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ASSASSINS CHALLENGE #4 This time round, it's a boss fight. It's time for me to put to use the progress I've made so far, and show my strength! The time for practice is over! There are a million things I want to get done, and I could wander Cocoon forever picking off one Cie'th at a time, but I fought through a whole squad of them last challenge round to get to this point. I came this far for a reason, now it's time to get the job done. Here's what I learned over my last few challenges: If I split my goals, I do great on the first, good on the second, and fail the third. I need a single aim! There are other things in life I need to do, and I'll do them just the same without making them part of the challenge. My university boss fight is over a week before this begins, and I have 4-5 months to concentrate before that starts again, and I want my new habits in place when it does! I am in this for 100% completion. One thing only. Last time round, it was the calories and cooking thing. Before that, it was the not being weird around food thing. I have all these potions stocked up for: BATTLE!!! Time to get strong!!! All that work on the "diet is 80% of your success" was leading up to something. This challenge is 100% exercise. I've been considering the idea of upping my calories from 1,450 because I was feeling the side effects, but now I know how to track with no effort. When I started lifting last year and promptly quit because I couldn't cook or not binge, I quit (temporarily) because I wanted those things in place first. Last challenge I learned to cook. I'm confident about the food. All aspects of the food. I'm ready, I'll start my calories at 2,000 per day (necessitating a higher everyday activity level). If I start gaining fat, I'll drop it 50-100 per week. Call this charging the ATB gauge. Call it casting haste at the start of battle. Call it what you will, but I NEED TO FEED MYSELF. Now I'm starting to work out, I don't want to start in an aggressive deficit and bail out exhausted halfway through. This is a long term thing, and if the numbers go a bit screwy over the initial adjustment period, I'll just have to wait it out. This is only the first 6 weeks of a lifetime of being fit and awesome. Changes are to be expected. Grades are tighter because I care a lot less about doing these workouts than forming the habit of doing them. Consistency is everything! Speaking of which, I don't care how fast I progress here, just that I show up and do the things. 1. ATTACK This portion of the challenge is the strength part. For the break week I upped my calories to 2,200 and started on heavy dumbbell training (circuits - 5 x squat, 5 x deadlift, 5 x OHP, 5 x chest press, 5 x push up, 5 x bent over row basically with dumbbells where the barbell would be. 3 sets of one after the other with minimal rest). This is all the equipment I have at the moment, but there's a good chance I might head back to the gym part way through the challenge and start Stronglifts all over again. Bodyweight progressions also count, if it's equally challenging. I'm not being too prescriptive about HOW I strength train, or where, or whether I change the routine. I have zero excuses. Whatever I do, it has to challenge me, and I have to do it 3x per week (no schedule, probably M/W/F as that's what I'm doing now, but not on consecutive days). I want a pullup bar, because that needs to go into the routine as well. I will find a way of finding the cash to do this. Stats over 6 weeks: 16-18 strength workouts - A - +4 STR13 - 15 strength workouts - B - +3 STR10 - 12 strength workouts - C - +2 STR< 10 strength workouts - FAILObtain functioning pullup bar (even without working it into routine yet) - +1 STRATTACKS EXECUTED: 0%FF3300; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 100% 100%, color-stop(.25, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.25, transparent), color-stop(.5, transparent), color-stop(.5, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, transparent), to(transparent) ); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -o-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); -webkit-background-size: 23px 23px; -moz-background-size: 23px 23px; background-size: 23px 23px; border-radius: 4px;">0% 2. CURE This part is recovery mode. I don't care if it's yoga, basic stretching, whatever. In the gym, at home, at work, I don't care. Anywhere. On the day after each strength workout, I do some kind of beneficial stretchy workout to counterbalance Attack mode. I'll update again with plans once I've had a good look at what's available. 16-18 stretchy workouts - A - +5 DEX13-15 stretchy workouts - B - +4 DEX10-12 stretchy workouts - C - +3 DEX< 10 stretch workouts - FAILCURE SPELLS CAST: 0%0000FF; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 100% 100%, color-stop(.25, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.25, transparent), color-stop(.5, transparent), color-stop(.5, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, transparent), to(transparent) ); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -o-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); -webkit-background-size: 23px 23px; -moz-background-size: 23px 23px; background-size: 23px 23px; border-radius: 4px;">0% 3. VIGILANCE This is a buff to make it less likely that I will recoil upon taking damage and be unable to attack. I saw the concept of a morning mile walk on the NF blog, and thought I'd try it out this morning. I even left my phone in the house. I didn't even have a coffee, just got up and DID IT. It really helped me focus my mind on what I wanted to do during the day, sift through thoughts that were still falling out of my head on waking up (I often have intense waking anxiety, like being woken up by a panic attack, and it sucks). If I want each day to go right, I must meditate this tendency out of myself asap when I wake up. Walking around in nature is one of the best ideas I have heard of to achieve this, and today it worked really well. Plus, since this is exercise related, of course, walking is exercise. It's not hugely calorie burning, but who cares? It's hormonally beneficial, and this is what I want. I failed a walking task before, but it was too time intensive. This is half an hour a day, at most. Vigilance isn't a direct attack, it's a supporting presence that makes all your other attacks more effective. I can see this graduating to become a morning run, a morning swing on the monkey bars, a morning walk up a hill and back, but I don't NEED IT to become any of those things, I'm quite happy with it as it is, and it needs to become a part of my life! 36-42 morning walks - A - +2 STA / +2 WIS30-35 morning walks - B - +1 STA / +1 WIS24-29 morning walks - C - +0.5 STA / + 0.5 WIS< 24 morning walks - FAILVIGILANCE BUFFS CAST: 0%0% Starting measurements from 8 June 2015 Weight: Scale Bf%: DoD Bf%: Scale H2O%: Lean mass: Chest (upper): Chest (lower): Waist: Hips: Neck: Right upper arm: Left upper arm: Right lower arm: Left lower arm: Right thigh: Left thigh: Right calf: Left calf:

