Suzaqu

Updating with progress made in the last hour I decided on yoga, because looking back, I definitely needed some good mind+body work. Savasana at the end was exactly what I needed. I also picked my book: Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch. It's a series near and dear to my heart. I started reading when I was living in England, and I have kept it up with it for years whenever I could find the new books here in the US. And I found the most recent one when I was in Scotland this summer, but forgot about it and never actually started reading it. I like the size of the UK editions better, so I'm extra excited to start this one!

This looks awesome! Thank you MadHatter for the reference and I'm totally in! No idea what my books will be and I'm starting late, but this will be fun! Okay, I guess I know one book, 10. Read a book that takes place in a rural setting - My Ántonia I started it years ago, and I need to pick it back up and read it!

Hiiiii! Excited to see you! I hope your knee is sorted out soon! (Hate it when bodies get in the way of fun things. If you ever end up necromancing me, I just want to be a ghost, no body to worry about hurting.)

Here for the challenge! It's definitely fun to look back at how things have changed from when I first joined, it's all about the functional booty over the form

Hey y'all! I'm actually here doing the posting thing! I'm sorry to confess I have yet to actually pick a book. I did take Sunday to finish a book I had had sitting mostly read for a long time to get me going for this challenge. The book I finished was A Gathering of Shadows by VE Schawb, which I would definitely recommend. A review listed her as "The natural successor to Diana Wynne Jones" which is basically all the review I needed to get me reading it. But now I have to find a new one for the actual challenge. I think I will make that a goal for tonight. I've done two kettlebell workouts so far this week (both S&S) and hope to do yoga or another kettlebell workout tonight. I actually left work at a decent hour today (hence the posting) so I should be able to find time. Unfortunately, frustration with the whole work situation was one of my main motivations for calling the day done, but I'm trying to channel that energy positively into a workout tonight, instead of crying over wine like I did last night. I also took some of that frustration out in journaling over my lunch break and I think it helped? At least I was able to sort out where some of the emotions were coming from, even if I can't fix any of the causes. Hoping for a fun weekend with lots of distractions and a good solution to fix this soon.

Yes, i will keep it coming! for fun creative KB workouts, my old kettlebell trainers instagram has some fun ones posted https://www.instagram.com/boopbod/?hl=en Yes, I've been bad at keeping up with fancy challenges, so I'm trying to keep it doable and productive. Yes, I only came to that realization when I looked back at my first challenge in prep for writing this one. I've been feeling stagnant, so it was nice to be able to look back and see growth! Yes, I would totally be in! I'll go find it now! Thanks! I'm excited to be back and actually posting now Glad to have you!

So excited for the 10 year stuff! I joined NF in April 2015, and have taken many a break, but it's always been in the background for me as a support system. I went back and looked at my first challenge and it was all focused on mobility and flexibility, and there was an undercurrent of weight loss . Thinking back to where I was then, my fitness/health has transformed. I'm all about how I can move, what I can do, and being aware of my mental state. I'm still in the process of coming back from a break, so I'm keeping this challenge simple and straightforward. Also so I'll hopefully have time to participate in the minichallenge! I'm also going to do a Monday-Sunday challenge, it's just how my brain works, so I'm kicking it off for real tomorrow. It will just help with my tracking, as I often use Sundays to review and finalize my goals for the week. It's also usually a big workout day for me. 1) Do the fitness things: Kettlebells 3x per week, yoga 1x per week. I did a 30 day yoga challenge last challenge and it felt really good. I loved the mobility gains I saw and I realized that that sort of focused movement has been missing from my workouts. So I'm trying to keep it going this challenge. 2) Read a thing: I want to start and finish a new book over the course of this challenge. I have so many books I have on a reading list that has been built over many years, but I never actually read them, and often just go back and reread old favorites instead. (Nothing wrong with that, but I need something new). Hopefully I'll manage to get through 2 books, but 1 is my reasonable goal. 3) Think through things: As I mentioned in my last challenge, there's a lot of change and chaos at work right now, and I want to help myself sort through that. So I'm going to journal at least 2x a week. I haven't been a journal-er really ever, but it's been speaking to me recently as a way to work things out, and I've inpromptu done it a few times over the past weeks, so I want to see if this is a habit I want to build. 4) Post some things: I really failed at posting last challenge, and I want to make it a priority. So I have to post in my thread at least 2x per week (and this one doesn't count!)

