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... 'Cause the holidays are here. Wraps? Get it? It's a PUN Y'ALL i know shaar give it a rest ANYWAY For the final challenge of 2023 (that's only 4 weeks instead of 5) I'm going to continue setting some ground rules and foundations for what I want to start achieving next year. I feel I'm finally at a point in my life where I can actually start striving for more again and start challenging myself, something I haven't felt in a LONG time, and I'm excited to get on that train and have some BIG ASS PLANS. But first I really need to make sure my groundwork is set for success. This challenge will consist of two things: THING THE FIRST Continue to get intentional movement days under my belt each week. Last challenge was 4 days, but this challenge I'm going to up it to 5. I know I have the resources and time to implement this habit now, the biggest one being getting out of my own way and just DOING it. No more of this it's too cold out bullshit, or I feel lazy bullshit - I have a whole ass gym two floors below me (it's in my basement) and, remember shaar, intentional movement can be as easy as (and as IMPORTANT as) yoga and mobility. I'm aiming for a nice mix between boxing and lifting with an active rest day or two of walking and mobility work. I will continue to grow my discipline with myself and not shortchange future shaar by doing this EVERY WEEK. THING THE SECOND Living a mostly sober lifestyle has been AMAZINGGGGG for me. Granted I feel I'm at a point in my life where the timing is very right to make this decision, but the impacts of better sleep, less brain fog, and less inflammation and overall achiness have been huge immediate benefits. But! I still enjoy drinking every once in a while when it is planned and moderated right, and I feel last challenge helped me learn that and help realize and implement it. Since the holidays are here, I am allowing myself three drink tickets over the course of this challenge! That's three nights of drinking, whether it be out for an event, socially, or at home snuggled up and playing whatever dumb game I've discovered lately that brings me joy. (currently: the talos principle, because it makes me feel like a genius - so far) .... wait nevermind this challenge will consist of THREE THINGS. Eheheheh THING THE THIRD this is the wrapping up part right here Each week I will post a master list of things I am going to work to get done before the end of the year. This can be anything from practical things like finish cleaning out my pants drawer, or reorganizing the pantry, or framing and putting up the art I've bought, to little fun things like trying the greek place downtown for lunch I've never been to, or taking a walk on a snowy day and getting some pictures of holiday lights. I really want to get a lot of these lingering tasks done and dusted before the new year so I can put that focus 100% on me and my goals, so I figured I'd combine the "must dos" with some fun "want to dos" to make it a little more fun. Zero week counts for me! So I'll post a mini list tomorrow. OK! That's my little old challenge to end out this year! Aaaaaaa HYPE TIME YEAH LET'S GET ITTTTTTT

Welp, I stuck around and didn't ghost the last challenge, so I didn't technically need to respawn, but I'm basically just doing the same challenge as last time because it was not such a successful challenge. So maybe not-ghosting is an accomplishment!? I'll take it! I'm on my lunch at work right now, thinking about how my morning went and it was overall unproductive which was a lost opportunity for making my day just that little bit better. I could really use this basic challenge to turn my mornings into more consistently productive and simultaneously refreshing ways to start my day. Since the ends of my days aren't really available for doing these "refreshing" activities and I'm more of a morning person, getting this challenge to work out will be a MAJOR win for me. Here's my challenge, take two: Early rise -- Get up at 4am or 4:30am on weekdays so that I can get a few foundational things done and have "me time" before I have to go to work. M-F. 🌞 Exercise -- Walk for 30 minutes, cardio dance for 30 minutes, yoga for 30 minutes or weights for 30 minutes. It's all good. Daily. 🏃‍♀️ Drink More Water -- Drink 1+ liters of water every day. Daily. 🌊 Meditate -- Practice meditation for 5 minutes minimum, working my way up to 15 minutes by end of challenge. Daily. 🕯️ And... that's it! I got up early yesterday and drank more than a liter of water. No meditation or exercise yesterday, though. Let's see how today fares.

“Ships on vigor of the waves are skimming Barren summits to the verdant plains Each horizon is a new beginning Rise and reign Far from the Fjords and the ice cold currents Ravens soar over new frontiers Songs and sagas of a fate determined Shields and spears (...) Fires are rising and the bells are ringing Glory take us into Odin's halls Golden glimmer and the sound of singing Asgard's call”* My fellow rebels, welcome to my new challenge! I am gonna report about my progress weekly and post some motivational stuff and music too. If you support me, I’ll try my best to return the favour. Let’s unite our powers! I am gonna level up on the path of a warrior. These are the values of the Vikings’ Code of Values I am gonna pursuit and how I am gonna do it: 1. Strength “It takes a certain kind of warrior to be able to row for hundreds of miles on the open seas and then go raiding for riches. Raw power is necessary, along with endurance and functional strength. Having a physical presence and mental fortitude was essential in surviving.” Strength: My ultimate goal is to become as strong as I can. This month there are only two weeks left of this challenge and I am both sick and injured, so I am gonna include some basics: - learn the proper technique of basic movements of strength training - do what you can without compromising your health - Do exercise to strengthen the joints every day (was injured recently, need to prevent future disasters) (10 min) -Eat garlic every day (if anyone has any advice about other effective ways to boost the immune system, let me know) 2. Discipline “Discipline, again as part of a total way of life, refers to self-discipline. If one is going to live by ones own standards, they are responsible for and must be willing to control your own actions. “ Always do what is planned unless seriously sick or unwell. Never slack off - especially studying. Study every day for at least half an hour (I work 9 h a day, so not that much free time) and more on the weekend. 3. Courage The Vikings were known for their courage and bravery in battle. Courage actually applied to every part of ones life. It take courage to do what you know is right, especially when those around you disagree with your point of view.” Do at least one thing that scares you. 4. Self-Reliance “Warriors are by nature independent beings, they strive to ensure that they don’t have to depend on others for their survival. Indeed family was at the center of Viking life. A Viking is responsible for taking care of himself and his family; this is his first and foremost duty in life. Being frugal and prepared for hardship, as with a long upcoming winter, was an important part of being self-reliant.” Don’t spend more than 1000 yuan (it is 156 American dollars) for personal expenses every month. Save the rest for future adventures and possible hardships. 5. Stay in tune with the gods “The Vikings had a deep connection to nature, to the Earth and the phases of the moon, and Norse spirituality has many similarities with shamanism around the world.” Turn off your phone for two hours a day (on the weekend). Admire the nature. Connect with it and search for that feral feeling deep within. Reach to your roots, to the roots of humanity. *the lyrics at the beginning comes from “Valhalla Calling” by Miracle of Sound. It is my battle hymn!