Welcome! After a long rest following my journey of stumbling blindly through the Hanging Edge, and restoring my HP during the last challenge, it's time for me to negotiate the Pulse Vestige. I know what's waiting at the end - A GREAT BIG BOSS BATTLE, Fal'cie Anima. So I'd better be ready. That's what this challenge is about - taking on one enemy at a time, refining my paradigms, and stocking up on supplies. Would you just look at the size of the place. That's a whole lot of cie'th to take down. Since I'm not long out of the tutorial level, I'll need to remember to keep healing paradigms to hand, and keep my HP in the green zone. Can't afford to be taking too many risks yet, not until I've built my skills up. I've strategised that for my battle with Anima, I'm going to need a vial of Fortisol. That's my reward for acing this challenge. I need grades of B or above in all challenges to achieve this. If I want to level up, I need that reward! I can fight without it, but there's a good chance I'll get KO'd... probably multiple times. So, here goes - one cie'th at a time. 1. SCORE 1450 HIT POINTS PER CIE'TH Every day is a cie'th battle, and there's 42 cie'th between where I am, and the giant door at the heart of the Vestige, where Anima is waiting to try and kill me. Every cie'th has 1450HP (for the purposes of this challenge, they do). Every calorie I eat in battle knocks 1HP from one of these shambling monsters. In other words, giving a little creative licence, I need to knock back around 1450 calories per day to defeat these 42 cie'th. There are a few I can sneak past, but they're few and far between. I'm doing this on a points scoring system, averaging over the week (updated 8 April 2015 from daily to weekly hit points): < 1500 / day = 70 points1500 - 1600 / day = 42 points1600 - 1700 / day = 28 points1700 - 1800 / day = 14 points1800 - 1900 / day = 7 points1900+ or no tracking = 0 pointsTDEE ~ 1950 (this has served me well so far, over the past month). No negative marking, no eating back exercise. Total points available = 420 Grading: 301 - 420 points = A201 - 300 points = B101 - 200 points = C51 - 100 points = D1 - 50 points = E0 points = F CIE'TH DESTROYED: 100%0000FF; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 100% 100%, color-stop(.25, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.25, transparent), color-stop(.5, transparent), color-stop(.5, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, transparent), to(transparent) ); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -o-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); -webkit-background-size: 23px 23px; -moz-background-size: 23px 23px; background-size: 23px 23px; border-radius: 4px;">100% 2. COOK ALL THE FOODS How do you turn a Blazefire Saber into an Ultima Weapon? By using gil and items found in the environment, of course! So, following on the back of my monumental success with the cooking of the things during the last challenge, I am going to apply my experience of using gil and items found in the environment to make new weapons. And by weapons, I mean meals. During this challenge, meals are my primary weapon, and I intend to make sure they're crafted well. Every week, I will be learning 3 new recipes (averaged over whole challenge) - it doesn't matter what they are, just that I am COOKING THE FOODS instead of buying a ready-to-fight weapon out of a box. Nothing beats being able to do your own craftsmanship. Over the 6 weeks, that's 18 new recipes. Here's the scoring: 16 - 18 recipes = A13 - 15 recipes = B10-12 recipes = C7 - 9 recipes = D4 - 6 recipes = E0 - 3 recipes = F Spicy grilled lamb skewers! [COMPLETED]Spice-crusted chicken with Asian slaw! [COMPLETED] Chicken skewers with satay dip! [COMPLETED] Mustard-stuffed chicken! [COMPLETED] Balsamic green bean salad! [COMPLETED] Easy paleo chicken pepper stir fry! [COMPLETED] Teriyaki glazed chicken kebabs! [COMPLETED] Paleo maple salmon fillets! [COMPLETED] Avocado stuffed burgers! [COMPLETED] Thai spiced turkey burgers! Asian salmon with honey glaze! Coconut ginger shrimp! [COMPLETED] Coconut chicken strips! [COMPLETED] Ginger chicken! [COMPLETED] Crisp honey mustard parsnips! [COMPLETED 19/4/15 - DAY 7] BBQ pulled pork! Easy Thai prawn curry! [COMPLETED] Clementine & vodka-baked salmon with beetroot creme fraiche sauce! WEAPONS CRAFTED: 77.8%FF3300; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 100% 100%, color-stop(.25, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.25, transparent), color-stop(.5, transparent), color-stop(.5, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, transparent), to(transparent) ); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -o-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); -webkit-background-size: 23px 23px; -moz-background-size: 23px 23px; background-size: 23px 23px; border-radius: 4px;">77.8% 3. READ THE DATALOG - BOSS BATTLE PREP! If there's anything I've learned about life on Cocoon, it's that it's full of history and myth. I refuse to blindly stagger about the place knowing nothing about what's going on inside my enemy's head, because I have THE BIG BOSS BATTLE approaching on the 2nd June - my end of year maths exam. This is my degree-related Fal'cie Anima. I'm more than on track for a distinction on the coursework, but I need over 85% in the exam to get an overall distinction. This would open up so many more areas of the map, and additional add ons for me to explore later, like further study and paid placements... and being able to use maths in my battle against not knowing enough about computer science (duh). So, I need to be reading the datalog! This means very, very regular maths study. I want a minimum of 2hrs/day, and this is averaged over the entire challenge. This does NOT include any time I spend working on my remaining assignments - it's exam prep only. Grading:71+ hours = A57 - 70 hours = B43 - 56 hours = C29 - 42 hours = D15 - 28 hours = E0 - 14 hours = FDATALOGS STUDIED: 6%6% POINTS! MEASUREMENTS! ALL THAT STUFF! New and improved points and measurements photo gallery, with pictures of food! Edit! Again! Added progress photos (15 April 2015) Excuse the terrible quality photos. Best camera phone on the market and I still can't take decent selfies in a mirror. Eh well. It's something to measure myself by all the same! 1. SCORE 1450 HIT POINTS PER CIE'TH A = +5 CONB = +4 CONC = +3 COND = +2 CONE = +1 CONF = +0 CON2. COOK ALL THE FOODS A = +5 CHAB = +4 CHAC = +3 CHAD = +2 CHAE = +1 CHAF = +0 CHA3. READ THE DATALOG - BOSS BATTLE PREP! A = +5 WISB = +4 WISC = +3 WISD = +2 WISE = +1 WISF = +0 WISMeasurements to be updated at the start of the challenge: Starting measurements etc from 13 April 2015 Weight: 189.0Scale Bf%: 45.2DoD Bf%: 38.3Scale H2O%: 39.7Lean mass: 102Chest (upper): 40Chest (lower): 34Waist: 35.5Hips: 41.5Neck: 14.5Right upper arm: 13.5Left upper arm: 13Right lower arm: 10.5Left lower arm: 10.5Right thigh: 28.5Left thigh: 28.5Right calf: 17.5Left calf: 18OFF I GO TO GET FORTISOL!