Following for the fire! I think that you have realized that you have these thoughts and are looking to act on them is huge and amazing and inspirational. I should probably examine what it means about my own headspace in how much I identify with this challenge Also, why are pants so hard? I only purchase them approximately once a year in an action of desperation, it's never something I do for the fun of it.

Hiiiii! I saw your instagram post of sprouts and scoby and was hoping I'd see you here! That's awesome you have a job you love, but I totally feel the stagnation of a desk-based job. Any chance for lunch time walks? I've found incorporating that in the middle of the day has helped me physically and mentally.

So...I'm back...Sorry for the major lack of posting. I got overwhelmed with work stuff (both actual work and complications of the nonsense going on) and I barely had mental energy to keep up with challenge activities, so I did what I could, but didn't end up posting here. So I'll just review what I did on each goal over the whole month, instead of trying to go back now to do week by week updates. 1) Eat good food and have fun cooking: I did a good job at this one! By prioritizing making something new, it definitely was a lot more fun. My two favorites were a curry lentil dish with sweet potato and spinach and red velvet cake pops! I'd never made cake pops before, so though I wouldn't consider them plant-based, they definitely fulfilled the fun part. I will definitely make the lentils again, and probably reserve cake pops for special occasions. 2) Work those feet: I succeeded at this goal too. I feel like I"m having less foot pain and this was a fun goal to do in conjunction with the yoga challenge, as I could see my balance and foot engagement improving in the yoga work as well. 3) Meditation: I kept this one up until the very end. I just missed the end of the mindful eating course by a few days this week, but unfortunately that came from not meditating at all the majority of this week. I hope to finish it up during zero week. I'm still pretty proud of how well I kept up the daily habit during this stressful time. 4) Current exercise routine: I managed to complete the 30 days of yoga in 30 days, which I'm super proud of, and honestly didn't expect to do when I started. But my kettlebells and other exercise basically stopped, which I'm semi ok with. I picked the kettlebells up again this week. I think I want to keep up 1-2 yoga practices per week, probably in the mornings, as I found I liked starting my day off with movement like that when I had the time. 5) Job apps: This one I did really well on. I have a phone interview tomorrow for a job in the same org, where I could still semi-help with my current department, and possibly would be a step up, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's a good fit and I like the position and they like me! On to the next one! (Which WILL include much better updates.)

Hahah, oops! Reading comprehension fail. Here's the link to the first of the instagram videos: Sorry for the super late response!

January respawn twins! Happy to see you back!

Here with a late follow and excited to hear about your 100% deadlift workout and read more stories! On the topic of the most recent one, birth is so mind-blowing and everyone who does it is a badass! I haven't been around for a bit, so congratulations on the new little one on the way!

Here with a late follow. I love all your goals, especially sketching and am dancing. I think I might adopt that one, it sounds like more fun than my current morning routines!

Here for a late follow and major congratulations on the new position! The commute sounds lovely and the bennies, including unlimited vacation, and possible trips to London sound divine!