Affinity - a similarity of characteristics suggesting a relationship, especially a resemblance in structure between animals, plants, or languages. Hi guys. Last challenge was just a little overwhelming for me to keep up with. This is not to say I didn't do well because when it was all said and done, I think I performed adequately. I just got overwhelmed tracking everything on top of balancing out my schedule AND posting it all daily. I just don't have that kind of time, lol. I wish I did but I don't. With that being said, I'm going to focus on a smaller challenge that just cover's a few things and allows me the freedom to post as frequent (or infrequent) as needed. This challenge will be covering some affinities I hope to continue gardening over the next several months. But the best part is, is I'm not locked into anything, so if I change my mind, then WOOT WOOT! I can do that . Here are the 4 affinities I'll be focusing on: Brawn - Toughness Reflex - Mobility Fortune - Luck Discipline - Control I also have a couple of goals I want to complete this year based off each affinity. And here they are: Brawn 275# Rack Pull 250# 350# Back Squat 225# Bench Murph WOD w/ 20# Weight Vest Sub 10-min mile Reflex Full Saddle (with back on the ground) Full Straddle (with chest on the ground) 30+ streak of mobility (this will change once I hit that streak) Fortune Start our savings account Invest (could be anything. Need MOAR research because I want to be smart about it) Tithe 10% of each paycheck Discipline Limit junk food whenever possible Try and complete 30-days of no junk food Daily Devotionals and Bible Study Controlled bed time during the week (11pm). Stop staying up watching YouTube! Continue growing hair (so far so good!) Lean more towards a Paleo way of eating. Try to eliminate dairy and gluten when possible. Get under 10% BF #Wolflean, I can definitely see this list growing, but I've been thinking more long term goals recently and this is the most immediate list that came to mind. As for specific challenge goals. I only have 2: Workout Sleep Yes, I do have a problem with sweets from time to time, but outside of the couple times a month it drags me down, I eat really clean. It's not an issue for me to eat good...especially when I set my mind to it. So, along with making sure I get enough sleep Monday through Friday, I want to make sure I can continually hit 4x a week in the gym. It doesn't happen as often as I'd like and I'm annoyed at myself lol. More sleep = more energy = more gym time. Plain and simple What I am reading: Battle Mage by Peter A. Flannery This is a really good book. If you like dragons, then this is your book. If you like epic battles, then this is your book. What I am watching: Black Summer (on Netflix) I'm on a HUGE zombie kick right now for a couple reasons. I love zombie stuff and have loved zombie stuff since I was little Army of the Dead is coming out next week on Netflix and I'm SUPER stoked! I finally watched Train to Busan...WOW. Amazing zombie movie. Aaaaannnnnd, Back 4 Blood is coming out this year and its one my most anticipated games in a long time! I can't wait! Castlevania What's not to love? It's incredibly violent and the animation is superb. Season 4 drops on Netflix this week. Resident Evil 8: Villiage I'm watching a YouTuber go through the whole game. It's been a blast to watch! This was lengthier than I anticipated but I haven't updated in a while and thought my initial post would be best served for that purpose . Happy Challenging, Nerds! It's good to see my wife @PrincessMononoke back on the boards. She's been working very hard since February to establish healthier habits and the results truly speak for themselves! She's lost like 40lbs so far! If you haven't checked out her challenge, you should. She's funny. And I think she's suuuuuuuper sexy! Cheers, y'all! Wolf

This challenge has no theme. This is unusual for me, but, I can't seem to find anything that's really motivating me "theme" wise...and you know what? THAT'S OK. I am currently working from home for my day job, still working weekly at Costco because there an essential business, and doing my best not to succumb to absolute bored-ness during this quarantine. Life is... strange, as I'm sure many of us are experiencing. But, I'm gonna make the best of the situation! I had originally had plans to do a Division Themed challenge this go round, but because my working from home productivity is so Important, I don't have a lot of extra time during the day to write up an epic challenge, and until I can do that, I don't won't to half-ass it. One of the hardest parts about this quarantine is: no hair cuts. I need one. BAD. I didn't have any intention on growing my hair out, so, I'm gonna need to figure something out lol. I'm loving working from home, though. I get to spend some much needed quality time with the Wolfpack™ and I couldn't be happier there. Going to Costco isn't all that bad. We're busy, that's for sure. And lucky for me, they have designated shopping hours for employees so we can get our essentials as well. It's usually at the ass-crack of dawn, but that's good with me. Get in, get out, and move on with the day. I've made do with no gym. I do a lot of "grease-the-groove" throughout the day and will be attempting a 3x a week calisthenic program from Athlean-X that covers full body for a rotating A and B workout. I tried one of the workouts the other day and found it pretty challenging, so, I know I got my work cut out for me. This challenge is all about the No Theme Quarantine Discipleen! (And I spelled discipline that way to rhyme with the other words ) Discipleen #1: Stay the Course Simple. Follow the workout program 3x a week. I have a better schedule to work around now, so, utilize it! Possible Stat Points: +1 STR, +2 DEX, +2 END Discipleen #2: Don't Eat out of Boredom Simple. Don't needless snack and eat junk. Eat quality food 90% of the time. And...NO SWEETS. PERIOD. Possible Stat Points: +2 WIS, +3 CON Discipleen #3: Flexibility for Sexibility Simple. Do yoga 1x a week minimum. Stay limber. Stay flexible. Stay Sexy. Possible Stat Points: +1 STR, +4 CON Actually, you know what? I do have some motivation during this challenge. He goes by the name of: Kumail Nanjiani He'll be starring in the upcoming Marvel movie, The Eternals, and the man has NEVER looked like this a day in his life. He's very average Joe and he's also 42 years old! I realize he had access to the best trainers and nutritionist money could by, but it was his mental fortitude that got him through the day and allowed him to kick ass for a solid year and get this incredible body. I can only HOPE to look that good at age 42. Kamail would mantra to himself when workouts were really tough: Leave your Body. And it didn't always work. He would still be sore. He would still experience pain. And soon, his mantra would become, "Chase the Pain". That's what this challenge is about. Chasing the pain to become a better me. Let's get this party started! (also, check out this ARTICLE from Men's Health about Kumail's story.) Wolf