So here I am now. Boot camp, in a way. Finding a peasant to give me that "kill 10 rats" quest... look around, get my feet wet. I am a 31 year old, mother of two, turned adventurer... not adventurer, but you know... on the way to Level 1 and chosing a direction. I dance twice in three weeks (husband does shift work and no funds for external babysitter). Oriental bellydancing. Great fun. But I want more. So, changing a lot of things a bit too fast, as usual, here are my goals for this first challenge: Grow habits out of bright ideas: STRENGTH & CONSTITUTION & STAMINA Do either the strength workout or the 10 minute walk every other day in turn. Day 1 strength, day 2 walk, day 3 strength, ad infinitum. No excuses. I'm not aiming for any kind of medals, though a steady increase in difficulty for the strength training is expected, the goal is habitualization. A = 42/42 days | B = 39/42 days | C = 36/42 days | D = 32/42 days | F = anything less OR quitting score: A = STR+3, CON+3, STA+2 | B = 75% | C = 50% | D = 25% | F = 0 WISDOM & CHARISMA Eat healthy meals 75-90% of the time Definition: high volume of veggies, fruit, leaves, moderate amount of meats, eggs, fish, ra ra ra, limit fats (healthy dosage, no no-fat diet, and no deep fried veggies either), severely limit bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. In short: paleo, mostly anyway. No limit on legumes though yet. LIMITED amounts of dairy allowed - for now. A = < 6 unappr. meals | B = < 9 unappr. meals | C = 12 unappr. meals | D = < 15 unappr. meals | F = 16+ unapproved meals, or 4 in one week score A = WIS+3, CHA+3 | B = WIS+2.25 CHA+1.5 | C = WIS+1.5 CHA+1 | D = WIS+0.75 CHA+0.5 | F = 0 INTELLIGENCE It's not an official attribute here, BUT I am learning languages with a passion, and have a tendency to flake out after that initial yay of easy achievement. Practice on duolingo.com every day for a minimum quota of A = 42/42 | B = 39/42 | C = 36/42 | D = 32/42 days A = WIS+1 | B = 75% | C = 50% | D = 25% Bonus Snackage switched to fruits and occasionally nuts instead: dancing belt Keep duolingo streak going all the way through challenge (48 day streak): >treat to be determined< Loose weight to a point where I am 95kg or less AND can do 3 sets of 20 reps with 8kg of bend over rows per side (starting with 103kg april 6th and 2x 10x 6kg rows): get a Pull-Up Bar Mini Quests # 1 - SMART +1 WIS # 2 - make friends +1 CHA # 3 - library +1 CHA # 4 - halfway point - LVL UP # 5 - Sharing Meatloaf recipe # 6 - heading to the rangers' training camp next Life Quests Bellydancing I'm learning bellydancing, I said so at the beginning somewhere, and I have done so for a few years now... three I think... My teacher has an annual show for which dancers from all over north-germany, germany and even international dancers of all levels practice and prepare choreographies or even familiarize songs to dance to without a pre-planned choreo. "Party Oriental". She's been telling me that she wants to put me on stage. Not right now, but in the next couple of years. I'm now at a stage in my life where I'm starting to get things going and start again to dream big... And even though it scares me half mad, I'm starting to want that... The Prep Project Workshop in her dance studio is saturday/sunday in a week and a half. Even dancers who don't want to step onstage can, if there is room, sign up. I don't have a babysitter or the money to do it spontaneously. BUT I want it, and it's okay to work for things for a little while, now I know when circa it will be next year, how much to save up and all the details... Now I just need to build the body and confidence to go on and do that. Side Quest Get mum into AA. 'nough said. PS I'm not going to keep up to date with this daily, about twice per week has to be enough, taking detailed notes in diary atm.

My last challenge was a mixed bag and a learning experience. I started strongly in all areas and then lost track. For my exercise goal - life got in the way a bit. For my habit goal – I didn’t get to it being a habit and then lost it altogether For my Food goal – I started brightly, but due to the way I had step-up the challenge I changed direction after 2 weeks and lost touch with the goal. For my inertia goal – inertia got the better of me for the most part but I managed to take a couple of baby steps. My challenge this time around is basically the same as the last challenge – if the goals were important enough last time they should still be important now. I am still trying to work out how to make them work more effectively this time – I haven’t quite figured this out yet, but the challenge must start regardless of whether I have this finalised or not. Goal 1: Exercise every day, including: 3x week Parallettes, 2x week getting moving and having fun. In the last challenge I set myself the goal of 3x week parallettes and 2x week moving and having fun. I did fairly well with both, averaging about 60% on my parallettes goal and 75% on my getting moving goal. Even though I wasn’t entirely successful with this goal I want to step it up a bit by aiming for some exercise every day, just so that I am maintaining the minimum and not letting myself go completely. I will set the minimum as 25 air-squats or 2x 1minute plank. I will aim to reach my main goals by planning my week ahead. Planned activities: 3x parallettes Leg workout 1x Frisbee session Yoga Just a warmup 25 air squats 2x 1 minute planks Hiking Goal 2: Maintain habits - Sleep 8 hours a night and get up to my alarm everyday in the morning. (Edit: It occured to me that the getting up is the part I want to prioritise. I get about 8 hours sleep a night but I don't want to mark myself down if for whatever reason I cannot get 8 hours sleep but do get up to my alarm) The maintain habits title of this goal is a little deceptive as it is really a ‘keep trying to build a habit’ goal as I have never quite got this part of my challenges up to something which I would describe as a habit. Last challenge I started well but dropped to an overall average of 1 day out of 3 by the end. Much better than 0 day out of 3 but something which I aim to be the foundation on which I aim to build the other aspects of my challenge. Habit formation: Can I incorporate some sort of reward to make this stick? Practice: Doing the same thing over and over again leads to the creation of a habit. At the moment I have practised not getting up to my alarm many times and therefore it is my fall-back option. Clearly getting up in the morning to my alarm would be great practise towards forming this habit, but this goes against my current programming, which is why I have this goal to try and change it. Therefore this challenge I will practise in the evening my getting up routine. This a bit bizarre and will feel weird, but if I can get the feeling of getting up ingrained into me then it will make the whole thing easier in the morning – at least in principle. Goal 3: Food – Drink a protein shake every morning. My food goal in the last challenge was planned to be specific at first and then undergo a re-evaluation. What resulted was 2 weeks of everything going well then the re-evaluation after which I did nothing. With this in mind my goal will now be a specific one: drink a protein shake every morning. This is a bit of a weak food goal for me as I am not sure if I really need to add additional protein to my diet. My gut feeling says yes, but I am probably not so far off in reality. Either way I feel that this is not detrimental and will at least be a positive on days when I have been doing parallettes or sprinting. I can also do it and record it easily, which are important criteria. I plan to use this as a first positive step towards shoring up my diet and can be a model for specific food changes in subsequent challenges. Strategy: Make the protein shake the night before. Goal 4: Life Goal (overcoming inertia) - Finish the data analysis for my project so that I can send it off for the next step. Daily small steps. I have a project I worked on for a long time that has never been finished due to overwhelming inertia that arises from it being connected to a bad period of my life, a terrible working environment surrounded by people who basically pschologically abused me. It wasn't nice and I didn't know how to deal with it. I have now escaped the environment but find myself unable to tackle the project as it is still connected to all of these feelings. On the other hand not completing the project is one of the things that keeps me up at night. I want to be a finisher and I want to complete the project for myself regardless of what comes out of it at the end. I just need to get it off my back so I can stop thinking about it. I know what I need to do, but I need to get myself back into it (it is a year since I have touched it), do some data analysis and then send it on to someone who can do the next step. It makes me sad and uncomfortable just thinking about this goal, so I really do need to get it done so that I can get back on with my life. This introduction is pasted directly from my last challenge where I didn’t manage to overcome inertia in this area. I need a better strategy for how to do this and maybe some sort of reward structure to make it fun and try to distance it from the problem at the root of it. For the benefit of my confidence and psychology I really need to make some in-roads here.