Getting better at this whole update thing Day 1.6 Successfully did my yoga in the morning, and then channeled those good vibes into a very successful presentation at work. I had my first relaxing evening in a long time, completely disconnecting from work craziness. My husband and I ordered tacos, made margaritas, and watched A Fistfull of Dollars. It was nice to take the time to watch a movie. Day 1.7 Did yoga in the morning and then went on a long hike with my husband, with a shorter walk in the afternoon, so lots of physical activity. Yoga was all about grounding and having a stable foundation, and being more aware of this made me feel a lot stronger in my yoga poses. I also kicked off the second level of the mindful eating course (I had done level 1 ages ago). Week 1 summary: All the goals went really well, in particular the job applying one. My one fail was keeping up my normal workout routine, there were no kettlebells this week. I'm not quite ready to give up on this goal yet, though I realize it might have been a little ridiculous to try to keep that up while adding in a daily yoga practice. This week I'm going to try again, and take advantage of the days when I can fit yoga in before work to do S&S (or other kb workout) in the evening. I got my first duplicate bell for the holidays, so I can finally do 2 bell exercises, and I should use that excitement to motivate me. Off to week 2!

Ugh, I'm doing the thing I always do when I get overwhelmed and stressed where I build a mental block around doing something easy. In this case, it's posting here. So I'm using the good vibes from cozy yoga this evening to push through and finally update my thread. (This is also the 3rd time I'm typing this because of site issues combined with my own silly mistakes) Day 1.1 Started off the challenge with a good yoga session, but did a short meditation, so no progress made on that goal yet. Day 1.2 Managed to do yoga and a bike session this day, but totally forgot to do my feet exercises! So the rest of the week I gotta stay on track. Day 1.3 Finally made my new recipe for the week, mushroom bourguignon. I used this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020738-mushroom-bourguignon, but if you cant access and are interested, this one from smitten kitchen is similar https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/mushroom-bourguignon/. I served it over polenta and it was delicious! It even met my bonus goal of being plant-centered (wasn't vegetarian because i used beef broth I had on hand). Finally managed to do a long meditation and make progress on that goal. Day 1.4 Yoga, meditation, feet exercises, good stuff. Honestly don't really remember details of what happened yesterday, it was a stressful day. We had our first meeting about how we'll move forward today, so yesterday was all about prep and involved some pretty major disagreements with some of my coworkers which soured the evening. But I channeled that into applying for a job. Day 1.5 As I said, yoga was wonderfully cozy and comfy and exactly what I needed. I also finished my focus meditation course, so one goal accomplished! Feels great because this has been hanging over me for a while. And I applied for a bonus job, and found another to apply for tomorrow. Next goal to break the mental block is go out and follow other threads!

Thank you! I'm hoping it is a good kick start So far it's going okay, we're starting to have productive meetings about how we're reshaping the org. I'm hoping the respawn goes well as well as the work situation! Thank you! I missed this place! Yes! I remember you from that fun too This was today's video. It involved lots of meditation and lying in corpse pose while under a blanket with your head on pillow, highly recommend! Thank you! I've been seeing you and other assassins on instagram and was missing this place!

Hello everyone! Count me in for new years respawns! I joined NF in 2015 (wow, that was a while ago!) and was pretty consistent until mid 2018, came back for a bit in spring 2019, and now I'm back again. Back in 2019, we had some major stuff happen at work that kinda swamped everything I was doing, and so I disappeared for a bit to try to keep my head above water. Thankfully that stuff is resolving itself, but it's coming with major unexpected changes this year, and I want to make sure I stay on track with fitness, food, and mindfulness. A bit about me fitness-wise: I did ballet since I was 6 until I graduated high school. I floated around a bit, doing some ballet, yoga, and general gym-y cardio stuff in college and grad school. Once I started working full-time, some coworkers who got me into regular pilates and barre classes. Then I found out my barre teacher was a kettlebell trainer, so I took some lessons and now am a kettlebell lover as well. Currently I'm doing S&S about 3 times a week (happy to say I did manage to step up to the new bells I was working on last time I was here), using our stationary bike 1-2 times per week, and going on long hikes/walks on the weekends. I also just started a 30 day yoga challenge (yoga with Adriene) for January, as I haven't done yoga in some time. I'm planning on keeping this challenge pretty simple, I want to make sure I don't lose the good base I built over the past year, and work on some bad habits I've been developing at the same time. 1) Eat good food and have fun cooking - I will try (at least) one new recipe per week and share pictures and reviews here. Bonus points if it's plant-centered. 2) Work those feet - I have flexible flat feet and I have been working developing a strengthening routine to help my arches, along the lines of Katy G's instagram series. I want to do this series at least 6 times a week. 3) Meditate for a good long time - I have a good meditation streak going on headspace, but have gotten into the bad habit of just doing the quick 1-3 minute meditations, instead of the longer ones. So my goal for this challenge is to complete the full mindful eating course in headspace. I have the first 10 done, so this will require 20 longer meditation sessions, which I should easily be able to complete in the 5 weeks of the challenge. I also have 3 days left on the focus series, that I also want to finally finish for this challenge. 4) Keep up my current routine - As I said, things will be changing at work, in particular it's all in flux for this month especially. We're having leadership changes, and no one, not even the leadership, knows what it will look like when it all sorts out in both the short-term and long-term. I know from the past that it's this sort of situation and uncertainty that causes my good habits to slip. So I want to keep up with at least 2 S&S sessions (or other kb workout) and 1 round on the stationary bike per week. 5) Keep my options open - Apply for at least 1 job a week, just in case all this work stuff goes horribly wrong. Looking forward to getting this one started!

