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A final hurrah! for 2017, I'm letting this challenge span from November 19 - December 31 This challenge I'm going to put together some of the best parts of 2017, laying a strong foundation as I head out of this year and into the next. We have two major holidays going on in this challenge, and I'm looking forward to the structure holding me. Also, I have Yet Another Court Case at the end of the challenge, so all structure is good structure; my balance tends to get wobbly with court cases. The daily and weekly structure seems to work best for me, one of the lessons I've learned this year is that when I aim small I miss small, meaning that I can correct the course before I have strayed too far off the mark. This has been a really helpful lesson, not just in the gym or as a challenge element, but as a life tool. So with that in mind: Daily: Sleep Chronic Fatigue makes sleep elusive and fitful. Routine helps, so with that I'm hoping to #Fall back into a routine: Sauna or hot bath Swimming a few times a week, hopefully no less than three times. More is better on this front, so possibly daily. Writing a few pages each day, hopefully finding something that can get worked on well enough to turn in for the submission due on December 1. Reading I have a bunch of reading that has to be done in order to write papers that are due on December 4. I would like to have them done well in advance of that, as I'm getting together with a spiritual formation group to discuss Learning to Walk in the Dark, which I'm really looking forward to reading. The talk is November 30, and I can't really justify spending the time on the book if I haven't finished my classwork. Also, I need to develop the daily reading habit once again. Knitting I am working on three different projects: A dress for me, a sweater for Vivian, a blanket for Vivian. It would be nice to wrap these up and have at least one to put under the tree for her. And of course, I want to wear the dress! Weekly: Therapy works. Legal Notes and Log Updates Court on December 19. Editing The classmates' work will need to have three readings between Dec 1 and Dec 8, with written critiques due Dec. 8. Future Planning I have a few elements that need attention for where I'm heading: Submission Packet to Hollins Scholarship packets to Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop - A and B Scholarship submission to BYM Women's Meeting Mantra: #Acceptance leads to #patience. #Patience leads to #balance. #Balance leads to #harmony. #Harmony leads to #peace.

Lucky fire dragon counts the good things Starting a log here for reflection and a place to keep going in between challenges or anytime really as I struggled with my challenges this last year (2016) and want to play a bit around for a while. Currently I am looking to re-establish strong workout and healthy eating habits keep up the good work attitude, being pro-active and less procrastinating keep up meditation habits remind myself often to take pressure and judgement off myself in order to appreciate the good there already is and in order to LIVE (happily) have enough structure to not have to even think about working out or not, just do it have so much fun with exercise I look forward to it balancing work, family and fitness in a way that makes me happy feel good in my body, treat it with kindness, have it be my strongest, bestest friend there is probably a ton more, but this is enough for now In 2016 I had big changes in my work life and it affected me more than I wanted to see, but now I can honestly say, it's all good and valuable. I neglected any workouts for long enough to feel like a total beginner again and that, too, is not a bad thing. I can start again, but stronger than 3 years ago and kinder, too. I realized that in the end, it is all about the joy. Without it giving me joy I won't do it for long and it won't be worth it either. So I switched from the L2+ courses at my pole studio back to Level 2 and yayyy, joy is back I go for walks instead of running and am surprised how much I enjoy it. I do some yoga when it's easy to fit in and do it slooooowly with conscious pleasure of a fully alive body, no matter how far I can stretch or how long I can hold. I love Erich Schiffmann's idea of "flirting with your limits", playing with the minimum you have to do in order to make your body work some at all and the maximum beyond which it would be too much. In between mental lows hit me and my mind tells me blah-stories about everything I suck at and it's way too easy to fall for it. I used to then make either massive plans to improve ALL THE THINGS or crumble and do nothing at all. Both didn't work very well Now I switch rather to larger perspective, breathe, get back to here and now and wonder "what would feel good to do right now?" "what would be a kinder thought?" "what would be a healthy choice for right now?" PLEASE remind me of these, when I forget again!!!! Also really helpful is counting my blessings and former victories. Feel good things make me feel good, who would have thought I will let the things I like guide me home again and again... Here is a list, so that they are easier to find dancing spinning around the pole or hanging upside down headstand and handstands (when I dare) going for walks hot baths music singing silence empty email inbox clean house sweating it all out fresh clear water a nice cup of tea counting my blessings laughing kids laughing coloring in embroidery funny stories yoga to be added onto Over the last months I finally got a good work rhythmn and conquered ancient habits of procrastination that I often struggle with on any work stuff that doesn't have a fixed appointment. It's still challenging but much better, because I saw I could do it. What helped was discovering beeminder and connecting it with my to-dos on habitrpg. Beeminder would charge me actual money if I derailed too much and hubby would see it on our joint account and I realllllllly didn't want that as that would have been super embarrassing. So there it is. But it worked! I got a whole lot of old projects finally finished and it feels amazing. Next goal on it is daily mini workouts to bring back a healthy habit without overambitious planning: https://www.beeminder.com/gluecksdrache/daily10 My daily 10 10 push ups 10 chin ups (can be from standing on tip toe or even negatives from stool) 10 goblet squats 10 leg lifts from hanging First 4 days were HARD Day 1 I had to do the push ups with feet wide apart (but elbows tucked in) and over 2 sets of 5 - managed only 1 chin up from standing, the rest were like halfway until I resorted to negatives from a stool - the goblet squats worked well with 8kg kettlebell, so yay on that - the leg lifts were super tough with straight legs, so I changed to tuck lift, then straight lower down Day 2 went better with 2 chin ups from standing on tip toe Day 3 the push ups were done in 1 set (woot) but with elbows slightly out and feet hip width apart, 6 chin ups from standing over several sets (woot) Day 4 (today) push ups over 2 sets again, but 7 chin ups from standing over several sets, yayyy Did it first thing in the mornings and found that great, because I get thirsty and start the day with a good dose of fresh water, I feel awake and satisfied by having that tiny workout Daily weigh in Another thing I want to keep going for a while as it tells me where I am in a way that shows tendencies and doesn't just soothe me (if I hit a light day and feel oh, I'm fine) or shock me (if I hit a heavy day and feel aaaaaaaah what is this?!!!) but more honestly tells me where I currently am. Right now I am fluctuating between 65 and 68 kg, which is not a happy place for me, but I'll have to embrace it for now and use it for motivation instead of beating myself up about it. Goal is 62kg, but even 64 would already be awesome again. Pole and Yoga My third current fitness goal has its own accountability due to my weekly challenge with my youngest daughter She counts all her minutes spent on studying for school (besides homework) and I could all my minutes on strength training, pole and yoga done at home (not at class). If I only do my daily 10, it won't do for this, so I HAVE to do more in order to compete with her. Prices are high: I get some cool leggings for each week won (have 5 leggings on their way in the mail to me, so that will last a while) youngest gets favorite schleich toys (with cost limit) for each week won I've been goofing around with what could be fun ways to keep it simple and easy to go to (like my daily 10) and played "the floor is lava" - having to stay on the pole for the duration of one song and training spin after spin for another song. Still takes me 30 minutes as I need to warm up first before being able to do anything and do want 5 min stretches after, but 30 minutes should be doable more often and it was great fun. Once classes start again by January 12th, I'll have more detailed things to train... So these are my three things to update on at the moment and I appreciate any extra accountability. Please shout at me when I neglect too much, because it really, really serves my happiness to do these! Thank youuuuuuu Here is some yoga fun on the pole to sum up for now, that turned out to be quite strenuous and good form training: would love to create a pole sun salutation variation and already have some ideas, but I'll have to regain some more strength again first .... motivation