Ok, so maybe quoting the Inferno is overdoing it. I'm not yet at the edge of hell. But I'm getting older now and have found that if I want to do all the fun stuff I used to do, or do the fun things I haven't tried yet, I have to start putting in some work to take care of myself. I'm new to the forums but have been reading the NF blog for a while. So for a short introduction, I'm a man in my mid-30's living somewhere between the mountains and the river in a land they call Texas. During my 20's, I never had to put in much work to stay in decent shape. My workouts and other activities were sporadic and I never developed the habits to stay fit. Now in my 30's, it's a bit different. The development of those good habits is really my over-arching, life-long goal. This NF challenge came along at a good time for me to make a start on that. Here are my goals for this challenge: MAIN QUEST: I will develop the habits of taking care of this amazing body I've been given. SPECIFIC GOALS: Be in bed by 11 p.m. for 6 nights/week. No self-sabotage via alcohol or food that makes me feel bad (that would be you, doughnuts and muffins). Complete short daily workouts in my log for 6 days/week and enjoy a good hike with a weighted pack on Sundays.SIDE QUEST: I will give myself 10 minutes every morning for prayer, meditation, breath practice, reading the Psalms, and getting ready for the day ahead -- whatever I need to do with that time. I will check in weekly on Sundays with a progress report let you know how I've done and give what support I can to all of you on your own quests. I'll leave you with one of my favorite LOTR quotes: A day may come when the courage of men fails! But it is not this day! A day may come when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship! But it is not this day! An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! - Aragorn

Better late than never. I'm in a funk, and have barely lifted in the last month, so this is a 'just get started and see what happens' challenge. Inspired by Peelout, I'm going to work on some habits, and try to update every day. Weigh daily - started 4/7 (pretty consistent for the last several years, but when I stop doing it regularly, I inevitably gain. Doesn't always keep me on track, but it helps.) Floss daily - started 4/13 (been working at this for a long time, but never really committed to EverySingleDay.) Touch the Iron - started 4/16 (this challenge only. Lift every single day. Anything counts.) Start Something 3 x 5 min - started 4/16 (this challenge only. work from a list and work on three different things for at least 5 minutes each. starting is the hardest thing.) That's it. Two good days so far. "Workout" yesterday was just the bar OHP 3 reps for 10 min EMOM. Today was 10 min EMOM mixture of power cleans, front swats, deadlifts with light weight.

Quest: Embark on Healthy Habits Current Weight: 209.8 Grade Scale: Week 1: 3 cheats Week 2: 2 cheats Week 3: 2 cheats Week 4: 1 cheats Week 5: 1 cheats Week 6: 0 cheats Goal #1: 8 Hours of Sleep Per Day Stats: Stats: +1 STA, +2 CON, +2 CHA Goal #2: Embrace a Workout Schedule This year I am signing up for my first half marathon. It won't be until September 6th for my birthday. But I want to start training for it and start building up my body. My current workout schedule is iffy. I had a trainer for 3 great years but I can't afford it financially. I ended up going to a cheaper gym, Fitness 19. But I get anxiety so I haven't stepped in yet. On the 27th of December I went in for questions, they gave me a week long guest pass but I didn't use it (I sat in my car staring at the people going in (3X!!), freaking out that they were strangers), then last night I had the hopes that by 9PM there wouldn't be anyone there. There were loads of people, so I signed up but chickened out of using equiptment. I went home and I used the treadmill. I run outside on Sundays with my mom. And I'm hoping I can workout with my dad at the gym. Monday: Running and Gym? Tuesday: Dance Wednesday: Running and Dance Thursday: Day Off Friday: Gym? Saturday: Gym? Sunday: Running and Gym? +2 STA +STR +1 DEX Goal #3: Stick to my calories (1730)! I have a semi-active lifestyle but a not so active boyfriend/mother/friends. I tend to eat pretty healthy (lots of veggies, meat, and a small quantity of carbs when I am by myself). However, I don't make the best of choices when I am around other people. And I certainly don't want to be a hermit for the rest of my life just so I can lose weight. A lot of my weight gain has to do with my thoughts. I try to eat what other people eat in terms of quantity. So let's just face the facts. I'm a short, would be petite if it wasn't for the weight, kind of girl. So I have decided first to do portion control when I eat out and yes I do eat out. Currently, I make 2 of my meals and would like to eventually make my third at home but that hasn't happened yet so instead when I do eat out I will order off the children's menu, the smaller portion's menu, or the under 500 calories menu. Stats: +1 STA, +2 WIS Life Quest: Practice Meditation for 5 Minutes a Day My anxiety and stress levels are really high at the moment. It's exahusting. So I will try something new like this: http://marc.ucla.edu/mpeg/01_Breathing_Meditation.mp3 Stats: +1 WIS, +1 CON, +1 CHA PS If you see me disappear, I'm still continuing with the challenge I just forget to update.

Hey Rebels! It's been a while since I participated in a 6-week Challenge, but I know how important the support of others is when trying to accomplish something difficult. For this challenge, I'll be mostly focusing on building good habits that will help me sustain healthy eating and make future goals easier. Now then, the challenge! Main Quest: Lose Excess Body Fat. Specifically, get a Flat Stomach. Why: 2 reasons. 1) So I can look in the mirror with pride. 2) It's something I've never been able to do. No matter how athletic I was, my body never looked like a fit person's body. I feel it's a barrier I need to get over for my own confidence and personal growth. Goal 1) Diet: No Sweets or Bread-based items. Goal 2) Habit: Eat all meals/snacks at the dinner table. No screens while eating. Reading is ok but it still needs to be at the dinner table. Goal 3) Habit: Cut down on Internet Browsing: Take 1/2 hr each day to check facebook, blogs, etc. After that, only use internet for SPECIFIC tasks and don't browse. Side Quest: Find an apartment and move out of Parent's house. I've been working on this for a while so may as well make it an official side quest! Grading: Done on a week-by-week basis for each goal. I'll average them up at the end. A strike = 1 sweet; each meal or snack eaten in front of a screen; every half hour of Internet Browsing after the first. A = 1 or fewer strikes in any goal (Ex: 1 sweet eaten on Wednesday but no others through the week = A grade for Goal 1) B = 2 strikes C = 3 strikes D = 4 strikes *Emergency extra credit: Should I have a Really bad day where I eat all my meals in front of a screen and eat tons of Ice Cream and spend all day on computer, the rest of the week is not shot and I CANNOT use that day's failure to give up on the rest of the week. If I get right back up the next day, I'm brought back up from a D to C. Looking forward to the Challenge! Should be awesome! Also, guess who's signed up to go to Camp Nerd Fitness next fall? This Guy!

