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“If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.” — Grandpa's Letter Welcome to RL Stardew Valley! Briefly, an Origin Story: I'm a 44 year old American woman living on a 10 acre woodland property in rural England I call Owlshire with my partner, 6 y/o son, bouncy golden retriever, and a flock of plucky hens. This challenge finds me entering into liminal space. My job ends in three weeks. Following that, I'll be taking on the privilege of home educating my son, the Enting. (Prior to this, his education was primarily covered by a private tutor with me assisting/advising.) Although I believed this would be the path I'd be on eventually, over the past few weeks there'd been some unexpected developments, and I find myself here much sooner than planned. But it's going to be great, and I'm mostly glad that it's done now rather than a perpetual someday event. Always the adventurer, during this challenge, I have three short overnight trips planned: London (final work trip) Nottingham (family trip) Oxford (home education field trip) Health/Energy / 30 miles a week. That's a little over 10k steps a day for me, but some days I don't quite manage it, and some days I do much more. A weekly average is easier to maintain and much more rewarding. Less is more. Snacking is on the uptick again. Avoid snacking between meals unless I'm actually hungry. Stardew Living The Farm It's summer! Some of the vegetable garden is thriving, some of it is malingering. Whatever the case I need to keep on top of things. Weeding Watering Reseeding Harvesting Using the things I harvest in a timely manner The Home As my job winds down and before the autumn term "officially" starts in September, I'm working to declutter the house, with a particular focus on my office and the playroom. I'd like to have both of these rooms decluttered to my satisfaction by the end of the challenge. The Wizards Tower I've been stuck on the same lesson in my pagan studies since May. Now, it's a 10 part lesson that needs examiner approval between all steps so it's not exactly a light one. But! I'm only on step 3 and I haven't even turned that one in yet despite having mostly finished it weeks ago. I want to finish this lesson in its entirety by the end of the challenge. Festival At the end of each season in Stardew Valley there is a festival. This time it's my 45th (!?!) birthday which happens next to last day of the challenge! I haven't actually decided what I want to do for my birthday yet, but I need to decide on that, and then set it in motion.

I’m Ranger Hal. Normally I would say that I hike, snowshoe, scramble, climb, and do search and rescue, but the last few months have been kind of light on all those things. Motivation to exercise was better than it has been, but going on hikes and stuff is apparently still an issue. My mental health is probably still a bit of a mess (mostly lonely for IRL friends I think, especially nerdy ones), but I'm feeling mostly okay at the moment. I think the climbing gym really helped with that. Or maybe it's a temporary band aid. I think I've used those a lot over the years. Last challenge went pretty well overall, but a few things felt kind of shaky and I was already thinking of repeating the challenge to hopefully reinforce things. Then I got busy and sick (fairly basic cold, I think) and didn't really do anything for Zero Week or Week 1. So, now that I'm feeling (mostly) better, it's time to pick things up again. Here's the challenge: 1. Light a candle for morning prayers 2. Walk - This has pretty much defaulted to 0.6 mile walk because I don't get up early enough to not be in a rush for work 3. Eat broccoli (or other veggies) 4. Cardio at the gym 2 days a week. Figure out if I can get my heart rate up using the rower 5. Light a candle for evening prayers 6. Hike 3 miles on the weekend Other Stuff: Last challenge, I rediscovered drawing after years of not really doing anything. I've got two books on the way (should be delivered on Monday), the drawing RPG characters one and the dragons one. I'm excited to see where this goes! I'm also starting to wonder if maybe I don't have very good mental images. When I imagine things, I'm realizing that the images in my head don't have much detail at all, although I think they do have words and feelings attached. In general, this is okay. I think everyone's mind is going to work differently. I've heard that there are people who don't have an inner monologue, but mine is really strong. I'm starting to think that my mental images, in contrast, are weak, and maybe that's why I have trouble coming up with things to draw on my own and why I can sometimes tell that a drawing doesn't look right, but have no idea how to make it fit what I think it should look like. Anyway, I'm kind of just rambling, but brains are fascinating, and I think I'm going to need a lot of reference images and I don't think I'll be doing drawing from my mental imagery for a long time (if ever). My current nerdy thing is Critical Role (as in, I pretty much quit watching all other TV shows shortly after discovering it last year). I'm at about Campaign 2, Episode 76, and pretty excited to be less than 5 years behind!

Last time I was here, I was preparing to run my first Spartan race, an ultrabeast in Colorado (7 years ago). Quick update on that, I got halfway and missed cutoff time for second lap, which was a blessing in disguise as I passed out shortly after. Since then I've done 12 or 13 more Spartan races, but it's been a while since my last. I also ended up moving to Colorado recently, rather unexpectedly. I'll keep it short, as lots has changed, and keep it to where I'm at and my goals, and will make a respawn post: I'm in a new area of the map, by far my favorite. Beautiful and presenting new challenges and opportunities, with lots of work opportunities and adventures to go on. Unfortunately the last few years have been rough, and things (my body) have suffered from it(though I had an awesome coach that helped me through much of it and stay in decent shape, but finances put an end to that for the time being). Onto what I hope to accomplish: 1) Sleep: wake up and out of bed by 730 am daily, this will make me want to go to bed earlier. Looking back at Garmin data, I found that I have averaged about 6 hours of sleep for the past 6 years and my average bedtime was 130am. Fortunately for this challenge, I have the added benefit of having to because I must go take care of my friends cat before work. 2) Hike (walk): go for at least an hour long hike every week, and walk at least 10 minutes(intentionally) everyday. I live in one of the best environments for this now, I am driven by my need to see what's over a mound, and that can push me further than I should go sometimes lol 3) Meditation: do a 10 count breath meditation every day. a few years ago I got very into it but have lapsed, but do try to incorporate still moments and mindfulness through my day, some days easier than others 4) journal: I think I need to write down what I do everyday so I can keep better track of how I spend my time, sometimes a day flys by and I get to the end and think, wtf did I even do today. This should help Now to take care of my first goal

