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Steven Universe Challenge Steven Universe is about a group of Gemstone based beings who save the world, and notably ALL Gems are female (well technically they are a uni-gendered race that uses female pronouns ). GIRL POWER! The show has a couple of main themes: the power of compassion and the necessity of strong, trusting relationships. I love the show for the amazing characters, beautiful animation, fun and catchy songs, and hilarity ("my mind is the internet, I know every continuity mistake ever made on television"). Awesome characters I wasn't able to fit into this challenge include: Connie Maheswaren (nerd girl extraordinare turned sword fighter!), the whole Pizza family (especially Nana Pizza!), Buck Dewey, Sour Cream, Onion (yes he's Sour Cream's half-brother ) Ronaldo the consiracy theorist ("keep Beach City weird!"), Peridot, Lion (the only non-anthropomorphized animal I've ever seen in a cartoon), Lars and Sadie.... I could keep going but I won't Not all of the song videos display but I highly recommend watching them because 1. they're awesome and genuinely great songs and 2. because each song is linked to the challenge goal of the character who sings it Be Kind is the overarching goal, much like Steven’s approach to life. Compassion to all, including (especially) myself. Steven: “Be Wherever You Are†aka Self Care Steven is a sweet, kindhearted boy who shows compassion to everyone and loves himself. His Gem weapon is his shield, representing his desire to protect those he loves. Steven Tasks Greg Universe: “Have a Little Faith in Me†aka Creative Quests Greg may be the best character on Steven Universe. A former wanna-be rockstar who fell in love with a huge pink alien lady (seriously Rose Quartz is like 8 feet tall) and then raised his son on his own (Rose gave up her physical form to give birth to Steven.....). He's an amazing dad, he's super relaxed (for the most part) and: "When you're a one-man band you got to know do it all: lyrics, graphic design, forum moderation..." -Greg Universe “Don't focus so much on talent, Steven. Making art is all about communication. A piece of art is a conversation. Every choice you make, is a statement. Don't worry about labels, or conforming to a standard. Just be true to yourself, and people will appreciate your honesty.†-Dogcopter https://soundcloud.com/aivisura/steven-universe-wailing-stone?in=aivisura/sets/steven-universe Greg Tasks Amethyst: “On the Run†aka Food and Exercise Amethyst is the most intuitive and impulsive of the gems. From masquerading as a wrestler (Tiger Millionare is the best early episode IMO) to her obsession with food, Amethyst is the most human of the Gems since she was "born" and raised on Earth. https://soundcloud.com/jeff-liu/on-the-run-official-version Amethyst Tasks Pearl: “Strong in the Real Way†aka Exercise my Brain The brains of the Crystal Gems, Pearl is insecure but super smart. She's strong in her own way. She wasn't made to fight or even be the amazing technician she is but she trained herself to be useful to the team and become more than she was "programmed" to be. Pearl Tasks Garnet: “Stronger than You†aka Calm Voiced by Estelle (yes "American Boy" Estelle) Garnet is the leader of the Crystal Gems. She's strong, doesn't put up with anyone's shit, and she's supremely confident in herself and her abilities. But she also believes in her teammates just as much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDpCzvMmbSA Garnet Tasks More great songs: "What Can I Do"- Greg Universe Ft. Rose Quartz and the Crystal Gems "Do It For Her" -Pearl and Connie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpMSwgPKWd4 "Like a Comet" -Greg Universe (this song is so great and young Greg rocks it!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01-n-KVZta0 "Haven't You Noticed (I'm a Star)"- Sung by the amazing Olivia Olsen (aka Marceline from Adventure TIme) https://soundcloud.com/aivisura/steven-universe-havent-you-noticed-im-a-star-rebecca-sugar Types of Combos: Points will be accumulated by creating combos. I need to do 7 combos per week [dungeon explanation here] Beginner: Gem Glow = 1 thing from each list +500 points Basic: Bubble = 1 thing from each list + 3 extra from any list +800 points Intermediate: Amethyst's Whip = two things from each list OR Shapeshifting= one thing from each list and 5 from any list +1000 points Seasoned: Rose’s Sword = two things from each list + 3 extra from any list OR Laser Light Cannon= one from each list and 8 other items +1300 points Experienced: Healing Spit = 3 things from each list OR Pearl’s Spear= 2 things from every list + 5 things from any list OR Mr. Universe Shirt =1 thing from every list and 10 from any list +1500 points Advanced: Rose’s Shield = 3 things from each list + 3 extra from any list OR Greg's Van= 1 from each list and 12 from any list +1800 points Expert: Fusion = 4 things from each list OR Garnet’s Gauntlets= 3 things from each list and 5 from any list OR Quartizine Trio= 2 things from each list and 10 from any list OR Lion's Mane= 1 from each list and 20 from any list +2000 points Dungeons! ~UnDEr CoNSTrUcTiOn~ Goal of at least 7000 points per week, some days can/will be higher than others, every 300 extra points means I get a bag of Fry Bits. [still figuring out what the Fry Bits do] Dungeon 1: Roses Room (Week 1) Activate the door and enter Rose's Room in the Temple BOSS FIGHT: Mirror Gem/Ocean Gem (Week 2) Get enough points to release Lapis, then save the ocean! Dungeon 2: The Message (Week 3) Decode Lapis’s message BOSS FIGHT: The Return/ Jail Break (Week 4) Escape Space Jail Dungeon 3: Sworn to the Sword (Week 5) Learn to Sword fight BOSS FIGHT: Catch and Release (Week 6) Capture Peridot

♩Cause.....we're.... ANIMANIACS ♩♬ ♬ And we're zany to the max ♬ :D :D and one of my favorite Animaniac's songs: Hello all! 2016 is our year . I'm starting this year with a nostalgic favorite cartoon (because....cartoons ). I'll be returning to the combo system but with simplified categories! AND (DUN DUN DUN) I'm also adding a weekly PvP element (villain face off) each week based on who signs up (props to Lady Shello for this awesome format tweak!). The combo system means I do at least one thing from each list per day, and I get extra points for multiples. I'm still not sure on scoring my challenge, maybe the new NF avatar system will help ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. But the scores aren't as important to me as doing the things each and every day, one day at a time. The combo system helps with that so I'm going back to it! Without further ado... here are the categories for this challenge! Dot: Physical Health ​Taking care of myself is important, anything from this list counts for this category for the day. AT LEAST one thing per day. Some days it will be one, others it will be more. And some days it may be zero. And that's fine, life happens. Persistent, daily effort is the point. Dot's List: Yakko: Mental Health ​Taking care of my mental health is key, anything from this list counts for this category for the day. AT LEAST one thing per day. Some days it will be one, others it will be more. And some days it may be zero. And that's fine, life happens. Persistent, daily effort is the point. Yakko's List: Wakko: Emotional Health (Fun and creativity) ​Finding the fun is the key to most things! Anything from this list counts for this category for the day. AT LEAST one thing per day. Some days it will be one, others it will be more. And some days it may be zero. And that's fine, life happens. Persistent, daily effort is the point. Wakko's List: That's pretty much it!. I'll let Yakko take it from here: EDIT: Villain PvP sign up IS LIVE