Hello rebels! My friends call me Schmidt, I am a designer from Brazil and I'm gladly joining the revolution this January. For the last couple of years I've done nothing but to work - what granted me 10KG and lots of anxiety. In 2019 I tried very hard to change that, but I feel like I lack discipline (and motivation) to change my own routine. I found out about the challenges and decided to try it, taking it slow. For my first challenge I chose the following goals: Diet (pick two) Maintain a Daily Caloric Deficit (eat <1600 kcal/day) Limit your beer consumption to Happy Hours I got used to drinking beers to relax after work. Got to stop that asap. Fitness (pick one) 20 minutes training 5 times a week When I go to the Gym (once or twice a week) I train for at least 01 hour. My main goal however is to build a workout routine that can be sustained on busy days. Level Up Your Life (Pick One) Read at least 20 pages every day I need to finish my master degree this year. Lots of reading In little time. Thats it folks! Hope we can all keep ourselves motivated.

Hi Everyone, I don't have funny theme this challenge. What I need to focus on the moment is difficult: Keep working on food. Ms. Moros suggested that I work with her health coach for food stuff, and I agree. I need to get some help in this area, because what I am doing is not working that well. Focus on the evenings - this is where I lose focus for a number of reasons - I'm tired, some of my medicine is wearing off, and so on. If I do the few small things in the evening, I set myself up for success in the mornings, and Ms. Moros wants to do the Roll Model rehab work with me. Roll Model is basically foam rolling with special balls - see https://www.therollmodel.com/ It seems like the Roll Model stuff is really helping Ms. Moros and myself, but we will see how it works out. It does have the advantage that you don't need to carry a big foam roller while you are traveling. Details are below the fold: Which leads me to the next awesome thing - I get to game a lot during this challenge! This happens in the middle of the challenge, so posting will be pretty sparse. Last time I went, I had a lot of fun, but was very stiff and sore afterwards. I'd like that to be different this time. So, let's get to it!

I’m tired of feeling bad. Bad physically, bad emotionally, bad self-image... not all the time, but enough. I have been a bare, brown, hibernating plant, trying to survive the winter and drawing what nutrients I could from my surroundings. But it has not been enough. I can’t rely on the change of seasons or the warmth or the rain or the love and care of those closest to me to bring me out of this hibernation. If I want to bloom again, it must come from within. ...Ok, that was dramatic. Enough of that! I’m taking a leaf (ba dum tsssss cos plants haha get it? Get it?!) from Tank’s book this challenge. Recently I have been feeling internal stirrings of “I’m ready to be a better version of myself, let’s do this, raaah!” But those feelings are fleeting and unreliable, as evidenced by the fact that I don’t feel them at this moment. But it has made me realize something: I always complain about how bad I feel, but then I continue on in my old habits and never do anything about it. If I want to feel better, I have to ignore my desire for instant gratification (“but I wanna eat that whole tube of pringles”) in favor of my long term goal (“man I can’t wait till my tummy doesn’t spill over my waistband anymore”). I heard a song on the radio a few weeks ago called Nothing But Flowers, and while I do not share the pro-industrialization viewpoint of the songwriter, it made me laugh. (I don’t completely eschew modern conveniences either, there just needs to be a balance.) And then I was trying to think of a theme for this challenge, and I was inspired by the lilac bushes in our yard that are starting to bloom voraciously, and then I remembered the song, and it just all clicked together. Except I do wish for more flowers. Here’s the song, in case anyone else hasn’t heard it before (it came out in 1988 so a little before my time, plus I live under a rock hehe): Alrighty, goal time! ~~~~~ Mobility: daily, approx. 30 mins/day Plants need to be able to bend and move with the wind. Wrists: a routine I found from GMB’s YouTube channel Shoulders: tbd Hips & ankles: physical therapy from mom’s doctor Strength: 3x weekly, 30mins/day In order to thrive, plants need to have a strong root system. Wrists: Unbreakable Wrists flow from GMB Shoulders: planks and maybe pushups if my wrists feel up to it Hips: squats - regular & caveman Ankles: Unbreakable Ankles flow from GMB Daily Movement: well, uh, daily! Minimum 30 mins/day Plants aren’t lazy - they grow every day! Go for a walk, hike, or bike ride. Even a little one. Nutrition: daily Plants won’t thrive if they don’t get the right nutrients in the right proportions! Start with smaller portion sizes. Limit 2 snacks per day. Veggies with at least one meal. Personal Edification: daily, 30 mins/day each I'm not sure what the plant equivalent of this would be~ Bible study - Galatians or Praying God’s Word by Beth Moore. Read for pleasure. Study physics textbooks. ~~~~~ It looks like a lot, because I broke everything down so far. But really it’s only 4.5 to 5 total hours of stuff to do, and a few mindful decisions, and I have an average of 14 hours of wakefulness in which to spread these things out. Let’s goooooo~

