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I was enjoying the company of a special couple, Barbara & Michel, in a Korean restaurant on a blustery Toronto evening when something really cool, and potentially life-altering transpired.

I was talking about my 50/50 list and how I function better when I have challenges. Then we talked about how so many couples are opposites – ours included, when Michel said, “What if it is the purpose of the person to stretch their partner and help them grow?”

Everything bubbled up from there and The Bi Bim Bop Challenge was born! It’s named after the restaurant we were at  (which was great btw, check it out when you are in Toronto).

We made a list of areas of our lives that could be positively impacted, that’s the original list you see in the picture.

We starred the 6 areas that most interested us and noted the 3 areas that least interested us, we shared with each other the ‘whys’ of these indications. Then we made some guidelines for our project.

We committed to giving each other one ‘opportunity for growth’ each month which may, or may not, be in keeping with what the person indicated was their ‘favorite’.

With each opportunity given, the person could negotiate something that they could actually make happen that month.

For example – following what The Hub and I did during my 50/50 challenge (I’m telling you, get the book, it’s good!) I challenged my friends to handcuff themselves together for 24 hours. Because of circumstances, they decreed they could not do it for that amount of time, so individually I got them to write down how much time they thought they could do it for – one said 8 hours, one said six and bam – the commitment was made! Within the month they would be attached to each other for seven hours! I can’t wait to hear what happens, The Hub and I had a really interesting time and I’m sure they will have some stories to tell, too (GET THE BOOK!).

As for my challenges, Michel challenged both his wife and me to read one of his favorite books, Mating in Captivity and Barbara challenged me to participate in a Park Run (it’s a thing, look it up).

Barbara challenged Michel to plan, prepare and execute a family dinner for their 3 grown children.

We have a month to complete our challenges, then we will talk on the phone to discuss what happened and negotiate our next Bi Bim Baps (it’s actually a Korean dish of rice with cooked vegetables, usually meat, and often a raw or fried egg).

So…if you want to join us, I will share our challenges and you can do them, adjust them, ignore them, make your own, etc. etc.

To me, it’s by doing things like this that I learn, share and grows.

To me, it makes life more fun, more interesting and more exciting!

The Bi Bim Bap Challenge, it’s just one more way to Live Your Life, Unlimited! Here’s to a rockin’ 2020! Steph 🙂

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* Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), conferred by the National Speakers Association is the speaking profession’s international measure of professional platform proficiency. Less than 10 percent of speakers have earned this credential and are recognized as some of the best in their fields. Stephanie was one of only five professional speakers in Canada (and the only woman) to attain this designation in 2013.

The post Are you ready for the Bi Bim Bop Challenge? first appeared on Your Life Unlimited.

Contributed by Stephanie Staples at Your Life Unlimited