Starbuck

Congratulations!!!! Ohh, this happened to me the time I did a half marathon!

So I've realised that the "make the most of the experience" goal is all about doing things that make me a little nervous (but that I probably ultimately know that I will enjoy). For last week I feel like I achieved this by going out on Saturday to a work colleague's birthday party and then out to a club afterwards. Ultimately was a very fun night...although my body certainly let me know on Sunday that it did not appreciate being out dancing until 3am or the quantity of alcohol that I might have had. Due to this I didn't get to the gym as planned on Sunday, but I did get the last day of my program in yesterday - as that was less than a week after I received the program, it really is okay (but I just like my program weeks to line up with actual weeks!). Even though the gyms I've been going to haven't been great in terms of equipment, I am happy that I have been completely absolutely everything that is on my program. The only thing is that I do have a tendency to cut my warm ups a little short...particularly when I notice that the one squat rack in the gym is free. I haven't tracked food since mid last week. However, I noticed that despite not tracking, I also managed to not take anything for myself from the snack cupboard on Thursday or Friday last week. I think that might actually be a better goal for me at the moment. I have decided that I can make an exception for a small pre-workout carb snack when I am leaving work to immediately go to the gym. Otherwise I take nothing out of that cupboard myself. So far this week I have been successful (although I did help myself the cookies that a coworker had brought into our office for his birthday). I have kept up my Duolingo and have used the book a few times during the week. I have also been trying to tell absolutely everyone how much I want to learn German and need encouragement to speak, in the hope that will actually help. I'm still barely speaking though. Yesterday I tried to order my lunch. After saying my order, I was asked in German what type of bread I wanted. Whilst I thought I knew what I was being asked, I stood there staring whilst trying to work out how to respond (I wanted brown bread, but couldn't remember how to say brown bread, so I was debating just saying white to give an answer) until I was asked again in English.

I was just in between changing to my weightlifting shoes for squats. Though one of the gyms I have been to here actually encourages not wearing shoes. Cupboard is Lava actually seems like it might be a good goal for this challenge. It's something that I have been trying to make clear with friends/co-workers...the problem is that I feel guilty about it because I think it is also can be frustrating for them (I will admit that there is a reasonable chance this is an excuse I'm making)

Tried another gym I can go to with the work membership. It was crowded and the equipment wasn't great. I somehow managed to get my whole workout done, which was quite the feat given the wait on equipment. Did give me some great examples of misuse of squat racks and benches - I saw one guy do muscle ups on the squat rack! Also, I think a giant used the squat rack before me .. Food logged...but only this evening. Did my Duolingo, but nothing more. Think I need to learn to say "are you still using the squat rack/barbell?" Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Yeah, I'm hoping I gain some language just being here. Yeah, I have previously done workouts in my work clothes and probably should have at least done something. I already feel a bit out of place in that gym anyway, so I just wasn't feeling it. Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Funny you should mention Neni - I was actually at the bar right next to it on Monday night and my friend was talking about how it is apparently amazibg, but impossible to get into. So it is definitely on my must do list! Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

I've updated my goals! And now it is late and I've run out of time to talk about how I've gone the last couple days. Tried to go to the gym today - got there after work, checked in and then discovered that I'd left my clothes at home (so wasted one of my visits for the month). Tracked my food (though did it all at night instead of during the day). Done my Duolingo and some exercises in the language hacking book. German spoken today was limited to Hallo, good morning, thank you and bye.

Thanks! Always! Can't say I have had much typically German food...but I will try to post all the particularly good things. Thank you! So far I have been to excellent Thai, Vietnamese and Israeli restaurants. I've also had some amazing Argentinian BBQ steak at work. I haven't explored the amazing falafel selection (though I did when I visited Berlin in the past). At some point, maybe I will eat German food?