“If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.” — Grandpa's Letter Welcome to RL Stardew Valley! We're now in mid spring and as usual I'm behind on all my grand ambitions. Briefly, an Origin Story: I'm a 44 year old American woman living on a 10 acre woodland property in rural England I call Owlshire with my partner, 6 y/o son, bouncy golden retriever, and a flock of plucky rescue hens. I work fulltime in games development, and as a family we enjoy nature and playing games. Health/Energy / Less is More For this challenge I'm going to continue a slow and gradual reduction in portion sizes at meal time. I don't calorie count or measure because I find it too tedious to maintain, so this is going to be a hard one to track, but basically it comes down to asking "could I take a little less?" at meal times and trying to find the right balance. Exploration With spring in full swing, I realized during the last challenge that if I wanted to increase time in the garden, I would need to reduce time spent on my lunch time walks. So I shortened and some days have been skipping those walks to facilitate that. I'm no longer getting 10k steps/day, and I've decided to be okay with that for now. I only have 24 hours in a day. Still, sitting is the new smoking as they say, so I'm going to still maintain a goal of 21 miles/week. Stardew Living The Farm It's spring! The vegetable beds are in order, and two of them have myriad seeds in them and some are actually growing tiny things. I've been doing second (and third) rounds of seeding and succession planting. It's been a cold, wet, slugtastic spring so far, and so things are not as far as they might have been in other years. I have sunflowers, tomatoes, courgettes, and marigolds in the potting shed waiting for the weather to warm up. I've been doing more flowers this year. I've got three new roses potted around the house, planted primroses, put in tulip and begonias bulbs, have been trying to get a wildflower area going... ha ha. My success rate for keeping flowers going is very low, but I never try anything by halves! Basically, I just want to make sure I keep up/continue on my gardening goals, which are mostly tracked in my journal. Crafting I only mended one thing during the last challenge, but at the moment my heart is still in knitting and after going to Wonderwool last weekend (shout out to @Sea-to-sky), I've refreshed my spinning wool stocks. I want to have done at least 5 of these things: [ ] Finish my jumper [ ] Finish the spin languishing on the wheel [ ] Start a new spin [ ] Start processing the fleece I got [ ] Use my blending board [ ] Start a new knitting project [ ] Mend at least one thing in the pile. Seriously, it could be a button. The Wizards Tower I've been studying with a pagan group on and off for almost 5 years now, and I have a goal to finally finish the first level by the autumn (and then carry on into the second level, which I hope will not take me nearly as long to get through). This means I need to keep on top of my lessons. For this challenge, I'd like to have completed lessons 15 and 16, and have began progress on 17. (The level is 21 lessons.) Festival TBD At the end of each season in Stardew Valley there is a festival--I'm using this as my challenge celebration. I haven't decided what it is yet, and that's okay. Community My ability to keep up with any form of social media/online community is usually limited to one and I find crossposting exhausting. So I'm going to try for at least once weekly updates and to keep up on a few threads here. If you want the Owlshire photospam, that's currently happening on my resurrected Instagram.

I’m Ranger Hal. Normally I would say that I hike, snowshoe, scramble, climb, and do search and rescue, but the last few months have been kind of light on all those things. Motivation to exercise better than it has been, but going on hikes and stuff is apparently still an issue. I am really enjoying bouldering at the climbing gym. My mental health is probably still a bit of a mess (mostly lonely for IRL friends I think, especially nerdy ones), but at this moment in time, I'm feeling pretty good, having just eaten pizza and hung out with a friend for a couple of hours. Also, having the day off to recover from Easter (yesterday for my church) and get a few things done that I've been neglecting probably didn't hurt. Last challenge I did 1-2 cardio sessions at the gym each week which was probably pretty good given Lent and all that, but now I'd like to make that a solid 2 sessions per week. The rowing machine at the gym looks cool, but I'm scared of it. I watched a YouTube video on how to use it, but what if I do it wrong? I'd like to get back into the habit of hiking on the weekends, so I'm going to start small. Something I can do in an hour or two. If it turns into more, that's great. Here's the challenge: 1. Light a candle for morning prayers 2. Walk - This has pretty much defaulted to 0.6 mile walk because I don't get up early enough to not be in a rush for work 3. Eat broccoli (or other veggies) 4. Cardio at the gym 2 days a week. Use the rowing machine once this challenge 5. Light a candle for evening prayers 6. Hike 3 miles on the weekend My current nerdy thing is Critical Role (as in, I pretty much quit watching all other TV shows shortly after discovering it last year). I'm at about Campaign 2, Episode 58.

Low energy continues, still haven't bounced back from the bug i had a couple of months ago. so, current plan, try to recharge and do everything i can to help this situation. (Yes, this means more napping. No i am not the happiest about this). so goals and suchlike. sort sleep cycle: continue the routine of 10pm lights out and getting up within half an hour of waking Really want to get this one to become something i don't have to think so much about. When it goes wrong it majorly impacts my energy levels, so its top of the list this challenge. If i dont sleep well, i dont recharge and it basically screws up the next 24hrs+ Afternoon Naps: yes, back again. They help, i dislike them (proof that you can definitely have too much of a good thing). I am considering bribing myself on this one. Books seem like a sensible enticement. bard practice: 2x mando practice a week. good to keep the habit going and it always helps my mood. Still want to learn chords but am not going to make big goals this month. I can always add extra things later if i feel less exhausted. Reduce the TBR: I am making this slightly less strict this challenge, due to initial energy levels (which means i can only manage to read certain things. Dyslexia is a pain sometimes kids). so. Id like to manage 10 books from the TBR. This seems a reasonable number and if i do more then great. Otherwise no pressure. chances are i will probubly end up buying a few books this month. I have read to death many of my low energy options (yes, i have a folder just of particular books that fit in this category for me.). Looking in the folder of unread low energy picks (yes, also have one of those) i definitely have enough to do 10 with no problem sorting the room: Ongoing project. Made good progress last month but still lots to do. currently sorting my art supplies as i want to have a proper bash at learning sketching and calligraphy and just generally getting back into art. There is so much stuff in there and some of it is 20+ years old so i have no idea what is still good. Chances are some of it has gone off, been used up or is stuff id like to update or replace. also all my beading crud is in there in a big snarl, so that is going to be a fun but time consuming job. -finish sorting book shelves - finish sorting jewellery hoard (be more ruthless) -sort and organise art supplies -go through blanket box -sort top of desk -finish sorting boxes -sort top of cupboard - frame and hang pictures - take things to charity shop Miscellaneous i want to make a point of getting out more. Once or twice a week. Even if its just for a cup of tea. Helps my mood, mood helps my energy. Insert circle of life song here. bujo is ongoing. Really enjoying the art side of it. At some point i want to start a proper sketch book and do some decent practice drawing hands and flowers and all the things i have in my head but cant currently get onto the page properly. This will obviously not be the month for that, but its in the mix for later. this months theme is gardening. It just kind of picked itself. I swear i was going to do teacups and then started drawing leaves. Ho hum. the exercise log was fun to do though, so plants won. as usual, cooking and trying new recipes will hopefully happen. But ive decided not to make this a goal as it was the first one to fall by the wayside last challenge and this month I'm trying not to push myself. If it happens, it happens.