Oh fun, that's a cool, easy/low pressure, way to practice, especially the swear words Any favorite pens?

The full technique is that you break your work into 25 minute chunks, and after you do 3-4 chunks or "pomodoros" you can take a break. You're also supposed to use it to plan your day/to do list. For now, I'm using the 25 minute chunks to motivate me to get started on projects by telling myself "all you have to do on x project today is 25 minutes." Then when the 25 min is over, I usually just keep going. I'm also using it to motivate me to use the small bit of time before a meeting starts, because I hate having my day chopped up, so I use it to break up my pomodoros. Next week I think I'm going to try to adopt more of the system. So far the main thing I've learned is that it is hard for me to have any uninterrupted periods of time because of the nature of my job, so I think i'm going to try to implement some techniques to get those periods of time back. I like your 3 things list! I had this old note pad that said "if i do nothing else today" and had lists for emails, calling people, tasks, but it just seemed like a lot of things to hinge your day on, so I decided to take it down to one home task and one work task. I am still trying to figure out when I should set my tasks, morning of, night before? Did you find a good time to set yours?

Awesome! Any tips for remembering to use the journal? I'm having a bit of trouble remembering to use it, and I find myself reaching for post it notes to jot something down because I don't think it's "important" enough to go in the journal. I hope your Wednesday keeps up the awesomeness of Tuesday!

What? I had no idea it was? I feel like a failure in my love of that show. Any recipe you can share for the rolls? They look amazing and sound delicious!

Thank you! I wanted to take advantage of the time I had to get caught up on my goals. I'm liking the 15 min a day because I can't really make an excuse to get out of it Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! Which instructor did you do? Have you found any other good ones? I want to keep up doing those videos after the challenge; it feels like much more productive recovery/break days. Unfortunately it's not freely available. I got it here https://boopbod.thinkific.com/courses/move-free It's not specifically geared towards kettlebells, but since it's my kettlebell trainer, I figured it would be a very good complement to my training. I also know her, her style, and her background, so I trusted her program. So far it's been a few stretches/mobility exercises and a few strengthening exercises per day, so it works nicely to help balance out imbalances. I haven't tried the mobility flows yet, but I'm excited to see what they look like. Thanks! I'm hoping that with the technique change it will stick this time! I'm feeling stuck at this weight, so I really want to do this progression right! Thanks! I'm hoping that if I fail, it's at least in blaze of glory trying too hard

Tuesday! I got out the door for my run and started running, and then realized quickly that my warmest running clothes were not enough for the cold weather this morning. So it was a very short run, but I'm counting it because I got out there and did it, and I did get far enough to get out of breath and work up a sweat. Today's mobility was based around the thoracic spine and I discovered mine is both tight and weak It's amazing how sore I am after a few tiny exercises.