Are you tired of all the self-help, get your life organized books that leave you empty, frustrated and stuck in the rut you're trying to get out 
of? Well, look no further. I, personally, took the 70 day Change Your Life Challenge and I can verify that it works. It truly works - if you work it! Not magically and not without effort, but if you are consistent and diligent - you too can complete the Change Your Life Challenge and come out a changed, organized, more well balanced person.
Author Brook Noel approached her book and challenge in a format that I have never come across before. She makes it simple, do-able and achievable. There's little room and little reason for quitting or deserting the challenge. Why? Because it is do-able.
The 70 challenge is just that - a 70 day 'self project', as I like to call it, that will produce change in one's life. You only do one chapter a day Monday through Friday and you take the weekends off. You are encouraged not to try to jump ahead and do more than one 'day' at a time. Doing this is one of the reasons it's a realistic challenge. You don't get bogged down with a bunch of new changes and projects that stress you out. You take it one day at a time and take the time to work these principals into your daily routine - making it a part of your lifestyle. Most chapters are 2-3 pages that briefly, yet specifically, explain the steps and tasks to do for that particular day. Tasks such as cleaning out your closets or creating a master shopping list. Nothing hard or overwhelming - just small, simple things, that when all put together, create the picture of our lives.
I've learned over the years that it's usually the culmination of what we consider the 'small' or 'little' things in our lives that brings us happiness, joy and fulfillment or the most heartache - not the big things (though they do play a part in it all). But, if we can fine-tune those little things and become happy, organized and focused - it will be easier to tackle the bigger issues. For this reason, I believe this book is a great 'tool' that can be used to do that fine-tuning.
As you go through each day you will work on your physical surroundings as well as your personal, inner self. Why is this so important? If we are a mess emotionally and/or spiritually, how can we be of any help to others? As we take care of ourselves and we are healthy physically and emotionally, then we will have the energy and resources available to help and be a blessing to our families, co-workers and others. Helping others, in turn, can have a tremendous positive impact on our lives. By the time you finish the challenge, you will have examined every area of your life. You will have had the opportunity to organize, evaluate and make changes for the better in your life.
My favorite and most valued part of the challenge was the CYLC binders. As organized as I already was (and wasn't really sure that I wanted to implement a new 'system' since mine worked pretty good) - Brook Noel's approach in using the binders enabled me to be even more organized with practically everything I use on a daily basis at my fingertips. No more searching around for lost sticky notes, my new user name and password for my online banking or the website I heard about that I wanted to check out. With her system, it is all right there within reach, everyday. It also allowed me to 'clear my mind' of all my "to-do's" that need to be done now or even further down the road- and do I ever have a list of "to-do's". Since it all gets recorded in the CYLC binder, I didn't have to keep playing my 'mental lists' over and over in my head to make sure I remembered everything. What freedom it is to not have to keep track of all my sticky notes and pieces of paper with all my jotted down thoughts, reminders and to-do's.
I highly recommend that every woman out there commits to take the 70 day challenge. You won't be bogged down with unrealistic activities or expectations! And since you implement these tasks daily, they become a part of your lifestyle, they become second nature to you, they become a part of who you are!
If you've been wanting to organize yourself and your life - this is the book to jump start you to attaining the goals you have set for yourself. If you need encouragement when doing things like this - have a friend do the challenge right along side of you. It is fulfilling and absoulutely worth the time investment. Anything that can help our lives be the best they can be is always worth the investment. After all - you've only got one life so you might as well make it the best you can. Take the challenge! The rewards are wonderful and life changing!