#Fall - into routine Daily: Sleep Chronic Fatigue makes sleep elusive and fitful. Routine helps, so with that I'm hoping to #Fall back into a routine: Sauna or hot bath Writing a few pages each day, hopefully finding something that can get worked on well enough to turn in for the submission due on November 1. Knitting It seems to soothe me. Knitting helps me feel as though I'm not a useless slug even when I can barely do anything physically. It's a bonus that Vivian has started knitting with me and we are enjoying planning a blanket for her bed. She's the absolute best, and I am completely blessed to have her in my life. Weekly: Therapy because a week without it would be tragic. Legal Notes and Log Updates The court date isn't until mid-December, but the weirdness has definitely ramped up and there are lots of little things to take care of and note along the way. Editing The classmates' work will need to have three readings between Nov 1 and Nov 8, with written critiques due Nov. 8. Mantra: #Acceptance leads to #patience. #Patience leads to #balance. #Balance leads to #harmony. #Harmony leads to #peace.

After a successful previous chellenge where I wanted to start good habits anew and arm myself better to win against such threats as team chocolate cakes, overindulgence of dim sums with friends, and more generally a "laissez-faire" policy due to stress which led to the gain of almost 10kg, we are moving to a more difficult part of life, how to make these good habits the new normal. How do I learn again that eating everything that I want is NOT the norm? (Or healthy or even sustainable) So this time Bulbasaur and I move further into the Kanto forest. We have our new weapon Vine Whip, from our previous challenge, and our determination is strong. We are Level 7, so we know we can defeat most weak Pokemons. We know we will meet a lot of strong Pokemons too, so we need to move towards two equally important goals: 1- Get stronger to win against these Pokemons 2- Get used to losing once in a while and not get overly upset about it (no turning off the Nintendo DS!) (To be honest, I think Goal #2 might be much harder than #1! I had example of that just yesterday.) The great thing about Pokemons, is that as they level up, they learn new attacks. Our next stop is Poison Powder, a great attack against almost all Pokemons, which infects them with poisons and slowly make theim faint! But this attack is learnt at level 13, which will not happen for a moment. However, we are slowly but steadily going there! How does this translate into Pokemon SMART goals? Easy! I will steal from my former self! 1- Spend time in the tall grass - Fight off other Pokemons and get stronger! 2- Go to the Pokemon center regularly - Always be full of energy! 3- Eat good Pokebeans - Make sure my body is fed the right nutrients! 4- Visit all the houses on the way - Pick up skills and hidden objects! Boring point details which I need to be able to nerdilly follow what I do every day on a 15-min basis Ok, so, hum, 165 points per week is the revised extimate, down from what I could be doing. Rewards will be in the form of new mangas and new candles to keep me warm while I study. As long as I meet my point goals, I should always have the candles to support the study. (Reward will also be when I succeed at my exam in January haha!) Finally, For Bulbasaur to reach level 13, all I have to do is... lose weight. 1 kg per level. It increases in difficulty each kg and can be as slooooow as levelling up. The ultimate goal is to be healthier, with more muscle than now and less fat, but there is no denying that I should lose weight, so that is easy maths! Since losing 6 kg in 4 weeks is either impossible, unhealthy or medically induced, this will be the target for the next challenge. For this time, we will aim at 3.5kg (since earlier kg are easier to lose). Starting weight: 88.5kg - Target for end of challenge: 85kg. The added beauty is that at 85kg, several pieces of clothing which I cannot wear now will fit me again. Happiness ensues. See you all in the forest!

Well, I'm bulky again. This year has been a serious yo-yo, and up here at the crest of this most recent "yo" I'm needing to re-focus on my continual stated goal of getting lean to start dropping again. Once again I'm going with four goals with some minor tweaks over last time: 1. Sleep. Still going to play it loosely, but I've recognized that I have a weakness for binge-watching TV late into the night. To address that I'm going to limit myself to two episodes of whatever I'm watching on Netflix. 2. Wake. In the previous challenge I attempted to get up and do a bodyweight circuit every weekday morning. I realize now that was super-ambitious. Plus, I kinda hated it so by the end of the challenge I had blown it off completely. This time around I'm going to throttle back and try something new to me: yoga. Three days per week I'm going to start my day with a 15-minute beginner's yoga routine I found somewhere on the webs. Hopefully this will be a more pleasant way to start my day so I'll actually look forward to doing it. 3. Eat. I'm going back to counting calories--it's always been the best way for me to manage my intake. Six days a week I'm aiming for 2000 kcal, then Sundays will be a relatively free day. Macros aren't important, but food quality is. I'm aiming for 80% Paleo/Primal during target days. Free days need to be mindful without being restrictive. I think I can drop 1 pound per week with this approach and keep it sustainable. 4. Lift. After getting back to lifting in the previous challenge I'm really enjoying being in the gym again, but I'm finding that I still need to be careful with my knee and that the 5/3/1 (modified) program I was using to build strength isn't necessarily optimal for fat burning. I'm going to go with a 3x10 program and count on the increased volume (with shorter rest periods) to keep my heart rate up while still preserving lean mass. Gym target is still just two days per week which makes for a pretty comfortable life balance right now. With school starting back up and nothing really on the horizon until Thanksgiving I think I'm primed for a good run over the next few months. A strong challenge would be the perfect way to kick that off. Time to get after it.

