Our 21-Day Trigger Challenge Starts Tomorrow
Here's Everything You Need
Happy Sunday, Chase Club.
Just a note before our first Chase Club Challenge kicks off tomorrow.
As I mentioned in Thursday’s episode, we’re inviting you to do a 21-Day Trigger Challenge.
The short version: for 21 days, we’re going to practice noticing what knocks us off center — and getting back faster. One short check-in per day. Five minutes. Built around five pillars:
Trigger Identification — noticing what knocks you off center
Recovery Speed — tracking how long it takes to return to baseline
Respond vs. React — building the pause between stimulus and choice
Regulation Strategies — tools for returning to calm
Self-Compassion — observing without judgment
The goal isn’t to stop being triggered (that’d be pretty impossible). It’s to shorten the distance between the thing that happens and the moment you’re back in control.
How to join me:
Option 1 — Inside the Chase Tracker app (free with your membership)
The full challenge is already built inside the app under “Challenges.” (Just look in the “Library” tab.)
If you’re not set up yet, click here to get access without going through the subscription process. Run into any trouble, just reply to this email.
Option 2 — DIY with the full 21 days
All 21 days of content are below. No app required.
Grab a notebook, your notes app, a sticky note — whatever works — and just show up each day with the day’s task.
Option 3 — The Simplified version
Don’t want to track all 21 prompts? No problem. Here’s the version I’ve been doing for years: at the end of every night, before you put the phone down, ask yourself three questions:
What happened today that knocked me off center?
Why do I think it happened?
How long did it take me to get back to center?
That’s it. Do that every night for 21 days, and I promise — you’ll get through most of what this challenge is built to do.
And remember: Join us on Friday for the Chase Club Chat Club.
Starting this Friday, May 8th, I’ll be dropping into the chat each week with something extra — a resource, a clip, a conversation starter related to that week’s theme.
It’s the best place to share how things are going, ask questions, and connect with everyone else doing this alongside you.
If you don’t already have it, download the Substack app here — that’s where all the Chase Club Chat Club conversations happen.
Alright — the full 21 days are below. Save this email. Use it whenever you need it.
Let’s go.
🤙 Patrick
THE 21-DAY TRIGGER CHALLENGE
Most of us live on autopilot — letting external circumstances dictate our internal state. A critical comment, an unexpected setback, a frustrating conversation: something happens, and we react before we’ve had a chance to choose.
This challenge doesn’t ask you to stop having reactions. It asks you to start noticing them — and then gradually, deliberately, shorten the time it takes to return to calm.
⚡ WEEK 1: AWARENESS
You can’t change what you can’t see. This week is about seeing clearly.
Day 1 — Trigger Identification
At the end of today, write down one thing that knocked you off center. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. What was it? What happened in your body — tension, heat, tightness? What was the thought that followed?
Why this matters: Most people experience dozens of micro-triggers daily without ever noticing them. They just feel vaguely irritable, anxious, or depleted. Naming a trigger is the first step to having any power over it.
Day 2 — Recovery Speed
Today, when something triggers you — big or small — note the time. Then note the time when you feel genuinely calm again. How long did it take? Don’t judge the number. Just record it.
Why this matters: The goal of this challenge isn’t to stop being triggered. It’s to reduce recovery time. Tracking it gives you a baseline. Most people have no idea how long they carry a disturbance — sometimes hours, sometimes days.
