7 Days to “Be That Glitch” Challenge
Why this challenge? Why now?
I wanted to give you a taste of what’s inside my book, Exiting the Matrix: A Practical Guide to Building a Life You Love, which I just released into the wild.
If the book is the full roadmap, think of this challenge as your first step onto the trail: bite-sized, doable, and grounded in real life.
Because building your dream life isn’t one big leap.
It’s a series of small, daily choices.
Choices to show up differently.
To follow a curiosity.
To act on an impulse.
To feel the fear and do it anyway.
To say yes to joy, tune into pleasure, and get crystal clear on what really matters to you.
A lot of people are fed up with capitalism, patriarchy, high rents, toxic jobs, authoritarian nonsense, and burnout.
But most never do anything about it.
Why?
Because change is hard.
Our brains are literally wired to cling to the familiar, even if it’s making us sick, tired, anxious, and miserable.
That’s why you have to be that glitch you want to see in the matrix! Ya feel me?
So if you’ve ever looked at my life (or someone else’s) and thought, “That must be nice, but…(insert your favorite excuse here)”—I’ve got news for you:
No one is born ready. I wasn’t either.
Solo travel is daunting.
Building a non-traditional life is lonely
Quitting your well-paying job with bennies and 401k? Well that just seems borderline psychotic.
Over time, it will get easier, though, I promise. With every challenge you face and every conscious choice you make, the fear holding you back begins to loosen its grip. Your self-trust grows. Little by little, your spark returns—your life force, your power. And where self-doubt once lingered, a quiet whisper of hope begins to build momentum.
That’s my hope for this 7-day challenge, anyway, that each tiny-but-mighty action you take will help you shake off what’s been keeping you stuck and instead start creating a life that you absolutely love (not just tolerate).
Let’s glitch this bitch, together. 🌀
Day 1 - What Do You Value Most?
For those pressed for time, here’s a quick TL;DR version of today’s challenge: Know your top 3 values—and watch life get easier. Clear values = clear decisions, fewer wrong turns, and a magnet for the right people and opportunities. You find them by noticing when you feel most alive, what you admire in others, and yes, even what makes you jealous (because that’s just your soul saying I want that too). Identify 3 values you’d never sell for $1B, and share them in the comments below.
Why Identifying Values Is Important
When your values are clear, life gets simpler. Decisions feel obvious. You stop sending mixed signals—to yourself and others. You avoid misaligned situations before they become problems. And you naturally attract the right people, jobs, and opportunities.
Because when you live in alignment with your values, you’re not stuck feeling drained, depressed, anxious, or lost; you feel energized, grounded, and in motion toward a life that’s truly yours.
How to Find Your Core Values
You don’t invent values—you uncover them. They reveal themselves through experiences, heartbreak, joy, frustration, and wonder. Sometimes you only notice them when they’re gone: a failing relationship, a lost sense of freedom.
Other times, they hide in plain sight—in the traits you admire in others or the flicker of envy when you see someone living a life you wish you had. That’s not pettiness—it’s precious information.
Jealousy = information. It’s your subconscious saying: I want that too.
Example: Before I started van life, I saw someone renovating a camper van. I felt a pang of jealousy. Looking closer, it pointed to hidden values:
Freedom of movement
Affordable travel
Minimalist living
Accessibility to Nature
Admiration works the same way. Who do you look up to? What about them lights you up? Those are signposts pointing toward your values.
Quick Exercise
Reflect: When do you feel most like yourself or at home in your body? Hiking alone? Deep in conversation? Creating something? Because the moments when you feel most like yourself are usually when you’re living in alignment with your deepest values.
List: Check out this list of values. Jot down ~10 that hit you in the gut—no overthinking.
Test: For each value you narrowed down, ask yourself: Would I give up this value for $1M, $10M? If yes, cross it off. Keep upping the stakes until you land on your non-negotiable
Still stuck? Think about a time recently when you felt jealous of someone. What do they have that you don’t—and what feeling would having it give you? Or think about someone you admire: what about them lights you up? That’s usually pointing straight to one of your values.
Congrats! You’ve completed Day 1 of the Be That Glitch challenge. Keep your values close—we’ll be using them tomorrow. And if you’re up for it, drop your 3 values in the comments. I’d love to see what you came up with. And as always, thanks for being here and for being you.
Day 2 - Become Your Values
For those pressed for time, here’s a quick TL;DR version of today’s challenge: Pick one of your core values from Day 1 and embody it today. Take a small, intentional action that says: This is who I am. Because values aren’t just words on a page—they’re choices you make every day
It’s easy to treat values like abstract ideals, but they only shape your life if you live them. If you don’t embody them, you’ll end up obsessing over others who do, following influencers to live vicariously through them, staying in a job just because you’re “supposed” to, or accepting less-than-stellar treatment from others to “keep the peace”. When you turn a value into action, you send a powerful signal to yourself (and the world) that this matters, that I matter. And each small choice to live in alignment creates momentum—momentum that builds a life you don’t want to escape from.
Quick Exercise
Action: Pick one value from Day 1 and embody it—fully—today.
If you value belonging, call an old friend you’ve been missing.
If you value creativity, spend an uninterrupted hour crafting something.
If you value adventure, take a new route home or try a new recipe.
It’s not about a grand overhaul—it’s about proving that one choice in alignment can change how you feel right now.
Congrats! You’ve completed Day 2 of the Be That Glitch challenge. If you’re up for it, share what small action you took in the comments below. And as always, thanks for being here and for being you.
Day 3 - Design Your Ideal Day
For those pressed for time, here’s a quick TL;DR version of today’s challenge: Design your ideal day. Use your values from Day 1 as the blueprint and ask ChatGPT to write a “day in the life” story where you’re already living your dream. Why? Because freedom starts in your imagination. When you know how you want to feel, you can find many ways—beyond just money—to create it now.
Why Imagining Your Ideal Day Is Important
Freedom isn’t just quitting your job on Tuesday and moving to the jungle on Wednesday; it’s designing a life that feels like yours. That starts by imagining what a day on your terms could look like, then you can start taking small steps to live it now.
Often, what we really want is simpler than we think: nourishing food, occasional adventures, time to be present with loved ones. We might believe money is the only way to get there, but money is just one means to an end. When you focus on the feeling you’re chasing—not just the number in your bank account—you open up more paths to get there.
Quick Exercise
Action: Ask ChatGPT to help you design a day aligned with your values by using the prompt below.
Here’s the prompt to use:
Act as a lifestyle designer. Based on the following core values: [insert 3 values], write a detailed, emotionally resonant 'day in the life' story as if I’m already living my dream life. I live in [describe location/environment], and my ideal work includes [describe what you do]. I want to feel [describe desired emotional state]. Please include a gentle morning routine, aligned work or creative expression, nourishing breaks, meaningful connection, and fulfilling evening rituals. I [live alone / with my partner / in community / etc.], and I’d love if you included [optional specifics like surfing, yoga, gardening, or quiet reading time]. The tone should be realistic but joyful and spacious—grounded in sensory details that help me feel the life I’m creating.
How does reading that story make you feel? Does seeing it laid out like that make it feel more real, more tangible? Bonus: print it out and pin it up around your home. Share it with your partner and close friends. Let the excitement start to stir within you.
Congrats! You’ve completed Day 3 of the Be That Glitch challenge. If you’re up for it, drop the response that ChatGPT gave you in the comments below. I’d love to hear what your ideal day looks like. And as always, thanks for being here and for being you.
Day 4 - Follow Your Curiosity
For those pressed for time, here’s a quick TL;DR version of today’s challenge: Follow one tiny impulse today—wear a bold color, try a new drink, or reach out to someone you’ve been thinking about. Why? Because curiosity is your life force in motion, and every time you act on it, you build self-trust—the same trust that will one day power your boldest moves.
Why Following Your Curiosity Is Important
Curiosity is your life force in motion. Those little nudges are your subconscious whispering, this way my love. When you follow them, you’re not just chasing novelty—you’re building self-trust. And that trust is the foundation for making bigger, bolder moves later, like changing your career, moving somewhere new, or finally saying yes to the thing that scares and excites you.
Quick Exercise
Action: Follow a tiny impulse today. If you get a sudden urge to do something—by golly DO IT!
Examples:
Wear a bold color you don’t normally wear
Order the seasonal drink instead of your usual latte
Text someone you’ve been thinking about
Hop into the flower store and buy yourself a single rose
Say yes to a co-worker’s invitation to after-work drinks.
Congrats! You’ve completed Day 4 of the Be That Glitch challenge. If you’re up for it, share what tiny impulse you followed in the comments below. And as always, thanks for being here and for being you.
Day 5- Tune Into Your Body’s Wisdom
For those pressed for time, here’s a quick TL;DR version of today’s challenge: Notice how you feel after everything you consume today—food, media, conversations, even background noise. Why? Because much of your mood isn’t from the world “out there,” but from what you’ve chosen to take in. Your body is always giving you clues on how to feel better—you just have to listen.
Why Tuning Into Your Body’s Wisdom is Essential
A lot of our agitation isn’t from what’s happening to us—it’s from what we’ve unknowingly done to ourselves. Everything we consume impacts us. An extra-strong cold brew coupled with obnoxious advertisements on the radio might leave you more likely to honk, flip someone off, and spread bad vibes the rest of the day - without you even knowing it.
We love to blame the external world, but few of us take full ownership of the hundreds of tiny choices we make daily that affect how we feel. The world will always have chaos—what you can control is how much of it you let in. The first step? Listen to your body’s real-time feedback, moment by moment. Notice the signs: agitation, anxiety, headaches, heartburn, racing thoughts, overwhelm, exhaustion. Your body is talking—are you listening?
Quick Exercise
Action: Pay attention to what is happening inside your body after you consume anything today—and jot it down in your phone’s notes app.
Examples:
After your third cup of coffee
After you pull up to the parking lot before work
After that bag of Skittles
After an hour of doom-scrolling
After gossiping with your co-worker
After you watch the news, an action movie, or a true crime series
There’s no need to judge or shame yourself for these choices—this is simply an exploration of presence. Tuning into your body’s wisdom can be the green light to more pleasure and more joy. When we learn to listen and translate what our body is communicating, it becomes easier to advocate for ourselves in real time and to say no to what doesn’t support our values or our ideal way of being.
Congrats! You’ve completed Day 5 of the Be That Glitch challenge. Feel free to share any insights you gained below. And as always, thanks for being here and for being you.
Day 6- Reclaim Your Power of Choice
For those pressed for time, here’s a quick TL;DR version of today’s challenge: Notice one thing you consumed yesterday that made you feel worse, and choose differently today. Because every time you make a new choice, you remind yourself—you’re not stuck.
Why Reclaiming Your Power of Choice Matters
The Matrix wants you to believe you don’t have freedom of choice. That you’re stuck. That a sweet treat or quick fix will make everything better. But here’s the truth: it’s the belief that you’re stuck that keeps you stuck. You have far more freedom than you think—and every time you choose differently, you prove it to yourself just how powerful you are!
Quick Exercise
Action: Think of one thing you consumed yesterday that left you feeling worse: a scary movie before bed, a draining phone call with a chronic complainer, a giant donut for a midday “pick-me-up”—and choose differently today. Take note of how you feel afterwards.
Congrats! You’ve completed Day 6 of the Be That Glitch challenge. I’d love to hear what different choice you made today, and why! And as always, thanks for being here and for being you.
Day 7 - Go Offline
For those pressed for time, here’s a quick TL;DR version of today’s challenge: Step away from social media and the news for 12 hours. Use the time to reflect on this week’s chrallenge and reconnect with your real life—the one happening outside the screen.
Why Going Offline is Powerful
Constant stimulation pulls you away from your own truth. Even a short break can tune you back into your body, your breath, and your presence. The real world is where your real life happens. And remember—these apps are designed to keep you hooked, which means they can easily drain the time and energy you need to tune into your own internal guidance system.
When you get the urge to scroll today, grab an old notebook (or treat yourself to a new one from the dollar store) instead and reflect on this week’s challenge:
What surprised you?
What was the most challenging?
What will you keep doing?
Quick Exercise
Action: Take a 12-hour break from social media and the news, and use that time for self-reflection instead. Bonus: Tune into what your body is asking for today—maybe a gentle walk, planting new flowers, or inviting a neighbor over for coffee.