We’re so used to counting on things that we need being available. And we’re fortunate that we live in a world where we can get just about anything we need at almost any time of the day or night. One of the biggest challenges inside of that level of convenience is making sure you know you can take care of yourself whenever you need to.

Among the many valuable things that you can take away from this challenge is confidence in the kitchen. Many us don’t grow up being taught to cook. Heck, a lot of us don’t grow up being taught to eat! Being able to move freely in the kitchen is one of the most empowering skills you can possess. Knowing that you can walk in and make food happen is both fun and fulfilling. Preparing your own food means that you get to say what goes in, 100 percent. No questions, no substitutions. Your body, your choice.

Think of it as a large measure of power over your commitment. If you can create an environment where no matter the situation — on the road, at a social gathering, home alone late at night — you don’t have to wonder how to take an action that fulfills your commitment, you are a mighty step closer simply to inhabiting your commitment as a lifestyle rather than working at it as a struggle.

Your weekly challenge for Week 5 is to brown bag it every day next week.

What does that mean?

• You may pack food that you made at home OR you may visit a grocery store salad bar, but YOU must put your lunch together, whether you work at an office or from home
• Every meal that you eat must be prepared at home or put together by you at a grocery store salad bar.
• You do not have to prepare all of the food yourself. If your husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc. cooks for you, that’s OK. Share the experience with them, get your hands foody.
• No take-out, no delivery!
• All the rules apply to breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you are being social, dine in over a home-cooked meal with friends and then go out for something fun!
• This does not mean that you can’t take a business lunch or dinner! To complete this challenge, you must be responsible for preparing your food. Our suggestion is to eat something ahead and order a salad or appetizer to nibble on during the meeting. You can eat at a restaurant, it just can’t be a primary meal.
• Share your experiences, tips, tricks, and strategies for success in the Weekly Challenge forum for this week
• Suggested practice: Cook a big batch of food on Sunday so that you have food available all week long.
• Suggested practice: Cook for one more person when you make dinner at night and take the leftovers for lunch

Brown bag it every day next week and earn 2 bonus points!

When it comes to training, you’ll often think about the gym – weights, reps, sets, miles, time, etc. It’s the obvious part. Do the work, stretch your body’s capacity, and get results. One of the less obvious (and maybe most underrated) parts of training comes in the form of rest, most importantly in the form of sleep.
Sleep is your body’s time to restore. It is critical for cell regeneration, for neurological performance, for your immune and endocrine systems, even for staying stress free. Without adequate sleep you are at best less effective, at worst, totally worthless. Lack of sleep has been linked to depression, inflammation, insulin resistance, weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure. You’ve all probably felt it, grumpy or twitchy if you miss a little sleep, run down and foggy if you start to miss even just a little more. One of the biggest breakdowns is that if you miss enough, the way you feel starts to become “normal” and you don’t even know there’s anything amiss!

With respect to exercise, lack of sleep blunts your body’s ability to repair bone and muscle — it is quite possibly the most critical part of seeing the results you want from your exercise!

Your weekly challenge for Week 3 is to get at least 7 hours of sleep every day.

What does that mean? That means that every day, starting on your Sunday night to Monday morning sleep, you will accrue 7 hours of sleep daily. You will begin scoring yourself for this weekly challenge on Tuesday when you record your score for Monday and finish scoring yourself the following Monday when you are scoring yourself for Sunday (the sleep that you got from Saturday night to Sunday morning).

• If you don’t get a full 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep, you may accumulate the remainder during the day with a nap
• You may count the beginning of your night’s sleep when you turn off the lights
• Suggested practice: don’t use your bed for watching TV or reading. If you train your mind that the bed is where you go to fall asleep, you are more likely to fall asleep more easily.
• Suggested practice: Set a strict bedtime and stick to it. Don’t let your shows stop you — Tivo them!
• Suggested practice: If you can, don’t set an alarm and sleep until you wake. You may be surprised to find just how much sleep your body needs!
• Suggested practice: Start exposing yourself to less artificial light as the evening progresses. Blue light that is emitted by artificial light signals daytime to your brain.
• Suggested practice: Practice meditation or mindfulness right before going to bed to “cool” your brain off before trying to sleep.
• Post your experiences in the Weekly Challenge #4 forum to get support!

Get 7 hours of sleep each day next week and earn 2 bonus points!