I took the last challenge off as I was finally home after being gone for 12 weeks, and in a new house to boot, so I was just focusing on getting back into the swing of things, and work was crazy busy, yadda, yadda, et cetera, et cetera. But now I feel somewhat refreshed and ready to tackle another challenge. My focus for this challenge is organization. The office supply section is my favorite place of any store that has an office supply section (unless it's a bookstore). I need to re-establish evening routines for myself and the kids; my middle schooler (for one more semester) really needs organizational help too, but is pretty resistant, so I'm trying to ease in small changes here and there. One of my primary habits to establish is getting the dishes cleaned up before I go to bed. (I know, my middle schooler should be doing them; that's a longer campaign.) We've learned the hard way that, at a minimum, there can be no cups/glasses with water in them left out overnight. The cats will spill the water. They may or may not knock over the glass, but they will spill the water. One night they got a new snail out of a glass -- without knocking over the glass -- and played with it. I found it the next morning on the stair landing. Surprisingly the snail was still alive, though it took about 48 hours for it to show signs of life. I also have a myriad of tasks to stay on top of at work, often with lots of email traffic flowing through my inbox about them, getting mixed up together and with the little things/notices that also flow in. I'd file them, but out of sight, out of mind, so I'm trying to find ways to flag and sort and not lose track of things. We use Outlook. Ok, well, I feel like I've started rambling, and one of my previous commitments to myself last year was to go to bed between 10 and 10:15, and it's after 10:30 now, so, good night.

Ok, so the last few months have been interesting. First off there was CampNF. Seriously some of the best fun I have ever had. I'm going next year, don't care how it happens. Work decided I was needed to go share my awesomeness and train another facility for 4 weeks. This was at the same time as camp and a family wedding I was participating in. HOLY BUSY BATMAN. That was a lot of flights and packing/unpacking and just generally no time for being at home. I'm happy to be home, I'm happy to be back on my normal schedule, and I'm super excited to start a new challenge. Bring it on. I just celebrated my 30th birthday. This did NOT get me down. In fact I think I feel better now than when I was 25. I know I am happier! In fact I might be annoyingly happy right now, people are noticing my sunny outlook. Life is good! As far as what I am challenging myself with, I am still working out the details. I want to make this challenge about new habits. I am still sticking to my no sugar in my coffee habit from a previous challenge. Going about 8 months on that one and still going strong. I know I can make changes if I just work them out in baby steps. I want to tackle the habit of taking my vitamins every day. Krill oil makes my joints happy and I need to make it a daily thing. I drink plenty of water in the summer when it's hot, but now that its cooling down, I am going to have to be more mindful. I am excited about getting my batcave into working order. I will think about what I want to change and how I can track those changes and make them a part of the challenge. No more sitting at my desk in front of the comp. The filing I am putting off needs to be done and that file box must come off my desk...I hate the clutter. I am annoyed with my current gym and the price and the people and the equipment and the group of stay at home moms that invades at the same time I like to go and stand around and are obnoxious and talk about their kids while they lift tiny weights and do excessive cardio and are just generally in everyone's way. All in all, we need to see other people. There are two new Crossfit operations that have opened in the last 6 months both within a ridiculously easy distance. I would love to get back into Crossfit. I will be trying them out and seeing which is the best fit for my schedule and personality. The only thing about my gym I will miss is the badass guy who comes in all quiet, lifts like a beast and then does pull ups with a 50lb plate hanging from his waist. That man is my hero. I would high five him, but I fear it would break his concentration. The high five is implied! I will work out the details on these goals and see what specs I can include over the next few days. A detailed update and outline of my challenge will follow. EXCITED!!

This is for all the folks on Nerd Fitness who are also on HabitRPG so we can get together to talk about the program and maybe form parties. http://habitrpg.com for those who have no idea what I'm talking about and want to know about the game.

Because butts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmkn59N5SDg I need some cheering up, and skipped a challenge because I moved back to Hometown, in the Land of No Opportunities. Since butts soothe any kind of trouble, butt-challenge. At least I can control the butt-ness of my situation. Goals! 1: Learn to cook again. I'm back home and there is a kitchen and I need to learn to use it again and make something that is not an omelet, so I can grow into a stronger version of myself. To try one new meal per week is enough, really. I'll select recipes I'd want to make often (so very quick/lazy ones) 2: Do strength exercises. because butt. goal: 3/week, I'll do a workout routine. I found out about how glute brigdes are great fun, I'm still adding some other stuff I really like, like push ups. I'll be using fitocracy to track this/keep an eye on my efforts. 3: no more taking the laptop in bed. I'll start this goal by watching myself. why am I doing this? Step two: can I divert the path of least resistance so the thing does not end up in my bed? side goal: thanks to lilith's challenge, I felt inspired to put a ball of clay on my desk. it's slightly too big for my hands, so it's really helping with strength, plus it turns out to be oddly relaxing. Life goal: Do something to get a dance pole somewhere. I'm surprisingly depressed because I can't dance anymore. It's starting to feel like this time that I was really talented at something and was having tons of fun and becoming really strong was just some idiot dream I had :/ Classes are really expensive around here, there is no sports equipment stuff in the parks, our house is too small (I'm 1m77/ 5'10" and I'd spend so much time slamming my feet into cupboards and stuff), and I dread the garden, because winter + metal pole = frozen fingers D': I have no idea what to do, but something is going to get done, because this is ridiculous.

This challenge I'm getting in the groove. To me the groove is all about routines that make me feel awesome, like working out, yoga, and flossing. It's also about just being happy. Also maybe because I can't dance so I live in awe of every SYTYCD contestant and Step Up star -- their talent and fitness level. This challenge may be an excuse to watch allll the dance movies as inspiration! Last challenge went well for me; I fell off the metrics wagon but the overall high protein-lower carb moderate-quantity eating tendencies stuck and I lost a few pounds (and a pants size!). Right now I'm definitely eating over the 100g carbs/day, so I'll work on reining it in but not stressing out. After the plantar fascitis-wrist cyst combination discouragement episode, I'm ready to get back to the gym. It will help that the bf is leaving town in a couple weeks so I won't be prioritizing spending time with him. Main long-term goal: Be Anti-fragile I'm way too young to be feeling as unhealthy as I do, and I'm ready to get in take-on-the-world shape. Ways to measure this-- body fat ~20-25%, capability to get through Crossfit class more than once/week, get up the stairs without being out of breath, have clothes fit better, have more energy. Main challenge goal: Comfortably fit into my jeans. They're size 8 or 10, and I'm sooo close--they fit pretty well except when I sit down. Gotta work on that muffin top. Since it's finally jeans weather in Cali, I'd like to feel great when I wear them. Sub-goal #1: Daily core/squats/calf-rolling/chinup-pullup work (+3 CON, +3 DEX) Sub-sub-goals: 2 chinups (I mayyyy have lost the ability to do 1 due to not working at it. gah) +1 STR 1 pullup +1 STR 1000 total squats +1 STR Average 10,000 steps/day +1 STASub-goal #2: Be awesome at life Sub-sub-goals: Start an investment account outside my 401k +1 WIS Finish Christmas gift prep by end of Nov +1 CHA Record all eating and sleep +1 CON Meditate 5min daily +2 WIS This is my attempt to simplify from last challenge. I'm not doing metrics this go-around, and I'm tracking steps and sleep weekly with my new Fitbit. Ideally I'll hit the gym ~3x/week, but it's not a primary goal.

