Give Me a Random Challenge: Fitness, Drawing, Kindness, Cooking

One press gives you one small challenge with its rule, how long it lasts and what counts as a pass.

Give Me a Random Challenge: Fitness, Drawing, Kindness, Cooking

  1. Make pizza dough from scratchFlour, water, yeast, salt, oil and a day in the fridge if you can wait. Pass: a base you stretched by hand.One week

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Give Me a Random Challenge: Fitness, Drawing, Kindness, Cooking: how it works

Give me a random challenge is the whole request, and one press answers it with a rule, a length and a pass line. Draw with your other hand. Make butter in a jar. Hold a wall sit for 45 seconds. We wrote and screened all 275: no stunts, no dares, no kit to buy.

Two rows: five kinds, three lengths

Kind: Fitness 51, Drawing 54, Kindness 49, No phone 40, Cooking 51. Length, a label on each card: Done today 180, One week 38, 30 days 57. Combine them: Cooking plus One week leaves 12, and Drawing plus 30 days leaves 5. Below the tool every challenge is listed once, under its kind; thirty 30 days cards have no kind and sit under 30 days.

Why every card ends with a pass line

A challenge with no finish line fades into a vague intention, so each card says what counts: three planks with hips never sagging, a lid that stayed on the rice, 30 dated drawings. Do not expect a habit on day 31. In a 2009 study led by Phillippa Lally, a daily habit took 66 days on average to feel automatic, with a range of 18 to 254.

Tips

  • Draw 3 and let a friend choose yours. Someone else holding the pass line keeps you honest.
  • Send the share link to a group chat. Everyone opens the same card, and the pass line settles who did it.
  • Tick a card when you pass it. A ticked card holds its place like a locked one, and the tally counts your passes.

Questions and answers

Can you give me a random challenge I can finish today?

Yes. Set the Length row to Done today and press. All 180 of those cards can be started and passed before bedtime, and most need nothing you do not already own. If a card does not suit the hour, press again.

Are the challenges safe for teens and children?

They were screened with teens in mind. Nothing involves food restriction, cold water, breath-holding, heights, trespass, pranks or copies of viral stunts, and the fitness cards stay at walking, stretching and bodyweight moves. A child needs an adult to choose the card and to be there for the oven, the knife, the pool and anything that means posting online, spending money or going out alone.

What happens if I miss a day of a 30-day challenge?

Pick your rule before day one and write it on your tally. The strict rule sends a missed day back to zero. The kinder rule is never miss twice in a row, and add each missed day to the end, so the month still holds 30 real days.

