The Solo Challenge
- Behind Her Brand1
- Jul 9
- 6 min read
15 Challenges to Try Before the End of the Year
What would happen if you committed to just one change? Not because your life needs an overhaul, and not because you’re trying to become a completely different person by next month, but simply because you’re curious about what might be possible if you intentionally did one thing differently for a little while. Most of us carry around a mental list of habits we’d like to build, things we’d like to improve, and small promises we’ve made to ourselves. We tell ourselves we’ll start when things calm down, when work isn’t so busy, when the kids need us less, or when life feels a little more manageable. Yet meaningful change rarely arrives because the timing is perfect. More often, it begins with a simple decision to try something.
That’s the heart behind these challenges. They’re not about perfection, discipline, or proving something to yourself. They’re about paying attention. They’re about creating enough space to notice how your habits affect your energy, your mindset, your relationships, and your overall well-being. Sometimes a challenge teaches us exactly what we expected. Other times, it reveals something completely unexpected. Either way, there’s value in the experience.
As you read through the challenges that follow, choose one that speaks to you. Maybe it’s the one you’ve been meaning to try for years. Maybe it’s the one that feels just a little uncomfortable. Or perhaps it’s simply the one that makes you curious. Whatever you choose, commit to it and see what happens.
And we’d love to hear about it.
If you’re planning to participate, or if you’d like to share your experience after completing your challenge, send us an email at info@behindherbrand.net. Tell us which challenge you chose, what you learned, what surprised you, and whether it changed anything for you along the way. In a future issue of Behind Her Brand, we’re hoping to feature a special article called What Happened When 50 Women Took the Challenge, highlighting the stories, lessons, and discoveries of women in our community. Your story might be exactly the encouragement another woman needs.
1. The No Sugar Challenge
30 Days
For the next 30 days, become more aware of the sugar you consume. Skip the sodas, candy, desserts, and as much added sugar as possible. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s observation. Pay attention to your energy levels, mood, cravings, focus, sleep quality, and even your skin. Many people don’t realize how much sugar influences their daily lives until they remove it long enough to experience the difference.
2. The Water First Challenge
21 Days
Most of us know we should drink more water, yet many spend their days dehydrated without realizing it. For the next 21 days, make hydration a priority. Start your morning with water, keep it nearby throughout the day, and intentionally increase your intake. Notice what happens to your energy, concentration, mood, and overall sense of well-being when your body consistently gets what it needs.
3. The Screen Curfew Challenge
14 Days
Choose a time each evening—perhaps 9:00 or 10:00 p.m.—and put your phone away for the night. No scrolling, no emails, no social media rabbit holes, and no “just one more video.” Instead, spend that time reading, talking with your family, journaling, praying, or simply unwinding. Your mind may be craving rest more than you realize.
4. The Daily Stillness Challenge
21 Days
Set aside ten minutes every day to be completely still. No multitasking. No checking off another item on your to-do list. Simply sit, breathe, pray, meditate, reflect, or listen. At first it may feel uncomfortable, but stillness often reveals things we’ve been too busy to notice. Sometimes what we’re calling stress is actually a lack of space to process our thoughts.
5. The Cold Finish Challenge
30 Days
End every shower with 30 to 60 seconds of cold water. It sounds simple, but discomfort has a way of teaching us something valuable. This challenge isn’t really about cold water—it’s about proving to yourself that you can do difficult things. Every day you choose discomfort on purpose, you strengthen your ability to face challenges in other areas of your life.
6. The Three-Hour Disappear Challenge
Once a Week
For three hours each week, disconnect completely. No phone. No notifications. No obligations. Spend time walking, reading, writing, exploring, or simply thinking. We spend so much of our lives responding to everyone else’s needs that we rarely create intentional space for ourselves. This challenge is about reconnecting with your own thoughts and giving yourself permission to simply be.
7. The Journaling Challenge
30 Days
Each evening, spend a few minutes writing about your day. What gave you energy? What drained you? What made you laugh? What frustrated you? What are you grateful for? Over time, you’ll begin to see patterns that are difficult to recognize when you’re moving through life at full speed. Awareness is often the first step toward meaningful change.
8. The Gratitude Challenge
21 Days
Write down three things you’re grateful for every day. Challenge yourself to go beyond the obvious and notice the small things—a kind conversation, a quiet moment, a beautiful sunset, a lesson learned, or an unexpected blessing. Gratitude has a way of shifting our perspective and helping us notice the good that already exists around us.
9. The Walk Every Day Challenge
30 Days
Commit to taking a walk every day, even if it’s only fifteen or twenty minutes. Leave your headphones behind occasionally and simply pay attention to your surroundings. Fresh air, movement, and a change of scenery can do wonders for clearing mental clutter and creating space for new ideas.
10. The No Complaining Challenge
7 Days
For one week, pay attention to how often you complain—whether aloud or in your own mind. Every time you catch yourself doing it, pause and ask yourself whether there’s a solution, a lesson, or a different perspective available. This challenge isn’t about pretending everything is positive; it’s about becoming more intentional about where you focus your energy.
11. The Read Instead Challenge
30 Days
Replace twenty minutes of scrolling with twenty minutes of reading. Choose a book that inspires you, teaches you something new, challenges your thinking, or simply brings you joy. Imagine what might happen if you spent a month intentionally feeding your mind instead of consuming whatever happens to appear on your screen.
12. The Connection Challenge
30 Days
Reach out to one person each week you’ve been meaning to reconnect with. Send the text. Make the phone call. Schedule the coffee meeting. Relationships often drift not because we don’t care, but because life gets busy. This challenge is a reminder that meaningful connections are worth nurturing.
13. The Date Yourself Challenge
Once a Week
Take yourself somewhere you enjoy. Visit a bookstore. Have lunch at a favorite restaurant. Walk through a museum. Spend an afternoon at a coffee shop with a journal. Learn to enjoy your own company and create moments that are just for you. You deserve the same care and attention you so freely give to others.
14. The More Present Challenge
21 Days
Choose one activity each day and do it without multitasking. Eat a meal without your phone. Have a conversation without checking notifications. Sit outside without trying to accomplish something. The goal isn’t to do more; it’s to be fully present for what you’re already doing.
15. The Joy List Challenge
30 Days
At the end of each day, write down one thing that brought you joy. It doesn’t have to be extraordinary. In fact, the ordinary moments are often the most meaningful. By the end of the month, you’ll have a collection of reminders that joy is often found in places we overlook when we’re rushing through life.
Choose One
You don’t have to do all fifteen.
In fact, we’d encourage you not to.
Choose the one that immediately caught your attention. The one you’ve been thinking about while reading this article. The one that feels both achievable and meaningful. Then commit to it, give it an honest effort, and see what happens.
We can’t wait to hear your story.
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