For those that haven't seen Deadpool 2 yet...Well, shame on YOU. For realz. It's amazing. And it's awesome. And it's hilarious. And it's probably better than the first one.... Plus, there's Peter W-the star of the WHOLE FILM! With that being said. Let's dive right into the challenge, Sugarbear! Ad #1: The 10k Club I want to average 10k steps a day. Sitting down is the primary thing I do at my job and I hate it. I have 2x 15 min breaks, and a 30-min lunch. I want to set a daily standard and achieve 10k steps a day over the coarse of the challenge. That's about 5 miles a day. This will be challenging but, hey, this is a challenge after all. Possible Points: +4 END Ad #2: The 500 300 Club I want to get in 500 300 KB swings a week. That's less than 100 a day. 1-arm or 2-arm, it doesn't matter. Possible Points: +2 STR, +1 CON Ad #3: The Rock Star Club I didn't do all that hot with this goal last time as each week got worse and worse. I enjoy guitar practice and need to make time for it. Shoot for ONCE a week with ANY amount of time. Possible Points: +3 DEX, +1 CHA Ad 4: The Preachers Club I just did my very first ever sermon last night, 05/20/18 titled "Eyes on the Prize" on FB live. I want to expand on this and get better at doing these. This includes finishing my "Keep the Rust on Lust" series by the end of the challenge. That's basically 3/5 weekends (including Zero Week) that I need to do a sermon. Also, prep for the live sermon at my buddies church coming up! Possible Points: +2 WIS, +2 CHA I'm upping the ante here, but I'm ready. My mind is ready. And most importantly, my body is ready. Wolf

I spent all of last challenge getting my mojo back. I think I've found it again, and I'm going to ignore it. Mojo is nice, but unreliable. Discipline is there for you no matter what. I'll spend this challenge rebuilding a healthy discipline. This is also something that came up for work. Spiritual formation was a topic that came up for personal development at work, and the word discipline came to me as a theme for where to focus my formation. (In Christianity Spiritual Formation are the practices Christians undertake to mature spiritually). When I thought of a gif for discipline I knew there was no better example than Det. John Kimble putting some backbone into a bunch of 5 year olds. Here are my goals: Disciplined Lifting: Using the juggernaut program I'll lift twice a week (Bench and Squat on the A session, Deadlifts, Overhead Press and Lat Pulldowns in the B session) Disciplined Recovery: Yoga 1-3 times a week, but at least once every week. Disciplined Distance: Walk for a min of 2 miles 1-3 times a week, but at least once every week. Disciplined Eating: Follow the principles of intuitive eating. In other words, eat when I'm hungry and STOP WHEN I'M FULL. Disciplined Home: Laundry once a week and once a week clean some room in the home. Disciplined Profession: 3 times a week do something to aid in the non-ministry side of professional development. Options include: Work on Doctoral Application, prepare for and taking the written test for my board certification, work on idea for a non-fiction book. This can drop off if I get the application sent off and take the test before the challenge is over. Lastly:

Good day fellow gents and lovely ladies! What a BEA-utiful day it is at that. How are you? Ohhhhhh that’s soooo good to hear. Me? I’m doing great. Wait...BETTER than great! Why, you ask? Well, I could go into all the gory details but then it would ruin the surprise wouldn’t it? What surprise? Opps! Wrong surprise! Oh well...I guess since it’s all out in the open, might as well just roll with it. Ok, I lied. There’s no surprise. I used media tactics called “click bait” to lure you into my devious Spider-Man web of gross euphemisms and hard(y) metaphors. #SorryNotSorry. Hopefully you’ll stick around for the good stuff, and if not, then you shall have the most prestige pleasure of licking my BIG, hairy-- And yeah….that’s how I REALLY feel. So, sue me. No wait, don’t. It’ll look bad for Deadpool 2. Moooooving on! We have a new challenge beginning and now that Wolfpool is an official thing I would like to go into an explicitly long explanation of how things are gonna work going forward... Right. Important parts. Important parts like, “how to manscape without the mess.” and it’s wildly popular sequel “it’s not just hair down there.” But I digress. I feel like I’m losing some of you… It’s a pleasure to be back in full swing for the second challenge of 2018. For those of you that missed the drama last challenge, than, “Oh Well”. If you feel like sifting through Bloodlines, than by all means, go for it, but I’ll leave that up to you, the reader, the fangirl, the friend. I’m all about moving forward and making things better from THIS point on. Cool? SWANKY! I’m not gonna pitter around with much fluff so let’s get down to brass tax and silver balls. A lot of things have been going on IRL. A lot. Too much to go over but today, right now, I have a positive attitude and a great outlook towards the future. God is sooo good and I want to thank Him first and foremost. I also want to thank each and everyone of you guys and gals for the overwhelming support I’ve received. It’s been a true blessing. I’ve never been the most consistent person. I know this. Y’all know this. It’s just well known (like @Mr_Willes un-endowed problem). This challenge is not only about developing some consistency but more importantly, discipline. Not motivation or relying on hype. But good ole fashion discipline. Deadpool may not have much but Wolfpool will. I’ll make sure of it. The goals will be laid out as follows: Swordplay Gunplay Foreplay Childsplay Under each goal will be various things I think fall under the “disciplined umbrella”. It may seem like a lot but really it’s just accentuating what I already do each day and week. I need some accountability BAD and I'm relying on you fine folks for some help. Are you game? Wolf

Hello Everybody, (insert bashful image here). So, my last challenge sunk faster than the Luisitania. There was a whole lot of (redacted) to deal with, as well as some good news - my son is getting married! So, I need to re-focus, and "go back to kindergarten." My goal is pretty simple - systematically rebuild my healthy habits, and add one-by-one until I'm back to where I was about a year ago. I'm not starting completely at ground zero - still doing Yoga and meditation consistently, but a lot of the ranger-specific stuff is not being done yet. That will change. Details will be below the fold, but I'll clean it up more later. Hope everyone is well.

