30 Better Life Experiments
Little things you can try to change things up IRL
Random Observation/Comment #893: Maybe my life is just checking little challenge boxes from an AI that’s keeping track of my goals. Let’s just lean into the simulation RPG.
//More human walking and reflecting as AI takes over
Why this List?
If you know me, you know I like me a 30 day challenge. I plan to implement some of these for fun and just journal on the changes. I intend to do some testing before actually starting the 30 day challenge of 30 things. Maybe it’s just trying 1 or 2 at a time. Note that Clembot suggested some of these, so maybe its for my own good to try it and report back on how it has positively changed my life with mini habits.
Digital Detox Hour - Unplug for 1 hour every day. Turn off all screens - no phone, laptop, VR, and TV. Use it for thinking, stretching, walking, or just being. I think I already do this with cooking and workouts, but I also tend to jam those with listening to a podcast episode, so it’s probably better to focus.
Compliment One Person Daily - Give a real compliment every day. Genuine, specific, and out loud. Bonus points for complimenting someone you don’t know well.
Plan Backwards Each Morning - Write your day in reverse. Start with your ideal evening and work backward. Rearrange your priorities accordingly. I think this is an interesting approach recommendation. I’ll try this to see how I can backwards into more workout time.
Mirror Check-In - Stare at yourself in the mirror for 1 minute. Make eye contact. Observe what you see without judgment and actually do your full routines. I am so bad at putting on lotion and taking meds. I think my wife would appreciate me doing this one consistently.
Alternate Persona Intros - Introduce yourself differently each day. Try on playful titles or identities: writer, AI whisperer, travel adventurer, food reviewer, photographer. I should try these out:
Say No to One Thing - Refuse one non-essential thing daily. Decline a meeting, skip the scroll, or say no to a task that drains you. I say “no” a lot more than “yes” now-a-days so maybe I should balance these better.
One-Second Video Journal - Record one second of your day. By the end, you’ll have a 30-second snapshot of your life story. This will be pretty easy since I take my photos with motion clips, which is a 2 second pre-recording.
Ask, Don’t Assume - When confused or triggered, ask a question. Replace judgment with curiosity. Try “What did you mean by that?” or “Can you explain more?” I think this is a good exercise for conversations in general because I have forgotten how to make casual conversations with my wife less confrontational.
Read Outside Your Comfort Genre - Read 10 pages from an unusual book daily. YA if you’re a sci-fi nerd. Poetry instead of financial analysis. Challenge your mental diet with something other than memes. This one should be interesting for the algorithm.
5:55 AM Wake-Up - Rise at 5:55 AM each day. Do something for yourself like write, walk, and think before the world wakes up. I currently wake up at 6:30AM to get things ready and empty the clean dishwasher, so this wouldn’t be too hard. I do think putting together a 6-6:30AM mental task would be really useful for maximizing my attention and mental capabilities.
Send a Postcard - Mail one handwritten postcard a day. Friends, family, or even yourself. Keep it heartfelt, weird, or poetic. I remember my epic 30 day challenge sent out postcards to everyone who I had a mailing address for.
Name a Fear - List one discomfort or fear daily. Write it down, and rate how willing you are to face it. Optional: face it.
Voice Note to Self - Record a 1-minute message to your future self. Ramble. Reflect. Rant. You'll love hearing them later. I do think this is an interesting exercise. I would probably adjust this voice note to a conversation with ChatGPT in advanced voice mode. I can use it as a recording of my thoughts for the day and get some real time feedback and update of the memory.
Adopt a Friend’s Habit - Practice one routine from someone you admire. Meditation, a cold shower, morning journaling. Ask some friends what they do and then borrow their discipline for a month.
10-Year Filter Daily Check - Ask: Will this matter in 10 years? Before decisions or reactions, pause and run it through the filter. It’s actually really crazy how much changes in 10 years. It’s crazy how much happens in 1.
One Shelf Declutter - Declutter one drawer, shelf, or digital folder daily. Not to be minimalist, but to be mentally spacious. I feel like getting rid of things is probably a good practice. I totally have piles on my desk that I haven’t moved in months.
Joy Inventory Item a Day - Write down one thing that brings you joy daily. From hot showers to sushi to clean inboxes. Build a joy map that gets you into a good mood. Do some of those things.
Auto-Reply Life - Write an auto-reply message and live by it. Try something like: “Currently living offline. Will return with better stories.” Maybe this is an easy one? Maybe not.
Follow Curator Mode - Unfollow one negative input daily. Replace it with something funny, inspiring, or educational. This could be going into an Unsubscribe spree with email newsletters or looking through and curating your algorithm from YouTube or Instagram.
High Five the Mirror - Give yourself a high five in the mirror each morning. Start the day with absurd positivity. I did this and now there’s a hand print on my mirror. I should just high-five my daughter on a daily basis.
Scheduled Boredom - Schedule 15 minutes of doing nothing. No phone. No tasks. Let your mind wander. I will probably just use the massage chair and meditate.