I disappear from here far too often. Things have changed a lot since I was last around here. Last year, I started working last in in General Practice (/family medicine) and found that I absolutely hated it. Despite working in really nice clinics, I was just so incredibly unhappy. I started looking for an escape route and have somehow found myself working for a start-up in Berlin... I only moved here two weeks ago (though I did come here for a trial in December and then worked remotely from Australia, so I had some idea what I was getting myself into), but I already feel like I absolutely made the right decision. It's really late, so I don't have time to write out my goals in full. I'll just write titles for now and try to come back tomorrow... - Follow my powerlifting program I've decided for now at least to continue with online coaching from my coach in Melbourne. Currently I have a 3 x week program, so the goal is to follow that - in its entirety!! The last year has been a very frustrating one for my lifting - my weight has increased significantly more than my total has. Whilst I did continue training throughout the year, I think if I am completely honest about it then I probably wasn't as consistent as I needed to be. I was skipping accessories here and there, etc. I feel that the best thing for me to do for now is to really ensure that I am sticking to the program and giving it my all. Once I have done that for a while then I will be in a better position to make decisions going forward - whether that be taking some time away from powerlifting, finding a new coach or something else?? This is all a little complicated by the fact that there seems to be a strange lack of powerlifting in Berlin. The one gym that seems to pop up on internet searches is a long way away from where I live and my workplace, so is not a good option. My jobs gives us a free membership to "Urban Sports Club" which basically gives you access to a big range of fitness related things. This is awesome in some ways (I went bouldering on the weekend and it was included under the membership), but not the best for powerlifting - there aren't any gyms particularly close to me, there is one close to work that I can only go to 4 x a month (though if I pay to upgrade the membership then I can go 8 x a month) and there are a few others that aren't too far out of my commute that I need to check out (but I don't have particularly high hopes). - Keep a food diary I am not happy with my weight at the moment. My new workplace has a snack cupboard that has a limitless supply of junk food. This is all quite concerning to me. Due to my eating disordered past, I know that I need to be very cautious with addressing my diet at all. This became particularly clear when last year I somehow slipped into some disordered behaviours for the first time in many years. So the plan is to just track what I eat. Generally try to eat regular meals, enough food and be mindful about snacking on the easily accessible supply. -Learn German and actually use it! I have always wanted to learn another language properly and I know that there is never going to be a better opportunity than right now. However, I am not going to learn German just by osmosis - particularly not in a city like Berlin where it is far too easy to get by just speaking English and assuming that someone around you will understand (which despite feeling horribly guilty about, I seem to keep doing). At the moment I am finding that I just get scared whenever someone speaks to me and forget all of the German I know! I have been doing my daily Duolingo ever since I got this job and I intend to continue that (so that is the first part of the goal). Next part of the goal is to use other resources at home at least 4 x per week - I was using an app for this though it has stopped working after a recent update, I have also just bought the "Language Hacking German" book which I can do exercises in. Last (and probably most important part) is to actually speak some German. So basically I am just going to congratulate myself for any little bit of German that I actually use. - Make the most of the experience This is a bit of a vague goal that I am having trouble describing. I want to use this move as an opportunity to do things that I otherwise wouldn't and to continue doing things that I enjoy. I think my goal is that at least once a week I want to do something that I consider "exciting" (exciting probably isn't the best word, but I can't think of another one at the moment to describe what I am getting at). Examples of things that would count that I did last weekend - going bouldering with a group of people from work, going to watch Captain Marvel with a meetup.com group.

Thanks!

Three exams down and now one to go. Not doing a great job at updating here. Though, I did actually get some solid studying done last week and I also managed to get the the gym four times...so things are okay. I do feel like I have really run out of motivation since Friday's exam. Didn't help when I realised that I really don't need much on my exam tomorrow (I only need 11% on it to pass the unit)... Anyway, I am going to go through my plan for the week. I'm hoping that if I can remind myself that I will be having so much fun for the rest of the week (without any guilt about having other things I should be doing) then I can get my act together and put in some serious work over the next 24 hours. Plan for the week: Monday - Study!!! - Training Tuesday: - Stats exam Wednesday: - Training - Go to Sydney to watch the Socceroos qualify for the World Cup (trying to be confident about this) Thursday: - Fly back from Sydney very early in the morning - Tentative plan to spend the day laying in the sun reading a book. Friday: - Training - Watch the football in the evening Saturday: - Possibly head to the coast during the day - catch up with some friends and sit on the beach reading a book. Sunday: - Diving So basically, after tomorrow, this is going to be one of the best weeks ever (assuming positive results for Australia's ridiculous postal survey on marriage equality and sporting events). Plan for today: Food: - I think I might get lunch out, otherwise all food at home Other things: - Study stats - do practice questions for the topics that feature most heavily on the exam. - Get to the gym

Argh, just closed my browser before submitting a post I'd written. Will try to recap quickly. Forgot to get on here over the last couple days. Didn't get a heap of work done on Sunday, but it was really nice to actually get out of the house. Had my first exam (microeconomics) yesterday. It was really frustrating because I felt like I knew all of the content, but ran out of time and didn't complete the exam. I just don't know if I really could have done anything more to prepare for it. It has been a long time since I have done any written exams (my med school was all extended multiple choice or practical exams) and it has given me flashbacks to school when I remember my biggest issue always being that I just write really slowly. Plan for today - 7th November Maths exam this evening. As much maths study as possible between now and then. Tentatively plan for all food at home, but I might get something out on the way to or from the exam.