I give a more detailed backstory in the respawn thread which you can find here: Cliff notes: I and a couple of my friends go on hiking trips, mostly to US National Parks. After our first trip (8-9 years ago), my friend told me his goal of hiking Half Dome at Yosemite. I keep pushing him off due to difficulty of the hike and my obesity and history of knee, ankle, and back injuries. He wants to do the hike before he's 40, which is September 2025 so our next trip IS Yosemite if order to complete his goal I cannot push it off anymore. I want to do what I can to be able to successfully complete this hike. Photo of the cables during the last push of the hike (not my photo) My goals this challenge: Complete strength training twice per week. I have a program I am going to follow. The start-up plan consists of warm up, 3 rounds of AMRAP exercises in 30 seconds intervals, cool down. Complete 30min minimum on incline trainer 2x per week. (pre-COVID I was using the various Star Wars series on Disney + as the carrot to getting on the incline trainer- I will not watch them without being on the machine-so I will be continuing this as it made almost like I didn't notice I was exercising until I was sweaty, breathing harder, or my glutes/quads were getting sore). Bring lunch to work at least 2-3x per week. Ride the park and ride bus to work 3 times per week (unless working late shift as I wouldn’t be able to utilize the gym AND ride the bus back to my car) this will help save money for the trip instead of paying $5-14 each day for parking. I am considering 1:1 coaching for the 6month prior to the trip so want to start saving. Bring water bottle to work 2-3x per week I’ve keep forgetting to grab it and have to either go without water or buy a bottle which A) costs money and B ) is bad for the environment that I enjoy so much Rewards can help keep me motivated. My gym has a hot tub in the back of the locker room that I would previously utilize after each incline training session. Sadly it's under construction for the entire summer. BUT there also is a hydro massage available- of I complete both strength training workouts that week I will use the hydro massage. The third reward will be if I bring my water bottle AND ride the bus as stated in my goals I’ll put a sticker on my new water bottle. I think to keep myself interested in coming back to update progress, I'll be adding photos from previous trips. This challenge? 2013 Our first trip: New Zealand Photo at the airport, after a quick bathroom refresh. This was during a quick break when the sheep briefly turned around from running up the hill at us and we thought we were safe (but that was a lie the sheep dogs turned them back and we started running again). The friend that wants to do Half Dome was safely standing on top of a bench the rancher had placed at the top of his hill for hikers to rest, saw the sheep coming, chose not to warn us and watched cackling and taking pictures whilst we ran like we were in the wildebeest stampede scene of the Lion King. The rancher had quite the comical scene he happened upon once his four wheeler made it to the hill, seeing 3 foreigners standing on the bench, surrounded by the sheep he and his dogs had just herded up the hill. Many hikes in New Zealand went through pastures with little gates to open and shut behind you to be able to walk through the pastures as part of larger hikes.

I’m Ranger Hal. Normally I would say that I hike, snowshoe, scramble, climb, and do search and rescue, but the last few months have been kind of light on all those things. Motivation to exercise is very low and my mental health is a bit of a mess (mostly lonely for IRL friends I think, especially nerdy ones). If I want to be able to do the outdoor things in the summer without being super slow, I need to start getting in some regular exercise (something that actually gets my heart rate up). I was right that it didn't happen last challenge, but I feel like I'm getting closer. I did start going to the climbing gym last challenge. It ended up being roughly once a week, but once my punch card runs out and I get a membership, that might increase because then I can go as often as I want and won't be "paying" extra (the punch card was paid for a couple of years ago, so it's not like it's money coming out of my bank account now, but I still feel the need to make each session "worth it"). I want to use the treadmill or elliptical at the gym to get in some cardio, but for that to happen, I need appropriate shoes (climbing shoes are not appropriate footwear for that sort of thing and my regular hiking shoes are dirty because of gravel and dirt trails). I have some old running shoes that might work, but they're covered in spider webs, so I need to clean them first. I was really hoping to make that happen in Zero Week, but things got busy and it's Friday morning and I'm not going to be home until late Sunday night because of stuff. So much stuff. Because it is Lent. And will be for essentially another six weeks. Here's the challenge: 1. Light a candle for morning prayers 2. Walk - This has pretty much defaulted to 0.6 mile walk because I don't get up early enough to not be in a rush for work 3. Eat broccoli (or other veggies) 4. Cardio at the gym 2 days a week 4a. Rescue shoes from spider webs 4b. Pack gym bag 4c. Do the cardio And my nerdy thing right now is Critical Role. I'm in Campaign 2 (somewhere in the mid 40s episode). I'm loving the "new" animated intro! Fun thing is when I went to comic con a few weeks ago, I showed up at a Critical Role meetup and they were handing out these ribbon things you were supposed to stick to your badge (I thought it was kind of weird, so I didn't stick it to my badge, but I did keep the ribbon). The text on the ribbon was a line from the song, but I didn't know that until it showed up in the episode I was watching a week or two later! I ordered five books and a set of dice from the Critical Role shop last week. I was super impressed that they shipped the same day I ordered. Is it normal for companies to ship that fast? I think maybe I order too much discounted outdoor gear where they take their time processing the orders (like 8-10 business days plus shipping time), but it sure makes it fun when something arrives so quickly! I haven't read through most of the books (one and most of another will have to wait a while because spoilers), but I'm really excited to have the big fold-out maps! I love maps! And the dice are so pretty, dark blue with silver numbers!

