Firedance

I managed to both strength train and zumba on Tuesday, so that was exciting! Train Warriors: 1/8 Hang On: 10/28 Add to Hoard: Work on jewelry projects twice a week. I ordered what I needed for my upcoming projects, and I have class tonight. The trick will be remembering and then getting myself to work on it this weekend. Flying in the Dreamscape: Journal/Meditate about being a designer at least once a week. No dedicated time, but i do think about it a lot. It was exactly that, and it was interesting. I didn't have any huge epiphanies will floating in total darkness, but it was really relaxing to float in warm water. Well after the first couple minutes when it was weird/stressful but you get past that. I did a 90 minute session and I actually asked if I really had been in there 90 minutes because it didn't feel like it.

Hahahahahahaha thank you Tanktimus. Baby steps...

Wow ok, that week did not go as expected. 3 week challenge it is... Train Warriors: Exercise twice a week Hang On: Hang from roommates pull up bar everyday until they move and it leaves. (This I did actually do last week) Add to Hoard: Work on jewelry projects twice a week Flying in the Dreamscape: Journal/Meditate about being a designer at least once a week I did get an epic challenge goal accomplished by trying Floatation Therapy, and hit a milestone on my cross stitch project which is another.

Over the last few months I have begun admitting to myself that I really want to be a professional jewelry designer. This is what I've wanted since I was a little kid. But it didn't seem real or possible, and I started on a different path. Still design, but Architecture. Which I did enjoy. Then i graduated and got a job doing CAD, but through a series of company shifts into a mostly marketing position. Never would I ever have expected that, but it's been an amazing learning experience. Everything needs marketing, but it's not what I want to do forever. That crystalized when my Mom suggested I might start up a freelance marketing firm someday, and I was like HELL NO. I still enjoy my job (thankfully), but I've finally started to listen to the forces in me that aren't terrified of my dreaming. I've been taking classes on jewelry making. I actually started helping a local jewelry with her social media marketing, and that's been a boost mentally. Like it's a thing normal people can do if they really want to. So this month I want to focus on accepting that dream more fully. I don't need to launch a company tomorrow or anything, but if I can start to deal with the fact that I want to I think that would be a huge source of internal peace! Actual subgoals to follow.... but I found this! Whatever Snopes, it's totally a baby dragon.

Week four was good but a bit crazy. Train Warriors 5/8 workouts, 20ish/30 knee pushups daily Build Moat 1/1 books finished Practice Financial Wizardry 30/30 logging food costs. 1/1 Accounting doesn't start until the 12. I helped my friend with her taxes though! Make friends with a Dragon Finished my bracelet and now need to come up with another new project All in all my exercise was not the strong front, but I had a lot of events that kept pushing me off my game. And then it's easier to say, well tomorrow for like 5 days running! But I'm back to zumba and i remembered i don't completely hate running like I had suddenly decided. So maybe next challenge that will be a bit more focused. My financials went pretty well. I kept up with the food logging, although I did spend 300 and not 250 like I was hoping I definitely cooked a lot more. Once I get used to doing that, the savings will come. I'm still in the rebelling new habits phase. Jewelry was wonderful. I actually made connections to two new jewelers, so my naming was prophetic! That was definitely the strongest part of this challenge. Oh and moat building went pretty well. I had several days when my bosses were in terrible moods (for good reasons but not my problems) and I did a really excellent job not letting them infect me. I was really happy with myself one day in particular! Overall I think i defended my castle pretty well, but my warriors need a bit more training next challenge!

I'm going to have to do some recounting on this as I haven't been tracking very well. I did go for a run again this weekend but I haven't been to the gym in a while. Stuff keeps coming up and it's mostly good stuff but it's still messing with my goals. Also I was exhausted this week and the second half I kept goinf home and sleeping. It's so hard to keep a balance things slide so fast...

I'm in love with both those images Rae is awesomeness incarnate. It's Marathon day in Boston! Good luck to anyone who is running! I ran 1.5 miles on Beacon St this weekend, which is mile 20ish for you hardcore runners! I did that instead of the gym because it was nice out and faster for a packed weekend. Train Warriors 3/8 workouts, 16/30 knee pushups daily Build Moat 0/1 books finished, but started 6 Pillars of Self Esteem. I really need to get focused on reading this. Practice Financial Wizardry 18/30 logging food costs. 0/1 Accounting lesson 1 done. Make friends with a Dragon I worked out a plan that the jeweler liked to improve her social media and we are going to meet weds at her stone setters which is exciting. Field trip! On my own work I started a hammered bracelet that I found instructions for. I'm maybe halfway through, and there is no class this week because of school vacation.

Week 2 is going fairly well! I am better and thus was able to get to the gym and do a strength workout. No Zumba sadly but it gave me more time for deadlifts. Since I skipped my second workout last week I didn't make much progression but my squat is at 65 (tried for 70 but my form was a mess), bench at 50! More than the bar!, and deadlift stayed at 110 because I was already tired by the time I got to that weight so instead of adding more I just did my work set there. Surprising nice moments during my squats when one of the trainors stopped by the give me some advice on the squat. When he started out asking who taught me to squat I assumed the worst, but then he followed up with my form looked good overall. I should just think about keeping my chest up and I'll stop leaning forward. So that was nice and I didn't shame the personal trainor who taught me to squat by doing it completely wrong a few months later Train Warriors 2/8 workouts, 13/30 knee pushups daily Build Moat 0/1 books finished, but started 6 Pillars of Self Esteem. Practice Financial Wizardry 13/30 logging food costs. 0/1 Accounting justb started going to do the first lesson tonight! Make friends with a Dragon I might do some social media work for a jewelry designer in return for mentorship. Big step towards my dream and I'll practice marketing! Even just reaching out is a step.