My old nemeses have been getting the better of me this past few weeks. Ice Cream, too much time in front of screens, masturbation - those three always seem to hang out together and when they gang up, it can be a bit much for this Adventurer. But, he's not giving up! The past few weeks haven't been terrible, but I've definitely been stagnating and not moving forward in fitness or enjoyment of life. I'm still hitting my workouts, but poor diet choices lead to poor workouts and I haven't been seeing much progress lately. And it's hard to feel like a hero when you're chomping down on your 2nd mug of ice cream while watching a show that you aren't really enjoying but just watching because you're bored and getting up to do something fun takes effort. But no more! Nothing like an inspirational Nerdfitness post to give a much needed kick in the pants. For the rest of the month, I'll be trying to hack the habit loop at its source. Rule 1: No Food in front of screens (especially sweets). Eat at the dinner table and either talk to people or read a book. Chowing down while watching a show gets me into that loop of harmful self indulgence. Rule 2: Get out and do stuff. I need to try to get out and do more things on the weekends when I have free time. Can't just rely on my friends to set up a get-together. If there's nothing going on, I've gotta get out of the house and find something to do. Even if it's just going to the mall, it's better than just staying in the house and watching TV or wasting time on the computer. No more self-pity. Let's do it to it.

Hi, I'm Paul Mostowyj. It's pronounced Most-o-vee, but you can call me Paul. By day I'm a manager and a coach; by night I'm a sportsman and an adventurer, but at the heart of it all I'm a family man. A long time ago (in a galaxy far away) I was the sportsman and the adventurer I claim to be. I found success on the basketball court, I stood behind waterfalls, I ran in Olympic stadiums, I walked the streets of Jack the Ripper, I ran a marathon - I stopped. I'm tired of just being a manager and a coach. I want to be the sportsman and the adventurer again. I want to be the family man my children can be proud of. Before I try to climb Mount Everest, cycle around the world or swim the English Channel, I need to build a good base level of fitness first. I need strong healthy habits that will keep me fit as a fiddle for the rest of my life to enjoy my time with my kids and one day grandchildren. Main Quest: To reach a weight of 200 lbs and maintain it for 6 months Missions: Do 5 Sun Salutations daily Do a micro workout daily - callisthenics or kettle bells Get at least 6 hours sleep daily Life Quest: To shoot 500 free-throws by the end of the challenge

Previously on my journey, I was a Pokemon master, who fell out of her universe to land in a strange place she now has to learn to call home. It’s called Hogwarts, nobody knows me here, and since I look kinda weird and don’t fit in, I have to rely on other things to get where I want to be. To quote the headmaster: “Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time.†I’m not channeling my inner Hagrid though, pleasant as that would be. I’m currently tiny little Snape, trying to get in with the cool kids, find a new home outside of the old one, a place to call home, and a place in the world. If I manage to do meet my goals, I’ll allow myself to slip into the skin of another person. I won’t do it the GoT House Bolton way, I’ll instead use a Polyjuice Potion. Which is only slightly less disgusting. There will be a lot of goals. But many of them are just things that I need in daily life. Habit building on a small scale. History of Magic: History of magic is boring. So is the school I’ll be going to. But I need to ace this. I’m smart. I really am, despite the decisions I sometimes make. It’s usually easy for me to learn things, but I’m lazy. I’m also not really looking forward to school because I’d rather just work, and because all the other people there will be 16-18. A big issue I need to tackle is the shame I’m feeling, and the feeling of being a big fat fail. Which will be put into big relief when 23 year old me is thrown at the same stage as all those little 16 year old girls. I need to get over myself and not let that put me down, I need to focus on what’s important, bring home good grades, study and make the most of this chance. I also need to not skip school or be annoyed at the classes I have to take (I need 120 hours of typing class. Which seems ridiculous to me in the age we’re living in, but I might just be the only nerd in that class that types more than she talks). I’ll have 2 days of school per week, which really isn’t much when I think about it. So! Goals: Do ALL the homework. Take notes in class & participate. Keep a tidy folder for school. If there’s an exam or other thing, ace it. Rewards: Knotgrass Powdered bicorn horn Potions: I’m eating healthy. However, I also need to eat smart. All the time I’ve put into researching bentos and whatnot can now finally be put to the test. Ideally, I’d like to have a meal plan. In fact, I might just type it up and add it here (since I’m writing this a week before the new challenge starts, chances are I’ll have it done by then). My mom is making all the dinner and whatnot, so there’s nothing for me to worry about. But I have to bring lunch to work/school with me now. I have a 90 minute lunch break, which means technically I’d have more than enough time to go out and buy a pizza. But I’m not earning nearly enough for that, and it’s lazy and unhealthy. I just bought a two-tiered lunch box that can keep food both cold and warm (we don’t yet have a kitchen at work, so no microwave or fridge) and I need to use it. Goals: Make a “Rosie Projectâ€-ish standardized meal plan. Bring lunch with me to school/work every day. (possibly not fridays, as I get off work at 1) Take pictures of the lunch. Rewards: Leeches Jogwarts club: Exercise. Life has just gotten a hell of a lot busier. I’d like to exercise three days a week, which isn’t much when you think about it. Ideally this means gym 3 times a week, but I have to see whether I’ll actually manage to drag myself to gym after work. If not, I’ll have to quit. I can’t afford to pay 50 bucks per month and then not go. Whatever the outcome, I need to do some form of exercise 3 times a week. Even if it’s just 5 minutes of hooping or a quick crazy-dance. Goal: Exercise 3 times a week. Rewards: Lacewing flies Astronomy: It’s a huge pain in the bum, having to get up in the middle of the night to stargaze. Or, in my case, go to work. My alarm wakes me at 5.30am, so I need to be in bed early. This has worked fabulously the past week, as I was always so pooped after work I just fell straight into bed. I need to keep at it. I remember this being one of my very first goals on Nerdfitness, and I function so much better when I go to bed at a healthy time. Goals: Sleep. Sleep a lot. Read more books. Find good books to read (suggestions very welcome!) Rewards: Fluxweed (picked at full moon) Herbology: I really don’t want to end up like Eloise Midgen and have my nose, big as it already is, be off center because I tried to curse my skin pretty. So I’ll go with the traditional route - diluted bubotuber pus. Also known as a good skin care regime. I’ve fallen back in love with a proper routine thanks to those awesome Korean cosmetics I ordered. And more are on the way, straight from San Francisco’s Face Shop. They’re incredibly light, look super cute and are a joy to put on the face. I’m currently using a wildberry foam cleanser, sparkling water apple juicy toner, peach sake serum and mushroom BB cream, all from Skinfood. But, as I said, more is on the way from the good friend that also introduced me to NF, who went and bought me a busload of stuff. I also do face masks more often now, because I bought a kilo of healing earth and can’t not smear it all over my face. Goals: Skin care every morning. Skin care every evening. At least 3 masks per week, ideally one every night (but I don’t want to overload my skin/have to buy even more products, so the minimum will be healing earth mask 3 times a week!) Rewards: Shredded boomslang skin (because obviously that's what you want after you've followed a strict skin care regime for 6 weeks) Hair from someone's head. This looks like a lot at first glance. But really it's just basic survival skills, be it for Hogwarts or muggle life. I've thought a lot about the things I want to do, and challenge myself to do, and things I'd like to experience, do or make. But what it comes down to is this. Habits that I need, desperately, to survive. And I need Nerdfitness in my life to help me with all of this. Because you’re awesome. Grading is as usual in Hogwarts: Outstanding Exceeds Expectation Acceptable Poor Dreadful Troll