Wow. The end of the last challenge went through my life like a meat grinder. Mediation Workshops, threats of nuclear war, Personal Relationship Crumbling, Charlottesville. Thank goodness I have the NF community and the habits I've built with you guys over the past few years. One of the things that I know is that we will do it together, and we will go farther than we ever could have imagined. #Writing: After attending the Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop, I applied for and got accepted into the Queens University MFA in Creative writing. This means that I have to read and write every day. I started a scheduled structure, and stick to it mostly. I need to continue it so that it is a solid habit. First submission due: September 1. I also need to submit a piece to a contest or so, since it would be a wonderful thing to get a cash award, and the validation wouldn't be awful. But the writing is the thing. Feel free to check out my progress in my tracking spreadsheet (two tabs). Also, I have a paper on American Exceptionalism to write that I got an extension on, and that needs to be swept up. #Writers Life #Mediation certification: I took all the required training seminars last challenge, and will spend this challenge getting the required practicums -- observations and co-mediation -- taken care of. Hopefully the court certification will be finalized by the end of this challenge. #FingersCrossed. #Communication with Vivian. My daily calls with my daughter were suspended when we went to court on July 6. This hurts, and she was in tears over it. The appeal hearing was moved to the end of October (two challenges from now, I think, but maybe three -- this is how I measure things). I'm now limited to calling on Monday and Wednesday. I wrote her a Garden Report and included a garden word search along with the pictures I took and mailed it to her, and thus began a habit of mailing her something most days. Harvey mails some days too. It's our way to stay in touch now. I send a puzzle or coloring page or whathaveyou. And then I'm going to write my pen pal, who is in prison. #SnailMailRules #Employment I interview for a position to teach GED classes at the regional jail. This resonates with me in ways that don't really make any sense, but in a very positive, contributory way. Part time. I'm thinking of it as a work-study component to the writing classes. #WishMeLuck #Self-care Nightly sleep I need to take care of myself by making certain I'm getting enough rest. If I'm worn out and exhausted, I can't be a good student / parent / friend. I need to be in bed no later than 9 p.m. Daily Sauna or hot bath Meetings A few meetings a week, especially on Wednesday, then therapy on Thursday and then the Friends Meeting every Sunday. Water reestablish the habit. Walking. My steps fell to hell as the office job progressed. I went from a ten mile a day habit to barely a mile, and lost the habit of walking thirty minutes every day as well. I'm hoping to put it back. #FinancialPlanning with the attorney: Financial worry is soul-crushing. Bankruptcy filing in Monday, August 14. #Acceptance leads to #balance. #Balance leads to #harmony. #Harmony leads to #peace.

I don't have a clue when I last posted -- I know that the #BigHeavyWeight of it all wrapped itself around my shoulders on June 19 and I have been working my way through a bit of hell ever since. Anton Chekhov wrote that "Any idiot can handle a crisis. It's the day to day living that wears you out." And I've had about three weeks of living in that space. The good news is that I am brave enough to say I'm tired, brave enough to quit pretending all is well, brave enough to rest and to begin to heal. Another wonderful man once said "This is not the end, and not even the beginning of the end, but it might be the end of the beginning." #KeepSwimming My employment ended on June 3o, the afternoon after a demonstration by a company that can do everything I do, only from India. I texted my partner that I was pretty certain that I was going to be outsourced, and sure enough, I was shown the door the next day. #MoreTimeToWrite. #Writing: After attending the Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop, I've decided to formalize my path as a writer. This is weird and vulnerable and scary for me. I need to keep a log of pieces that I have submitted (a New Thing That Just Happened on Monday) and pieces that need rework. I hope to have a submission, rework and new work every day, along with reading. Stay tuned. Feel free to check out my progress in my tracking spreadsheet (two tabs). #Mediation certification: I will be taking the Domestic Violence and the Family seminar on July 21, and then the Family Mediation Training in Richmond in August (next challenge). I'm still waiting to make progress on the General Court observation, but it will come in due time. The Family Mediation Certification will likely come at the end of August (also next challenge). It feels good to have progress on this. #Communication with Vivian. My daily calls with my daughter were suspended when we went to court on July 6. This hurts, and she was in tears over it. We go back to court in September (two challenges from now, I think, but maybe three -- this is how I measure things). I'm now limited to calling on Monday and Wednesday, which doesn't really make any sense, since the argument they presented was that I was inappropriate on the phone, so why would it be ok to be inappropriate two times a week? #MovingOn. When we were on the phone on Monday, we started talking about the garden and how it's coming along and she got a little sad. I said I could send her pictures, and she brightened up and said she would love that. So there it is, in the midst of the dark, the single star to guide me through. I wrote her a Garden Report and included a garden word search along with the pictures I took and mailed it yesterday. I'm going to write her every day, including a puzzle or coloring page or whathaveyou. And then I'm going to write my pen pal, who is in prison. #SnailMailRules #Self-care Nightly sleep I need to take care of myself by making certain I'm getting enough rest. If I'm worn out and exhausted, I can't be a good student / parent / friend. I need to be in bed no later than 9 p.m. Daily Sauna or hot bath Daily Meetings Reason 417 that not having a job is grand for me is that I get to return to my lunchtime meeting. It meets at 12:15 seven days a week, and I'm thinking of adding Saturday to the mix when my partner has overtime or a seminar. It fits perfectly after my writing workshop meeting at 9:30 at the local library, and then the Friends Meeting every Sunday. Water reestablish the habit. Walking. My steps fell to hell as the office job progressed. I went from a ten mile a day habit to barely a mile, and lost the habit of walking thirty minutes every day as well. I'm hoping to put it back. #FinancialPlanning with the attorney: Financial worry is soul-crushing. I recently read a report on the effects of poverty sapping nearly an entire standard deviation from a person's intelligence, and I can completely believe that. The mental peace that will come from financial clarity is huge. I have until July 31 to wrap this up, and am hoping that it will be done much sooner than that. It's only waiting on me at this point, so pester me for updates.