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All 275 challenges

Fitness 51

  • Add five seconds to your plank every day Start at 20 seconds. Day 30 is 2 minutes 45. Pass: you made each day's time, breaks between days allowed.
  • Balance a book on your head across the room Walk door to door, slow and tall. Pass: the full trip with no hands and no dropped book.
  • Balance on one leg a little longer each day Start at 15 seconds a side and add two seconds daily. Pass: 73 seconds a side on day 30.
  • Balance on one leg while you brush your teeth Switch legs at the halfway point. Pass: both brushings today with no hand on the sink.
  • Carry your groceries home on foot One bag in each hand from a store within a mile. Pass: no car, no bus, bags on the counter.
  • Crab walk the length of your hallway Hands and feet down, belly up, there and back. Pass: both lengths without your seat touching the floor.
  • Dance to three songs without stopping About ten minutes in your kitchen. Pass: you kept moving through every slow verse.
  • Do 10 slow squats every hour Set an hourly alarm from 9 to 5. Pass: eight sets, each squat slow enough to count to three.
  • Do 20 jumping jacks every time the kettle boils Or every time the microwave runs. Lasts all day. Pass: you never skipped a boil.
  • Do a desk stretch set at lunch Wrists, neck, chest and hips, five minutes in all. Pass: done before you open your lunch.
  • Do calf raises on the bottom stair every night this week Twenty slow raises while you wait for something. Pass: seven nights in a row.
  • Do one more push-up each day One on day one, thirty on day thirty, any style, split into sets if needed. Pass: day 30 done.
  • Do ten push-ups your way Wall, knees or floor all count. Pass: ten in a row with your body in one straight line.
  • Finish a hopscotch course five times Chalk ten squares on a sidewalk. Pass: five clean runs with no foot touching a line.
  • Follow a 7-minute bodyweight circuit Find a free one with no equipment and do every move. Pass: all seven minutes, easier versions allowed.
  • Get off one stop early Walk the rest of the way, there and back. Pass: both trips today, however bad the weather.
  • Get outside within an hour of waking Five minutes of daylight on your face, coat over pajamas allowed. Pass: outside before the hour is up.
  • Hold a squat while the microwave runs Thighs level with the floor until it beeps. Pass: one full heating cycle of at least 60 seconds.
  • Hold a wall sit for 45 seconds Back flat on the wall, knees bent like a chair. Pass: 45 seconds without standing up.
  • Juggle two balls for 10 catches One hand, two balls, or rolled socks. Pass: ten catches in a row without chasing one across the room.
  • Jump rope for 100 turns Trips do not reset the count, and an invisible rope is allowed. Pass: 100 turns in one session.
  • Keep a balloon off the floor for two minutes Hands, head, knees and feet all count. Pass: two minutes on a timer without the balloon landing.
  • Keep a hoop spinning for one minute Borrow one if you must. Pass: 60 seconds with no hands, and restarts are free until you get there.
  • Learn a dance routine from one video Fifteen minutes a day for five days. Pass: the full routine from memory with the music on.
  • Learn one yoga pose properly Pick tree, warrior two or downward dog and follow one tutorial. Pass: hold it for five slow breaths.
  • Learn to juggle three balls in 30 days Ten minutes a day, starting with one ball. Pass: ten catches in a row with three by day 30.
  • Make 50 catches in a row A ball, a partner and ten steps between you. Pass: 50 catches, and a drop sends the count back to zero.
  • Plank for 30 seconds, three times Forearms down, body in one line, a minute of rest between holds. Pass: three holds, hips never sagging.
  • Ride a bike for 20 minutes Helmet on, any pace, any route. Pass: 20 minutes of pedaling without a stop longer than a red light.
  • Shadow box for three rounds One minute on, one minute of rest, light on your feet. Pass: three rounds with your hands never dropping.
  • Shoot until you make 25 baskets Any hoop, or a laundry basket and rolled socks. Pass: 25 makes, and you write down how many tries it took.
  • Sit on the floor for one evening No couch and no chair from dinner to bedtime. Pass: every show, page and chat happened at floor level.
  • Skip around the block Real skipping, the kind you did at age seven. Pass: one full lap, whoever is watching.
  • Stand up every 30 minutes Timer on for one workday. Pass: you stood and moved for a minute at every bell, at least 12 times.
  • Stand up from a chair 10 times without your hands Arms crossed on your chest, feet flat. Pass: ten slow stands in a row with no push off the seat.
  • Stretch every morning for 30 days Five minutes before breakfast. Pass: 30 mornings, and you can name one stretch that got easier.
  • Stretch for 5 minutes before bed Neck, shoulders, hamstrings, hips and calves get a minute each. Pass: done before the light goes off.
  • Swim 10 lengths At a pool with a lifeguard, any stroke, rest at the wall as needed. Pass: ten lengths in one visit.
  • Take every phone call on your feet Walk while you talk, all day. Pass: not one call today was taken sitting down.
  • Take the stairs all day No elevators and no escalators until bedtime. Pass: every change of floor today was on foot.
  • Take the stairs for 30 days Any climb of four floors or fewer is on foot. Pass: a month with no elevator below the fifth floor.
  • Throw and catch a flying disc 20 times in a row Stand 15 steps apart. Pass: 20 clean catches, and wind is not an excuse.
  • Touch your toes by Friday Hold a forward fold for one minute each morning. Pass: your fingertips reach lower on Friday than on Monday.
  • Try a different kind of exercise each day for a week Walk, swim, dance, stretch, cycle, climb stairs, play a sport. Pass: seven days, seven kinds.
  • Try a sport you have never played Thirty minutes of pickleball, badminton, bocce or whatever is nearby. Pass: you learned how scoring works.
  • Walk 30 minutes a day for a week One go or split in two. Pass: seven days with none skipped, rain included.
  • Walk a marathon in a week 26.2 miles over seven days is about 3.75 miles a day. Pass: your tracker or map adds up to 26.2.
  • Walk a route you have never walked Leave your door and turn the way you never turn. 20 minutes. Pass: one street that is new to you.
  • Walk every day for 30 days At least 20 minutes, outdoors, whatever the weather. Pass: 30 marks on the calendar, no gaps.
  • Walk for 10 minutes after every meal Three short walks today, one after each meal. Pass: all three done before bedtime.
  • Walk to the top of the nearest hill Any hill you can reach on foot from home. Pass: you stood at the top and looked back down.

