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Hello fellow NF rebels! I'm respawning after a three-year gap -- and a number of unsuccessful non-NF attempts to become a healthier, fitter me in the intervening time. I have learned a lot during the journey, but so far none of my efforts have 'stuck' in the form of permanent changes in lifestyle. Sadly, I am weaker at this point in my life than I have ever been before now -- and that is very, very discouraging! So, as part of my respawning process, I have "taken a look at what didn't work last time" and realized that I consistently get hung up when dealing with two of the Academy's challenges: anything to do with sharing and customizing my Batcave. When I started digging into why these two missions are so consistently uncomfortable for me, I realized that they are actually symptoms of the same issue: I am deeply ashamed of myself! Because of my sense of shame, I want to hide my efforts to become healthier "just in case I fail again." I don't want to be accountable to the people in my life because I don't want to face the doubts and questions, and I definitely don't want to deal with the awkward conversations that happen after I "fall off the fitness wagon"! Similarly, I don't want to make changes in my environment, because they signal to the other people in my life that I'm "trying to get fit again" ...leading to the doubts, questions and discussions that I don't want to have. I know it's a self-defeating mindset -- but I'm still figuring out my plan to conquer it. I need to defeat Shame in my first Boss Battle -- or I'll never successfully reach any of the others! Wish me luck!! 🤞

Welcome back for another episode of The Exciting Adventures of JediNickD! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that I joined this site and started my first challenge.. World 1 was my first extended stay through 22 challenges. I took a hiatus from NF and came back with a new direction for my goals where I warped to World 2, which I defeated in a Boss Fight slaying some mighty big goals. In World 3, I continue to develop my fitness, getting my body in the best shape of my life, even with the Degenerative Disc Disease and crooked spine causing all types of pain in my back, hip, legs, neck, and shoulders. Through physical therapy exercises and karate, I maintain my spine and back muscles to slow down the advanced aging. I'm not planning to be playing rugby or football again in this lifetime, but I'm not giving up hope on the possibility either... Rebellions are built on HOPE! I'm just going to keep on L-I-V-I-N, fight the good (and healthy) fight, and level up my life! Challenge Lesson: "I am One with the Force and the Force is with me." There aren't many quotes that can so clearly define a Jedi, but this is definitely one of them, spoken, repeated, and chanted by Chirrut Iwme throughout Rogue One. Chirrut is a Guardian of the Whills which is a religious order of monks and protectors of the Temple of the Kyber who preach about the Force to pilgrims visiting the holy city of Jedha. Chirrut is not a Jedi, though in the novelization of Rogue One he achieves a level of Force sensitivity to pull off a couple amazing feats. That level of Force sensitivity comes from his deep commitment to serving the Will of the Force evident in his chanting of the quote. He is not gifted in Force talents like the many Jedi, Sith, and Force-users seen throughout Star Wars, but he has a deep understanding of the Force being an energy field which connects and binds all things. He has deep beliefs that even if he is not gifted, that he can still feel and interact with the Force through being calm, focused, and committed. Commitment, Understanding, and Belief are the foundations for any religious or spiritual person seeking to connect with supernatural beings or forces, whether for prayers, enlightenment, or forgiveness. Chirrut follows the Will of the Force to be enlightened and asks the Force for protection in a few instances. I could go into the details of how Chirrut appears to actually be protected by the Force to serve a greater purpose in bringing balance to the Force (in delivering the Death Star plans to a farm boy on Tattooine), but deconstructing the Star Wars movies is not what I like to do with these lessons. Instead, my goal is to apply the quote in context to the real world for Jedi like me. For anyone seeking to accomplish a goal, Commitment, Understanding, and Belief are the foundations to build on. Commit to it by making it a priority over other matters, understand the resources, obstacles, stakes, consequences, and rewards for the goal to develop a plan, and believe that you can do it which may require you to take a leap of faith. I am One with the Force and the Force is with me. I am One with Life and Life is with me. I am One with my Goals and my Goals are with me. My Main Quest and Mission: My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no boss level in Jedi training, there is only tomorrow. World 3 Level 9 Challenge: FITNESS: Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 500 min total, 120 weekly. DEX +1, STA +1 Exercise: Lifting and Bodyweight - 300 min total, 80 weekly. STR +1 Flexibility: Stretching and Physical Therapy - 400 min total, 100 weekly. STR +1, DEX +1 Karate: Training and Practice - 720 min total, 150 weekly. *Belt test on January 28th, so I loaded an extra 120 mins to account for it. DEX +1, STA +1 DIET: Weight Control - Track weight. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 4. Watch portions and make healthy choices for 24 of 28 days. Track lunch portions, especially. Track "fasting" after dinner nightly. I'm looking to continue to cut down on snacking and desserts after dinner. I need to ensure I have a calorie deficit or I won't continue to lose weight. CON +2 LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete (or dedicate at least one hour to) 260 Tasks or Projects, with at least 65 each week, from any of the following areas (minimum for challenge): Toastmasters Communication Practice (8), Toastmasters Leadership Practice (8), Toastmasters Speech and Training Development (8), Mentoring (6), Charity Work (10), Jedi Training (8), Self Preservation (16), Reading (16), Church Work (14), Job Work (10), Business Projects (10), Dishes (20), Laundry (16), Cleaning/Dusting/Vacuuming (20), Other Chores (20), Yard Work (8), Animal Care (30), Home Renovation (4), Auto Maintenance (4), Family Activities (8), Adventuring (6). WIS +3, CHA +3 INCENTIVES! Working hard for CASH! ($160 carried over) REWARD 1: For each week I complete 70 or more tasks, I will put aside $10 to spend how I see fit. CONSEQUENCE 1: For any week where I complete less than 65 tasks, I will give up $10 of saved cash. REWARD 2: $5 for each Business Project hour: setup 2018 Extra Life donation page write/plan/record a 2018 Extra Life Kickoff Video get involved in Extra Life Baltimore Guild and Cecil-Con recruitment booth revisit Wizard Laser Tag (look into Recoil game app and tech) for Epic Nerd Camp draw up plan for Jedi website investigate VHS-to-DVD conversion CONSEQUENCE 2: Lose $10 for each week without a Business Project hour. REWARD 3: $1 for each hour working on Jedi Training lessons. $10 for each completed IJRS lesson. Need to get back to the formal training at IJRS. CONSEQUENCE 3: Lose $5 for each week without working on a Jedi Training lesson. REWARD 4: $1 for each night of fasting after dinner. Fruits and veggies allowed in small quantities, but no dessert or snacking. CONSEQUENCE 4: Lose $2 for each day without fasting. Lose $5 for eating more than 2 slices of pizza in any meal. REWARD 5: $1 for each day with a small, healthy lunch. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $2 for each day without a small, healthy lunch. BONUSES: Life: $5 for healthy grocery shopping (once a week only) $5 for healthy meal prep (once a week only) $2 for each Home Renovation and Auto Maintenance task. Workout: $5 for 10 or more sprints in one workout. (once a week only) $5 for running more than 3.5 miles in a workout. $5 for running below an 8 minute mile. (once a week only) $10 for running below a 7 minute mile. (once a week only) $5 for running 2 miles in less than 18 minutes. (once a week only) $10 for running 3 miles in less than 30 minutes. (once a week only) $10 for running more than 40 minutes. (once a week only) PUNISHMENT: After January 7th, lose $10 each day with weight above 152.5 lbs. Giving myself some time to get my weight back down, but I feel so much better when I have been below 152 lbs.