Busy weekend but not a lot of forward progress on these goals sadly. I did have a lot of fun though and saw a lot of friends. Terra Mystica was played and Star Wars Trivia was won. There was also coloring and plowing through a new book. And at least some push-ups... Can't do everything! Train Warriors 1/8 workouts, 7/30 knee pushups daily Build Moat 0/1 books finished Practice Financial Wizardry 8/30 logging food costs. 0/1 Accounting doesn't start until the 12. I helped my friend with her taxes though! Make friends with a Dragon Working on coming up with a new project to start Thurs.

Not too bad considering I got a cold Weds! I think I'm on the last day, I feel less disgusting today. Luckily I got my Tues Zumba/Strength Training workout done. I also did my daily pushups (and 10 butt lifts while I'm down there in plank position anyways. Those hurt!) Train Warriors 1/8 workouts, 6/30 knee pushups daily Build Moat 0/1 books finished, but started 6 Pillars of Self Esteem. Practice Financial Wizardry 6/30 logging food costs. 0/1 Accounting doesn't start until the 12, but I'm plugging away at my website course in the meantime. Make friends with a Dragon I had to skip jewelry class this week due to being sick, but I can make it up. I did spend time on pinterest collecting inspiration.

I'm loving your challenge. SO MANY GIFS. I really like your percentage scoring as well, that's a good idea.

Now it is pretty! Hurrah!

Wow 4th challenge already this year! The first quarter went by fast. I just read Steven Pressfield's War of Art and I'm most enamored of his discussion of "territory". According to him our territories have 5 qualities "A territory provides sustenance, A territory sustains us without any external input, A territory can only be claimed alone, A territory can only be claimed by work, A territory returns exactly what you put in". I have some territory in my life. Dance has always been one. Strength training has been recently annexed. Sitting down to learn a new thing is my territory, although definitely the part with thorny roses since it's constantly a battle to actually sit down but its worth it. The things in that area I'm most focused on now are jewelry making which is a scary dream and accounting which is me sort of sneaking up on the dream my proving that I could run a business. But life has a way of trying to steal back what I've claimed, via unimportant urgent things and tiredness. So this Princess is defending her castle and land. (Image here) Train Warriors Strength training, dance and yoga. Learn to power clean. Build Moat Read book on setting boundaries + self esteem (Image here) Practice Financial Wizardry More accounting classes! And also a Web design class aimed at working on my portfolio eventually. Stock up on supplies: Reduce restaurant bills to under 250 by cooking for leftovers on Sundays and Wednesday (Image here) Make friends with a Dragon Jewelry making class, more soldering practice. Yay fire! (Found on pinterest, artist here)

Belated realization that this challenge is over but whatever I missed a week in the middle anyways. Zumba was excellent and soul filling. Strength training was also good but even though I superset ed the warmup for squats and presses I ran out of time to do deadlifts before Zumba. So no deadlift gains to report but my presses were at 40 and squats at 55 for an extra week cuz my form was a little iffy last week. Felt better today so I'll add weight next time.

Ohhh and I got a 97 on my accounting exam on Sunday! Clearly I'm on top of posting this week...

Forgot to post that I did an hour of yoga on Saturday. Zumba tonight!

Right? I never understand why I find the things that make me feel best the hardest to actually do! I went to the gym yesterday during the day and had a long lifting session that was great. I dead lifted 105. It's so nice being a novice lifter and seeing all the gains! Squat was 55 and bench press was technically 22.5 dumbbell presses because the bench was occupied. I might keep with them another workout since my left arm is much weaker than my right so I can focus on its technique next workout. Gonna do some yoga today to get stretch in.

Finally got to the gym again. It was a relief, I missed it. Got a good strength workout in before zumba. Wonderful.

Definitely true about the self care. It's a struggle to remember that some days! Being at restaurants every night made it easy to order an extra veggie side, which totally helped.

Ok I forgot to actually put into my challenge that I was embarking this month on a trivia week with my friends. 7 nights, 7 locations, 6 types of trivia. So much fun. So exhausting and nothing else got accomplished besides eating veggies and fruits with two meals and a deliberate half hour meditation with Espeon. I was hoping that I might get to the gym Saturday and Sunday, but I really needed to recover quietly at home after being so social. So that's what I did. And that was enough! Enough: 15/30 days Exercise: 1/8 days Eat Fruit/Veggies: 13/28 days Accounting: 1/7 lessons

Espeon and I meditate for half an hour on a lovely day on a dock. It was veery restrative during a crazy week, but we forgot to record it. Next up Lucario and 50 push ups!

Firedance's Leafeon defeats Lorelei's Cloyster!

Deadlifts are my new favorite thing. So is finding out that the trap bar IS 45 lbs not 35 and therefore I lifted 110lbs!!!! Exclamation points for everyone!

Posted twice sorry!

Humming to the theme music that magically began to play, Firedance walks out of the PokeCenter with her freshly healed team ready for anything. Leafeon, with whom she intends to eat a lot of salad for 5 days. Espeon, to accompany her on a half hour long meditative trance. Arcaine, who will gallantly slow way down to her pace for sprints Lucario, who will do 50 knee push-ups in a day with her. First up against Cloyster, Leafeon! Thus far into the battle three days of salad with meals have been consumed.