Drawing 54

  • Combine two animals into one creature Draw two at random and merge them, with a name underneath. Pass: both animals can be spotted in it.
  • Copy a drawing by an old master Pick a public-domain sketch and copy it line for line as a study. Pass: you found one trick to keep.
  • Copy a photo upside down Turn the photo over and draw what you see, shape by shape. Pass: you did not flip it until you finished.
  • Copy a picture with a grid Rule a grid on the photo and the same grid on your page, then copy square by square. Pass: all squares done.
  • Design a crest for your household A shield in four quarters with one thing in each that your home is known for. Pass: a motto underneath.
  • Do ten two-minute sketches Ten objects on your desk, two minutes each, timer running. Pass: ten sketches in 20 minutes, none erased.
  • Draw a blind contour portrait Look only at the face and never at the paper. Five minutes. Pass: one unbroken line and no peeking.
  • Draw a crumpled ball of paper Crush a sheet, light it from one side, 20 minutes. Pass: the folds read as folds, not as cracks.
  • Draw a glass of water The challenge is what you leave white. Pass: it looks see-through, and the waterline bends what is behind it.
  • Draw a houseplant leaf by leaf Count the leaves first and draw every one. Pass: your leaf count matches the plant.
  • Draw a room in one-point perspective One vanishing point, a floor, a back wall and a door. Pass: every receding edge aims at the same dot.
  • Draw a self-portrait from a mirror Fifteen minutes, from life, not from a selfie. Pass: you drew what you saw, not what you hoped.
  • Draw an object from memory Study it for 60 seconds, hide it, draw it, then compare. Pass: you listed three things you got wrong.
  • Draw every day for 30 days Ten minutes and one page, dated. Pass: 30 dated drawings, and no day made up after the fact.
  • Draw in pen with no erasing Any subject, 15 minutes. Pass: every mistake stayed on the page and got worked into the picture.
  • Draw one face a day for 30 days From photos, mirrors or the train. Pass: 30 faces, with day 30 next to day 1 to compare.
  • Draw one object in 10, 5, 2 and 1 minutes Same object, four timers, getting shorter. Pass: four drawings, and you noticed what survived the cut.
  • Draw only the gaps around a chair Shade the spaces between the legs and rails and leave the chair white. Pass: the chair appears anyway.
  • Draw seven strangers' dogs One a day from life at the park, fast, before it moves. Pass: seven dogs, none from a photo.
  • Draw six textures in six boxes Wood, fur, glass, stone, cloth and water. Pass: a friend can name at least four without being told.
  • Draw the folds of a hanging towel Hang it from one corner under a lamp. Pass: light side, shadow side and at least three folds.
  • Draw the same mug five ways Pencil, pen, one color, tiny, huge. Pass: five mugs on one page in under half an hour.
  • Draw the same tree once a week for a month Same spot, same paper size, four or five visits. Pass: the drawings show something that changed.
  • Draw the same view at three times of day Morning, noon and dusk from one spot, this week. Pass: three drawings where only the light changed.
  • Draw the shoes by your door Laces, creases and scuffs included, 15 minutes. Pass: someone can tell whose shoes they are.
  • Draw the view from your window Frame included, 20 minutes. Pass: near, middle and far distance are all on the page.
  • Draw with dots only Stippling: closer dots for shadow, wider for light. Thirty minutes. Pass: no lines anywhere.
