In the pursuit of a deep understanding of reality, there is one quality that you will have to develop — the art of experimentation and engaging directly with life. I want to write deeper blogs on this topic, however, today I just want to put out a challenge to anybody who is new to the art of reality exploring and wants to improve their ability to push and play with life in a conscious way, and learn to start intertwining with the mechanics of reality. Don’t underestimate how powerful this will be for your growth.
It’s important to understand that the only way to learn in life is to play — you have to treat your entire existence as a playground for curious experimentation, and in doing so, you will gain a much deeper understanding and appreciation for how reality works, most importantly yourself and your mind.
The Challenge
Here is the challenge I want you to consider: Pick something subtle that you enjoy engaging with or that features regularly in your life and abstain from it for one month.
This could be anything as simple as using sauce on your food to something more obvious like music. The point is to choose something that isn’t a major piece of your life. This is a challenge of subtlety.
Why do this?
The goal of this challenge is to observe where you might be attached to reality being a certain way, in a place you didn’t realise. It might also allow you to learn more about the things you take for granted and have lost appreciation for. Removing things you rely on will also gently expose parts of you that escape from your inner issues by filling the gaps with these things that distract us — often so subtle that we can’t even see it is happening until we remove it.
The point is to consciously change your environment just to see what happens. That is the fun of experimentation. You often observe, learn and understand things you never would have expected. There is no right and wrong in this challenge — we are simply here to start playing with life. There is so much to discover through these types of processes.
Get excited about engaging and progressing through life!
My 12 Month Challenge
In the spirit of making 2025 an even stronger year, I have decided to take part in this challenge. I will be abstaining from one new piece of my environment per month. I am very intrigued to see how my experience changes and what I learn. These are in my personal experience, so yours don’t have to be the same. If you’re feeling up for it you can join me in doing multiple months or even the full 12.
Here is what I will be abstaining from each month:
January – Buying coffee from coffee shops
February – Any form of liquid other than water
March – Swearing
April – Buying anything except the bare essentials
May – Music
June – WhatsApp (Phone calls only)
July – Anything but minimalist shoes and barefoot
August – YouTube
September – Devices within 2 hours of waking up and sleeping
October – Warm showers
November – Any form of criticism
December – Reading books (I read a LOT so will be interesting to remove it for a month)
Through the art of experimentation, we open doors to deeper self-awareness, curiosity, and growth. By consciously stepping out of our comfort zones and altering elements of our daily environment, we give ourselves a unique opportunity to observe the intricate connections between our habits, emotions, and perceptions of reality. This challenge isn’t about deprivation but about discovery — peeling back layers of unconscious reliance, exploring the subtle influences of what we take for granted, and unlocking new insights into how we engage with life. It is in these small, deliberate acts of change that we can cultivate a greater understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
As I embark on this 12-month journey of playful abstention, I invite you to join me in testing the boundaries of your habits and routines. Together, let us view life as an open experiment, filled with opportunities to learn and grow in unexpected ways. Whether it’s abstaining from a small comfort or a significant part of your daily routine, each challenge will teach us more about our attachments, assumptions, and capacity for adaptation. The ultimate goal is not to become rigid or austere but to nurture a mindset of curiosity and empowerment.
#18