Hi I'm Raptron. I do stuff. This upcoming challenge, I have a good amount of travel planned (Maine for Memorial Day weekend, lakehouse in the Poconos in a couple of weeks, work trip to Long Island, and NYC for Pride!) so keeping on top of my workout schedule will be a bit trickier than normal. None of these goals are new goals, but not all of them are easy for me (see: cleaning + running blahhhh) so they're back in the rotation! 1. Bumble butt Glute accessory every lifting workout 2. Balancing on a flower Balance work 2x per week 3. Search for nectar Run at least once a week (NP counts!) 4. Keep a tidy hive Dishwasher stuff 2x per week Pantry deep clean

Last month I managed to keep myself afloat. I currently don’t know how I am going to get through the next 2 months. I finish my course in July (assuming I pass), and I’ve already started applying for other jobs, and I had a GP appointment this morning because I can’t cope with the pressures they’ve put on me. I’ve been climbing 5 times since my "6 times in 6 months" aim, and I’m just not feeling the excitement anymore: but these are dates I could go to ‘get my money’s worth’ and feel I’ve worked through this block. - 5/6 Jun - 23 Jun This month, I'm stealing @Lilmissbri's format because I felt it may help me to actually show what I've accomplished and how I'm balancing (or not) work, home and health. And because I loved it, I'm theming this around Darksiders II. Despite never finishing it due to a glitch, and not getting far with I because it wasn't as cool as II, III has been announced and I am EXCITED. Absolving War’s Crime - Career Path "My brother, War, stands falsely accused of unleashing Armageddon upon the human race. His fate concerns me. Yours.. does not." Goals: Complete 3 things a week towards my online business. (3 points) Complete 2 things a week to finish my PG course ASAP. (2 points) 5 points a week / 25 Trainer’s New Moves - Strength Building “To bring humanity back from existence? Madness.” Goals: Three workouts a week. (3 points) Use dumbbells once a week. (1 point) Complete Shivanata once a week. (1 point) Attend climbing twice across challenge. (5 bonus points) 5 points a week + bonus / 30 Possessed Weapons - Healthy Attributes "How many times would you have me kill him!?" Goals: Eat 2 veggies everyday. (2 points across week) Mindfulness: Only eat when hungry. (1 point) Pick healthy over unhealthy once a day. (1 point) Log extra exercise. (1 point) 5 points a day / 175 [I couldn't make this number work better] Combo Moves - Write Daily "And what is your use, as a door-stop?" Goals: Write daily (1 point) 1 point a day / 175 Loot - Read “The greater risk is do nothing.” Goal: Finish reading Steering By Starlight 1 point for the month / 1 Despair & Dust - Family & Home “This is no place for a horse.” Goals: Clean the kitchen, tidy bedside-table and sofa-dumping area once a week. (3 points) Make a healthy meal twice a week (2 point) 5 points a week / 25 And sicne my week 0 began yesterday: Absolving War’s Crime - Career Path Business: 1/3 PG: 1/2 Trainer’s New Moves - Strength Building Workout: 0/3 Dumbbells: 0/1 Shivanata: 1/1 Bonus Climb: 0/2 Possessed Weapons - Healthy Attributes Veggies: 2/2 Mindfulness: 0 Choice: 0/1 Extra: 1/1: 1.7km + 0.8km Combo Moves - Write Daily Write: 1/1 Loot - Read Read: 0/1 Despair & Dust - Family & Home Clean: 0/3 Meal: 1/2

Nourishing Mind, Body and Soul Mind Classwork (this is in bold because it's a focus point for the challenge, a point where when things get into conflict -- and they always do at some point, because that's life for you -- I can touch back to what is central) I'm enrolled in an independent study and an online class this term. At this point, I only have the papers left, but that's a huge piece (in the case of the independent study, it's the only piece.) Posting on Tuesday for the Comparative Urbanism Class Paper 1 for Comparative Urbanism Paper 2 for Comparative Urbanism Paper for Identity, Politics and Power in the 20th Century Body Nightly sleep I need to take care of myself by making certain I'm getting enough rest. If I'm worn out and exhausted, I can't be a good student / parent / friend. I need to be in bed no later than 9 p.m. I am hoping the meditation routine will dovetail with this. Nightly Floss Routine - this only takes seconds, so it's not as though it is really hard or anything. I have floss and coconut oil for oil pulling next to the toothpaste now, so it's kind of inevitable. Soul Daily mindfulness Daily quiet time Nightly Meditation and reading of Faith & Practice Weekly meetings & Connections Women's Meeting Monday Home Group Meeting Tuesday Letters Wednesday Therapy Thursday Sponsor Meeting Friday Home Group Meeting Saturday Friends Meeting Sunday Radio Interview / Essay weekly Bonus: Financial Planning with the attorney Financial worry is soul-crushing. I recently read a report on the effects of poverty sapping nearly an entire standard deviation from a person's intelligence, and I can completely believe that. The mental peace that will come from financial clarity is huge. Also, a weekly budget meeting with my partner -- Sunday

I had a pretty great challenge last round! I've made really great progress on getting good sleep on a regular basis. I'm stretching fairly regularly. I have an art project in mind and a due date (a gift for my parents' 40th anniversary in April). I have specific exercises I want to add back into my daily routine (i.e. desk pushups). So this challenge's goals are identical to the last one! I will keep logging in my paper logbook, and report my numbers on a weekly basis. Goals Sleep more than 7 hours 7x per week Stretch 3x per week Make art 1x per week Try something new/old each week (lift, swim, sledgehammer, run (UGH), etc) Disclaimer: I'm a queer, genderqueer (they/them pronouns), poly, kinky, social justice tank. The photos I share here will be SFW, but if you follow the link to my Instagram page, you will probably see things that are not.

This is ME! (Actually, this is Rey Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion ㅋㅋㅋ) I am starting again, after a previous challenge which ended really well! For this challenge, I am focusing on AWARENESS, not perfection. (Thank you Mana for reminding me of this when I needed it!) I will likely make mistakes, get off the wagon, fall sometimes, and also DECIDE to do the wrong thing. This is all fine. All I want to focus on for this challenge is to learn to be AWARE of these things, and DECIDE to eat out if I want to, rather than eat because I am bored. Real goals (not SMART) - *In order of excitement* A- Successfully finish learning my choreographed song B- Start losing weight C- Get back to good habits Funnily enough Goal C will help with Goal B, which will help TREMENDOUSLY with Goal A. There is nothing more enraging than a tiny girl with no muscle doing the choreo better than me because I have to move all my body... NO MORE!! In my last challenge I was able to start establishing good habits again, so I want to continue on, but build on that goal and learn and be more aware! Challenge Goals (SMART): 1- Continue following the 3 basic rules (stop eating at 10pm, in bed by 11pm, exercise every day) 2- Note down everything I eat the week before the chalenge (that's now!), and then count calories (or WW points) by time the challenge starts (no restriction yet - just awareness!) 3- Substitute 2 cardio workouts for weightlifting workouts (with or without stretching as a warmup) 4- Start following more nutrition rules, aiming for 2 more per day 5- Add 1-2 dance practice workouts (~30min in the evenings) Example of additional nutrition rules: - No eating 1 hour before or after a meal (because it can wait or I'm not really hungry) - Pass on the caloric beverage post meal even if my colleagues all have cappuccino - Avoid snacks in the afternoon that are not fruits or protein bars - Avoid very unhealthy snacks such as bread and butter, substitute avocados or peanut butter or fruits - Avoid desserts - Try to go carbs-free for certain meals (e.g., on dance class days to jump higher!) And I finally found a nice body inspiration! As I am living in Korea, any girl higher than 100 pounds is considered fat (i don't want to think what they think of me *shudders*). But I managed to find a body inspiration. She's Korean American and she is a singer and dancer, but she has a body that illustrate her love for life an food! I will look up to her as my inspiration: Ailee is mostly muscle, and a little fat because she is human! But her endurance on stage is incredible... And with this, I successfully complete my previous challenge, and start this one with happiness and inspiration!

Bloom My challenges are usually about measuring what I am going to do, and that’s all good.But this time I’m doing something a little different -- I’m going to report on what I do.I’m not interested in giving myself grief or being all judgey -- I’m interested in seeing what I do that is on-target, a check-in to see where I am at the habit level. I have a suspicion that it’s lots higher than I am giving myself credit for.So this time around, I am celebrating my successes. I’m looking forward to seeing how I’m doing with physical and emotional wellness, educational balance, and financial fitness. (See what I did there? That’s a 3+1 old school formula.)

Onward, ever onward. I need to sleep more than 7 hours per night. I need to stretch regularly. I need to start building my strength again. I need to express myself creatively. I'd like to try lifting. Maybe I'll even try running. I haven't gone swimming in ages, either. So: Goals Sleep more than 7 hours 7x per week Stretch 3x per week Make art 1x per week Try something new/old each week (lift, swim, sledgehammer, run (UGH), etc) Disclaimer: I'm a queer, genderqueer (they/them pronouns), poly, kinky, social justice tank. The photos I share here will be SFW, but if you follow the link to my Instagram page, you will probably see things that are not.

| Frost, or Isa, the Rune of Ice Attention to small things gives us real results in large things.This is my Why, and the Tao is my Way. The Rune Isa indicates stillness and reinforcement, a great theme for me this round. I'm going with a 3x5 (+1) for this, three goals with five elements each plus one life goal. Act (daily elements) - keeping in action to sustain the healthy foundation. Improvements are bonus, a happy accident of continued use over time. Morning walk -- 20 minutes Steam room and sauna meditation -- 20 minutes Hydrate -- 2+ litres throughout the day Sleep - 9p.m. to 5 a.m. Journal Connect (daily elements) -- nurture and be nurtured by my community Meetings daily Call Paula daily Call Vivian daily Friends group weekly Monthly newsletter thought of the day Sustain (weekly / monthly elements)- these are the things that keep me centered and whole, no matter what life throws at me. And trust me, life has a wicked curve ball these days. Katrina - weekly therapy Greg - weekly acupuncture Sunday - weekly reset routine Erin - monthly yoga therapy Candy - monthly hair appointment Freedom -- leveling up on financial freedom is a huge deal for a reason. It takes a lot of willpower over time, but it reaps long lasting rewards. Assess the landscape -- so much has changed since October that it needs a thorough reevaluation (Week 0-1) Plan (Week 2-3) Execute (Week 4) Weekly Monthly One-offs Challenge Item TOTAL Week 0 2/05-2/11 Week 1 2/12-2/18 Week 2 2/19-2/25 Week 3 2/26-3/05 Week 4 3/6-3/12 Morning Walk /35 Sauna meditation /35 Shower and dress for the day /35 Hydrate /35 Sleep /35 Journal /35 Sunday reset routine /5 Meeting /35 Paula /35 Vivian /35 Friends /5 Katrina /5 Greg /5 Candy /1 Erin /1

16: Returning to the root Be completely empty. Be perfectly serene. The ten thousand things arise together; in their arising is their return. Now they flower, and flowering sink homeward, returning to the root. The return to the root is peace. Peace: to accept what must be. to know what endures. In that knowledge is wisdom. Without it, ruin, disorder. To know what endures is to be openhearted, magnanimous, regal, blessed, following the Tao, the way that endures forever. The body comes to its ending, but there is nothing to fear.

I really need to learn how to insert gifs, and understand the HTML code when I copy and paste things. Also, I was pleasantly surprised how good the Assassin's Creed movie was; having expected a flop. It may have inspired me to take back up my hidden blade and regroup here. Having spent a month recovering from, and reflecting on 2016 - I'm back to take on 2017! My missions for 2017 are: Read books. Complete a Second “agent-ready” Novel. Write 100,000 words. Build Wellbeing - This is where the 4-week-challenges come in. Take Photographs. Now, I already measure these 5 goals with experience points on my writing blog, so here, I'm splitting up my 300XP-per-month for that building goal. Each item earns me 25XP a week: * 3 workouts a week of at least 3 exercise sets: yoga, SN or dance included. [Focusing on balance and agility] * Avoid store-bought 'snack foods' 1 day a week * Practise 'kata' once in the month. Instead of having new items each time, and falling behind, I'm focusing on the 5 goals I make for the whole year, three of which are part of my Academy 16-week challenge: so really I'm only adding one sub-set item each 4 week challenge. Nothing is true. Everything is permitted.

Hey druids! So I decided to (maybe) become a druid. I am not sure if I want to let the warrior part of me totally go Reasons for this is that: since a short time I started practicing yoga and took meditation up again. But I still want to keep going with my strength training. I feel there is a good balance in these two. That's what I need to be mindfull about this year: balance So I think it is a good idea to split this challenge up in two parts: strengthtraining and yoga And because I believe that I also need to practice my mind, and not only my body, I will take a third part:: "...." (I really don't know a good name, suggestions? ) Also I kinda started yesterday with some of the goals, so I will start counting from the first of january STRENGTH goal 1: go to the gym three times a week I've been slacking the last month because of an injury and no money to pay my membership again, but this will be ok now goal 2: start doing hiit Nothing to do with strength but I really want to lose some fat and get a better condition. I think that I should do it at least 1/week and try to feel a good balance to fit it in. YOGA goal 3: do yoga at least two times a week (if I'm not going to the gym) I may do more but need to see if I can. I will build further on this challenge to be able to do yoga every day, maybe even twice a day (morning and evening) I'll see how long this sessions are but I just want to follow my feelings and how my body reacts to it. goal 4: study the classes every week I get a lot of papers from both my yoga classes, I want to summarize them and write/draw everything down in a book. This way the practice and philosophies come together and I will try to master both of them and combine them better. "..." goal 5: making a selfportrait every day this goal will be in every challenge from now on. It's about getting to know myself better: I study my face, but also my emotions play a part. I learn nes techniques. I will have some form of art practice every day. It's also some form of meditation. And that brings me to goal 6! goal 6: meditate every day Nothing more to add here goal 7: read something every day Doesn't matter what kind of text: book, newspaper, poetry,...