I had a good time at the football (despite the result of the game) - didn't really earn the break...but it was good to get out of the house.

I got the job that I had the phone interview for yesterday. So as it turned out, the whole job situation was sorted by lunchtime. Unfortunately, I did not do a good job of getting back into working and got very little else done. Just trying not to get too frustrated with myself for being inefficient. It doesn't help. I need to just move on and try to do better. I really really want to go to the football tomorrow afternoon...hoping I can use that as incentive to get as much as possible done beforehand, so that I can actually enjoy it. Plan for Novemeber 4th: Food: - Breakfast, dinner and snacks at home. - Possible lunch out with brother (he got caught at work again yesterday, so we still haven't caught up this week). Study: - Continue using pomodoro. - Actually finish this 2016 maths exam - Actually do the micro cheat sheet (I think that this needs to be done as a condition of me allowing myself to go to the football tomorrow). Also go to the gym at some point.

I'm using an app at the moment for timing and tracking how many I do. There was a point that I wanted to buy a tomato shaped timer for that very reason.

Got the annoying news yesterday that I didn't get matched with a job for the first half of next year (though I did get my first preference for the second half of the year, so it isn't all bad). This means that I now have to apply asap to the clinics that didn't get matches for that term. Plan for Friday 3rd November Food: - Breakfast, lunch and snacks at home. - Possibly dinner out with my brother (had to postpone the dinner we were supposed to have earlier in the week) Other things: - Get job applications off first thing in the morning (done). - Phone interview with one clinic at 11am. - Study - Continue Pomodoro, finish 2016 maths exam, actually do something for micro.

Plan for Thursday 2nd November: Food: - Breakfast, lunch and snacks at home - Dinner out Other things: - Haircut - Training - Study - keep using pomodoro, do 2016 maths past exam, work on the micro cheat sheet - Heading to music bingo tonight - will hopefully be a reward for all my hard work.

I've got the diving organised - so I hope it works!

Plan for Wednesday 1st November Food: - Breakfast, lunch and snacks at home - Dinner out with my brother Other things: - Study (using Pomodoro technique) - goal for today is to complete the 2015 past exam for maths and to write out definitions for my microeconomics cheat sheet (they let us bring a double-sided A4 piece of paper into the exam). - Try to line up some diving for the week after exam - something to look forward to will help, right?

Thanks! I love the 30 min a night plan (and definitely wish I had been using it from the start of the semester). I definitely need to be putting in more than that now...but that has given me an idea. I have found the pomodoro technique helpful previously (it is basically 25 minutes of dedicated work with no distractions followed by a 5 min break...and repeat). So, I think that will be how I attack it today - and then we'll see how this goes.

Plan for Tuesday 31st October Food: - Everything at home Other plans: Study (I need to find a bit more structure...any thoughts)

Just need to get a bit better at making the plan actually happen (not a lot of study was done).

Plan for Monday 30th October Food: - All food at home Other things: - Hand in assignment before 10am- - Training - Study

Plan for today (Sunday 29th October) Food: - Something quick on my way to barre. - Proper breakfast out post barre - Lunch with family - it's my brother's birthday. - Dinner at home - Possibly snacks at home...but depends how big lunch it. Other plans: - Barre in the morning - Family time in the middle of the day - Finish this assignment

Oops. All fell apart a little bit. Basically I decided that I wanted to get one assignment out of the way before Thursday. So, I did this "I won't go to bed until I've got this done" thing which backfired horribly. Spent all Wednesday night procrastinating. Achieved sleep deprivation, but not much work. Ultimately put me way behind. In the end, we were given an extension on maths. So, I got the micro assignment done without any issue. I don't have very much left on the maths assignment now (except one question I haven't done has me a little stumped), which is now due tomorrow. This does push back my exam study a little. Although I do feel that working through this maths assignment is reasonable study in itself.