EPQ | FAQ

No Caffeine?! What about my chocolate? And my headache medicine?

Chocolate is fine. So is your Excedrin Migraine. The point is to remove your daily reliance on a stimulant to get by. As long as you don't replace a habit or dependence upon one source of caffeine with another.

Note: If you typically consume large amounts of coffee or soft drinks, you may experience headaches as a part of caffeine withdrawal in the early days of the challenge. Aim to push through without headache medicine that contains caffeine.

What else can I do that would qualify as Learning & Development aside from reading or listening to a non-fiction audiobook?

Anything that will help you develop and gain new skills and knowledge that you can take with you permanently.

Some of the other L&D activities of EPQ participants have included learning how a coding language, learning to speak a foreign language, taking an online course from Udemy, Lynda.com, or Masterclass.

Podcasts are not recommended, as they are typically opinion and entertainment. One may argue that they are learning new perspectives, but it's more like watching the news than reading a book or taking a course.

Learning and development doesn't need to be so serious and solely dedicated to your professional life. One invested in learning everything about how to tape and launch a YouTube channel at the request of his children. He got to spend more time with his kids and realized that he could use what he was learning in his career to publish thought leadership.

Can you break up the daily exercise into two sessions or must it be done in one 45-minute workout? What about the meditation?

Ideally you'd keep them as a singular session, but you can allow yourself exceptions. Just try not to let it become a slippery slope.

This is more important for meditation than the exercise - it often takes almost 20 minutes just for the frantic momentum of the mind to settle (thus that 1 minute of the 21 minute session may truly be the most valuable).

A singular 45-minute workout has more benefit in that your increased heart-rate is sustained such that endurance is built.

I am certain you can almost always find ways to fit 45 uninterrupted minutes into your day. You may have to risk looking ridiculous as you do lunges through the TSA queue at the airport and perform air squats and push-ups at the gate (yes, I've been there) - but you can get it done.

I'm having trouble with finding ways to do the rigorous exercise given the terrible weather/cold and I don't have access to a gym. What do you recommend?

First let's define rigorous exercise. You don't need to be running sprints every day. The point is to the heart really pumping, blood moving, endorphins released. The word 'rigorous' is used to call out that a walk through the park (literally or metaphorically) shouldn't count.

With that said, the internet is full of endless exercise routines that require no equipment and very little room. Planks. Push-ups. Sit-ups. Air Squats. Jumping jacks. Think like you're in a jail-cell!

You can also buy some TRX bands, inexpensive dumbbells or kettlebells.

I'm having trouble with finding ways to do the rigorous exercise given the terrible weather/cold and I don't have access to a gym. What do you recommend?

First let's define rigorous exercise. You don't need to be running sprints every day. The point is to the heart really pumping, blood moving, endorphins released. The word 'rigorous' is used to call out that a walk through the park (literally or metaphorically) shouldn't count.

With that said, the internet is full of endless exercise routines that require no equipment and very little room. Planks. Push-ups. Sit-ups. Air Squats. Jumping jacks. Think like you're in a jail-cell!

You can also buy some TRX bands, inexpensive dumbbells or kettlebells.

Oh, crap! It's 1pm and I forgot to do my morning scrum! Can I do it now and will it still count?

This isn't ideal, but it happens. If you think it can still impact your actions for the day, then count it. If it's 6pm - that's a stretch!

This whole thing is based on the honor system, and your own integrity. Screw with your own integrity, and well...it doesn't really matter if you do a daily scrum or not, does it?