Ice Heidi’s Yuletide 2016 Challenge The Big Why Attention to small things gives us real results in large things.This is my Why, and the Tao is my Way. Objectives: What I Want A peaceful mind. I value balance in all things, but especially in my heart and mind. Peace of mind vanquishes all. A healthy body. Happy family time. A clean and orderly home. Activities: What I’m Willing to do Attitude Awareness and Adjustment: Read the Tao daily, preferably with my partner, sharing our thoughts on the passage of the day. Go to work with a positive attitude, grateful wherever and whenever possible Sauna meditation daily Take care of the body that I have been given: Physical workout once a week Maintain a restful and restorative sleep schedule 8+ hours, with a gentle buffer for falling asleep and waking up Make time for activities that help Walking Acupuncture Therapy Yoga Therapy Play with Vivian Uphold the house system in place with love and care Clothing set out each week Dinner prepared and dishes washed with love and mindfulness. Challenge Item TOTAL Week 0 11/28 - 12/4 Week 1 12/5 - 12/11 Week 2 12/12- 12/18 Week 3 12/19 - 12/25 Week 4 12/26 - 1/1/2017 Go to work with a good attitude 16/19 M T W R F 5/5 M 1/5 T W T F 4/5 M T W 3/0 W R F 3/4 Meditation /35 M T W R F S 6/7 U 1/7 Meetings / Contacts /35 M T/3+ W/3+ SU Physical Workout / Swimming /35 S Set out clothing 4/5 1/1 U MT U Dinner & Dishes /35 M T W R F S U Sleep 8+ /35 M T W R S U M T W R S U M T W R S U M T Walking /35 M Playtime with Vivian 12/12 R 1/1 RFSU 4/4 RU 2/2 MTWRFSU 7/7 - Acupuncture 1/5 - 0/1 - 0/1 - 0/1 - 0/1 T Katrina 4/4 T 1/1 R 1/1 R 1/1 T 1/1 canceled by katrina Erin 1/1 n/a W 1/1

Challenge Reflections What Went Well: 1. My challenge quest tracker helped me stay accountable and motivated to fill in those little squares! 2. Meal planning made eating healthy mindless and easy, and easy to track since it was all planned out. 3. Getting up early in the morning to run or cycle or whatever makes me feel good and I enjoy having some Me time before my day starts (especially since my evenings are usually hanging on the couch with my mom watching TV). 4. Drinking 100 oz of water a day makes me feel well and healthy. Where Things Fell Apart: 1. Feeling like I HAD to strength train 3 times a week made me not want to, and I didn't do a single strength training session after the 2nd week. 2. I quit tracking my food and did some major emotional eating after I started my job. 3. Trying to exercise 5x a week once I started work was daunting and I gave up. What I'm Going To Do This Time: Physical Challenge 1. I going to make a quest tracker, because it makes me happy, but I'm going to give myself a little extra leeway than I did last time. 2. I will exercise 3x a week, doesn't matter what it is, for at least 25-30 minutes. 3. I will track my food, because I didn't for about 2 weeks and I started gaining again. 4. I'm going to continue to aim for 100 oz of water every day. What I'm Going To Do To Level Up My Life: 1. Laundry 1x week: The Whole Shebang (wash, dry, PUT AWAY, darn it!) (My room is unbearably messy, and it's almost entirely because I let my laundry pile up.) 2. In bed, phone off, by 9:30 every night, so I can get up early enough for a run and a cup of coffee before work. 3. Create budget and initiate Dave Ramsay's Debt Snowball to eradicate my debt so I can move to Ireland and be with the love of my life. 4. I'm going to have a riding lesson every week (as long as it's within budget) and play soccer when the games are before 9 pm, because I enjoy those things, even if the pull of the couch is strong. Current Challenge Quest Tracker:

I hit a breaking point last challenge. I've been pushing myself too hard and keeping myself stuck to too strict of an ideal. On top of that, my mood was taking a nosedive and I wasn't coping well with my challenge goals or with life. I backed off a lot and had to spend some time evaluating what I need for my sanity and what my goals really are. If I keep pushing too hard, I'll break. But not pushing hard enough gives me anxiety about losing ground. This challenge focuses on balancing the goals for the success of my future self and the sanity of my current self. I have always struggled with balance and have had numerous challenges devoted to it. And here I am again. But now the balancing act is between the perfectionist, overachieving part of me (future self) competing against the sane, living in reality part of me (current self). [Disclaimer: this does not and should not imply that I am actually sane.] And the Battle of Wits has Begun... But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. Don't be a Fool. Eat Right Eating the right foods is still 80% of the battle. If I could just manage this part I wouldn't have to worry so much about losing ground. I need to be strict enough keep from gaining fat and also to keep from feeling like crap. But I need to have some wiggle room to enjoy what I'm eating and be able to make changes based on my body and my what's going on in my life. My varying daily calorie goals really work but not necessarily on a strict schedule. In an effort to make this a SMART goal, here are some guidelines: Food is Fuel, not comfort - make healthy choices Food should still be enjoyable Aim for the varying daily calorie goals but allow for a range of 1450-1650 calories daily, 1800-1900 on weekend Weekly average should be in the low 1600's You’ve made your decision then? Not remotely. Because Iocane comes from Australia, as everyone knows, and Australia is entirely peopled with criminals, and criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. Be Honest. What is Your Goal and Your Why? During the last challenge, after backing off of my goals, I took the time to evaluate what I was doing and what my goals were. I was doing things for the sake of the goals and losing sight of the Big Why. Once I stopped paying so much attention to my goals, I found that I still did many of the same things because I wanted to do them or because they would help me reach my mail goals. This made the same activities much more enjoyable. I don't want to do things anymore because I have to. Even things I don't want to do I am doing for a reason. I may not want to go to the gym some days, but I am more likely to get satisfaction from going anyway because I deserve to be strong AF than if I go because I made it a goal and now I just have to suck it up and do it. Keeping in touch with the goals and the why will help me make good choices most of the time and also keep me from getting too stressed about the times that I don't make good choices. Main Goal: Achieve goal weight status (around 160-180 pounds) and be strong and agile. Mini Main Goal: Arrive at the Elusive Onederland Big Why: Losing the weight I have lost so far has given me freedom. Freedom to do things I once thought impossible, the freedom to comprehend that I can do anything I really set my mind to, and the freedom to test my bounds. I do not want to lose any of this freedom. I need to at least maintain the weight loss. I also want to set a good example for my daughter. She is at a very crucial stage where I can no longer dictate exactly what she does. Too much pressure will cause her to push against what I want for her. I need to set the example so that she can have the tools to start her life in a better place than me. It also pays to remember that part of setting a good example is to teach her how to fail and get back up and that success does not mean being perfect. Truly, you have a dizzying intellect. Wait til I get going! Where was I? Australia. Yes, Australia. And you must have suspected I would have known the powder's origin, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. Stop and Think. Don't just do what's in front of you. (aka Self Care) I have a tendency to keep mental lists of things that need to get done and then I go on autopilot and keep doing things on the list. Such and such has to get done on this day or it messes up my entire schedule. I do this until it's the end of the day and I'm tired and just want to escape to my room and recharge alone. I am learning to take cues from my mood and take a break when I need to. Sometimes my future self needs to let some things go so that my present self can, well, be present. By being more intentional with my time, I can recharge before it's a dire need and I can be more present and do fun things with family. I have found recently that by doing this I might actually get more stuff done. This aspect of the challenge can manifest in many ways and is my no means a SMART goal. But here are some guidelines: expect less be flexible get enough rest be mindful allow for more downtime You’re just stalling now. You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you?! You've beaten my giant, which means you're exceptionally strong, so you could've put the poison in your own goblet, trusting on your strength to save you, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. Be Strong and Active Taking breaks for myself is fine, but I still need to stay active. The trick is balancing these. This was really tough over the last couple challenges where I was adding activities to my goals with the right intentions but because I HAD to do them, I was starting to resent those activities. I want to focus on activities that not only aim towards my future self’s goals but also ones my present self can enjoy. Since changing my outlook on this I have started rucking again and enjoying it. Guidelines for this goal: Do something active daily Lift 2-3 days a week Anything counts - walking, rucking, yoga, GTG, Shovelglove. Just pick something that matches energy levels and time. But, you've also bested my Spaniard, which means you must have studied, and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal, so you would have put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. There's more to future success than just being strong. Be Productive Too. I worked on this a lot earlier this year and finally found a system that works for me. I’ve gotten away from using the system. Plus my dark moods has made it more difficult to get stuff done. In order to make it easier to get myself going, I need to at least make the weekly list. When I did this before I would choose any 3 things from the list daily to accomplish. This time I need to do at least 1 thing. I have found that recently, the more lenient I am with my expectations, combined with allowing myself more free time, I am actually getting more done. But it starts with a list. You’re trying to trick me into giving something away. It won’t work. It has worked. You’ve given everything away. I know where the poison is! Then make your choice. I will, and I choose…. What in the world could that be?