Alright -- I'm going to lay my heart out for you. I'm scared. I'm scared that I won't be able to do a proper squat. I'm scared that I'll never be able to hike that strenous trail in the Shenandoah. I'm scared that I am going to get into my own way, only half-assing my health because I'm too lazy and ignorant to do otherwise. But, I'm getting my 20 seconds of courage, revamping my whole outlook on this health thing. I've been on the rebellion boards for several years, but never seem to connect with anyone due to inactivity. I have failed my accountability buddies, promising to keep in touch, but never really do. Why have I suddenly changed? Well, I haven't. I've been lurking in the background, wishing I was like that person. I need to be honest with myself. I'm not THAT person, I'm me. I have medical problems that cause me to fail challenges that are based on weight. I need to stop thinking like that. I need to reach out for support from my fellow nerds. Motivation: I don't want to be like the rest of my family, living a sedentary life like a good hobbit. I'm an adventurer who dreams of that long quest to save the world from evil. I want to be able to fit into traditional hiking clothes instead of hiking in yoga pants. I want to backpack the Appalachian trail. I want to safely SCUBA dive the great barrier reef. I want to be able to explore places where few people have gone and I don't want my health to get into the way. I want to be comfortable in my skin enough to go cosplaying without caring about how other people me because I'm feeling awesome. I want to strut down the beach and only wear a t-shirt because I burn WAY too easily instead of trying to hide that part of me I'm embarassed about that day. This doesn't mean I need to look like a super model; instead, I'm working on trying to fix my mental perception of myself, my self-image. I have been known to make my goals a little hard to obtain. I easily forgave myself for failing challenges after challenges. Half-assing exercises so that I hurt myself. I'm going to start with yoga to loosen up my joints and my muscles, clear my mind of negativity, and teach myself to BREATHE! I will continue with my walking as I thoroughly enjoy the hikes I take, but until yoga becomes a habit, I won't pressure myself to do daily walks. After a while, when yoga is more a habit than a chore and my body is able to move more fluidly, I'll add strength training to the mix. Fitness challenge for the month: -- Hard-hat challenge (yoga 5x a week) -- Walk at least 6 miles 2x a week Nutrition: -- Cook 4x a week -- Drink at least 5 cups of water a day Life: -- Work on debt snowball to get rid of car loan and one student loan -- Become more active in the community with at a daily battle log update and speak up on other's 3x a week. This will be hard! I'm not used to it, but I hope that I'll make habits.

The Apocalypse, Day One. "The day the apocalypse hit was a day like any other. It was slightly overcast with more then a slight chance of rain, and so I had locked myself inside with nothing but my dog and my computer. The middle of winter is a real motivation drainer so I have found herself drawn to the warmth of the gas heater and cheesy reality TV shows more and more as the cold months have progressed. That was until, my partner (henceforth known as Mr. Tea) came roaring home from work one day, flung the front door open, flung himself through it, and slammed it shut, back pushed firmly against the wood. I assumed he was just hangry, and wandered over to see if he wanted something to eat, until I saw the look of horror on his face. The kind of horror only brought on by one thing." The last thing I ever wanted to do was become a mindless drone, wandering around in a daze, not using my life to it's fullest potential. Most of my empty wandering sprouted from the lack of a clear cut plan of attack for improving my life, and while I made some progress fluffing about learning the basics of eating right and exercising, I got to where I wanted to be and well, stopped. I fell into the trap of getting to my destination and got slack, instead of changing tack and creating some progress goals to keep me going. Now, I have a plan, and I'm implementing this plan today. I'm keeping it simple, building habits I need. Hence joining the Adventurers for this challenge! "Zombies." Just that one muttered work changed our whole life. Unfortunately that change started sooner then I had hoped. I wasn't ready! Unprepared! I was still unfit, untrained, unmotivated! How the hell was I supposed to survive a zombiepocalypse?!" Survival: Get moving for at least 30 minutes 6 days a week. Work does not count. (0 / 36 points) e.g. walk the dog, practice basic parkour, do yoga, bodyweight exercise This is obvious. I need skills to be able to get away from zombies. Build barricades, bend through tight spaces Etc. Any of the above are fine, but I need to make a habit of planning something physical into my day; that isn't my job. (also I would like to be fit enough to keep up at work without falling to pieces by the end of the day) "Thankfully, Mr. Tea wasn't having a mid-apocalypse crisis, having armed himself with his hockey stick and now dragging the sidebar across the front door. He shouted my name and I started to help him. That was until "Crash!" Through the glass back door. They were in! Mr. Tea cursed and ran at them. I squealed like a girl and ran for the kitchen. Sharp objects, Fire, Electrical equipment! Excellent! I grabbed the closest thing I could reach; my frypan. Still dirty from dinner and rusting from old age and misuse. More of that to follow. I heard a moan close behind me to my shoulder and swung the pan. Mr. Tea ducked as I swung wildly where the head of a zombie had been moments before. He only glared briefly before looking at the back door. The zombies has stopped coming through... For now. "Grab anything important! We might have to get out of here in a minute." I nodded and ran from the lounge room to the bedroom to the office, looking for things to grab. Yarn? no. Batteries? Probably. Underwear? Yeah maybe. Crap, how unorganised is our house? How am I supposed to find anything? What do I class as important? Why didn't I ask these questions until now?!" Shelter: Pick one spot in the house a week to clean up and organise. (0 / 6 points) pick a spot. Sort into keep / trash / donateables. Put donatables into back of car. Throw out trash immediately. Plan new homes / new storage for keepable items. There's only room for important things in the apocalypse, and they have to be organised for living a long time in the place you're staying, if it happens to be your safe zone. Otherwise, it needs to be organised so that you can up and leave at a moment's notice, or grab that thing you knew would come in handy for fighting zombies one day. I need to clean up the dark corners of the house so when I clean up in general the place actually looks cleaner. "I ran back to the dining room where Mr. Tea had just taken down another zombie by plugging in the circular saw that had been sitting in its box in the corner of the lounge room for months. I hadn't decided whether I should have told him there was bits of zombie in his beard before he told me to take stock of whatever food we had and how long we could survive on it. I ran back to the kitchen. There was a few ends of vegetables, a few cans of things like tomatoes, some packets of noodles... If we had to survive on this I was going to have to get creative. Hopefully the zombies hadn't trampled my garden yet because those sad little vegetables could very well be the only thing sustaining us after a while." Food: Eat one serve of vegetables a day. (0 / 42 points) Tend the garden twice a week. ( 0 / 12 points) It's important to get your greens for a healthy diet to fuel your lifestyle; more so when your life revolves around always potentially having to fight or flee at any given time. Also being able to supply your own food when the fast food places are overrun with zombies seems like a good idea. No Hungry Jacks in the apocalypse. "By the time I'd got the food sorted Mr. Tea had managed to push a sofa and the dining table up against the back door, and hushed my crashing and banging in the cupboard. "I think that's all of them. Now don't break anything or be too loud and they might forget we're here. Call anyone you can. See who's okay and what useful stuff or advice they can give us." Company: Get out and about with someone once a week. ( 0 / 6 points) e.g. Walk the dogs, Have coffee / lunch together Everyone needs a support crew, and other people need supporting. Some of my friends are going through rough patches right now and I want to be there for them; and others I just like to see quite often because I have valuable friendships with them and don't get to see them often enough. Loners rarely survive happily in the apocalypse without turning into psychopaths. "I called around. Thankfully the phones hadn't gone yet. Some people didn't answer immediately but were grateful to hear intelligent speech instead of the groans of the undead. We were going to have to gather ourselves and our supplies if we had any hope of surviving this long term. I hung up the phone. Mr. Tea was sitting on the couch staring at a wall. I sat next to him and breathed out. Felt like my first one in a while. I looked at him and asked, "What do we do now?" Purpose: Find a reason to get out of bed every day. Post to the forums. (0 / 42 points) I'm struggling with a reason for me even being on this planet, so lacking a overarching purpose as of yet, I'm going to focus on just getting myself up every day. I need to find a reason - even the smallest one - for getting up in the morning and knowing that I'm not wasting my days away on mindlessness. I will post it to my battle log, or maybe even make a separate topic if other people feel like the exercise may be worth their while. Epic Quest: HAVE SOMETHING WORTH LIVING FOR. Current Quest: Find something to get out of bed for every day. Completing this challenge will get you; 15 stat points and; A: A Shiny new frypan. B: A New pair of Chucks. C: The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. D / F: Your life. You escaped this time, but don’t think you’ll be so lucky next time!