Inner Circle Ping - Check in with one close connection each day. A text, voice note, or meme counts. I think I do this already with a few people. It’s a good exercise, so I’m going to document it better.
Relearn a Forgotten Skill - Practice a childhood skill for 10 minutes daily. I used to be able to do some crazy pen flicking tricks and yo-yo moves. I feel like that would be fun to get good again and show off to my daughter.
Sing in the Shower - Sing a different song every shower. Genre roulette. It would make me need to relearn some lyrics for songs and listen to some nostalgic ones.
Change Your Seat - Sit somewhere different each day and move your work spot. In your house, at work, at a café. See what new ideas come from new views. Now this is what cats do for sleeping, so I’m sure I can find new comfy spots around the house in the same way.
What-If Jar - Pull a random “what if?” question daily. "What if I moved to Iceland?" "What if I stopped apologizing?" Let imagination run.
Happiness Jar routine - Fill the happiness jar consistently. This should be a family event.
Do It the Long Way - Choose a slower method once a day. Walk instead of ride. Handwrite instead of type. Let slowness feel sacred. I like this one even though it’s highly inefficient. I need to ruminate on what this looks like.
Third-Person Narration - Narrate your day in third person. “Clemens chose tea over coffee. Bold move.” It’s a game, but also a perspective shift. I may turn crazy like in Stranger Than Fiction with a narrator.
AI Confessional Prompt - Write one secret, hope, or truth to an AI. No filter. No grammar rules. Just unload your head and heart. I think this can overlap with the voice recording, but maybe I’ll do these two separately.
~See Lemons Try Mini Habit Shifts
To make this more real, Clembot suggested the following:
🌅 Morning Mind & Body (25–30 minutes)
Start your day early and intentionally. This block sets the tone.
Wake up at 5:55 AM — Replace your regular 6:30AM routine and give yourself sacred solo time.
Mirror Check-In (1 min) — Put on lotion, take meds, and make eye contact with yourself. Then give yourself a high five.
Plan Your Day Backwards (5 min) — Start with your ideal evening and reverse-engineer the day.
Alternate Persona Intro (1 min) — Introduce yourself as “AI Whisperer” or “Time Traveler.” Just for fun.
Send a Postcard (5 min) — Handwritten, daily, to someone you care about (or your future self).
10-Year Filter (1 min) — Before you act or react, ask: “Will this matter in 10 years?”
Adopt a Friend’s Habit (10 min) — Try someone else’s routine, like journaling or cold showers.
💻 Workday Anchors (15–20 minutes)
Subtle shifts that sharpen focus and reduce mental noise.
Change Your Seat (1 min) — Try a new work spot. Even a different chair can shift your mood.
Say No to One Thing (1 min) — Choose one task, scroll, or meeting to decline with grace.
Declutter One Shelf or Folder (5 min) — Digital or physical. Small, but cumulative.
Ask, Don’t Assume — Turn triggers into questions. “What did you mean by that?”
Compliment One Person (2 min) — Be specific. Bonus if it’s someone you barely know.
Unfollow a Negative Input (5 min) — One email, channel, or account. Replace it with something uplifting.
🎨 Evening Wind-Down (30–40 minutes)
Let your mind relax and close the day with intention.
One Second Video — Take a motion photo or 1-second clip to capture the moment.
Voice Note to Self (1–2 min) — Reflect or rant to ChatGPT’s voice mode or your future self.
Read Outside Your Comfort Zone (10 min) — YA novels, poetry, or something bizarrely new.
Sing in the Shower (5 min) — Choose a new song each time. Bonus: lyric memory game.
Scheduled Boredom (15 min) — Massage chair or couch. No phone. Let your brain breathe.
Joy Inventory + Happiness Jar (3 min) — Write one thing that brought you joy. Family can join in.
What-If Jar (1 min) — “What if I lived in a lighthouse?” Let imagination run wild.
Third-Person Narration (1 min) — Narrate your life like a novel: “Clemens poured the tea with purpose.”
Do It the Long Way — Choose to walk instead of drive. Handwrite instead of text. Honor inefficiency.
🌀 Ambient Practices (Already Part of Life)
These don’t require carving out time, just reframing what you’re already doing.
Digital Detox Hour — Cooking or workouts without screens count—just remove the podcast.
Inner Circle Ping — That daily meme or check-in text? Just track it to feel the connection.
Relearn a Forgotten Skill — Pen tricks or yo-yos with your kid = daily joy + dexterity boost.
AI Confessional Prompt — Type or speak a secret to your favorite chatbot. Zero judgment.
🧠 Time & Benefit Summary
You’re likely already doing 5–8 of these in some form. If you go full-on, it might add 60–75 minutes to your day, but much of it is scattered and small. What you gain:
Emotional balance and reflection
Deeper social connections
New ideas and creative joy
Perspective and spaciousness
This isn’t a rigid checklist. It’s a whimsical framework for experimentation, introspection, and better living.
For more 30 day challenges I’ve completed:
