the best wings I've ever eaten

I sat at my kitchen table, eating the best wings I’d ever had in my life. (Drenched in ranch, of course)

I don’t know what flavor they were. I don’t know if they made my eyes water. I don’t even know where they were from.

But I swear, they were the most fantastic wings ever.

I’ve always been the type of person to love personal challenges. Embarking on missions that push my body and mind to the limit fascinates me.

My third year of college started amid Covid 2020. Classes were easier than ever, and everyone primed themselves for multiple late nights of drinking per week.

But not me. I took an alcohol hiatus. I wanted to improve myself, so I tested the sober waters.

Supposedly, it takes 66 days to develop daily habits. So, I decided to spend the first 66 days of the semester without a drop of alcohol touching my tongue.

I also ran at least 3-4 miles a day. So, by the end of the hiatus, I was in the best shape of my life and experienced a sensational high.

The ecstasy-like feeling left me craving another mind-strengthening voyage…

Where I decided to go vegetarian. Meat had been essential to my diet. I consumed some form of meat at least once daily.

As I contemplated this idea, a harsh truth drowned me.

Cutting out meat wouldn’t have been a challenge for me. The ultimate challenge resided in abolishing dairy products.

As much as I ate meat every day, I literally ate dairy products with every meal.

Going vegetarian would have been tough, but going vegan pushed me to the limit.

Two days after finishing my sober bout, I impulsively accepted that I'd be a vegan from October 17th until 2021 hit.

I didn’t know how, but I persisted. I stuck to the vegan diet and never surrendered. Once the new year came, I found myself sitting at the kitchen table on January 1st, eating the greatest wings ever.

It was a mystery as to why they tasted so marvelous. Then it hit me…

The wings wowed me because the first bite represented a victorious reward for enduring two months of veganism.

I came inches away from waving the white flag a few times. Watching someone dig into a greasy, cheesy slice of pizza or a steaming egg sandwich killed me. I wanted to rip it out of their hands and shove it into my mouth.

But I held myself back. Even though I didn't know then why I succeeded then, I understand now. I realized that setting a deadline helped me become so resilient to giving up.

I didn’t tell myself, “I’m gonna go vegan for a while.”

I said, “I’m gonna go vegan until the new year comes.”

Despite being an arbitrary date, setting a specific end date kept me grounded. Whenever I felt an itch for meat, eggs, or cheese, I reminded myself of January 1st. I reminded myself that there was an end to reach.

Trying something new or adopting a new lifestyle is daunting. I would have caved in within a week had I not set a deadline.

Giving yourself a time frame for new challenges is vital. Whether you continue beyond that frame or not is a different story…

But you’ll never reach that story if you can’t reach your target date.

I learned that time frames make adventures easier to accomplish and the rewards ten times better. They bear the power to turn your mediocre wings, into...

The greatest wings you’ve ever eaten.