“If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.” — Grandpa's Letter Welcome to RL Stardew Valley! We're now moving into spring and as usual I'm behind on getting the garden beds ready, sowing my seeds, and all that jazz. Briefly, an Origin Story: I'm a 44 year old American woman living on a 10 acre woodland property in rural England I call Owlshire with my partner, son, bouncy golden retriever, and a flock of plucky rescue hens. I work fulltime in games development, and as a family we enjoy nature and playing games. During this challenge we will be on holiday (part staycation, part travel) during half of Week 0, all of Week 1, and the beginning of Week 2. More on that in the challenge updates. Health/Energy / Less is More Last challenge I cut snacks, and it did not result in loss, but it did result in my weight stopping its slow upwards creep. That's something! For this challenge I'm going to begin a slow and gradual reduction in portion sizes at meal time. I don't calorie count or measure because I find it too tedious to maintain, so this is going to be a hard one to track, but basically it comes down to asking "could I take a little less?" at meal times and trying to find the right balance. Exploration Lately we've gotten into geocaching, and of course the dog needs her daily stomp 'round the woods (and for that matter, so do I!) Last challenge I was aiming for four miles a day total clocked into my Fitbit. This challenge I'm changing it to 30 miles a week (slightly over four miles a day on average). This gives me a little bit of flexibility, because, hey--life happens and some days I clock seven miles, and some days I only manage three. Stardew Living Last challenge I kept an informal log of my "Stardew Moments," and while I may not do that every day on this challenge, I want to focus on the things that make me feel like I'm living Stardew Valley dream, rather than the things that make me pulled away from it. The Farm It's spring! I need to get the seedlings going, have a plan, get early seeds in the ground, prepare the beds... hm, maybe not in that order. [ ] Revise Plan [ ] Prepare beds [ ] Get early seeds in [ ] Get Feb/March/April seedlings going We're also researching a green house, but I don't know if that will result in an actual greenhouse by the end of this challenge as this is mostly the Mr's initiative. Mend and Make Do I have a huge pile of mending, and a desire to try visible mending on some of my items, but have I touched any of it in the last mumble-mumble-years? Uh, no. Mend at least five items of clothing from the Pile of Doom. Festival TBD At the end of each season in Stardew Valley there is a festival--I'm using this as my challenge celebration. I haven't decided what it is yet, and that's okay.

I’m Ranger Hal. Normally I would say that I hike, snowshoe, scramble, climb, and do search and rescue, but the last few months have been kind of light on all those things. Motivation to exercise is very low and my mental health is a bit of a mess (mostly lonely for IRL friends I think, although corporate at work being idiots isn't helping. I love my team, but somehow corporate keeps making me hate the company). If I want to be able to do the outdoor things in the summer without being super slow, I need to start getting in some regular exercise (something that actually gets my heart rate up), but I'm not sure if that's going to happen this time. So I'm going to stick to doing something rather than nothing. Last challenge, I didn't update often, but I mostly did the things (1 and 2). This time, I'm going to keep doing the things and add broccoli. For meals that don't already have a bunch of veggies (like the cabbage/carrot/ground turkey soup that's in my fridge right now), I bought a bunch of frozen broccoli and divided it into smaller bags work for one meal, so it's easy to just pull one out and cook it. Here's the challenge: 1. Light a candle for morning prayers 2. Walk - regular walk (1.3 mi) if I'm not feeling rushed to leave for work, short walk (0.4 or 0.6 mi) if I am feeling rushed 3. Eat broccoli (or other veggies) I had this grand idea that once my office moved (several months ago), I'd join the climbing gym because it's kind of close, but that hasn't happened yet. Partly because low motivation, partly because I don't know anyone that goes to that gym so I don't know if I'd have anyone to belay me (although there are a couple of groups I suppose I could ask, but I don't know anyone in those groups particularly well, if at all, so cue social anxiety), and partly imposter syndrome because I don't believe I'm a real climber. Maybe it would be worth it just to do a little bouldering (which I haven't really ever done) and have access to whatever's in the exercise/weight room. So much uncertainty, so I don't know if anything is going to happen there. It would be good if something did happen, but it's not going in the challenge because if I don't do anything, that would make me feel more guilty than I already do about not doing anything. Oh, and my current nerdy thing is binge watching Critical Role. I'm a little ways into Campaign 2, so please no spoilers for anything in about the last 5.5 years. (Sooo much to catch up on!)

Yes, I'm changing the theme! Hey, it's only Week One. I had this thought a few days ago that took fire that I should really do a Stardew Valley-themed challenge, and it caught fire in my mind and I decided I didn't want to wait 5 weeks. This theme change is a bit of work in progress--but I'm hoping by the next challenge I'll have it more developed. You can see the new challenge starting here. Previous challenge below cut:

After careful deliberation, I've decided to shift gears and create a challenge theme inspired by Halo, since the new season of the TV series is out now. My goals will remain the same as last challenge, with a few Spartan-specific references threaded throughout. As many of you know, Spartans must possess superhuman strength and speed. They must also be intelligent, calm and collected when necessary but fierce when needed, and intuitive under pressure. My goals for this challenge fit into 5 categories: STRENGTH, SPEED, MEDITATION, JOURNALING, and READING/LEARNING. STRENGTH GOAL: I will increase my strength by 10% in 7 different kettlebell exercises (swings, goblet squats, kb push-ups, racked squats, deadlifts, rows, snatches, and overhead press) by training four times a week for 12 weeks with a 35 lb (16 kg) kettlebell. I will measure my strength by the number of repetitions I can perform with good form for each exercise and record my progress in a journal or an app and follow up with weekly strength tests. I will follow a periodized workout routine that also includes both kettlebell and other weight training, along with warm-up, cool-down, and recovery sessions. I will also eat a balanced diet, drink enough water, and get enough sleep to support my training. Achieving this goal will improve my overall health, performance, and physique. SPEED GOAL: I will run 5k in less than 30 minutes by following an 8 week training plan that includes interval training, tempo runs, long runs, and recovery runs. I will measure my progress my timing my 5k runs and tracking my pace and distance with the Nike Run Club app. I will also do some cross-training and strength training (see above) to prevent injuries and improve my overall fitness. Achieving this goal will challenge me and boost my confidence, as well as help me prepare for longer races and improve my health and well-being. MEDITATION GOAL: I will meditate for 20 minutes every day using a guided meditation app. I will track my meditation sessions and duration on the app and on a calendar. I will start January 1st by adding 5 minutes to my current 10 minute meditation practice every week until I reach 20 minutes. I want to meditate more because it helps me reduce stress, improve focus, and feel happier. I will achieve my goal of meditating for 20 minutes daily by the end of next month. JOURNALING GOAL: I will write in my journal every day for at least 10 minutes, using prompts or free writing to express my thoughts and feelings. I will track my journaling habit on a calendar or an app and aim for a 100% completion rate each month. I will schedule a time for journaling that works for me and make it a priority in my daily routine. I will also prepare a comfortable and quiet space for journaling and have a notebook and pen ready. I will write in my journal to improve my mental health, creativity, and self-awareness. I will also use journaling as a way to reflect on my goals and progress and celebrate my achievements. I will write in my journal every day for the next six months starting January 1st and then evaluate the benefits and challenges of my journaling habit. READING/LEARNING GOAL: I want to read at least one book per month and learn one new skill or topic every week. I will track my reading time and progress using a reading app. I will also document what I learned each week in my journal. I will set aside 20 minutes every day to read a book of my choice (list to be shared later). I will also dedicate at least one our every week to learn something new, such as a language, a hobby, or a subject. Reading and learning will help me improve my vocabulary, knowledge, creativity, and curiosity. They will also enrich my personal and professional life. I will start this goal January 1st and review it every month to see if I need to adjust it. Accomplishing this goal will make me a more well-read and well-rounded person.

Turned a big corner with my energy levels last year. Makes me feel like i can see the end of the M.E/CFS tunnel. Trick is not to try and rush there all in one go. All that tortoise vs hare stuff. so. My main goals this year are to loose some weight, get fitter and regain some of the muscle I've lost to the muscle atrophy. Doing this all in one go is clearly a bad plan, so I'm chopping it into smaller parts. As this is my first challenge I'm going to try and keep it minimal in an effort not to overload myself. goals; -try to go for 3 walks a week -sort room (there are still boxes in there from when i moved in, it is not good for my head and i want it sorted) -try not to snack between meals (if i need to, try to pick something healthy like fruit)

Adventurer related discussions! *Note: You can participate in guild discussions regardless of your chosen guild. Adventurers are brave souls who fear nothing and are always curious about what's over the next hill or across the ocean. They are often found working diligently with their allies to help ensure that every adventure leads down the correct path, exploring and learning for the sake of others. * Fictional example: Indiana Jones, Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) * Real-world example: Les Stroud (Survivorman); Cheryl Strayed who hiked 1100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail (Wild). * Example Activities: Hiking, Geo-caching, Travel, Exploration, Rock Climbing, Cave Diving, etc.

A recent re-boot of my interest in Stoicism inspired me to create a Roman Empire challenge. With the help of AI and some personal interests, I think this is going to be a lot of fun! First, my goals. These are long-term goals and may extend beyond the allotted challenge time period. I used the SMART Goals format: STRENGTH GOAL: I will increase my strength by 10% in 7 different kettlebell exercises (swings, goblet squats, kb push-ups, racked squats, deadlifts, rows, snatches, and overhead press) by training four times a week for 12 weeks with a 35 lb (16 kg) kettlebell. I will measure my strength by the number of repetitions I can perform with good form for each exercise and record my progress in a journal or an app starting January1st and follow up with weekly strength tests. I will follow a periodized kettlebell workout routine that also includes warm-up, cool-down, and recovery sessions. I will also eat a balanced diet, drink enough water, and get enough sleep to support my training. Achieving this goal will improve my overall health, performance, and physique. SPEED GOAL: I will run 5k in less than 30 minutes by following an 8 week training plan beginning January 1st that includes interval training, tempo runs, long runs, and recovery runs. I will measure my progress my timing my 5k runs and tracking my pace and distance with the Nike Run Club app. I will also do some cross-training and strength training (see above) to prevent injuries and improve my overall fitness. Achieving this goal will challenge me and boost my confidence, as well as help me prepare for longer races and improve my health and well-being. MEDITATION GOAL: I will meditate for 20 minutes every day using a guided meditation app. I will track my meditation sessions and duration on the app and on a calendar. I will start January 1st by adding 5 minutes to my current 10 minute meditation practice every week until I reach 20 minutes. I want to meditate more because it helps me reduce stress, improve focus, and feel happier. I will achieve my goal of meditating for 20 minutes daily by the end of next month. JOURNALING GOAL: I will write in my journal every day for at least 10 minutes, using prompts or free writing to express my thoughts and feelings. I will track my journaling habit on a calendar or an app and aim for a 100% completion rate each month. I will schedule a time for journaling that works for me and make it a priority in my daily routine. I will also prepare a comfortable and quiet space for journaling and have a notebook and pen ready. I will write in my journal to improve my mental health, creativity, and self-awareness. I will also use journaling as a way to reflect on my goals and progress and celebrate my achievements. I will write in my journal every day for the next six months starting January 1st and then evaluate the benefits and challenges of my journaling habit. READING/LEARNING GOAL: I want to read at least one book per month and learn one new skill or topic every week. I will track my reading time and progress using a reading app. I will also document what I learned each week in my journal. I will set aside 20 minutes every day to read a book of my choice (list to be shared later). I will also dedicate at least one our every week to learn something new, such as a language, a hobby, or a subject. Reading and learning will help me improve my vocabulary, knowledge, creativity, and curiosity. They will also enrich my personal and professional life. I will start this goal January 1st and review it every month to see if I need to adjust it. Accomplishing this goal will make me a more well-read and well-rounded person.