So this will be the last challenge of 2015. I would like very much to make it count. To make it count, I need to choose my goals wisely, and try not to put too much in too short of a time. My lower back hurts, and I have issues with my spine in the neck area (tingling fingers can tell a lot about this). So it is bad for me to not be physically active. Besides that, I feel constantly stressed and harrassed with too many things going on. Quest one: do Yoga 3 times a week, sometimes - as the flow goes - in combination with Pilates. Basically, do "Yogilates." Side track to this: log step count every day. Just logging at this time, to see where I am actually standing. Quest two: keep decluttering, because it makes me happy and clears my mind. Every day get rid of at least one item. Side track to this: keep taking St. John's Wort daily, which I started recently, hoping that it might impact my general mood towards a happier and less stressed outlook. Quest three: Doing every day something nice just for myself. Be it taking the time for a face mask, a long hot bath or just a few minutes with a cup of tea or maybe a few pages of a book before bed - anything counts, as long as it is possible to be counted as self care. Side track to this: log water intake. I do feel much better drinking enough water, but I tend to forget it on stressful days. Quest four: keep up the nice habit of storytelling time with my kids, try to record more stories. Side track to this: try to start writing down at least some of my stories and - sometimes - write down in a journal if something happened that emotionally did something to me: either make me very happy, sad, pissed off … anything. Just to get more in touch with my feelings, acknowledging them. Because, honestly, I suck at giving my emotions enough room. Side tracks will not be graded. Life Quest: find balance between work and my personal needs. I would love to one day wake up (no matter whether day off or work day) and just feel happy, rested and at ease instead of tense, worn out and unnerved.

2016 Road Map These are my big goals for the next year, there is a lot I want to accomplish so I reserve the right to alter them as life happens Mental Health Live In the Moment- take things second by second day by day maintain good habits Meditation at least 5x per week, preferably daily Inspiration Gratitude Positive Self Talk falling in love with myself Physical Health Exercise Pilates 2x per week Lifting 2-3x per week walking- as active rest yoga? Eat your Freggies Sleep Water Creative Health: Writing write another book this year (Camp NaNo) finish second draft of 2014 Nano by april (Editing from Jan-March) finish third draft by june (March-May) finish 2015 Nano (May-June) Drawing 1 per challenge Music Write an EP 3-4 songs I like Become proficient at guitar, this means: able to play songs change chords well know all the notes on the frets Return to School: Financial Aid for School tax returns (by april priority deadline) fafsa (by april priority deadline) CSS profile (by april priority deadline) Finalize return to Wes (May-June) email dean email advisor pick classes Learning: Read 20 new books this year Take 3 coursera courses to get used to studying and classes again Fluency in French?

We are the Renaissance Rebels... We're having a Creative Revolution and you're invited! Do you have a creative quest among your challenge goals? Then join this ragtag, eccentric group of nerds and level up your health and fitness habits and your creativity. Sure, that's a lot of balls to juggle over the course of six weeks, but it's a lot easier and more fun when you've got buddies! Post a reply below to introduce yourself. We're happy to have you! Renaissance Rebels BlackTezca Jakkals JMitch Kilo Luciana Valerosa Culming QuietRiotGrrrl Robkashikoi roseofmay scrawlcreatelive ShadowLion Silverwitch spookyfoot Terinatum WoodNymph WushuWarrior

Since last year, many things have happened in my life, and not all of them were pleasant. Last spring, I discovered NF, did a challenge amongst the Assassins -- and in the summer, I sort of ... disappeared. Not only from NF, but from many parts and aspects of my life I used to love and which stealthily fell behind, disappearing in the shadows. Friends, creativity, joy of life. Somehow, I didn't put up much of a fight and now I see that this was a mistake. No matter what life presents you with, there is always more to it than "just functioning." This year, I turned 49, and yes, it did make me think about the "second half of life." Second half? Who says I'm going to make it to 100 years? See, I feel that I need to change something, before it is too late. I am a mother of two, married, fighting a workaholic's fight on too many fronts at the same time, neclecting myself and those who are closest to me. This has to be changed. Better now than never. One positive thing since last year: I lost loads of weight, and I kept it off by following a very low carb lifestyle which I enjoy - much to the surprise of many. So these are my goals, listed but not ranked: #1: reconnect with friends. Due to the fact that I lived in different countries, this means digging up addresses, asking others for emails and so on. In order to reconnect, write at least two letters/ emails per week to different persons I would like to reconnect with. #2: do Yoga every day. I am not much of a gym person, and I love the fact that Yoga can easily be practised at home. Since my Yoga is sort of self-taught with a book, I signed up with NF yoga, and I would like to do two weeks Water Series A, two weeks Water Series B, and maybe - if things run really well - two weeks Fire Series A, depending on how I feel with it. #3: on "short" Yoga days, do my regular Pilates routine in addition, since it helped me a lot with some pains and ailments that come with excessive desk work. #4: before bedtime, storytelling time with my kids. They don't have much time with me, but they love it when I am not too pooped at the end of the day to read to them or to just talk about THEIR day. #5: finish one crafting project per week (I have a lot of started but unfinished stuff here…) #6: get rid of stuff that just sits around and clutters my space. I believe that "mess outside" is a symbol of "mess inside", and I need more clarity and peace of mind. Instead of junkyard, think Zen garden… I will use a method a fellow nerd inspired me to (I already have a big box in the hallway for stuff to go). Life Quest: reduce work hours, get healthy and come to a point where I can say again that I am happy with my life. Sounds like a pretty easy plan, but I would be happy if I can do it. I leave the house around 7.30am and I return earliest by 6pm. Every day. There is not much time left for anything else but work. Breaks at work I will use to follow threads, and to post. Any input is greatly appreciated! And here my grading system, days counted include weekends: #1 Writing 12 letters during challenge = A, 9 letters = B, 6 letters = C, 3 letters = D 2 or less = fail. #2 Yoga every day = A, miss one day per week = B, miss two days per week = C, miss three days per week = D, miss more than three days per week = fail #3 Pilates three times per week = A, 2 times = B, one time = C, none = fail #4 Storytelling: every day = A, miss one = B, miss two = C, miss three = D, miss more than three = fail #5 6 crating projects selected: all six done = A, five done = B, four done = C, three done = D, less than three = fail (calculated over the duration of the whole challenge) #6 Decluttering: tackling every day at least one corner, drawer or compartment in my office shelf, no matter how small. Every day get one part done = A, miss one day = B, miss tow days = C, miss three days = D, less than three days or none = fail This goes by week, and in the end I'll somehow come up with a total grade how the challenge went as a whole setup.

