Heather Hansen

The 30 Day Rubber Band Challenge

I recently read a study about rubber bands and possibilities.  The bottom line is this: when people were told a rubber band IS a rubber band, they didn’t imagine it could also be an eraser. When they were told it COULD BE a rubber band, almost half of the people saw it could also be an eraser. What possibilities are we missing by not imagining what COULD BE? I decided to spend 2017 asking myself “What else is possible here?” I know this one question will open magical doors, because when you see what COULD BE, you open the door to possibility. In the same way a rubber band could be an eraser, there is so much we could be if we can just see it.

I decided an experiment was in order. The hypothesis–we COULD BE something different than what we ARE. I decided that every day for the next 30 days I would see what was possible. On day one, I’d see if I COULD BE someone who doesn’t complain–I’d go on a one day complaint diet. On day two, I’d explore whether I COULD BE someone who travels. . Day 3? Someone who won’t drive distracted. I made a list of all of the things that I COULD BE, if only for one day. That one day might be a good baby step into bigger possibilities.

I started to make a list of 30 things, but I struggled. That’s where my amazing friends came in!

I sent an email to some of the people I hold most dear, asking them for suggestions of things we COULD BE. The responses blew me away. So many of us want the same things, and most of those things are less about being better on the outside and more about being better on the inside. The responses my friends and family renewed my faith in us (and what we could be). It also convinced me to move forward with the Rubber Band Challenge.

Here’s how it works. Sign up for my newsletter, and every day you will get an email explaining the thing we COULD BE today. Someone who travels, someone who doesn’t complain, someone who doesn’t drive distracted–we’ve got an amazing list of possibilities ready! Then for that one day, try. Try to be what you could be. There will be some challenges you might not be interested in trying. I’d ask you to consider trying them anyway. I’ve learned in yoga that what we most avoid is often what we most need. Growth comes from allowing ourselves to be uncomfortable. However, if you really don’t want to try a particular challenge, repeat one that we’ve done on a prior day. The same instruction goes if you don’t need a particular challenge. For example, if you don’t smoke or drink you can’t challenge yourself to stop for a day. Move onto another challenge. Every day I will send a description of the day’s challenge to your inbox.

You have jobs here, too. First of all, try the challenge. But second, comment in the day’s comment section. Let me know what you think of the day’s challenge. Is it silly, hard, fun or too confusing? Is it something you’d like to continue for more than one day? I need your feedback, and we all need to learn from and grow with each other. If you log on and write a (clean and kind) comment every day, at the end of the 30 days I will have an extra something for you to remind you of your possibilities. We start on Tuesday, Jan 10th. Come one guys–we can do this.

2016 was. 2017 is all that could be. I challenge you to explore the possibilities with me and with each other. Sign up for my newsletter and let’s go.

Heather Hansen

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