I’m Ranger Hal. I hike, snowshoe, scramble, climb, and do search and rescue. And over the last couple of weeks, I came to the realization that I'm a little screwed up and probably have been to one degree or another for like 15 years. Spoiler for stuff I guess I knew for a while that I wasn't doing really well, but it really hit home when I was taking a Mental Health and SAR required video training and had to take a break partway through because I was crying and I'm obviously not okay. The video had some suggestions to help (some of which kind of don't apply because the main issue isn't SAR related mental trauma, but some of them are pretty general). So, here's my challenge: 1. Light a candle for morning prayers 2. Walk - regular walk (1.3 mi) if I'm not feeling rushed to leave for work, short walk (0.4 or 0.6 mi) if I am feeling rushed Bonus 1. Do some exercises in the evening. I'd like to attempt pull-ups again. The best I ever got to was about half of one, but that was a while back and I'm nowhere close to that right now. I'm starting with bodyweight rows. I can also explore the stairs in my new office building. It's a 20+ story building, so that's lots of stairs (although I don't think I can get back to my floor without going to the bottom and taking the elevator back up. Stupid fire safety stairs). Bonus 2. Do something bigger (like hike) on the weekends.

I think I'm in the middle of, or at least recovering from, a nervous breakdown from work. I didn't work all last challenge, and basically spent the month drinking and snacking and eating and randomly crying and having anxiety anytime I thought about work. I was 168 lbs. two days before Thanksgiving and was 180 by Dec. 3. I got back to 172 and am back at 180. On a good note, my goals to get into a homeschooling routine is a 100% success. And my goal to get the entire house decluttered, organized, and clean is nearly complete. I have the Master Bath and the boys' bathroom to do. I was hoping to get to my studio/office before the New Year, but I don't think I'm going to make it. Not that big of a deal though as I won't really need it as a studio until April (at the earliest, when the super stressful 4+ year project is finally over). Every evening, I've been binge watching decluttering videos (and ADHD burnout/nervous break down videos) and by day, homeschooling and decluttering. I am hoping that as soon as the house is finished, all that decluttering interest will switch to weight loss focus. So...the year of Wu Wei (pronounced Woo Way for those who care, lol). Going with the flow of the universe rather than working against it. Effortless Action rather than Excessive Effort. Effortless action is working in the zone and going with the flow but "involves letting go of ideals that we may otherwise try to force too violently onto things" such as deadlines on work projects in which you let your ADHD hyperfocus takeover for 16+ hours a day for months at a time...and then you think you are done and you send it out and customer feedback comes back and you have to pivot and go 16 hours a day for a few more months and then you think you are done and you sent it out and customer feedback comes back and you have to pivot again. And again. And then you have a nervous breakdown. Breathe. Breathe. So...Wu Wei. No more deadlines. Which is hard. Because I want this project is done. And I think I can finish by the end of March. So there is a part of me that wants to do the 12 Week Year for the next 3 months but that is not just a 3 month deadline, but a monthly, weekly, and even daily deadlines. And then I feel the panic attack coming on just thinking about it. Part of me things that I should break the project down into micro chunks so that it seems manageable but don't assign a time frame to it. But then I start to panic and think, but what if I can't finish by the end of March? What if it takes longer? I want it done. I want the stress gone. Because once I finish, I can move onto the project that brings me joy. But anyway...goals for this challenge.

I've been living with a chronic ankle injury for the last 5 years which has gradually been eating away at all the hobbies and fitness I used to enjoy (hiking, running, lifting, traveling, mountaineering). I finally had an operation just before Christmas which will hopefully have fixed it so I want to boss my recovery and slay this injury-dragon for good so I can get back to adventuring! I have a tendancy to be over-active and set myself back by trying to do too much and re-injuring myself, plus New Year is a super busy time for me as this is my big teaching term (I'm an Assistant Professor at a University) and I need to commute every day so I want at least one of my goals to be about prioritising rest. I also want to try and clean up my diet a bit as when I get busy I tend to snack a lot and eat easy junk food, especially as I'm on crutches and can't easily spend much time in the kitchen. I'm thinking so far: 1/ Be consistent with following my physio's advice - make sure I do the exercises and don't do too much! 2/ Prioritise rest - take a half hour lunch break each day and at least one day fully off at weekends. 3/ Be mindful about snacking - to quote Mulan "Always think before you snack!" - keep a list of snacks I eat and take a minute to think about why I'm snacking and if I need to before I do. What do people think? I'm conscious that I tend to set goals that are way too ambitious...