*does the secret knock* Hello, everyone! It's me, Jenn. I'm back in the Assassins this time to shift my focus back toward bodyweight training, which I have been neglecting for a few months. I wanna get lean and buff! Can't really do that without some exercise. I've been unemployed for two weeks now, and I have one week to go before my new job starts. My sleep schedule's gone all to hell in the mean time, so I need to get that back under control before my job starts on the 21st. Controlling my schedule will be the goal of Week 1, and Week 2 will be fairly easygoing because of the stress of adjusting to a new social situation. There are two big creativity-based events that happen for me in November: NaNoWriMo and the local gaming con, MACE. I'm planning to GM for the second year in a row, so I need to spend the latter half of the challenge prepping for those. I feel like I've been working up to this challenge for the 7 or so months that I've been on NF. I've known from the beginning what parts of life I wanted to be in control of, and more or less what I wanted that to look like. However, every time I've tried to get all of the balls into the air at once, I ended up dropping something - usually exercise. This time around, I'm going for at least a token element of every part that I want to balance. I feel that I need to keep my qualifications for "success" as low as possible, and strive for consistency. I also experimented with "progressive" goals last challenge - things I could work toward completing during the course of the challenge. I liked making the time to get things done, and it felt good to check things off as I went, rather than just doing an endless cycle of repetitive daily tasks. So I have 4 progressive-style goals, but they are of secondary importance to consistently doing my daily activities. Main Goal: Maintain a predictable schedule that helps me to fulfill my responsibilities and physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. This breaks down into smaller parts: A. Morning Ritual -Wake Up w/o Snoozing (at 7:30 am) -Exercise (headstand practice, 1-min plank, 50 pushups AND/OR go for a walk) -Pray -Eat breakfast -Go to work! (leave by 8:30 am if commuting; start by 9 if working from home) B. Evening Ritual -No screens for at least an hour before bedtime (bedtime is 10:30; stop screens and get ready for bed at 9:30) -Get outfit and lunch ready for tomorrow -Take a shower & brush teeth -Meditate (20 mins?) and/or quiet activity in dim light (plus sleepytime tea) -Sleep! (hopefully by 10:45) C. Count Calories (trying not to eat more than 1500 per day) D. Weekly Requirements (must be done at minimum once per week. More is good): -Clean Litter Box -Run and Empty the Dishwasher -Do Something Special for Spouse Bonus Goals: 1) The Minimalism Game - This PVP challenge runs for 30 days from Sept 14 to Oct 13. On day 1, you get rid of 1 object. Day 2, two objects. And so on, until getting rid of 30 objects on day 30! I have felt smothered in clutter for quite some time, so I am really looking forward to this. 2) NaNoWriMo prep - The last two years, I have worked on writing up background world information for a fantasy setting in which to play tabletop RPG games. Every year, I end up retreading some ground, because in the 11 months in between, I come up with new ideas or refinements for the previous ideas. That means that I essentially have two versions of the world stored in badly-organized text documents. I would like to bring those two documents together into a well-organized whole, which will remind me of what I have already written, and help me figure out which areas I want to change. (I already know there are some things that I want to update!) I also hope that I can give myself a better jumping-off point to devise some more historical parts of the world, rather than working with the purely cosmic creation-level stuff. I need to have a couple centuries, at least, of world history in order to create the specific settings that are needed to actually start using the world for gaming. (For those who are confused, think of this as a project on the level of Tolkien's Middle Earth. It's a life-long work that will always be evolving, and I'm a very top-down type of storyteller. My hope is to create a very lived-in feeling world for others to tell stories inside of.) 3) GM prep - CANCELLED 4) My Portfolio - CANCELLED NEW #3) Draw Every Day - Because I love it. Because it's fun. Because it relieves stress. Because I want to start doing commissions and comics. Not going to grade myself on whether I miss a day. Just going to try to find a little time in my schedule eat day for doodling. Who is Jym? Like some other rebels, I take the "roleplaying game" aspect of NF to additional heights by writing a story about my NF character. The things that happen to Jym are a dim, fuzzy reflection of things that happen in my own life during the challenge. Some of the metaphors are more obvious than others. Magic, for example, represents self-control for me. I visualize magic as being a mental discipline, which requires focus and also the ability to stop thinking about something and actually DO it. Self-control is the same. I thought about staying with the Druids for this challenge, since it really deals more with mental discipline and inner balance, but the assassins are known for being doers who jump in with both feet. I need that momentum to carry me along until the internal stuff has become a habit. Quick recap of Jym's story, for those who haven't read the old posts:

GRAVITY FALLS THEMED CHALLENGE, YO! Format: week to week challenge goals (thanks deftona!) in categories of: NutritionCreativeLife GoalPreparationMaintenance Here's what I'm starting with. I'll see how the first week goes and then if I need to I can edit/ re-evaluate from there. Quest 1: Smile Dip Days in deficit! Action: Goal is for 6 days in deficit for the week Grading A= 6 days in deficit B=5 days in deficit C= 3-4 days in deficit D=1-3 days in deficit F= 0 days in deficit Quest 2: "Grunkle Stan, I’m an arts and crafts master. Why do you think I always have this glue gun stuck to my arm?†Action: A creative thing! Drawing, guitar, writing etc. 5x per week. Grading A= 5x per week B=4x per week C=3x per week D=2x per week F=0x per week Quest 3: The Bunker -Preparation Action: Prepare for the next day with a to-do list. OR 2 hour blocks 7x per week Listing my intentions/goals for the day seems to help. So I'm going.... Grading: A= 5-7 to do lists/ 2 hour blocks B-3-5 to do lists/ 2 hour blocks C=1-3 to do lists/2 hour blocks F= 0 to do lists/2 hour blocks Quest 4: Maintaining the Mystery Shack I've been slacking on meditation. And meditation is super important for my mental health. So I am re-dedicating myself to it, in a challenge goal. Action: morning meditation 7x per week Grading A= 5-7 morning meditations B-= 4-5 morning meditations C= 2-4 morning meditations D= 1-2 morning meditations F= 0 morning meditations Other ungraded stuff I will be doing: Gratitude: 7x per week Inspiration: 7x per week Exercise: same as usual, now with after meal walks! Really just wanted to use this gif Former Quests: Quest 2: Working at the Mystery Shack Action: job applications 2x per week Grading A= 2/2 B=1/2 F=0/2 Grade A since I got a job MOAR GRAVITY FALLS GIFS: AND I'M OUTTA HERE:

We're Back! We are the Renaissance Rebels... We're having a Creative Revolution and you're invited! Do you have a creative quest among your challenge goals? Then join this ragtag, eccentric group of nerds and level up your health and fitness habits and your creativity. Sure, that's a lot of balls to juggle over the course of six weeks, but it's a lot easier and more fun when you've got buddies! Post a reply below to introduce yourself. We're happy to have you! Renaissance Rebels BlackTezca Dantilla greenjasper irmintrude greeneyes Jaex Jakkals JMitch Luciana Valerosa Culming Neva NikaNika RangerDanger Scrawlcreatelive ShadowLion Viscura WoodNymph

I'm currently in the middle of an NCIS binge on Netflix, so what better theme for a challenge? These are my "team members" for this challenge. Kate--Training Kate does a good job of keeping in shape, and that's what I'm working on. Though the specific training from day to day may vary, my goal is to do something active for an average of 5 days a week for this challenge. This can include yoga, Darebee workouts, a walk, or even mini-challenges. Goal: 30 days of working out. +2 STR, +2 DEX Abby--Drinking Abby's got her Caf-Pow, but I've got my water. Goal: 6 cups of water a day for 30 days. +2 STA, +2 CHA Tony--Eating It seems like Tony can always find something to eat! I'm still trying to find an eating "style" that works well for me and that I can stick to. This time around I'm planning to try some carb cycling as outlined in Happy Hormones, Slim Belly. If Tony falls down on the job, though, he can probably get the probie to do some research and find some other eating plan that might work. Goal: 30 days of carb-cycling or find another plan to try. +2 STA, +2 WIS Update: Tony has bowed out and made McGee do the work (again!) While McGee is researching, I'm going to stick with not eating when I'm full and eating what I'm hungry for. Gibbs--Relaxing Gibbs relaxes in the basement with his boat, getting both quiet and the chance to work with his hands. This challenge will overlap the beginning of the school year for me and for my kids. Rather than stress about it, I want to make plans to relax. Creativity is part of relaxing for me, so I want to make this a two-part goal. Goal: 30 days of doing something relaxing with at least 12 of them involving creativity. +3 CHA

This challenge is about recuperating. I reached my “big†goal that led me to this forum. I ran my 5k, and in a decent time. And I’m very happy I’ve managed to get movement back into my life, because dance is one place a get a lot of joy from. But I’ve been feeling stressed and stretched lately, and I need to reel myself back in. So I’m going with a druid class challenge this time around Quest 1: Movement 3 times a week. Dance should be one of them, or running or yoga. Strength training is good too. Anything to release the happy chemicals!Reward: 3 x week 3 DEX + 2 STA, 2 x week 2 DEX + 1 STA, 1 x week 1 STA Quest 2: Get enough sleep. I know from previous challenges that this is a tough one for me, but I really need to enough sleep consistently. This is the best way to recharge.Reward: 3 x week 3 CON + 2 STA, 2 x week 2 CON + 1 STA, 1 x week 1 CON Quest 3: Experiment with more purposeful mornings. Get out of bed earlier and try doing something besides staring at a screen. This could be going outside, running, reading (with a timer), or just staring at the wall. Just not lying in bed while staring at a wall.Reward: 6-7 x week 3 WIS, 5-4 x week 2 WIS, 3 or less x week 1 WIS Quest 4: Be creative. Write or do a craft once a week. Reward: 2 CHA (Charisma because creativity is a major part of my personality. Also because my CHA stats are sadly lacking)

Respawning seems to be a theme right now. Maybe it has to do with overambitious New Year's resolutions? For me, January sucked, and it took longer than a month to recover from the sheer panic of being convinced that hubby's work was trying to kill him before he could leave. Since I make New Year's resolutions in the spring (not necessarily April first) because that's when my energy picks up again, I'm not planning anything too ambitious until at least then. No points this challenge, just getting things accomplished for the benefits that result. I'm wanting to start with building a routine now that our life can support one. There is a bit of a problem since I don't wake up at a consistent time. Sometimes I'm awake at stupid-o-clock, sometimes I stay asleep until after dawn. I refuse to do much of anything useful before dawn, especially if hubby is still asleep. That means that some days require goofing off first thing if I'm being stubborn about the dawn thing. Idealistically, I would wake up, make tea, maybe a little goofing off in the form of checking wecomics while I flex my feet. Then I'd go through my kitchen checks, know what I'm making for dinner, and possibly do whatever prep-work I could before doing less-critical things. I want to add to my daily list, but I'm going to start with the very basics. I re-read challenge seven about doing dailies, I still don't have a good rule about when dailies reset. I could clean the kitchen in the evening and double-dip on the "done" because I can consider the counter wiped if nothing got on it between me cleaning it and noon the next day. Other than going on a 36-hour schedule, it just means I got to follow the intent of what I hope to accomplish. Basically there are going to be some days when I don't do my dailies and it doesn't count as a negative because I cleaned in the evening and didn't mess it up until next evening, meaning it was clean during the day, even if I cleaned in the morning as well. Darnit, I'm confused again, but I know what I mean. Do the dailies: What I'm trying to accomplish is to always have the kitchen be "ready" and not an overwhelming mess. Hopefully I can spread to my craft room, the living room being in similar states of readiness, and even have the storage rooms be clean enough to be able to mindlessly wander in and grab something. Be intentional about downtime: I want to do crafts, draw and color, play with toys. Right now I'm just poking around online and waiting for things to be better, probably the definition of collecting underpants? With the mess right now, it's probably less-ambitious to set aside time for video games and reading stuff on the kindle or real books. Check in just about every day: Not being aware of what day it is was a relaxing coping mechanism, but it's really past time to reject paying attention to time. Mostly I'll be talking about how the day went, what I accomplished, what I made for dinner.