Welcome to 2018 A7X is one of those bands whose music rarely fails to get me off my ass and get shit done. Been struggling a bit coming up with a theme, so I decided to forget it for this challenge and just start doing good things. In the end, that's really all that matters, right? Big Why: Feel good/confident in my own skin Be strong & fit enough to do all of the cool things for a very long time I've been pretty undisciplined lately in most of my activities. There's a laundry list of things that I'm annoyed at myself for. And I can do two things. I can sit here and stew in how annoyed I am. Or I can pull my head out of the sand and start doing something about it. And it's not gonna be easy. Some of the mindless habits have been going for a while, so I'll need patience and baby steps to start to break them for once and for all. I feel insane every single time / I'm asked to compromise 'Cause I'm afraid and stuck in my ways / And that's the way it stays 1) Tracking Log (Bullet Journal) Water (Build up to 2.4 Liters/day) Produce Servings (Breakfast: 1, Lunch: 2, Dinner: 2) Alcohol (How many days do I have 0 drinks?) Movement (5K steps, 10K steps, Cardio, Mobility) Bedtime (10PM, 11PM or 12PM) Mood (Happy? Sad? Angry?) I'm not insane, I'm not insane / I'm not insane I'm not, not insane 2) Get to work on time (at my desk by 8AM) No internet in the morning, unless I'm on the stationary bike Brush teeth, wash face daily "Long" dog walk each morning Come back to me, it's almost easy / Come back again, it's almost easy 3) Marathon Pre-Prep 60 min cardio weekly 60 min mobility work weekly (yoga, stretching, etc... but mostly yoga) Follow the plan ~Alright, let's do this~

I'm not looking back, I'm looking forward. So, to start with an overall declaration: I am a person who does the things I need to do to achieve my goals. Each goal has it's own declaration as well. I'm thinking of making these same declarations, especially the overall one, for every challenge for the whole year, with only the details of each goal changing if/when necessary, sort of like a drawn out version of @Tanktimus the Encourager's line-writing exercise from the last mini challenge. I may add a declaration or two as I go, this is not a complete list of things I need to do to achieve my goals, but for now this is what I'm focusing on. Goal 1 ~ I am a person who doesn't skip a run day I will run 3x/week. Runs will consist of: Tuesday/Thursday - treadmill interval workouts, starting at 4x5min @ 7mph, with the goal to increase the number of intervals at that speed until I'm doing 60 minutes of work (12 intervals); Saturday or Sunday - outdoor 'long' run, starting with my 5.7k route and working to increase distance up to 10k. At the end of the challenge I will run the beep test to see where I'm at. Goal 2 ~ I am a person who takes care of her body I will do my physio exercises and stretch daily. I can skip the physio 1x/week but stretching must always happen. Goal 3 ~ I am a person who has good food habits I follow the ETP program, so this has more to do with food prep than hitting specific calorie goals. If I have food prepared I have no problem meeting my macros and sticking to the plan. I will shop for and prep food on weekends, and on Wednesdays if necessary. I will sort out the meals coming with me to work the night before. I will make sure I have enough food prepared so I can stick to the plan easily on weekends as well as weekdays. Goal 4 ~ I am a person who finds time for necessary skill development This pertains specifically to pushups right now, but may expand as the year progresses. I will do pushup training 3x/week, on crossfit days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). If I do 50 or more pushups in class, that will suffice for the day. If I do fewer than 50 pushups in class, I will make up the difference after class. If I do none in class, I will do 50 total in as few sets as possible (starting goal of 5x10) after class. Goal 5 ~ I am a person who prioritizes sleep I will go to bed at 11pm Sunday-Thursday (barring a call-out on nights when I'm on call), and by 12am Friday-Saturday. I will get up with my alarm on mornings when it's set. I'm allowed to sleep as long as my body wants to on Saturday and Sunday. Goal 6 ~ I am a person who records her progress I will prepare a journal ahead of time, with space to record workouts and a checklist of the things I need to accomplish/habits I need to stick to for each day. I will record in my journal daily, and not skip any of the items on the checklist. Mini Challenge Feats Strength ~ add 2 pushups to each set instead of the usual 1 for each of this week's pushup sessions (unless it's week 1, in which case just do all the pushup sessions) Speed ~ run at least 1 interval in each of my interval workouts at at least 7.2mph Distance ~ figure out a running route that will add at least 1/2k to my current long route, then run it on my outdoor run day Combat ~ don't skip any physio or stretching sessions this week and mush at least once ('cuz you need to be supple to excel at combat?) Ranger ~ find a reason to use my new crampons

Hello Everyone! I've been a member of Nerd Fitness Academy for around 2 years already but I've never actually followed through with any of the goals until now nor have I ever participated in any of the forums so I'd thought I'd give it a try. I'm 29 years old and I don't struggle with my weight at the moment but I've taken up some really bad eating habits over the past few years that have made me feel lethargic and it's had an adverse effect on my quality of life. I took up a gym membership about a year and a half ago and I was on a pretty good (but not super strict routine). Then in about August 2016 I injured my lower back. Nothing serious but it required me to go to PT and Chiropractic appointments. Long story short, I have not been very disciplined in doing the exercises and I'm tired of feeling so weak. I used to take weight training in high school and I loved how I felt when I was in shape and I really want that feeling back. So I've decided to make small incremental changes (the Nerd Fitness motto) to my habits over time and I think I'm off to a really good start. The thing that I struggle with is how to stay on track and what can be used as a tracking method to ensure that progress is actually being made. I'm an assistant PM so I know how to organize information and put together an action plan in writing but the thing that I always manage to struggle with is actually translating what's in writing to ACTION. Any insight that can be provided would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to future discussions on this forum. Thank you!

