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I start 2017 with a semester to go in my History degree and very little idea of what I’ll do once I graduate. In all likelihood, I’ll apply for a History Masters and end up in academic History for lack of a definite career plan. And, maybe it is what I want to do. But right now, I know myself too little to know what I want, and what will keep me fulfilled and happy. But, in me is still the same burning desire to write fiction. It’s been dampened down now with the pressure to choose a career and with the stresses of university. But I know that I can awaken the spark, and find joy in writing again. I just don’t know if I will ever write professionally, and I guess I’m at the point now where I feel the need to know myself better, and know what path I want to take. I don’t expect to have life all planned out, because life takes unexpected twists and turns, and change is a good thing. But I turn 25 this year and I still feel like a teenager pondering her choices in the career’s office. And I’d really like to feel more sure of my direction this year, so this challenge, you can expect two things: 1. A lot of me kicking ass. Time to show my demons that I’m in charge, not them. 2. A return to narrative. I have my creative writing class, but it’s stalled and I have to get a handle on it. My return to narrative is my escape, my chance to write whatever and rediscover the passion and joy. My 2017 Goals are: 1. Lose around 10kg. Weighed in worse than expected at 73.7kg. Unacceptable. Weigh ins will be every week for this challenge. (starting on either the 9th or 10th, when I get back home.) Not to frighten myself but because I need to learn how my body works, how my weight fluctuates, etc. I’ll do my best not to read into the figures until the end of the challenge. Hopefully the overall trend will be downwards. 2. Get strong – strength workouts 3 times a week. 3. Get more endurance – start running again, add in climbs if possible. Probably be the stair-master given how flat it is around where I live. 4. Write a diary every day. Get the writing habit and have something to look back on on 31st December, 2017 5. Read at least 12 books for pleasure this year. Not for any course, no history stuff, nothing for work counts. Pure pleasure. 6. Find my path: I need to work on the career thing. Really, need to figure out what I want to do. Maybe that’s history, it probably is, with the age-old dream of professional author to the side of that. But I don’t know for sure. Sometimes I do, sometimes not. This challenge then, has the following Goals: Diet Got to get a handle on this. I eat too much, and the wrong things. Enough now, Rhovaniel. Eat the way a Ranger would eat. (No, put the wild plant down, you have no idea what it is and if it’s poisonous. Let’s try the basics, shall we?) 1. 2,100 calories a day. Track on MFP. 2,400 on variance days and workout days where I feel the need for them. 2. Chocolate is the enemy, and I will slay the demon. None in my house, none in my mouth. At all. Even on variance days…. (Really? Oh, come on… Yeah, yeah I know. Gotta break the addiction. Fine.) 3. I suck at cooking, but pre-packaged food isn’t going to make me healthier. I will have 3-4 recipes/options per non-variance meal to choose from. At least one of each will be an on-the-go, or at work option where I have only a microwave, kettle and toaster. I will experiment with meal prep for work, but it does involve a degree of organisation (something else I lack...) Exercise 1. Running 1 x week, minimum. If my lungs play up with the cold, then I will square my shoulders, grit my teeth and get on a treadmill. Goal is a 5k each week and hopefully watch my times improve. 2. Stairmaster, or maybe a brisk walk on the treadmill with elevation 1 x week, maybe. This goal may or may not stay in place, as it’ll be before or after a gym strength workout. Before as a warm up probably. 3. Gym workouts 3 x week. Probably back to the Academy, but they want you to start doing pull up progressions in Level 3… and I have not explored the side of the gym where there may be stuff to help with that. We’ll see, but either way, there will be strength training done. The only thing is that I was feeling like the Academy wasn’t working for me, so for last couple of months I haven’t used it. I need to find a programme I’m happy with, or give the Academy another shot. Maybe the gym workouts with Darebee’s 30 day Ab Challenge thrown in, because damn it I will get stronger and nail push-ups. (well, that’s a thought out goal…yeah, yeah I know. I'm trying.) Life 1. Finish at least 1 fiction book in this challenge cycle. 2. Go to the careers office at uni. Look in more detail at Masters. Explore my options. Do something to further my career plans (or at least, start to form them) at least three times in any given week. 3. Keep diary every single day. Sorry that was a lot to take in. I’d like to make a table to keep track of it, but not sure how I’d incorporate it on here. My narrative will hopefully somewhat follow my goals, and how well I do dictates how well Rhovaniel does in narrative…