Do you have a creative quest among your challenge goals? Then join this ragtag, eccentric group of nerds to level up your health and fitness habits and your creativity. Sure, that's a lot of balls to juggle over the course of six weeks, but it's a lot easier and more fun when you've got buddies! YOU are invited to join The Renaissance Rebels for fitness, fun, creativity, and camaraderie! You can check out previous Renaissance Rebels challenge threads: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. We're happy to have you!

Calling all artists - Creative types - those wanting to level up their skills and fun! (How do you generalize the totality, or even partial group of ART in one image?) how many of you have made a goal to do something creative each day, each week, each month? come join me here - (SIGN UP IS EASY - JUST PUT IN YOUR NAME - we are into the second box - so look for the light blue!) My goal is to ART once each day. Notice I said ART... not do art. For me, art is a state of mind, a point of reference, the place my soul resides. I find my joy in my faith and my creativity - and my creativity is an expression of my faith, without being all preachy(I do alot of nature stuff). I admire all sorts of art - and I'd like to encourage that, as we grow and level up. This is where I am a nerd! I'll post something 4x a week for me - what will you post? PLEASE FILL IN THE SIGNUP SHEET, and when I have your thread(battle or challenge) I'll put in the links of those threads that belong to us artists. I'm going to do this for 6 weeks - but I may continue it if we enjoy ourselves! ~Christi And, I decided to add some challenges - just to keep us motivated! week 1 - do something for 15 minutes that is free flowing - free sketch, free music, free writing, scribble your next crossstitch ideas....sketch out your next home gym idea...get the idea? week 2 - week 3 - week 4 - week 5 - week 6 - RESIDENT ARTISTS: ChristArtist - Continues Losing It Folks from last challenge - HansJay - Feowyn Chromaggia - Gobnait cn3wton - ShadowLion - My LIttle Pony - King Leeroy CelebrateCeleste Svella - Ryoko Shatyr Pyrorazor DarKRaideR Teros

I want to keep the goals from the last challenge as daily habits (lets assume I do them). That means 3x weekly yoga, almost daily J-exercises, daily work post-it, fewer carbs, and a daily evening routine which includes gratefulness exercises and putting stuff in place to make my mornings no-brainers. But I also continue on my goal towards a happy, active retirement. That's a long way off, of course, but I want to lay the groundwork now, and there are a bunch of studies out there which show that stuff like getting healthy (hence yoga and diet: check) is one part of it, but also that seniors with wider circles of friends and greater community support do better. Hence I want to try and improve on that part of my life, since I'm a natural introvert with a relatively small circle of friends I need to take care of. And goal 4 is about getting back to creativity, because keeping an active mind is another part of staying healthy, active and happy longer. So.... Communication: Goal 1) call *someone* everyday. This is working towards improving my communication in friendships. Over the last few years I've become telephone shy, though I can remember back to a time a few years ago where I could talk to certain friends on the phone for hours at a time. Also, I need to get better at keeping in touch with people - some friendships just seem to slide. So, call *someone* everyday, and log who. That's going to cost me some serious willpower, trust me. Goal 2) make at least one complement daily. Along similar lines. Could be a stranger, friend or work colleague, but work towards being more (genuinetly) positive with people. Also, log the complement for future reference (and scoring purposes). Goal 3) Social meida abstinence before 9.30am and after 10pm. It's distracting, and it stops me communicating with people in person. This basically means e-mail, facebook and online dating sites. And yes, I'm including work e-mail in that with the idea of trying to get something significant done in the morning. Creativity: Goal 4) Writing every morning before work. Could be taking notes, editing or working on an actual story. I want to start writing again, and since it's November and therefore Nanowrimo, this seems appropriate. So, use some of that social-media-free time in the morning (before work) to do some writing or editing. On an aside, guitar practice needs to become a habit, but I worry that adding that as a goal here will be too much, so I came up with the genius thing of adding the following to my evening routine: Put the guitar on the sofa. Then if I want to sit down at lunchtime (which I often do after lunch), I have to physically move the guitar to do so, and it might at least inspire me to do a few minutes.

Do you have a creative quest among your challenge goals? Then join this ragtag, eccentric group of nerds to level up your health and fitness habits and your creativity. Sure, that's a lot of balls to juggle over the course of six weeks, but it's a lot easier and more fun when you've got buddies! YOU are invited to join The Renaissance Rebels for fitness, fun, creativity, and camaraderie! You can check out previous Renaissance Rebels challenge threads: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. If it looks like fun, signup on the Cross Guild page and post a reply below to introduce yourself. We're happy to have you!

Do you have a creative streak? Do you plan to have a creative life quest among your challenge goals once you graduate from Level One? Become an apprentice in the Renaissance Rebel Atelier and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow apprentices and the mentorship of experienced RenRebs! YOU are invited to join The Renaissance Rebel Apprentices for fitness, fun, creativity, and camaraderie! You can check out previous Renaissance Rebels challenge threads: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. If it looks like fun to you, sign up to be an apprentice on the Level One page and post a reply below to introduce yourself. We're happy to have you!

For the next six weeks, I will follow the Angry Birds workout routine--which makes me a temporary Assassin, if I'm reading correctly that bodyweight workouts fall within their realm of expertise. Main Quest My long-term focus continues to be getting healthy and staying healthy. To this point, I have been using weight, waist diameter, and BMI as my proxy measurements of healthiness. In 30 weeks, I lost 55 pounds, 5 inches of belly, and 8 points of BMI respectively--and hopefully this has translated to a better blood profile, lower blood pressure, less insulin resistance, and better liver functioning. Although I have made some furtive steps toward increasing my activity level, most of my efforts have gone into improving my diet. For this quest, I will pivot into exercise. Main Side Quests M1. The Angry Birds workout awards stars for each of four exercises, and provides a path for leveling up each one to more difficult versions or a larger number or required repetitions. I will complete 2-3 sessions of each exercise per week, not doing any one exercise two days in a row, and attempting to earn more stars and/or increase my levels to indicate progress in building muscle. M2. I will increase protein intake as necessary to facilitate muscle regeneration between workouts. From what I've read, this is necessary to the process. M3. For six weeks, I will not stress out about weight. If building muscle mass, or eating in a way that encourages muscle recovery puts me outside my target weight range, I will address that issue in a future challenge. M4. I will try to get more sleep. Life Quests L1. I will build my web design business. L2. I will work on my novel. L3. I will continue to organize my office, computer, and life.

