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You may have seen me talk about #3Things on various social media channels. In case you don’t know what I mean, here’s an FAQ.

What, exactly, is #3Things?

#3Things is a gentle way to build a better life with chronic illness.

I wanted to help people with chronic illness  accomplish goals in a positive way that respects their condition.

Once a month, I — and whoever is playing along — choose three small things to do that will work towards a bigger goal. One goal for your body, one for your soul, and one for your home. We check in with each other every Saturday morning on my Facebook page, as well as the first Thursday of every month to review progress and set new goals during a Facebook Live broadcast (also on my page).

What inspired #3Things?

One of the most frustrating parts of having a chronic illness is your inability to stay on top of things. I hear that almost every day from so many people in the chronic illness community and struggle with it myself.

Several years ago, I discovered the benefit of setting ridiculously tiny goals as a way to actually get things done. And best of all, it didn’t lead to me wrecking myself and then beating myself up afterwards. Because not only does that feel awful, but it often discourages you from trying again, setting a goal, even having a dream. And this January, it all clicked into place. I wanted to feel better physically, emotionally, and my home was a mess. I know that my chronic illness gets bent out of shape if I push too hard, so the answer was to go back to the small steps.

Many of the people I talk to every day express the same desire to take control of their health, their self-care, their home, but also shared that they felt overwhelmed at the mere thought. So I came up with #3Things as a way we could all take some small steps together.

Do you have to have a chronic illness to participate?

Not at all! We welcome anyone who wants to ease into creating a better life in a way that sticks. This could work for anyone who feels overwhelmed and have difficulty making a significant time and/or effort commitment.

You mentioned a buddy system?

We often better at sticking to our goals if we are accountable to someone else. That’s why #3Things includes a buddy system.

Every Saturday morning, I put up the weekly #3Things Check-in post on my Facebook page. It’s an opportunity for everyone to celebrate small victories, find out how others are surmounting the daily obstacles, share frustrations, and get support.

On the first Thursday of each month (usually), I host a #3Things Facebook Live, the monthly review of how we’ve been doing with our commitments from the previous month, and taking a look at the current  goals. Sometimes, you’ll replace a success with something new, have a do-over for a goal that you’d like to work on some more, or kick something to the curb if it wasn’t the right time for it.

Does #3Things work?

We’re just in the third month, so it’s still early days. I will say that personally, it has resulted in me drinking more water than I did for, as well as incorporating a daily green smoothie in my life. I’m meditating more than I did before, but still working on doing this daily. Overall, it’s definitely working for me.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, why not join the #3Things crew?