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Disclaimer: This has been a hell of a year!! Plus, keeping it positive here This is going to be a respawn of Intergalactic (and sometimes inter-dimensional) proportions I have been on a roller coaster of a year and with 40 right around the corner, it's time to really get back on the ball and get myself in shape in all ways. This is something I really need to commit to in a major way. So, without further ado (and with more fleshed out details coming very shortly), here comes the challenge!!! This challenge (and for several more to come afterwards) will be themed Star Trek (Next Generation and beyond). Why? Mostly because I've figured out my answer to the whole Star Wars/Star Trek debate and yes, the winner is Star Trek for so many reasons. So, with a definite rewatch of ALL of TNG, DS9 and Voyager (maybe Enterprise but I've seen it recently enough), we are going to start this one with becoming the embodiment of our favorite acting ensign of the 1701-D, Wesley Crusher. He learned much of what he knows and believes in because of the positive role models he had so what I will do is try to embody some of the traits that they have including: Being Stronger like Worf! Worf, even in his earliest days aboard the Enterprise, was very stalwart and strong learning what he could of the ship as a junior officer then to his promotion to Chief of Security. Pushing his boundaries, becoming better than he was before, usually with his calestetics programs on the Holodeck. In that respect, I need to make sure that I am making myself stronger. Less physically frail, less weak in the knees (literally), and able to do more on a day to day basis. So straight up, what I need to do is take just 10-15 minutes daily to do some kind of activity. Initially I'm looking to do things that will focus on the arms and core. Daily, I can do it!! Being Smarter like Data! Data, oh my wonderful mechanical man!! He was smart clearly due to his positronic brain and being an android though new experiences were always some of the best teachers. This plan will focus on getting back into reading and not of the fictional variety. Technical magazines, non-fiction of various subjects (history, technology), that is what I will delve into with this goal. I plan to find a book to read through the entire challenge and magazines as I can but at least one a week. Being Emotional Braver like Troi! Troi has always worn her emotions on her sleeve considering that she feels the emotions of just about anyone and anything out there being a Betazoid. Even in the throws of some of the most terrifying adversaries and entities she has been stronger than the largest Klingon and braver than the most daring Starfleet officer. I have had quite the emotionally baffling year so my goal is to be more aware of my emotions, my feelings, and my effect on others in my life. In a more concrete way, I will show my gratitude on here in the form of a devotion to someone or something that has been transformative for myself, whether it be something that I've done within the year or more recently (needless to say, especially to my friends here, we've got a lot of catching up to do). The challenge starts today, ENGAGE!!!

Annabjoyful and the Return to Routine After successfully completing my first NF challenge earlier this spring, I entered a time of kind of crazy life stress. My job took a turn for the worst, and I made the decision to leave, find a new position, and subsequently relocate to be closer to family. I'm happy to report that I have a new job, am happily relocated, and it looks like there will be much less stress in my life and much more manageable work hours. YAY!!! Of course that means it's time to get back into a routine. During my hiatus I have been able to manage...mostly; I haven't gained weight (but I haven't lost any either), but I can tell that my stamina is not quite what it has been, and we're not even going to talk about sleep schedules. My fitness goals are the same: I want to build muscle, lose fat, gain agility, and increase flexibility to be a better, more versatile swing dancer. BUT. The most important thing here is that I need to ease back into things, so this is a challenge that I can complete relatively easily...the challenge will be consistency. If things go well the first few weeks I may add some other objectives for each goal, but for the most part I'm going to just keep it simple. Goal 1) Fitness - Work out 3+ times a week The challenge here is consistency. In the past I did home workouts, but now I'll be using a gym as my primary workout facility. My gym workouts will be a cardio warmup followed by free weights and resistance training to cover the whole body, focusing on certain muscle groups on certain days. My secondary workouts will be Pilates and light free weights at home. I'll be grading this goal weekly, as follows: A=4+ workouts, B=3 workouts, C=2 workouts, D=1 workout, F=0 workouts Goal 2) Diet - DRINK WATER ( 2 24oz bottles of water a day) Nothing fancy, not even going to set specific food or food tracking goal; I just need to drink more water. This is the bane of my existence, and I'm feeling it even more now that I have moved further south. I can't explain why, but drinking adequate amounts of water is so hard. Grading weekly on days when I have drunk two bottles of water: A=6-7 days, B=5 days, C=4 days, D=3 days, F= 2 days or less Goal 3) Sleep - Establish a regular sleep schedule New time zone, new work schedule, new sleep schedule. Goal here will be to be in bed by 10:00 and up by 6:00. I'll be doing the same thing that worked for me during my first challenge, which is no screens after 9:00, no caffeine after 2:00 pm, and one sleep time alarm to wake me up (no snoozing!). Allowances will be made for sleeping in a bit on the weekend and going to bed later on dance nights. Grading weekly based on days when I have met my bed time: A=6-7 days, B=5 days, C=4 days, D=3 days, F= 2 days or less Life Goal - 20 minutes of devotion time every day My life is nothing without my faith in God, and the most important part of my routine will be spending time in prayer and meditation. Grading weekly based on days when I have met my devotion goal: A=6-7 days, B=5 days, C=4 days, D=3 days, F= 2 days or less Thank you for joining me on this commitment - it's great to be back! Honestly, the goal here is to just finish, but hopefully the grading system will help me stay motivated. I'll be keeping a daily log and will keep you all updated with my dance life whenever I have new pics or videos