Lexi Cal's adventures have just started. The last six weeks have been strange and hectic and exciting. He has run for cover, dug himself out of rubble, kicked a corpse, stolen a lifestone ruby, and rowed across a river (yes, a Dwarf... over water!) to a strange island. He's joined a ragtag gang of adventurers who call themselves Rangers. They seem resourceful and capable of caring for themselves in dire situations. They can probably teach him a thing or two in the coming weeks. Interesting times... The last challenge was my first ever with the NerdFitness Rebellion. It was lots of fun! I kept it simple and plan to do the same for this challenge. So here's what I'm aiming for. Main goal: <30-min 5K race (same as last challenge). Subgoals: Running 2x a week for 3 pts of STA. One long run of about 30 minutes, one shorter run (~20 minutes) with sprints. 11-12 = A, 9-10 = B, 7-8 = C, 5-6 = D, 4 or less = missed Bodyweight workouts 3x a week for 3 pts of STR. I do the startbodyweight.com basic routine and track my progress on their chart. Stronger muscles for faster race times! 16-18 = A, 13-15 = B, 10-12 = C, 7-9 = D, 6 or less = missed Make space by getting rid of 5 things a week for 3 pts of WIS. I have five boys, and my wife and I have generous friends. We thus have accumulated too much stuff in our apartment. To make organizing our stuff easier, we'll donate or sell or recycle 5 objects a week. 26-30 = A, 21-25 = B, 16-20 = C, 11-15 = D, 6-10 = E, 5 or less = missed Create something (art, writing, painting, poetry, etc.) 5x a week for 3 pts of WIS. I find I spend too much time on unproductive things like online games or apps. Creating is the perfect way for me to unwind in a stimulating way. Writing up the adventures of Lexi Cal on the forums counts toward this goal. It IS creative writing 26-30 = A, 21-25 = B, 16-20 = C, 11-15 = D, 6-10 = E, 5 or less = missed The 3 last points will go towards mini-challenges. Preferably in DEX or CHA. Lexi Cal is one grumpy clod!

Challenge number three, take two! I bailed out halfway through my last challenge, but I don’t regret it. My mental health was not in a good place, and the challenge had become Just One More Thing. I cut out as many of those as I could, and it definitely helped. I’m in a much better place now—winter is over; I changed jobs to one that not only pays me more, and is challenging while still important, but also lets me work with friends; and we got a new dog. Not having a dog around has messed with me since our previous dog died last year. Not that these changes didn’t bring stresses of their own—I’m halfway through 12 weeks of intensive training at the new job, and the dog has heartworm and is on his third week (of eight) of prednisone and very restricted exercise. But overall things are settling into a new normal, and I feel like I can turn my attention back to fitness. Main Quest: Build habits to reduce stress and get fit. Currently I’m walking on my 15 minute breaks, always taking the stairs (I work on the third floor), packing a healthy lunch, and making a healthy breakfast smoothie (nonfat greek yogurt, a cup of nut milk, a cup+ of frozen and/or fresh fruit, and one packet of milled flax seed). These are all habits I’ve formed, and they’re sticking with me even when I’m not doing a challenge. But they’re all habits that are triggered only on days I go to work. In my previous challenges, I would get things done, but never built new habits except for when NOT doing things (like avoiding potato chips or fried food). I’d get the activity done at some point because “I have to do my challenge for today,†and as soon as the six weeks were over, I stopped doing the activity. Therefore, this time I’m focusing on building habits (if I don’t have to think about doing it, it’s way less stressful) and finding things I enjoy doing and will look forward to. The key will be finding the right triggers. In order to facilitate building the habits, I'm not worrying about duration too much for this challenge. Goal #1: Jump rope at least 2 mins a day, three days a week (MWF) I have wanted to take up jogging, but haven’t done it for various reasons, some of which are health-related. But I recently read an article on jumping rope, which indicated you can burn more calories in less time while still getting the bone-density benefits of running. Plus it’s fun, portable, and I can do it indoors or outdoors without having to worry about sun exposure or stranger danger. (Way back in the when, my husband and I signed up for a gym, and the trainer was taking us around and showing us the equipment. He pointed out the treadmills dismissively, adding, “I don’t know why anyone uses those rather than just running outside.†To which I replied, “Because in here there are lights and cameras and people, and I don’t have to worry about getting attacked and raped if I can’t find anyone to go running with me at night.†From the startled look the guy gave me, this had obviously never occurred to him.) Trigger: I have a couple ideas, which I will try and see what works best. I may do this in the morning after taking care of the animals but before my shower. Or, I may just take the jump rope to work with me. I get to work early most days, so I may just jump rope in the parking lot, or possibly the basement. However, I'm hoping to eventually expand this time into a longer workout, so fitting it into home time would probably be best. Goal #2: Handstands for at least 2 minutes a day, two days a week If I’m making a trigger for jumping rope three days a week, then I need to make sure I have some fitness thing I’m doing on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or that trigger is just not going to take. Whatever trigger works for jumping rope, I can use for handstands on the off days. I love handstands, and I'm still not doing them regularly. I just don't think about it. Nail those to a trigger and I might just do them every day. (First things first, though.) Goal #3: Meditate 2 minutes every morning Despite having a meditation goal in every challenge so far, I have never developed an actual daily habit of practice. Trigger: After the morning routine of taking care of the animals, showering, packing lunch, and making my breakfast smoothie, I will take said breakfast smoothie into the sunroom, shut the door, and sit quietly for two minutes. This will also hopefully have the added benefit of reminding me to make breakfast on the weekends (see side goal). Life Goal: Be artsy! I don’t make time to be creative, other than writing, and like anything else I feel like I “should†do or “need†to do, writing has become a chore. So it’s not in this list. Instead, I will do something creative or artsy every week, purely because I think it would be fun. I have two Paint Nites scheduled, some jewelry I want to make, unfinished cross-stitch and embroidery, a paint-by-number I haven’t started, and some cook books I’ve been browsing. I also want to have the husband hook the Playstation back up so I can play Rock Band. I miss singing. I’ve also been meaning to make a playlist of songs I love to sing along to. Side Goal: Breakfast on Weekends I don’t eat breakfast on the weekends. Sometimes I don’t even eat lunch. This is bad. SCORING: Goal #1: 6 weeks of 3 sessions is 18 sessions. (+2 STA) A = 18, B = 16, C = 13, D = 9. I’m not accepting anything less than half. Goal #2: 6 weeks of 2 two sessions is 12 sessions. (+1 STR, +1 DEX) A = 12, B = 10, C = 8, D = 6. I’m not accepting anything less than half. Goal #3: 6 weeks of 7 meditations is 42 meditations. (+2 WIS) A = 42, B = 35, C = 28, D = 21. I’m not accepting anything less than half. Life Goal: Once a week for six weeks is six activities. (+2 WIS) A = 6, B = 5, C = 14, D = 3. I’m not accepting anything less than half. Diet Side Goal: 6 weeks of 2 instances is 12 instances (+2 CON) A = 12 or less, B = 13-15, C = 16-17, D = 18. Once again I'll be keeping track via this handy template: Jump Rope - 0/3 - 0/3 - 0/3 - 0/3 - 0/3 - 0/3 - 0/18 Handstands - 0/2 - 0/2 - 0/2 - 0/2 - 0/2 - 0/2 - 0/12 Meditate - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/7 - 0/42 Be Artsy! - 0/1 - 0/1 - 0/1 - 0/1 - 0/1 - 0/1 - 0/6 Breakfast - 0/2 - 0/2 - 0/2 - 0/2 - 0/2 - 0/2 - 0/12