  • Draw with something that is not a pen A stick and ink, a cotton swab and coffee, a finger and paint. Pass: one finished picture.
  • Draw with straight lines only Pick something curved, such as a cat or a teapot. Pass: not one curved line on the page.
  • Draw with your eyes closed Pick a simple subject, such as a house or a fish. One minute. Pass: you laughed and kept the result.
  • Draw with your other hand One object, ten minutes, the hand you never write with. Pass: a finished drawing, however wobbly.
  • Draw your breakfast before you eat it Ten minutes, so pick a breakfast that is fine cold. Pass: drawn from life, not from a photo.
  • Draw your hand in three poses Open, fist and pointing, each from life. Pass: three hands on one page, knuckles included.
  • Draw your room from the ceiling A floor plan with the furniture in the right places, to rough scale. Pass: the bed fits where the bed is.
  • Fill a page with one pattern Scales, waves, bricks or leaves, edge to edge. Pass: no blank patch bigger than a coin.
  • Fill a sketchbook spread every day for a week Two facing pages a day of anything in front of you. Pass: 14 pages by the seventh night.
  • Fill a whole sketchbook in a month Count the pages, divide by 30 and keep pace. Pass: the last page is used by the last day.
  • Finish a drawing before the song ends Press play, start drawing, stop when the music does. Pass: signed before the last note.
  • Give an everyday object a face and a job A stapler, a kettle, a sock. Pass: it has eyes, a name and a job title written underneath.
  • Illustrate the alphabet, one letter a day A is an anchor, B is a beetle. 26 letters and four spare days. Pass: all 26 on the wall.
  • Make a 20-page flip book Use the corner of a sticky-note pad: a ball bouncing or a plant growing. Pass: it moves when you flip it.
  • Make a drawing inside a one-inch square Rule the square first. Pass: a full scene with a foreground and a background inside it.
  • Make a one-line drawing Put the pen down once and lift it once. Pass: the subject is recognizable and the line never breaks.
  • Map your neighborhood from memory Streets, shops and shortcuts, 15 minutes, no peeking at a map. Pass: a visitor could find your door.
  • Plan one picture six ways Six thumbnail boxes, six layouts of the same scene, two minutes each. Pass: you circled the strongest one.
  • Redraw a drawing from your childhood Find an old one, or ask a relative who kept one. Pass: same subject, same title, drawn with today's hand.
  • Shade a sphere in five tones One light source, from white highlight to dark core shadow. Pass: five clear steps and a cast shadow.
  • Shade with cross-hatching only No smudging and no solid fill. Pass: three different tones made only by layering lines.
  • Sketch five people in under a minute each At a cafe or a bus stop, from across the room, gesture only. Pass: five figures, 60 seconds each.
  • Tell your day in four comic panels Stick figures are fine. Pass: four panels, one speech bubble at least, and an ending.
  • Turn 30 circles into 30 things Draw 30 circles, then make each one something different in 10 minutes. Pass: no repeats, all 30 filled.
  • Turn a scribble into a picture Close your eyes, scribble for five seconds, then find a creature in the mess. Pass: it has a face.
  • Use only three colors Choose them before you start and put the rest away. Pass: a full-color picture with nothing else added.
  • Write a word so it looks like its meaning TALL is tall, MELT drips, SHY hides behind the margin. Pass: three words done this way.

