hopefully be fast food free by the end of the month. Thank you for the challenge, it really makes you think.
ReplyDeleteOk, I finally figured it out.
ReplyDeleteI'm giving up complaining about what's wrong.
You see, I'm a complainer. I complain about the current political problems, the war, my wardrobe, my job, people's lack of involvement, the rain (oh, the rain), dinner wasn't perfect, this store costs to much, our bills are too high,,,,,,...... I am addicted to complaining about what's wrong.
And what does that do? Nothing. Nothing is accomplished by that, except my wallowing in negativity.
So I'm giving it up. Instead of complaining, I'm looking for solutions. Coffee is too cold? Warm it up. I don't like my job situation? Fix it or change it. Don't like the political situation? Become a part of it, a part of the solution.... don't know how to do that? Figure it out.
So there we have it, Chile. I'm giving it up. Starting by not being depressed that it's raining in Seattle AGAIN... wait... so what? Hell, it's raining. It makes everything green and pretty, and the air clear. And walking in it is pretty refreshing.
Won't happen overnight, but I'm going for it. Because the future is going to be tougher than it is today, and we're going to need solutions.
"How about giving up procrastination? Just for one month."
ReplyDeleteThis is what I'm going to do, but I think I'll have do it next month...
Anonymous, no problem. I'm considering running this challenge again next month anyway with new (or extended) commitments. So, leave your name then and we'll sign you up. (You've got 20 days to finish putting it off!)
ReplyDeleteI pledged not to buy toys and books for myself and my almost-three-year-old daughter, Amie. Uhmmm, does spending $0.75 at a library book sale on an Aliki book count?
ReplyDeleteI guess it does.
But it's only a small transgression, no? For a good cause?
For the rest I'm totally clean!
I don't know where to report to so I'll just do it here.
ReplyDeleteFor most of the days since my commitment I have smoked 2/day, I will be honest though and say that there were a few days where I smoked 2-3 more than I commited though. I think I'm doing pretty good regardless of those few days. Every cut back counts.
O.k., so I completely suck. I've blown this challenge in that during the hottest days we did cave and use the AC, but we've kept it pretty minimal. Living in a house with no tree shade has been really hard so far.
ReplyDeleteI can do o.k. with no A/C until I'm roasting at night and trying to breathe.
This also does help me think about what kind of house I'd like to be in next as we're considering moving in the next year or so to change school districts.
Notebooks- - I also just suck. I can't seem to break my habit of notepads- - -I think it is also the writer in me.
But thanks for looking for a check-in. It reminds me of what I need to be doing- - not what I've only said I should be doing.
My first time effort so far (two weeks) has been mixed mostly because of my poor management of time.
ReplyDeleteThe most exciting part: I found a drying rack in our garage! Who knew? Apparently my husband used it in grad school, which was more than ten years ago.
For the most part, I only have time to do laundry on weekend. When I wash the loads during the day, I am able to put the laundry out in our backyard on clothe lines and yes still on chairs. It's been quite hot lately, so my dog has been taking naps under the chairs rather than on the chairs. Whew!
However sometimes I run out of time during the day and end up doing laundry at night, I still use the dryer.
So I say, half-half. The up side is that I am getting used to the stiffness, but I am loving the sun dry smell :)
Katrien, I think you're right about the good cause bit overcoming the spending on books part....this time ;-)
ReplyDeleteGlad you're keeping pretty close to the low number, Garrett. Any chance it will ever be zero instead of two? Just askin...
Now, Cindy, if you'd done the declutter challenge, you would have found that drying rack even sooner! LOL
Will your clothes dry overnight on the rack or out on the line? Just because you're stuck doing laundry at night doesn't necessarily mean you have to use the dryer, does it?
You are right Chile. Doing laundry at night was kind of a lame excuse. Damn you, stop looking through my excuses already! I only have one drying rack right now and should certainly invest in more racks :) However then the problem is that I would run out of execuse and have to admit that I am lazy.
ReplyDeleteSo many typos. Correction:
ReplyDelete"However then I would run out of excuses and have to admit that I am lazy."
Haha, Cindy. Here's a bumpersticker for you - you could paste it on the side of your washing machine:
ReplyDeleteLaziness may appear easy, but, in fact, it is very difficult to pull off.
okay...i'll give up ice cream...ouch that hurt just typing it. i was just saying to hubby today that i should have worked for b&j's making flavors and naming them after jam bands...everyone has a passion right...mine is frozen!
ReplyDeletehope i'll make it!
a~
Oh, ouch, so sorry but bought another book, from the library again, 75 cents. But I gave up my $3.75 coffee at Peet's. It's not about the money, I know, but I'm now sitting here seriously coffee deprived and *getting* it. A couple more days to go in my challenge but after schlepping my 5000 books halfway across the state in our move has made me a lot more conscious about buying more... except for the .75 cent ones from the library, that is.
ReplyDeleteHi Chile
ReplyDeleteSo glad to have found you
I've just given up plastic bags and am trying to get other people who live in Mallorca to do the same thing!
http://mwcmallorca.blogspot.com/
Will give up putting off filing and paperwork for a month. Promise. Have been trying to go paperfree for a long time, but need to get organised, so finally I will.....
VMc - Welcome. Starting in August, Jennifer has taken over hosting this particular challenge. Please go here to sign up and let her know what you're giving up. Best of luck with eliminating plastic bags as well as getting your paperwork and filing done.
ReplyDelete