After 10 years on NF, I hate to say it, but, I need a break from the forums. It's been great but I'm a little fatigued and not putting in the effort I used to, to be here and stick to my goals. But I figured I'll be around for one more challenge to say some goodbyes, let you all know what I'll be up to, and not just disappear. I'm not likely to quit entirely, or forever, but just taking an indefinitely long break. So here's a list of my biggest priorities over the next few months. 1) Get spiritually swole: As I've mentioned in previous challenges, I am converting to Orthodox Christianity. Today marks the first day of the Nativity Fast, and with this comes a lot of prayer, fasting, reading/studying, and attending extra church services etc. Then Great Lent and the Catechumenate start in February/March. Then I'll be baptized on May 4 (love that it's on May 4). So that'll be another big bout of fasting, reading, prayer etc. So I'll be quite busy and focused on all that, and I'm planning to disengage from a lot of screen time. 2) I mentioned in the last challenge that I've hung up my heavy bag. I"m considering joining an MMA gym. The goal is to focus on karate for all around fitness, and be able to do some boxing/kickboxing for conditioning, and dip my toe into BJJ when I need to get humbled. 3) Running: for karate/mma and general fitness I want to be running/jogging regularly. For now I'll be working on that first mile, and hopefully working up to running 5k and 10k. 4) Strength training: I want to go back to a more bodyweight focused training and max that out before I set up the old power cage again. But also, do some clean and presses. 5) Trying to find a new line of work: I'm burning out in my current job/company. Doing the same job at another company may or may not appeal to me. IDK. I want to do something else. I recently was offered an adjunct teaching role, but I turned that down because of the catchumenate/Lent because I can't make the time commitments with that going on. But I can dabble, learn about, and explore other things. So basically, this isn't goodbye forever, but I feel like I need to pull away from the forum and screens in general to recharge and focus on other efforts.

Not sure if I should do a big update for the shorter challenge. I'll keep it brief since the past 2 months have been a time-warp of awfulness: 1-Ladyfriend's uncle died. Memorial service is this Saturday. 2-Ladyfriend's dad has a failing heart and might die soon. 3-I got 2 new jobs and I'm learning the systems each use. I'm supposed to start next week but that's all dependent on if there are clients. 4-I keep dragging my feet about reciprocity because I got job #3 which might be the best option and I need to do a lot of paperwork and dumb hoops to jump through. 5-I started messing around with liquid UV curing resin and I'm experimenting with molds. The Warhammer army of flesh-eating cave-dwellers project is back on as I try to make copies of the mid-size units. 6-With her uncle's death, both of us have sort of went on a binge for a week. I'm trying to get back to normal but I forgot how much junk food fucks up literally EVERYTHING in my life. From my energy levels, to when I sleep, to waking up constantly in the middle of the night, to being weaker during my workouts, to a big bout of depression. I'm basically taking each of these current events and turning them into little goal so: 1-Get through the memorial service. There's a lot of drama with her mom and the planning and constant arguments and passive-aggressive bullshit. Not good for mental health. 2-Visit ladyfriend's dad. It's so....so sad. #1 and #2 are basically 'be aware of my mental health and also be there for ladyfriend'. 3a-Finish my casenotes book. 3b-Write the casenotes guide. 3c-experiment with the casenotes systems for the new jobs. 4-Start reciprocity. 5-Try to make 5 complete varghiests. Required: 1)Base 2)Legs 3)Torso 4)Head. Hoping I can update with some pictures. 6-Start whole30 tomorrow and try to hit the gym 3x/week.

Hello fellow Rebels. A lot has been going on in life, most of it good, all of it overwhelming. I'm going to be a grandpa (it's a boy) My family and I were in the local newspaper because we adopted out fourth and fifth children on November 1st (the first day of National Adoption Month) I'm hosting a poetry recitation competition at the school where I teach, as well as sponsoring the Drama Club I've signed up for (and completed) several 5k races and have remained a middle-of-the-pack runner without injury I grew out my mustache So yeah, life has been pretty great lately, just busy. I'm sticking to my past goal since they haven't yet been achieved (although I'm getting closer and closer to the sub-30 5k time). And of course I will be channeling movies and characters that inspire and motivate me along the way. I recently re-watched "Bullet Train," which is still amazing. Tangerine remains my favorite character. So... STRONGER: GOAL: By the end of this challenge, I will have increased my physical strength by at least 25% as measured by an increase in number of reps to failure of kettlebell single-arm overhead press. HOW: I will pick "heavy things" up and put them back down for at least 20 minutes, three days a week; this will include mostly kettlebell training with some "greasing the groove" using resistance bands, random heavy objects, and my kids. Training will look like this: Sunday: Benchmark (single arm overhead press to failure, count reps; 30 minute run, note distance) Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Strength training Tuesday/Thursday: 30 minute run + "grease the groove" Saturday: Long trail run FASTER: GOAL: By the end of this challenge, I will be able to run a sub-30 minute 5k as measured by a 5k run. HOW: I will run for 30 minutes at least two days a week, with a distance/endurance run at least one day a week and sprint/speed intervals at least one day a week. SMARTER: GOALS: By the end of the challenge, I will increase my daily use of Duolingo; I will increase my daily reading habit by at least 5 minutes a day; I will learn at least one new thing daily. HOW: I will set a reminder to complete at least the daily requirements to achieve a 30 day streak on Duolingo I will set aside at least 30 minutes of reading time daily I will use apps such as Humane and Kinnu to learn new information, as well as the NPR app and podcasts. CALMER: GOAL: By the end of the challenge, I will improve my mental health by reducing my angry reactions to stress. HOW: I will use a meditation app to increase my meditation/contemplative prayer practice from 10 minutes to 15 minutes. I will write down what I am grateful for and create daily affirmations using the 5 Minute Journal app. In moments of stress and frustration, I will apply a relaxing breathing technique (short inhale through nose, long exhale through mouth). I will listen to music that elevates my mood.