Kindness 49

  • Apologize for one small thing you let slide The late reply, the snappy answer. Two sentences, no excuses attached. Pass: said today.
  • Ask before you help, then help A stroller on stairs, a heavy bag, a high shelf. Pass: you asked "Can I help?" once and meant it.
  • Buy a stranger's coffee without being seen Costs the price of one coffee. Tell the cashier, not the stranger. Pass: paid, and you left before thanks.
  • Call a relative and only ask questions Ten minutes where they do the talking. Pass: you learned one thing you did not know about them.
  • Check on someone who lives alone A call or a knock, ten minutes, no agenda. Pass: you asked how they are and waited for the real answer.
  • Compliment a different person every day for a month Specific, and about what they did. Pass: 30 names on a list, no repeats.
  • Cook for a neighbor A loaf, a soup or a tray of cookies, with the ingredients written on a label. Pass: delivered this week.
  • Do one kind act a day for 30 days Small counts: a door, a note, a call. Pass: 30 lines in a notebook, one for each day.
  • Do someone else's chore without saying so Dishes, trash, the litter box. Pass: done fully, and you did not mention it, even when it went unnoticed.
  • Donate five things you do not use Clean and working, bagged by the door. Pass: five items dropped at a donation point, not in the trunk.
  • Give 30 minutes of what you are good at Fix a bike, proofread a resume, set up a phone. Pass: one half hour given this week, free.
  • Give three specific compliments About something a person did, not how they look. Pass: three people by bedtime, each one meant.
  • Give up the good parking spot Leave the space by the door for someone who needs it more. Pass: you parked far and walked.
  • Go a day without complaining Traffic, weather and slow wifi included. Pass: bedtime arrives with no complaint said out loud.
  • Hold every door today For whoever is behind you, all day. Pass: you never let a door close on someone within five steps.
  • Introduce two people who should know each other One message to both saying why. Pass: sent with a real reason, not just "you two should talk".
  • Learn a neighbor's name Knock or wave, say yours first. Pass: you can say their name tomorrow without checking.
  • Leave a book where a stranger will find it A neighborhood book box or a cafe shelf, with a note inside the cover. Pass: one good book released.
  • Leave a kind note for someone to find In a lunch bag, a coat pocket or on a mirror. Pass: one note hidden where it will be found today.
  • Leave a kind review for a small local business Name the person who helped you and what they did. Five minutes. Pass: posted.
  • Let someone else choose everything The movie, the meal, the music, the route. One evening. Pass: no vetoes and no sighing.
  • Let someone go ahead of you in line At the store, the coffee counter or the bus door. Pass: you offered, and did it without a sigh.
  • Listen for a whole conversation without interrupting Count to two after they stop before you answer. Pass: one conversation with no cut-ins.
  • Mail a small care package Costs postage. Tea, a snack, a note and one silly thing. Pass: sent this week to someone having a hard month.
  • Make a playlist for one person Ten songs picked for them, with a line on why the first one is first. Pass: shared today.
  • Message a different friend each day for 30 days One line each, no reply needed. Pass: 30 people heard from you this month.
  • Offer your seat On a bus, a train or in a waiting room, to anyone who might want it more. Pass: offered once, out loud.
  • Pass on a compliment you overheard Tell the person the good thing that was said when they were not in the room. Pass: one delivered today.
  • Pick up five pieces of litter every day for a month On the walk you already take. Pass: 150 pieces in 30 days, tallied on your phone or a card.
  • Pick up ten pieces of litter Gloves or a bag over your hand. Ten minutes on your own street. Pass: ten pieces in a trash can.
  • Put out water for birds on a hot day A shallow dish, refilled and rinsed daily. Pass: water out before noon, in shade, away from cats.
  • Return your cart and one more Walk a stray cart back with yours. Pass: two carts in the corral, in the rain if it is raining.
  • Say good morning to five people Eye contact and a smile, before noon. Pass: five greetings to people you would normally walk past.
  • Send a postcard to someone far away Costs a card and a stamp. Four sentences, no news needed. Pass: in the mailbox by the end of the week.
  • Send someone a photo they are in Scroll back a year, find a good one of a friend and send it with the date. Pass: one photo, one smile.
  • Show up for someone's event A recital, a game, a talk or an opening. Pass: you were in the room and told them one thing you liked.
  • Sign up to volunteer for one hour A food bank, a park clean-up, a shelter. Pass: a date is booked this week, and you put it in your calendar.
  • Sweep a space you share A stairwell, a hallway or the sidewalk past your own door. Fifteen minutes. Pass: clean, and no one asked.
  • Teach someone something in 15 minutes A knot, a chord, a spreadsheet trick. Pass: they can do it without you by the end.
  • Tell a friend why you are glad they are your friend Three sentences, no occasion needed. Pass: said or sent before the day ends.
  • Tell a teacher what they taught you A teacher, coach or mentor from any year. One message, one specific lesson. Pass: sent today.
  • Text an old friend a shared memory One you have not spoken to in a year. Start with "Remember when". Pass: sent, with no favor asked.
  • Thank a worker by name Read the name tag, use it and say what they did well. Pass: one thank-you with a name and a reason.
  • Thank someone who rarely gets thanked The bus driver, the cleaner, the forum moderator, the person who restocks. Pass: said to their face or inbox.
  • Write a recommendation for a colleague Unasked, on a work profile or to their manager, naming one result. Pass: posted or sent this week.
  • Write a thank-you note by hand Paper, pen, three sentences, one specific thing they did. Pass: it is in their hands or in the mailbox today.
  • Write down three good things every night Thirty nights, three lines, under two minutes each. Pass: 90 lines by the end.
  • Write down three things you did well today Kindness to yourself counts. Two minutes before bed. Pass: three lines, no "but" in any of them.
  • Write one letter a week for a month Four letters, four people, paper and stamps. Pass: four envelopes mailed on four different weeks.

