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Previous challenge would have probably went a lot better if I wasn't suffering from a throat infection, followed by a persistent cough, followed by fatigue, followed by not sleeping well. This challenge I need to identify ways I can manage the the problems getting in the way of me being active and then get active. I haven't been to the gym regularly in about 9-10 months now mostly due to injuries and illness. Most of these were unavoidable: I badly sprained my ankle walking around a castle which I made worse by not realising how bad it was (the excessive bruising and swelling should have been a sign). But if I can take steps to make the unavoidable less worse and to stop avoidable injuries/ illness then I will be better equipped to getting active again. Goal: Get active again Reason: I have explained this above. I want to get active again. I want to get to the gym. I want to see how much I can lift and improve on it. I want to be able to push myself. What: I need to prevent further injury. I need to be filled with lots of lovely nutrients to give my body what it needs to be fight infection. I need to stop when I am injured or unwell. How: I need to tackle this in four small ways: Ankle strengthening exercises four times a week. Aiming for an arbitrary Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday. My ankle feels better but to prevent hurting it again I need to ensure it is strong enough to cope with any demand I put on it.Check my form. Important all the time but I haven't been to the gym properly in so long. I am going to refresh myself on what is proper form before setting foot in the gym again, remaining aware of my form at the gym and reflecting on this each week and improve on any weak spots.Track my food intake. Something I am doing quite regularly but taking more notice of what I am entering and working out how to improve and eat more nutritious food.Get to the gym/ stop if I can't: aiming for three days a week. I will set these out at the start of the week. If I am injured or unwell don't go/ find a gentler alternative if possible (e.g. yoga, going for a walk).Bonus points: Any extra active days. If I actually get to a gym three times per week (in the final week two days as I probably would be going at the weekend) and no injury or illness. Motivation: I want to be active! But I need to take care of myself too. Goal: Sleep Better Reason: I need to sleep better. I have been so tired the past week. It is probably going to take a new bed to sort out all my problems (two people sharing an old, creaky, metal bed and on a mattress that you can feel every movement the other makes on). However it is a new issue so although I haven't changed anything other than being ill I probably still need to improve my sleeping habits. What: Drink less caffeine before bed. Turn off phones/ tablets/ laptops 30 mins before bed and read instead on a work night. Go outside in at least one break to get some sunshine. Practice a relaxation technique before bed. How: Aim to do at least one of these each night. I will track progress on a spreadsheet showing what I have done, what external factors may have affected my sleep and how I feel I have slept. I will keep it open on my laptop so it is easy to find and do. Discover what is working for me and what isn't. Bonus points: Following this on a non-work night. Any extras such as buying ear plugs etc. Motivation: The better sleep I get the more energy I will have. I will feel more able to get things done. Goal: Write like I'm running out of time. Reason: Yes, that musical has inspired me to get writing again. During my last challenge I wanted to focus on my to-do list and epic goal list. It came down to more writing. This will be about finishing my plotting/ planning/ researching phase so I can get on to actually writing it. What: I have signed up to a MOOC: The Craft of Setting and Description. This is an area of writing I haven't spent enough time thinking about. Building worlds - yes but getting it down on paper not so much. It lasts four weeks for 1-3 hours per week. Also, to finish the plotting/ planning/ researching phase. How: I will give myself up to three hours a week to complete the MOOC work. This will probably be done on my day off. On work evenings when I don't have other engagements/ going to the gym I will spend at least 30 mins working on my novel. And on days off an hour. A small amount for now but with everything else in my challenge and other stuff happening this month I feel this is more realistic while still being a challenge. Bonus points: Start writing the novel. Motivation: I am excited to get started writing this. If I can get what I need to know sorted then I can start writing it and challenging myself with word count. I will see how these goals go and adjust if necessary. It feel like I have written a lot here but at the same time some of these goals are quite small. Bonus side quest: Follow other peoples challenges and comment more. Something I should work on!