INDEX 2017 December 2018 January February March April May June July August September October November December

Last month was bumpy, but this battlemage isn’t going down without a fight. I spent a little too much time drifting in and out looking for motivation, and that was not time well spent. It’s a waste, just waiting around wondering when I’ll feel like doing x, y, or z, or wondering when I’ll find the time to do a, b, or c whilst actively wasting said time doing nothing. And I know that unless I give myself a major kick up the ass it will never be properly fixed. So we’re bringing back intense scheduling, otherwise I am going to do nothing. That is the sad and uncomfortable truth. Sure, stubbornness and determination have kept me alive and have kept a roof over my head, but motivation comes and goes as it will, and to fix that I need to convert a part of that stubbornness and determination into discipline. I need it. And here’s the thing: I’m working on a very real timeline. In just over a month from now, on March 14th, I will be turning in my notice on my flat. That gives me two months. May 14th will be the day I leave Fort William. At this point I don’t know if I’ll be leaving to a new permanent residence, or if I’ll be leaving to face temporary homelessness, crashing on sofas and living in hostels until I find something. I don’t know. And that means so much has the potential to go tits up. How do I counter this? Discipline. So let’s go. Goals Quest line: Spartan > Becoming the most physically fit and healthy version of myself in an effort to conquer the Spartan Sprint Stage One: Mobility > Daily. End of. > I have time slots for three yoga sessions per week. However, things do not always go to plan, therefore the goal is to do at least one every week. Three per would would be fantastic, but I’m not about to beat myself up if it doesn’t go to plan. Distance > Daily walks. Alternate distances depending on weather and time constraints. Alteration Quest line: Spartan Stage One: Basics > Three meals daily (meat and two veg, potato or pasta if needed to fill out calorific requirements) > No chocolate/cake/sweets > One protein shake daily > One litre of water daily > One cup of coffee on waking/one cup of decaf before bed > Tea limited to no more than three cups per day Mercantile Quest line: Move > Prepping the flat to be ready for a move whenever it may come. The packrat beast needs to be banished once and for all, which means I need to be ruthless Stage Two: Crackdown > It’s last call and everything must go, or something like that… Time to bring that ruthlessness into the picture and really, truly strip myself of everything I don’t need. > Packing up a few boxes is probably going to be beneficial. I’ve pretty much come to terms with the fact that the amount of books I’ll get rid of is minimal, so I can start there. Restoration Quest line: Rock solid mental health > Becoming an actual person again, one who can adapt to anything Stage Two: Regimentation > Weekly schedules created and stuck to, end of. > Keep in with the practices established during the January challenge Zero Week Survival Here I was expecting to be on for a week or more of long, long days of jury duty, and it turns out it got cancelled (not gonna lie, I was so happy when I found out. I'd had anxiety belly for a good few days leading up to making that phone call and this has cleared it right up). While this is great in that I can actually enjoy my week off work, it also means I need to scramble a new plan of action to ensure I don’t end up sitting around doing nothing. MONDAY Planning day (100% complete) > Create this plan > Select a physical skill to be the focus of the challenge as a whole (pull ups, which means it’s time to step my game up majorly) > Make a menu/shopping plan > Shore up self-care checklists TUESDAY Clearing day > Every single bin emptied, every scrap of rubbish and recycling to exterior bins > Electrical items to be ditched sorted into one place > Go through paperwork, sort into file or burn pile > Clean out fireplace WEDNESDAY Shopping day > Get food and household goods. Price is key. I have all day so it doesn’t matter if it’s multiple trips in and out. THURSDAY Shopping day two > Inverness trip for work essentials. Must check on weather forecast and traffic reports and allow myself plenty of time as conditions on that road have been bad recently and the last thing I want is to be marooned. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY Specific schedules to be created by Thursday evening, Week One schedule to be amended to include the Sunday that will no longer be taken up by jury duty. There’s a fair amount going on behind the scenes in regards to how I’m planning to fill my time. I’ve got language practice goals that I want to hit, I’ve got a rough estimate of the amount of time I’d like to spend on honing my lock picking skills, and a few others thing that I’d like to submerge myself in once again, but I don’t want to make goals out of them purely because I don’t want to feel like I’m forcing myself into enjoyment. ...unlike forcing myself to build discipline with my eating and exercise habits! Maybe this works, maybe this doesn’t. The thing to remember is that I’m doing this for my own good, and should I power through and make it work, future me will be so much happier, and present me will even feel that too.

Hi! My main goal is to build strength and stamina, confidence and positive self image by creating and crushing simple goals which lead to good daily habits. The things we do every day make up who we are. My challenges are: 1) pick a weekly motivational quote and think about it when I wake up to set the tone for my day 2) strength training 1x NF body weight workout, 2x @ YMCA 3) step class or cyclefit 1x per week 4) pick 2 dates on calendar for family game night That's it!

Anavah enters the temple, ready to change her life. She knows that she has taken it too easy for far too long. She is ready...