No phone 40

  • Ask a person before you search Every question today goes to a human first: directions, a recipe, a fact. Pass: three answers from people.
  • Call instead of texting, three times The next three things you would text, say out loud on a call. Pass: three calls made today.
  • Cap your most-used app at 30 minutes a day Set the limit in your phone's screen-time settings. Pass: a week without pressing "ignore limit".
  • Check email twice a day for a week Pick two times, such as 10 and 4, and close it between them. Pass: five workdays on schedule.
  • Check your phone only on the hour One workday. Between the hours it stays in a drawer. Pass: no pickups except at :00.
  • Clean up your camera roll, 10 photos a day Delete ten blurry or duplicate pictures a day. Pass: 300 gone in 30 days.
  • Clear your first home screen Move every social and news app into a folder on the last page. Pass: it stays that way for a week.
  • Delete one app for a week The one you open without deciding to. Pass: seven days with no reinstall and no browser workaround.
  • Eat every meal today without your phone Phone in another room, not face down on the table. Pass: three meals, no screen at any of them.
  • Get somewhere familiar without a map A place you have been at least twice. Pass: you arrived without opening a navigation app.
  • Go from sunrise to sunset with no screens Pick a day off. Tell people beforehand. Pass: the first screen of the day came after dark.
  • Go one day with no scrolling Calls, messages and maps are fine. Feeds are not. Pass: no feed opened from waking to sleeping.
  • Have an analog evening No screens after 8 pm: books, cards, music from a speaker, talk. Pass: screens stayed dark until morning.
  • Keep one screen-free evening a week for a month Same night each week, from dinner onward. Pass: four evenings, planned ahead with something to do.
  • Keep your first hour phone-free Alarm off, then hands off for 60 minutes. Pass: breakfast and getting dressed happened with no screen.
  • Keep your phone in your coat when you get home Ten minutes to arrive first: shoes off, hello, a glass of water. Pass: done tonight.
  • Keep your phone out of bed for 30 days It charges across the room or outside it. Pass: 30 nights, and a paper book on the nightstand.
  • Keep your phone out of the bathroom for a week It waits outside the door. Pass: seven days, no exceptions, and yes, this one is harder than it sounds.
  • Learn three phone numbers by heart The three people you would call if your phone died. Pass: you can dial all three from memory tomorrow.
  • Leave your phone at home for a walk Thirty minutes. Tell someone your route if that helps. Pass: you walked out and back without it.
  • Make phone-free meals a habit for 30 days Every dinner for a month, phone in another room. Pass: 30 dinners, including the ones eaten alone.
  • Read 20 pages of a paper book before any screen Tomorrow morning counts as today. Pass: page 20 reached before the first unlock.
  • Ride your commute looking out the window Phone zipped in your bag door to door. Pass: both directions today.
  • Run one errand with your phone zipped away Start to finish, list on paper. Pass: the zipper stayed shut until you were home.
  • Sit for 10 minutes with nothing No phone, book, music or snack. A chair and a timer. Pass: you stayed until it rang.
  • Sleep with your phone in another room for a week You need an alarm clock. Pass: seven nights with the phone charging outside the bedroom.
  • Spend an hour on a hobby with no tech Knitting, a puzzle, whittling, piano. Pass: 60 minutes with nothing that needs charging.
  • Spot five things on your street you never noticed Walk it slowly, eyes up, phone away. Pass: five things listed when you get home.
  • Stack the phones at dinner Everyone's phone goes in a pile in the middle. Pass: the pile is untouched when the plates are cleared.
  • Switch off every notification except calls One day. Check messages when you decide to. Pass: your phone never buzzed you into picking it up.
  • Take no photos at one event A dinner, a show, a sunset. Just watch it. Pass: you came home with zero pictures and one good memory.
  • Tally every time you pick up your phone A card and a pen in your pocket, one mark per pickup. Pass: an honest count at bedtime.
  • Turn your screen gray for a day The grayscale setting sits under accessibility on most phones. Pass: black and white until bedtime.
  • Unsubscribe from 10 email lists Ten minutes, once, then a quieter inbox. Pass: ten unsubscribes confirmed, not just deleted.
  • Wait in line without your phone Every wait today: the coffee line, the elevator, the microwave. Pass: you just stood there, every time.
  • Walk for an hour with no headphones No music, no podcast, no call. Pass: 60 minutes, and you can list five sounds you heard.
  • Watch a whole movie without touching your phone Phone in another room, not just face down. Pass: credits reached with no pickup.
  • Watch one screen at a time If the TV is on, the phone is in another room. One evening. Pass: a whole show with no second screen.
  • Wear a watch all week So checking the time stops costing you 20 minutes. Pass: seven days of reading the time off your wrist.
  • Write today's lists on paper Shopping, to-do and directions all go on one sheet. Pass: you never opened a notes app today.