This my new and improved, fiercely focused battle log, in which I stop dabbling, get tough, and pursue mastery. This challenge is a continuation of the Major Quest I started at the beginning of 2014 - "Becoming the Shadow Lion" - and I expect to deliver noticeable progress in several specific areas by May 30th. This is my seventh challenge, and the third (of at least seven) this quest cycle. My Commitment for 2014 is to participate in seven consecutive NF challenges with the following definite aim: To overcome my current limitations and (physical disability, bad habits, faulty beliefs and attitudes) attain a high level of fitness and a healthy body weight, through a strategic combination of healthy eating, targeted physical activity, and systems design. ~ My Aim is Driven by My Motivation ~ I resolve to not die with my best dreams and work still inside me For I can bring beauty, joy, and healing into the world through my art, music, and writing ~ To accomplish My Aim, I must pursue My Main Quest with drive, determination, and discipline ~ "I am as unstoppable as the Shadow Lion!" This is my new battle cry when tempted to skip training, indulge in sugary foods, or slack on my practicing... Day by day, I plan to gamify my challenge and draw inspiration from the best qualities of my hero and literary creation, Ariel ha' Cathach, the "Shadow Lion." Note: Major rewriting has been occurring and my protagonist has a new moniker. I plan to continue as ShadowLion for Nerd Fitness purposes, for simplicity's sake, and just because I like it. I will still be modeling my fitness, health and creative pursuits after my protagonist, as she's still a "ranger's ranger" who's kickass fit, doesn't take "No" or "You can't" for an answer, never gives up on her main objective, and always, always, always follows her heart. She is utterly committed to her friends and family, and believes in herself and her mission.

So, I was feeling bored and extra nerdy, and came up with a fun visual representation of my coming challenge. Basically how this is going to work is that this image will slowly be filled in over the course of the challenge, so by the end I will have a colourful picture of my progress! So here's the deal: Diet: Eat paleo. I feel and perform best when I stick to this, but I still haven't quite found the balance where I can have occasional non-paleo foods without going off the rails. I'm not going to worry too much about the little things - condiments, suga in mah bacon, a dab of butter here and there etc. But I AM going to limit certain not-paleo-but-not-entirely-horrible-for-you foods to 3 servings per week. Green Cards: Each card represents one serving of: dairy, beans, rice, or other non-gluten grains, wine or white potatoes. These reset every week, HOWEVER, if I leave all three cards all week, I earn a fourth for the next week - I wanted to have some incentive to not use them all. Pink/Mint Cards: These are my major cheat cards, and I get two for the whole challenge. They can be used on something containing gluten and/or crap-tastic dessert. (I can still have paleo desserts ie. fruit, bananas w/ almond butter, etc. I never make "faileo" baked goods anyway, so I'm not worried about that.) I felt like things were sliding in this category last challenge, so I need to get back in the habit of avoiding this stuff altogether. +2CHA, +2CON ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Kilometerage: <---now that's an awkward word! I'm sticking with it though. Bow down to the almighty metric system! I really want to reduce my reliance on my car. It would be good for me, good for the environment, and good for my wallet. We just bought a second bike, so now my hubs and I can bike together, plus we got a bike trailer, so we can get groceries and whatnot with them also! I'm not really sure what a realistic goal for this is, so it might get adjusted over time, but I'm thinking of aiming for 25 km per week for now. I also wanted a reward for this, without resorting for food rewards or spending a lot of money. Thankfully my lovely husband has agreed to help out - for every 10 stars I earn, we have a date night of my choosing! STARS: 1 star for every 5km I travel instead of using my car (biking, walking, rollerblading - it doesn't matter as long as I'm using Fonzico power) 1 star for every 10km I travel recreationally. This isn't intended to be a disincentive to doing this stuff for fun, but to encourage me to really find ways to cut down on the car usage. +4STA ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Work it. Work it real good. Yay my new kettlebell came! 20lbs of yellow awesomeness. All I have to do for this goal is get two strength workouts in per week. I actually still have a couple punch passes for kettlebell classes, so I'll use those up, plus doing stuff at home. The princess is TOTALLY in this castle: This is the numbered pathway, up the clouds and into the castle. I get to colour in one space per workout. Easy peasy. +2STR, +2DEX ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** CREATE! So, we are going to start selling stuff at our local Farmer's Market this summer - it opens on May 17th, so it will fall within this challenge! Ahhh! I need to make some stuff to sell - I have lots of ideas, and many things started, but it'll be a pretty pitiful stall if I don't get my butt in gear. I don't have a hard and fast goal for this, but for the sake of it, I'm going to say that I need to make a least 5 saleable items per week. Flowers: I can colour in one portion of each flower every time I finish something. +2WIS, +1CHA ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** So there you have it. It's a little more loosey-goosey than my usual fare, but I think it will be fun and I'm feeling very motivated!