I have failed every challenge I ever did since 2018 or 2019 when I first joined except the last one I did over the summer. And I didn't even pop on the last week of the challenge to mention that. Then, I gained all the weight I lost in that challenge and literally went back to the same habits (because the same work stressor came back). But, I realized something. I fail because of excessive action. Work takes over everything, and even if I am technically "in the zone," it is not effortless action because I am pressuring myself with deadlines because every other aspect of my life is put on hold and so I just try harder to get it this particular work project done because then I can move into a much more enjoyable work project. And so I stress eat. I eat because the project is stressful. I eat because I feel guilty that I am neglecting everything else. I eat to get the dopamine and concentration boost that food gives (esp. as an unmedicated ADHD'er). And then I gain weight. And I stop working out. And I fail at everything. And then I get discouraged because this has basically been the story of my life for the last 15 years. The opposite of excessive action is wu wei, which is effortless action. Effortless action is working in the zone and going with the flow but "involves letting go of ideals that we may otherwise try to force too violently onto things." such as deadlines. When there is no deadline, everything else doesn't have to get neglected. There is much less stress, and if the project becomes stressful, it's time to take a break rather than force myself to continue for several more hours until I get so burned out I have to drink myself silly. Just to get up the next day and do it all over again. So anyway, 2024 is my year to practice wu wei. This challenge I am getting all the other areas of my life on track (such as minimalizing and decluttering my house yet again, losing the 10+ pounds I gained so I can start the new year with all areas of my life in balance and ready to maintain rather than in havoc. I want to start 2024 with only 20 pounds to lose not 35, and getting back into habit of going to the gym, and starting the habits of yoga and tai chi sword. Practicing wu wei in regards to work basically means, work during work hours ONLY. Stop making deadlines. Yes, it could be finished sooner if I worked all day and several hours into the early morning, but the goal was to finish before 2024 and that is not going to happen. So I may as well just let all the deadlines (and the stress) go so that I can find balance. Prequel Wu Wei Challenge Practice wu wei. No deadlines. Work, clean & declutter, exercise, homeschool & engage with family effortlessly and without guilt. Get back in the habit of going to the gym (barbells and treadmill). Add yoga and tai chi if it is effortless to do so. No snacking and no drinking (for this 3 week challenge).

Returning to my original goals with the hope of sticking to them this challenge: STRONGER: GOAL: By the end of this challenge, I will have increased my physical strength by at least 25% as measured by an increase in number of reps to failure of kettlebell single-arm overhead press. HOW: I will pick "heavy things" up and put them back down for at least 20 minutes, three days a week; this will include mostly kettlebell training with some "greasing the groove" using resistance bands, random heavy objects, and my kids. Training will look like this: Sunday -- Benchmark (single arm overhead press to failure, count reps; 30 minute run, note distance) Monday -- Five rounds of: 200 meter run kettlebell clean and press x 2 each side goblet squat x 5 two-handed kettlebell swing x 20 rest 2 minutes Tuesday -- 30 minute run; record time Wednesday -- 5-10 rounds of: 25 double-arm kettlebell swings 30 seconds rest 25 alternating kettlebell swings 30 seconds rest 25 single-arm kettlebell swings L 30 seconds rest 25 single-arm kettlebell swings R 2 minutes rest Alternating kettlebell clean & press x 30 (15 per side) 2 minutes rest Alternating kettlebell dead snatch x 14 (7 per side) Straight leg singe-arm kettlebell deadlift x 30 (15 per side) Overhead triceps extension x 15 Thursday -- 30 minute run; improve previous distance Friday -- 15-45 minutes of: clean with left hand press with left hand one arm front squat with left hand one handed swing with left hand park the kettlebell, recover, repeat with right hand Saturday -- Distance run on trails; mark distance and pace FASTER: GOAL: By the end of this challenge, I will be able to run a sub-30 minute 5k as measured by a 5k run. HOW: I will run for 30 minutes at least two days a week, with a distance/endurance run at least one day a week and sprint/speed intervals at least one day a week (see 200 m run above). SMARTER: GOALS: By the end of the challenge, I will increase my daily use of Duolingo; I will increase my daily reading habit by at least 5 minutes a day; I will learn at least one new thing daily. HOW: I will set a reminder to complete at least the daily requirements to achieve a 30 day streak on Duolingo I will set aside at least 30 minutes of reading time daily I will use apps such as Humane and Kinnu to learn new information, as well as the NPR app and podcasts. CALMER: GOAL: By the end of the challenge, I will improve my mental health by reducing my angry reactions to stress. HOW: I will use a meditation app to increase my meditation/contemplative prayer practice from 10 minutes to 15 minutes. I will take 30 minute mindful walks to help clear my mind. I will write down what I am grateful for and create daily affirmations using the 5 Minute Journal app. I will practice a relaxing breathing technique (short inhale through nose, long exhale through mouth) and apply this technique in moments of stress and frustration. I will listen to music that elevates my mood.

Goals: 7am -- Get up and out of bed -- naps allowed whenever needed/possible to support early rises or nights with less than 7 hours of sleep. 7 exercises -- do 7 stretches or calisthenics exercises every morning. 7 kilometers -- walk at least 7 kilometers every week (about 4.35 miles) $77.77 dollars -- my weekly grocery/food budget -- this will be the hardest goal. 7-to-7 -- fast from 7pm to 7am 7 things -- Find 7 things to give away or sell. Very likely just putting them in a box for a future church rummage sale etc. 7 days a week -- follow my morning routine, 7am-7 stretches, 7-to-7 fast 7 days a week.

Here I am again. I have goals and I thought it would be good to have some accountability to go along with them, so I'm back. This is a simple challenge for me - in theory at least. 1. November is NaNoWriMo so my first goal is to write - even if I don't quite have a handle on my story yet. Power through and get it done one more time. I can't start until 11/1 and must write 50,000 words of a novel by midnight on 11/30. I'll track my daily or weekly totals as I go along. It's going to be some kind of weird Western Fantasy thing, but I'm still lacking a bit on the plot - one week of planning to go, so I can track that as well. I've done some brainstorming the past couple days, and hey, today I actually names for several characters, so that's progress. 2. I'm determined to get into a strength training routine and I have found a Beginners Over 50 30-day Challenge. I started on Monday morning and I did Day 2 just a little while ago. Must keep going and not miss. Each video is less than 20 minutes, and I get Sundays off, so it's not too taxing. Just the right amount I'd say, considering how my arms and abs feel right now. 3. Tracking is also very important. I know that. I want to track at least 2 meals and 1 snack daily. I did that yesterday. Today I tracked almost everything I ate well before I ate it, and there's still time to get the couple snacks I missed. I'm using the MyFitnessPal app for this purpose. So that's it. I track my food. I work out daily. I write like the wind. What do you think?