We all have 24 hours in a day. Somehow I manage to spent the majority of it f-ing around on Facebook. Zero Week: Going to try to figure out where all the time goes. Breakdown Monday: 1030 Wake up [WAKE UP TO BREAKFAST--50 minutes] Breakfast to 1120 Schoolwork to 1230 Lunch and video watching to 1430 Gym (and driving) to 1730 Traffic to 1820 School and drive home to 2115 Cook and DDF to 2205 Driving etc, bet at 0000 Tuesday: Wake up at 0500 0600-0700 class GB, school work to 0930 class to 1030 clean, etc to 1200 Take the dogs out, try to sleep to 1730 [OVER 5 HOURS UNACCOUNTED FOR] Schoolwork to 1900 BJJ to 2100 schoolwork, cook, DDF, etc, bed at 0000 Wednesday: 0940 wake up 1240 breakfast [4 HOURS UNACCOUNTED] GB Foundations, presentation, memes to 1600 driving and school to 2100 Thursday: 0500 wake up 0600-0700 class [90 minutes unaccounted] 0830-0900 class 0930-1030 class no idea after until Saturday morning. Eventually I will continue with my previous challenge: weekly task priority list, and CFE programming. In addition I will be working on my gymnastic skills by hitting up GB's Foundation program. 1. Prioritization Same weekly task list in descending importance. It has been working so far. 2. Addition by subtraction Statues are made not by adding, but by subtracting. I will find one thing to take a way per week. 3. Program Minimum GB Skills and CFE Programming. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 1 1) Task List: High Priority [x] Grocery [ ] Meal Prep [x] Final Exam (Wednesday) [x] Final Paper (Friday) Moderate Priority [ ] vehicle maintenance [ ] dog park [x] laundry [ ] organize closet Low Priority [ ] writing [ ] Duolingo [ ] organize desk 2) Addition by subtraction: This week will be an attempt to cut out the Ginger Ale (which will probably lead to me drinking more water). I seem to have been averaging 12 cans a week. 3) Program Minimum: GB Foundation [x] Front Lever [x] Side Lever [x] Manna [x] Straddle Planche [x] Hollow Back Press [x] Rope Climb [x] Single Leg Squat Sunday: [x] Rest Day, [ ] 1 hour study, [ ] 1 hour paper Monday: [x] Power Cleans, Pullups, HSPU, Rows, [x] 1 hour study, [ ] 1 hour paper Tuesday: [x] Squats, Dubs & Wall Balls, [ ] 800m, [ ] 1 hour study, [ ] 1 hour paper Wednesday: [x] Power Snatch & Ring Dips, [ ] 1 hour study, [ ] 1 hour paper Thursday: [x] 1-mile repeats, [ ] 1 hour paper Friday: [ ] Bench Press, KBS, [x] Finish paper Saturday: [ ] Run & Pullups, [ ] 200m repeats ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 2 1) Task List: High Priority [x] Grocery [ ] Meal Prep [ ] vehicle maintenance [ ] BJJ video (Ryan Hall Deep Half entry) [x] USA Gymnastics modules Low Priority [ ] organize desk [ ] writing [x] laundry [ ] organize closet [ ] dog park [x] Duolingo [ ] grad school application (letters of recommendation, goal statement, CV, writing sample by 15 Jan) [ ] 8weeksout modules 2) Addition by subtraction: Clear email, and unsubscribe from lists. 3) Program Minimum: GB Foundation [x] Front Lever [x] Side Lever [x] Manna [x] Straddle Planche [-] Hollow Back Press [-] Rope Climb [-] Single Leg Squat CFE Sunday: [x] Rest Day Monday: [x] Snatch; HPS, MU, Run Tuesday: [-] Press; Barbara [-] Sprint Ladders Wednesday: [-] Deadlift; Rowing Thursday: [x] 2k repeats Friday: [x] Squat; Power cleans, push press, front squat Saturday: [-] HSPU, SDHP, K2E [x] 100m repeats ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 3 1) Task List: High Priority [x] Grocery [x] Meal Prep [x] vehicle maintenance Low Priority [x] FAFSA [x] VA certs [ ] grad school application (letters of recommendation, goal statement, CV, writing sample by 15 Jan) [ ] BJJ video (Ryan Hall Deep Half entry) [ ] organize desk [ ] writing [x] laundry [ ] organize closet [ ] dog park [x] Duolingo [x] 8weeksout module 1 2) Addition by subtraction: Clear open browser tabs on laptop by the end of the week. 3) Program Minimum: GB Foundation [x] Front Lever [x] Side Lever [x] Manna [x] Straddle Planche [x] Hollow Back Press [x] Rope Climb [ ] Single Leg Squat CFE Sunday: [x] Rest day Monday: [x] Clean cycling, [-] Burpees Tuesday: [-] Rest day Wednesday: [-] Push Press & Box Jumps, [x] 30-sec. Repeats Thursday: [-] Thrusters & C2B, [-] Hang Power Clean, Ring Pushups Friday: [-] Bench Press, 400m & OHS Saturday: [x] 60-min Run ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 4 1) Task List: High Priority [x] Meal Prep [x] Parking Sticker [ ] grad school application (letters of recommendation, goal statement, CV, writing sample by 15 Jan) [ ] Budget Spreadsheet Low Priority [ ] BJJ video (Ryan Hall Deep Half entry) [ ] organize desk [ ] writing [ ] laundry [ ] organize closet [ ] dog park [x] Duolingo [ ] 8weeksout module 2) Addition by subtraction: Clear open browser tabs on laptop by the end of the week. 17 total on computer. Then proceed to phone. 3) Program Minimum: GB Foundation [x] Front Lever [ ] Side Lever [ ] Manna [x] Straddle Planche [x] Hollow Back Press [x] Rope Climb [ ] Single Leg Squat CFE Sunday: [x] Rest day Monday: [-] Squats, Cindy Tuesday: [x] Dubs, Ring Dips, Power Cleans; [ ] 5-min Intervals Wednesday: [y] Push Jerk, 800m, Muscle-ups, Push Press Thursday: [ ] 800m Friday: [ ] Snatch, Clean Saturday: [ ] 60-min Run

Rangering back up again, due to my incessant need to do all the things all the time. I imagine the main goal in this challenge would be prioritization, time management, and accountability. 1. Weekly Task List Because I've gotten used to [what I perceive as] chaotic and overwhelming schedules, I tend to wing it in life. Not only does it make my schedule even more unmanageable, I tend to miss a lot of important stuff as well. As said in Extreme Ownership, discipline equals freedom. I'll be working on my task list and priorities at the beginning of the week, and do my best to accomplish them. 2. Follow The Program I'm running a marathon on the first week of January, and I'm not sure why. I tried training for it classically by slowly ramping up the miles but the volume was killing me and eating up my entire day (even though I was able to hatch some sweet Pokemon out of it). Now I'm following Brian MacKenzie's 12-week program from The 4-hour Body, as it sounds more in line with my situation and goals (i.e. having a life other than running) and programming for oneself sucks. We'll see what happens. I would also like to maintain 1-2 BJJ sessions a week, and get some handstands in; nothing too crazy--just play and practice. 3. 22 Push-ups I was tagged by one of my students in the 22 Push-ups 10 days ago. I'm doing it. I'm not tagging anyone; I'm just doing it and if someone sees it or makes a donation, great. But I'd like to see it through, with 12 more days to go. Whether the movement is helping or not is beyond me, but I have had my own (now funny) experience(s) with it, so I don't really think I doubt my [primary] intentions. 4. Side Quest: Sleep Tracking Because I love sleep.