Five days after the end of this challenge is my first Nerdversary. While I have made progress in one year, I know I am capable of more. I am hungry, and I am going hunting - stalking myself, my excuses, my bad habits, my faulty beliefs and attitudes. It's time to get tough. That cute little cub laughing at burpees has grown and now it's time go after fresh meat on the hoof. Stalk it, kill it. Focus... But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy some adorable baby animals... Or hang out with my fellow Renaissance Rebels and the merry, marauding pirate queens, the CutLasses. (That last should actually be written as "The CutLasses!" Those ladies boarding your ship have not come to join you for tea and crumpets...) Aargh! Oh, yeah...focus. BECOMING THE SHADOW LION My motivations and commitment for my quest are detailed in my battle log. The premise of this whole year's worth of challenges is that I am attempting to emulate the rangerly heroine of my fantasy series, to understand my protagonist from the inside out as it were, and Become the Shadow Lion. It has been an interesting psychological exercise to see the ways in which one's literary creations mirror their creator - or not. And, it can be decidedly uncomfortable, and very instructive, to have some of the shadowy corners of one's own psyche reflected back at one's self. My overall goals from last challenge, and for this year's quest as a whole, remain essentially the same - more muscle, less fat; more skill, focus, and creativity. What will be changing this time, however, is that I will be going deeper and expecting much more from myself. Instead of focusing on establishing a variety of good habits, as I have up until now, I will instead zero in and stress test specific ones. I will use those select few to really go after my most persistent demons and the highest value targets. (Dr. Pepper, this means you!) I do plan to keep doing many of the established routines I have built up in the past year, but they will be clearly subordinate to the major goals listed below. Their intensity and frequency will be scaled to support the Big Four targets; if they interfere or take too much time, energy or focus from the highest priority items, they will be modified or even dropped. This will all be detailed in my battle log. This challenge will be a major test of my desire (my hunger) and my commitment (my will to endure and ability to stay on the trail of the beast and make the kill). Success resides inside and depends on intense focus, crystal clear priorities, mental toughness, trust in my abilities, and a belief that I am worth it. Each of the five factors listed above has doomed other, similar efforts in the past. The differences between then and now lie in my greater awareness, months of preparation, and my wonderful support network. Even so, I place my odds of total success at about 50-50. These are called "challenges" for a reason, right? Here goes... 1) ShadowLion Trains for the Hunt - STR-3 DEX-2 The Shadow Lion LAUGHS at Burpees! She LOVES all forms of bodyweight training. (_/3) ShadowLion's unofficial PvS Burpee Quest DEX -2 (_/1) 3 sets of 15 Burpees in less than 21 minutes. As many unmodified as possible, but knee pushups are acceptable. I'm getting into the PVP mindset and a Burpee challenge was discussed last time. This may become official... Armstrong Pullup PVP STR- 3 (_/2) Complete the Beginner Level of the PVP with 3 sets of 15 assisted pullups and 3 sets of 15 knee pushups OR 2 sets of 1 pullup and 2 sets of 2 full pushups. 5/12 - Revision for final two weeks of challenge and Week 0 of the next: I'm dropping the burpees, pullups, and pushups, and refocusing on my lower body (squats, lunges) and endurance training (exercise bike, walking) until my elbow really heals. I can get my weight down some more that way, too. I can still do planks and situps, plus standing "knees to elbows" for core work. Stamina Work - Walking and/or exercise biking, 5x per week STA-3 Strength Work - Squats and lunges, 2x per week - STR-2 2) ShadowLion Slays the Soda Demon - CON-5 Live 100% soda-free for all 47 days of the "The No Soda PVP Challenge" (_/47) This portion of my quest will extend 5 days past the normal end of the 6 week challenge. Ah, the warm fuzzies of last challenge's food quest are gone. This is "Battle!" and it is all or nothing. No partial points will be awarded. 3) ShadowLion Creates Her Plan of Attack - STR-2 DEX-1 (2/3) The end point of the original goal I created for this challenge was completed April 20, just 7 days into the challenge, which rendered much of the rest of the goal moot. The original goal is contained in the spoiler below for reference. For completion of that goal, I have awarded myself STR-1. The remaining STR-1 and DEX-1 points are rolled over to the revised goal, which I intend to complete by the end of the challenge. I have retitled my Life Quest goal "ShadowLion Creates Her Plan Attack" and reworked it as follows: Perform Initial Size Up, Determine Primary Objectives, Strategy, and Major Decision Points STR-1 (_/1) Since I have determined that I want to return to the Fire Service, I am going to approach this as if I were sitting in the officer's seat on the first arriving engine: What is the current situation? What are my primary objectives? What resources are at my disposal? What method of attack has the greatest likelihood of success in this situation? What needs to happen, in what time frame, and in what order? What are the critical decision points? What can go wrong and how can I mitigate the risks? The responses to these questions will be used to create my action plan. Create Action Plan DEX-1 (_/1) Create a written action plan, with checklists and timeline, that incorporates the above information. For Nerd Fitness purposes, portions of this action plan will be formatted and pulled over into my as yet unwritten Epic Quest and into my current Battle Log. To earn my point, all three items must be up-to-date by the end of the challenge. 4) ShadowLion Pursues Mastery - STA-2 (_/4) Quality over quantity, focus over variety. One-half point each. One main task for each area and all four tasks must be completed before adding any shiny new task to any area as a bonus/reward. Art - One finished drawing that goes with my writing Craft - Finish the shrug Guitar - Relearn "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" and memorize it Writing - Three installments/posts of "Shadow Lion" themed challenge The above will be graded with the standard A, B, C, D, or F system using the usual percentages. Note: I have gotten a bit more creative with how I allocate attribute points. Thus the STA points on my Creative Quest (#4) are for patience and perseverance. On my Life Quest (#3), STR points are for inner strength and self-honesty, and the DEX point is for willingness to question both my assumptions and conventional wisdom, and to imagine new possibilities.

Do you have a creative quest among your challenge goals? Then join this ragtag, eccentric group of nerds to level up your health and fitness habits and your creativity. Sure, that's a lot of balls to juggle over the course of six weeks, but it's a lot easier and more fun when you've got buddies! YOU are invited to join The Renaissance Rebels for fitness, fun, creativity, and camaraderie! You can check out previous Renaissance Rebels challenge threads: 1, 2, 3, and 4. If it looks like fun, signup on the Cross Guild page and post a reply below to introduce yourself. We're happy to have you!

Since my last challenge was interrupted by the early arrival of our new bundle of joy, I'm now dealing with being a dad for the second time around. My sleep schedule has been shot, my workout schedule has fallen to the wayside, my productive output has been greatly reduced, my weight loss goals are in flux--and yet I've never been happier in my life. Challenge-specific goals to come, ASAP.