I need to work on balance. In more ways than one. My personal physical ability to balance is something I enjoy working on. I even still do balance drills while I stand in line at the pharmacy and my boss just commented on the fact that I was on one foot almost the entire time I taught our active shooter class.(that was an accident) Working on my physical balance is something I already know I enjoy, so that will help me stick to it. This also fits in nicely with my hand stand goals. I also need to work on life and mental balance. I tend to gravitate towards being an all or nothing type person, especially when I'm cranky. If I can't clean the WHOLE closet right now, why bother? If I can't kayak the WHOLE day, why even go to the marina? (you know, the one that is less than a mile from my house, I have keys to, and can use theirs for free if I don't want to haul mine. I really have no excuse.) If I can't eat the WHOLE pan of brownies, why are they in my house? The really annoying thing is when I'm like that, I get nothing done, and that puts me in a worse mood, which only contributes to the all or nothingness. I had gotten better, I thought, but I realized that has been part of my problem lately. The attitude, not the brownies. I haven't had a brownie in forever. Which makes me sad. I should fix that, but when with my family, so that I only get 1. In order to prevent my all or nothing attitude from ruining my days and keeping my house screwed up, I'm going to make some rules for my evenings. 20 minutes of cleaning/organizing non-daily things- this means not laundry, not dishes, but overall unpacking, set up my house kind of stuff, it doesn't matter what room, but I am going to actually set a timer and work for 20 minutes 20 minutes of daily, normal chore type stuff- so like sweeping, dishes, laundry, wiping off the stove, etc. Eventually, I'll be done with the first one. Then once every week or two do an organization upkeep of 15-20 minutes. I also realized that I need to plan my workouts better. This sounds like a total no brainer, but I need to plan them with fun things in mind and taking my work schedule into consideration. Instead of being annoyed that I can't go kayak when I'm on call, I need to schedule my month so that I go kayaking on a day I'm not on call. The on call system here is very different than my old park, so it still bothers me that I can't LEAVE MY HOUSE while I'm on call. Not even if I'm still in the park. At Mount Magazine, we just couldn't leave the park, but we had a 24/7 front desk. Here, they close at 5 and the phone is forwarded to our house. I'm working on changing it here. I requested and received a park cell phone; that should help. It has better service than MY phone. I have my slackline. It's still in the box it came in. I've come close to opening it, but haven't.I did make it to the two trees I was going to use, once. I did watch the included DVD. I need to set it up and use it. I need to schedule those days, too. I'm also considering enlisting my dad and grandpa in helping me come up with way to set up my line semi permanently in the backyard, I think. Though my house is extremely visible to park guests, so I need to think on that some more. I do think we need a low balance beam near the playground though. Anyway, I have lots of thoughts on the playground area but that is not for here. I also need to remember to do what I love. Creating things makes me feel productive like nothing else I do. Whether it's weaving, building, sewing, or whatever, I enjoy creating something. I need to set more time aside to do that. I may make it part of my mandated time, but I think that once I start getting back to it, I'll do it more frequently without the set time. I have some ideas, but I'm not sure yet how exactly I want to set up these goals to make them SMART. I'm going to think on that some tonight. After my 40 mandated minutes and my workout. If the cell phone fairy is kind, I'll add that tonight at home. I'm going to stick with the same goal categories for a few challenges. I have been all over the place, and haven't done well. Lose Weight 1. Stick to my academy workouts, 2x a week, and handstand stuff for at least 5 minutes every day that I am home. By the end of the challenge, I'd like to be able to complete 1A all the way through. I can only do 2 rounds of it right now, with less than 10 knee pushups. 1B isn't really a problem. 2. Log my food in mfp. Don't be over 1450 calories a day. Don't be under 1200. Eat back 1/4 of what I burn. At least. When I can't log it in mfp because of service, write it down, count it, and add it later. Don't miss logging more than 1 meal a week. Balance & Feats 3. Do the foot & wrist mobility mini yoga sessions 2x per week and do full yoga at least 1x per week. (&Handstand 5 minutes a day.) 4. Slackline, 1x per week Keeping Me Sane 5. Stick to my 20 organizing/20 cleaning every day that I am home all day. 6. Dedicate 20 minutes a day to either reading or creating something. Zero Week: 29 Oct 16- Batcave is good to go! My house is stressing me out. When I go to do something relaxing, i feel guilty because I should work on my house. I'm tired and want to relax cause I've been working. I have had to leave lots for training (and ok, I ran away last week to camp, but it was actually work related. I was researching disc golf courses because we will hopefully get one. That's my story anyway.), and I just never finished moving in. Part of the problem is the size of my house. It's not tiny, but the size is distributed differently. My old house had a HUGE kitchen and living room but smaller bedrooms. My new house has a smaller living room and really limited kitchen. In my old house, the kitchen was the center of everything. I made soap, baked, dyed yarn, all sorts of things in the kitchen, and did lots in the dining room that was technically still the kitchen. Here, I just stopped unpacking because I haven't figured out how to organize and put stuff and I'm tired of getting rid of things I like! I love my porch though. It goes all the way across the front of the house and is screened in. But right now, it has boxes of kitchen stuff sitting on it. And things I need to throw away, and you get the idea. Basically, I'm going to improve my batcave. I'm going to get my kitchen in line, my porch taken care, and then turn the extra room into a workout/relax space.