Here is where I'll post my wods, progression, and daily feats! I'll be trying my best to live Ramikadyc, which means in Mandalorian, living life to the fullest and taking advantage of every opportunity, motivate others and make yourself stronger physically and mentally. In keeping a log, I'll be able to see myself get stronger and help by keeping me accountable! Enough talk, let's do it

I've been thinking about challenges in general the last few days, and i came to the conclusion; a challenge is something you're not sure you'll succeed in at unless you actually have a good crack at. Not something you could choke down in 10 minutes like a steak sanga or a few tinnies. Mind you this is not revelatory, for me, or for any of you, just recontextualised into NF forum Challenge country. So without knowing the way challenges are built these days, I'd like you to meet "3 things i don't think i'll able to get done in the next 4 weeks unless i give them a red hot poke". 1. Conditioning 2x a week. A walkabout through Crossfit bushland exposed my blatant "no lungs" policy in the last couple...few...several... years of training and life. I got 8 rounds+3 for a 3/4-Cindy, 19:35 for a half-Helen. This a public challenge, throw me your favourite/most hated conditioning sessions and i'll give it a try and maybe video for your entertainment. Otherwise, i've got: a tyre, and a rope that i'll be dragging around; a footpath to sprint on; a keg to load and carry; sandbags Success looks like : All results from completed sessions posted, with a target of Eight for Four weeks. 2. Continue Starting Strength LP, min 2x a week. Squat: 80kg. Bench: 75kg. OHP:55kg. Dead: 105kg. Power Clean: 60kg. Success looks like: no missed sessions, even if my garage floor is ice, and I'm busier than a one armed carpenter in a chair making contest. 3. The bush tucker man, bear grylls, bush mechanics and their ilk do what? Survive on everything around them, learn what they need to know to thrive. Success looks like a combination of any 2 of the following: Reading and journalling about one of Seneca the Younger's letters Studying Lvl1 Australian Strength and Conditioning Association coaching certificate texts Read Pride and Prejudice, apparently anything by Jane Austen is a window into theory of mind, strategy, social interaction.. WHO KNEW?!?!? This is the real challenge of the challenge, if i can actually read this. I'll have blown my own mind. I lie, i love him Also, whats in this spoiler cannot be unseen... and probably not emulated... unless you're up the creek. And the Bush mechanics are classic ingenuity.

Play Time is Over. It's time to stop screwing around and start acting like an adult on a consistent basis, and kicking ass like I've done before, and I know I'm capable of doing again. Since January of this year I've been... inconsistent at best. I could make a few excuses(psychological recovery from a breakup, work being super busy, overtraining myself into a bit of Achilles tendinitis), but ultimately that's pretty irrelevant to this topic/challenge. The point is, the stuff that sidetracked me in the first half of this year is for all practical purposes behind me, so I need to stop making excuses and start kicking ass again. That's not to say that I've been awful, but I've been performing at a level below what I'm capable of - I've made little/no progress on my thesis, my performance at work has been... good be most people's standards, but below what I know I can do, I've regressed on my running(the tendinitis is a legitimate excuse in this case, but I'm over it now), and my nutrition has been off, such that I'm probably about 8-10 lbs above where I want to be in terms of racing weight - I'm training for a half marathon in October, and each pound is worth a couple seconds per mile, or nearly a half minute in the final time. At any rate, the goals for this challenge are all about discipline. I know what I need to do, I just need to do it, and not come up with ways of sidetracking myself. On the bright side, I just got back from a vacation in Colorado, so I'm mentally recharged and ready to attack this. So, the goals: 1. Track nutrition and control calories: This means tracking calories in, activity, and weight on a daily basis, starting tomorrow morning. The goal here is to drop 1-2 pounds per week; this means somewhere around 2300ish calories per day(I burn 3000 or so depending on activity level; this may increase as I ramp training for my half marathon). I may need to pause my weight loss/refeed after this challenge since I'm still relatively lean and I don't have a ton to lose, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Goal is to drop 4-5 lbs this challenge, and to be accountable by tracking intake and activity on a daily basis. This also means posting here on a daily basis to log and keep myself accountable. 1b. Alcohol only on weekends, or special occasions(e.g. we're having a going away party for one of my coworkers this week) 2. Respect my bedtime. This means no later than 10-10:30 on weeknights, or 9:30-10 if I'm going to try hitting the gym the next morning. The goal is a minimum of 7 hours of sleep every night, preferably closer to 8. Again, posting for accountability. 3. Work on the damn thesis. If there's one thing I've sucked at over the past few months, it's this. The simple rule is this: Minimum of 1 hour of work on the thesis (or PE Exam preparation, if I decide to do that again) in the evening prior to doing computer games or other nonproductive activity, goal of 2 hours per day minimum on weeks, and 10 hours total per week. Again, posting for accountability. 4. Do the training. This means ~3x/week lifting, ~4x/week running. May modify as time goes by, but my general M.O. is not to schedule off days, but to let them sort of happen organically if something comes up(i.e. having to stay late at work, social events, etc.). This also means I may end up training more in the morning when I know I have conflicts. Once again, posting for accountability. 5. Get my "What I want my life to look like, and how I'm going to achieve that" list/objectives in writing. I think I know the answers to this for the most part, but I really need to make it concrete to remind myself what I'm working on, and to begin setting my sights on what I want to do past my thesis. 6. Keep my house clean. The whole "act like an adult" thing, you know. This means at least one "check" per week, with basic vacuuming/mopping/dusting/kitchen cleaning should there be a need.

So I just found out today that I have officially become labeled the "health guru" at my office, a little nicer than health nut or fitness freak at least. I definitely think that it is important for everyone trying to get healthy to ignore the naysayers who are just unhappy that they have not stuck to the regimen that you have or have the discipline that you have cultivated over time. Don't let them drag you down with "sorry, we don't have any kale flavored ice cream" (yeah I actually heard that one). Take that win, laugh with them on the jokes, and keep it up. I am taking this as a win, since I know that I am not always sticking to my healthy eating, but clearly I am doing well enough that it has drawn attention.