Cooking 51

  • Bake a loaf of no-knead bread Flour, water, salt and yeast, stirred, left overnight and baked in a lidded pot. Pass: a crust that crackles.
  • Bake cookies and give half away Any recipe. Pass: half the batch left the house on a plate with the ingredients written down.
  • Bake with yeast for the first time Rolls, a loaf or cinnamon buns. Give it a full afternoon. Pass: it rose, and you know why.
  • Caramelize onions without rushing Low heat and about 40 minutes. They go soft, then gold, then deep brown. Pass: brown and sweet, not burnt.
  • Cook a dish from a country you have never cooked from Pick the country first, then find its everyday dinner. Pass: cooked this week, with one new ingredient.
  • Cook a family recipe Call the relative who makes it and write down what they say, including "until it looks right". Pass: made.
  • Cook a meal that is all one color All green, all orange or all white. Pass: every item on the plate matches, and it is a real dinner.
  • Cook a vegetable you have never bought Pick one at random at the store and look up one way to cook it. Pass: cooked and tasted tonight.
  • Cook dinner at home five nights a week for a month Simple counts. Pass: 20 home-cooked dinners in four weeks, tallied on the fridge.
  • Cook dinner from the pantry only No shopping today. Open the cans and the freezer. Pass: a hot meal made only from what was in the house.
  • Cook dinner with five ingredients Salt, pepper, oil and water are free. Pass: a full plate from five things, and you would make it again.
  • Cook once and pack four lunches One big batch on Sunday, four boxes. Pass: four lunches eaten from home this week.
  • Cook one egg five ways this week Boiled, fried, scrambled, poached and baked. Pass: five ways in seven days and a ranked list.
  • Cook rice on the stove without lifting the lid Measure the water, simmer, then rest off the heat. Pass: fluffy rice and a lid that stayed on.
  • Cook three courses for someone A starter, a main and a dessert, tonight, however simple. Pass: three plates served in order.
  • Cook with a fresh herb you have never used Tarragon, dill, chervil, lovage. Use it in two dishes before it wilts. Pass: both made this week.
  • Cook with a knife, a board and one pan No gadgets, no blender, no air fryer. Pass: a full dinner from the three tools only.
  • Cook with a spice you have never used Buy the smallest jar, smell it, look up what it suits. Pass: one dish tonight where you can taste it.
  • Cook your way through one cookbook chapter Pick a short chapter and make every recipe in it within 30 days. Pass: every page has a splash on it.
  • Cut a carrot into matchsticks Square it off, slice into planks, stack and slice again. Pass: a pile of sticks close to the same width.
  • Dice an onion the proper way Halve it root to tip, slice toward the root, then across. Pass: even pieces and the root end left whole.
  • Eat breakfast for dinner Eggs, pancakes, toast and fruit at 7 pm. Pass: cooked from scratch, not poured from a box.
  • Flip a pancake in the air Loosen it, tilt the pan away and flick. Pass: one full flip landed in the pan, floor pancakes do not count.
  • Fold 20 dumplings Bought wrappers are fine. The first five will be ugly. Pass: 20 sealed dumplings that survive the pan.
  • Follow a recipe exactly No swaps, no eyeballing: measure everything and obey the times. Pass: you changed nothing.
  • Get dinner on the table in 15 minutes Timer starts when you open the fridge. Pass: a cooked meal, plated, before it rings.
  • Invent a sandwich and name it At least one thing that has never been in your sandwiches before. Pass: eaten, named and written down.
  • Keep a sourdough starter alive for 30 days Flour and water, fed daily. Pass: on day 30 it doubles after a feed, and it has a name.
  • Learn five dinners by heart One a week plus a review week, cooked until you need no recipe. Pass: all five made from memory.
  • Make a French omelette with no browning Low heat, constant stirring, rolled out pale yellow. Pass: no brown spots and a soft middle.
  • Make a one-pot dinner Everything cooks in the same pot, so there is one pot to wash. Pass: one pot, one spoon, one board.
  • Make a stir-fry sauce from scratch Soy sauce, something sweet, something sour, garlic and ginger. Pass: no bottle labeled "stir-fry".
  • Make butter in a jar Half fill a jar with heavy cream and shake for about 10 minutes. Pass: a yellow lump sitting in buttermilk.
  • Make dinner for under five dollars a person Costs what you decide. Keep the receipt. Pass: a full meal and the sums written down.
  • Make fresh pasta without a machine Flour, eggs, a rolling pin and patience. Pass: noodles thin enough to see your hand through.
  • Make hot chocolate from a bar Chop real chocolate into warm milk and whisk. Pass: no powder, and a second cup requested.
  • Make pancakes from scratch Flour, egg, milk, baking powder, a pinch of salt. Pass: no mix involved and the first one was not thrown away.
  • Make pizza dough from scratch Flour, water, yeast, salt, oil and a day in the fridge if you can wait. Pass: a base you stretched by hand.
  • Make salad dressing from scratch Three parts oil to one part vinegar, salt, a little mustard, shake. Pass: no bottle was opened.
  • Make soup with no recipe Onion, something that needs using up, stock, salt, time. Pass: you tasted and adjusted at least three times.
  • Make tortillas from scratch Flour, water, fat, salt, a rolling pin and a dry hot pan. Pass: six tortillas that fold without cracking.
  • Make your own granola Oats, nuts, oil, something sweet, low oven, stir twice. Pass: a jar that lasts the week.
  • Name five spices with your eyes closed Someone hands you five open jars, one at a time. Pass: five out of five by smell alone.
  • Plate dinner like a restaurant Wipe the rim, stack for height, sauce underneath. Pass: one photo you would not mind a chef seeing.
  • Poach an egg Barely simmering water, a fresh egg, three minutes. Pass: a set white, a runny yolk and no egg soup.
  • Quick-pickle a red onion Slice it thin, cover with warm vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Pass: pink and sharp within the hour.
  • Recreate a takeout favorite at home Same dish, your kitchen. Pass: you ate it side by side with your memory of the real one and scored it.
  • Roast a whole tray of vegetables Cut to the same size, oil, salt, one layer, hot oven. Pass: browned edges and nothing steamed or soggy.
  • Throw away no leftovers for a week Every leftover becomes lunch, soup, fried rice or a filling. Pass: seven days with nothing cooked thrown out.
  • Try one new recipe a week for a month Four recipes you have never made, one each weekend. Pass: four cooked, and one added to your regulars.
  • Whip cream by hand Cold cream, cold bowl, a whisk and about five minutes of arm. Pass: soft peaks that hold on the whisk.