Yes I know this should have been the title for part 2.0 but whatever. JUST THOUGHT OF IT WOO and I am bored of using the exact same challenge title! This will be mostly the same set up for goals although I am thinking I will substitute the exercise goal with something else since that should not be a problem as we get closer to the show..... So, this challenge marks the entry into HOLY SHIT AAAH crunch time for the dance production I am working on. I am done wearing choreographer hat mostly BUT we have like....10+ more dances and transition scenes etc. to get done in only 6 weeks and only 6 of those are actually on the schedule already so yeaaaaah.... My weeknight and weekend downtime goals will likely have to be reduced in final weeks of this challenge (or HEY maybe we can get this shit scheduled now so I can maybe average out 1 day per week instead of 2 days per week to ZERO but hey, I don't get to decide the schedule unfortunately!) Goal 1: EXERCISE Maintain exercise plan for maximum happiness but NOT into oh hey where did my life go? territory. Parameters: work out at least 3 x per week (Brainstorming how to revise this to account for me likely getting 5+ days of dance rehearsals by the end of challenge. Open to suggestions!!) Goal 2: DOWNTIME & FRIENDS (Yes left shark has nothing to do with this but whatever. LEFT SHARK FOREVER!) Have AT LEAST one evening off during weeknights in order to hang out with friends OR cook stuff/ downtime whatever I need, and at least one day a weekend with at least a 6 hours IN A ROW chunk of downtime/friendtime. GOAL 3: ADULTING Dedicate at least 2 hours per week to adulting pursuits! (Does not need to be in a row.) Cleaning, reorganizing, meal prep, anything adulting related is fair game!! GOAL 4: To be decided? Or maybe I should be more minimalist because AAAH BUSY hmm... No Goal 4 because busy! Life Goal- BALANCE! Maintain balance!!! I shall strive to be self aware of if the above plan is NOT working and make alterations if necessary. (Alterations WILL be necessary this round as mentioned above.)

I've realized this last challenge was an excellent exercise for me in maintaining balance soooo I am going to keep mostly the same goals for this round! NOW WITH MORE CAT GIFS!! :D!!!! Goal 1: EXERCISE Maintain exercise plan for maximum happiness but NOT into oh hey where did my life go? territory. Parameters: work out at least 3 x per week Goal 2: DOWNTIME & FRIENDS Have AT LEAST one evening off during weeknights in order to hang out with friends OR cook stuff/ downtime whatever I need, and at least one day a weekend with at least a 6 hours IN A ROW chunk of downtime/friendtime. GOAL 3: ADULTING Dedicate at least 2 hours per week to adulting pursuits! (Does not need to be in a row.) Cleaning, reorganizing, meal prep, anything adulting related is fair game!! GOAL 4: HEALTH I still never got around to scheduling my dentist appointment before the end of summer...sooo I am keeping this goal just with one thing.. MAKE THE DAMN DENTIST APPT ALREADY!!! Hahhaha Life Goal- BALANCE! Maintain balance!!! I shall strive to be self aware of if the above plan is NOT working and make alterations if necessary.

I'm fairly certain that I ended up here at this respawn point, because I stumbled into a PVP area and was shanked in the back by an Imperial Operative. So while I sit here and let the medical droid tend to my wounds, let me consider how I got in this mess in the first place. I think it's important to acknowledge what went wrong without fear of being told you're just making excuses or complaining. The fact is, the situation is what it is and now that we're here it's time to dust off and get ready to move forward. So let's start where it all started getting derailed... In June I was doing well. In all honesty, I had gotten in a good routine, making sure to stop at the gym on the half-way point on my daily drive home from work. And after every workout I was logging it via IG to keep myself accountable. I was doing well, even with the impending move on the horizon. Once July hit, we had to hunker down and finish packing without knowing where we were going to go before August. In truth, the housing market is tough right now for renters. Prices are super high and places are getting snatched up in the blink of an eye. A huge truckload of stress came slamming down on me and my family (and extended family) during this time. My wife and I, by the grace of God, managed to find a place through a friend, and began moving. The majority of the move was my wife and my parents moving over the course of the course of the last two weeks of July. In addition my wife and I ended up with strep throat during this time. We eventually got everything moved and no one got injured during the process. Now, aside from the expected un-boxing, things were looking good. It took us about two weeks to recover from the sickness. My drive to work also shifted and lengthened by about 15-30 min each way, since we moved to a different city. That also put the gym out of the way rather than en route. Since the move I've been out of sorts and been struggling to get into a routine again. In short, it's been hard. Now, I feel like I'm back to my old higher weight again (can't find our scales amidst the myriad of boxes left), but regardless what my weight IS, I certainly feel it. It's time to dig my heels in and stop losing ground. I'm certainly not getting any younger. (Had a birthday in August, yay!) TL;DR 1. Was doing good, logging workouts via IG. 2. Stress of finding a place and moving hit. 3. Moved to a new city further away from work. 4. Got sick and recovered. 5. Had a Birthday. 6. Lost old routine. 7. Need to get back on track. I haven't decided how I'm going to go about really getting back on track yet. I just know that I need to take that first step mentally, and this is it. Funny how it seems when you fall off the wagon, you forget all the things you got situated and settled in with in the past run. I do know that I really want to avoid counting calories/carbs if I can help it, but that won't be a deal breaker if I have to do some sort of number crunching along the way. Anyway, it's good to be back...