30 days 30

  • Buy nothing you do not need for 30 days Food, bills and medicine are fine. Everything else goes on a list for next month. Pass: no extras.
  • Eat dinner at a table for 30 days Not the couch and not the desk. Pass: 30 dinners sitting at a table, with or without company.
  • Film one second every day One second of video daily, joined into a half-minute film at the end. Pass: a 30-second month.
  • Finish a puzzle every day A crossword, a sudoku or a word game, one a day, no skipping to the answers. Pass: 30 solved.
  • Floss every night for 30 days Put the floss on top of your toothbrush so you cannot miss it. Pass: 30 nights in a row.
  • Go outside before noon every day Even for five minutes, even in rain. Pass: 30 days where the first outdoor air came before 12.
  • Go to bed at the same time for 30 nights Pick the time and set an alarm for 30 minutes before it. Pass: lights out within 15 minutes of it.
  • Learn a capital city a day Thirty countries, thirty capitals, a quiz from a friend on day 30. Pass: 27 or more correct.
  • Learn one new thing about your town each day A street name, a statue, a founding date. Write each down. Pass: 30 facts and a walking tour you could give.
  • Learn one new word a day Write it, its meaning and your own sentence. Pass: 30 words, and you can still use the first ten on day 30.
  • Learn one song on an instrument in 30 days Pick an easy one, split it in four and learn a part a week. Pass: played start to finish on day 30.
  • Learn the fingerspelling alphabet One letter a day of a sign language alphabet, plus review days. Pass: you can spell your name at speed.
  • Learn to touch type Ten minutes a day on a free typing tutor, eyes off the keys. Pass: all ten fingers used by day 30.
  • Let go of one thing a day One object out of the house each day: donated, recycled or given away. Pass: 30 things gone.
  • Make your bed every morning Before you leave the bedroom. Two minutes. Pass: 30 mornings, weekends included.
  • Memorize a poem two lines at a time Pick one of about 40 lines. Add two lines a day and repeat the rest. Pass: recited whole on day 30.
  • Name one bird or plant a day Something you can see from your street. Look it up and write it down. Pass: 30 names you can point to.
  • Practice an instrument for 10 minutes a day Same time each day, timer on. Pass: 30 sessions, and one piece you can play through.
  • Read 10 pages every day Any book, paper or screen. Pass: 300 pages in 30 days, about the length of one novel.
  • Save one dollar more each day One dollar on day 1, thirty on day 30. Pass: 465 dollars in the jar or the account at the end.
  • Sit quietly for five minutes a day Eyes closed or on a wall, counting breaths to ten and starting over. Pass: 30 sittings.
  • Study a language for 10 minutes a day An app, a book or a podcast. Pass: a 30-day streak and a one-minute introduction you can say aloud.
  • Take one photo a day One picture that says what today was. Pass: 30 photos in one album, each taken on its own day.
  • Tidy for 10 minutes every evening Timer on, one room, stop when it rings. Pass: 30 evenings, and you never ran over to "just finish".
  • Visit a new place in your town every weekend A park, a museum, a street you have never turned down. Pass: four new places in a month.
  • Wake up at the same time every day Weekends too. Pick a time you can keep. Pass: up within 15 minutes of it for 30 days.
  • Write 100 words a day Story, diary or nonsense. Pass: 3,000 words in 30 days, each day's hundred written on its own day.
  • Write down every purchase for 30 days Amount and what it was, the same day. No budget, just the list. Pass: a complete month with no gaps.
  • Write one line of neat handwriting a day Copy a sentence slowly in your most careful hand. Pass: line 30 looks better than line 1.
  • Write one sentence a day in a journal One line about the day, dated. Pass: 30 sentences in a row, none written the next morning.

How this list was compiled: Written for this site: all 275 challenges, rules and pass lines are our own wording, and no list was copied. Every challenge was screened before it went in: nothing involving alcohol, gambling, food restriction, cold water, breath-holding, heights, trespass, pranks or copies of viral stunts; fitness cards stay at walking, stretching and bodyweight moves. Facts inside the cards were checked on 2026-09-19: the marathon distance of 42.195 km, about 26.2 miles (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon); a vinaigrette as 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, with mustard as an emulsifier (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinaigrette); shaking cream in a jar until it separates into butter and buttermilk (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churning_%28butter%29). The habit study quoted in the guide, Lally and colleagues in 2009, with 66 days on average for a daily behavior to become automatic and a range of 18 to 254 days, was read the same day at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habit. The sums on the cards are counted, not estimated: a plank that starts at 20 seconds and adds 5 a day reaches 165 seconds on day 30, and saving one dollar more each day for 30 days comes to 465 dollars. Licence: own work