Hello Druids. I have come to collect no bounties, but bounties of wisdom. Normally I train with my warrior brothers and sisters, but a knee injury has lead me to more tranquil waters. I injured the knee while locking out a push press. My knee made a loud pop. Unfortunately, it did not hurt that much at the time and I'm new to sports injuries, so I continued to perform heavy squats and deadlifts with it. Now I have an appointment next Tuesday with an orthopedist who specializes in injuries of the knee and spine. The short of the long of it is that I'm not to do any sort of lifting or cardio besides walking until I see the doctor. I have decided to do this challenge as a druid. It's time I performed some introspection and from there, gained wisdom. Main Quest: Develop/kick habits in order to bring my mind into a more healthy and peaceful place for sound decision making, planning, and harmony with others. Additionally, I will strive to come as close to my 199.0lb weight goal as possible. Goal 1. Tracking Calories and Protein for Fat Loss Based off an analysis of the last challenge's data, I will be using the following Calorie limit and protein goal: Calories - 1700kcal Protein - 150g I am 5'10 and 219.0lbs as of yesterday, Sunday, July 27. This puts me at 0.68g of protein/lb of body weight, which is perfectly acceptable. These values are moving targets and will be reevaluated weekly. Success here will be evaluated as a function of days tracked/total days in challenge or weight lost/20lbs, whichever is larger. Potential Stat Gain: +2 CON, +2 CHA Because I'm getting healthier and looking great. Goal 2. Walking OR Whatever Program (If Any) The Orthopedist Prescribes This could go either way. If he tells me that it will heal on its own, I will follow the walking plan. This will be updated to his plan should that become necessary. The elliptical trainer was starting to hurt my knee, but walking around my relatively flat neighborhood does not. Here is the plan I devised: Walking 3x/week Challenge Week 1-2: 30min/session Challenge Week 3-4: 45min/session Challenge Weeks 5-6: 60min/session I will use this as a time to calm my mind and enjoy the outdoors when I am alone and on the times my wife joins me, I will enjoy her company as well. Success here will be evaluated as a function of walks completed/total possible walks Potential Stat Gain: +3 STA My heart rate will definitely get up. Goal 3. Meditation I want to make time for meditation daily. I am excitable, easy to anger, stress prone, and welcome/sometimes seek out conflict. I want to change this because it is having a negative impact on how I feel, how I interact with my wife, how I interact with others in general, and my career. A part of this goal will be to discover effective methods for meditating. The first task will be to research basic meditative methods. Luckily, some NFers already pointed me in the direction of some books and apps. Starting out, I want to meditate for at least 5 minutes/day after work. I may throw in a morning session if I'm feeling adventurous later. It may take longer than this challenge to see big results (I don't know, I'm a newbie druid), but I plan to log the following: Progress made in handling my own emotions (fear, anxiety, anger, jealousy, greed, lust)Progress made in my interactions with my wife (cooperation, give and take, respect, trust)Progress made in my interactions with others (compassion, empathy, fairness, ethics)Progress made in how I view and handle career related tasks and incidents (laziness, problems with authority)Progress made in how I view and handle life chores and errands (laziness)For each day, I will be graded on whether or not I completed the meditation(s), and if I made notes on my reflections. Potential Stat Gain: +4 WIS For opening up and calming down my mind. Goal 3. Tapering off of Marijuana It's like my first challenge, but instead of soda, it's weed! I find that the leaf slows my mind and stifles my personality. It's great for relaxing and gaming, but not for my career, most social interactions, and productivity. Additionally, I had been hacking a lot between heavy lifting sets and this is the obvious culprit. Medical marijuana is legal in The State of California and I do have a recommendation from a doctor, but weed and I need to part ways for a while - a long while. I normally smoke from a bong once in the morning at about 7:30 AM, once immediately after I get home from work at 5:30 PM, and several bowls burn by between then and bedtime at around 10:30 PM. This is the planned taper. Each week's condition stacks with all previous. Week 1: Eliminate Morning Smoke - Except on Weekends Week 2: Can Only Smoke Three Times After Work - No Effect on Weekends Week 3: Can Only Smoke Twice After Work - No Effect on Weekends Week 4: Can Only Smoke Once After Work - No Effect on Weekends Week 5: No Smoking During the Work Week Week 6: No Smoking At All I've quit before to clear a pre-employment exam. I can do it again. Potential Stat Gain: +2 CON +2 WIS For cleaning out my lungs and my mind. That's it for now. This is prime for some revision between now and next Monday. Please, offer me some advice, particularly on meditation if you have some insights. I look forward to chatting with many of you. This seems like a really cool guild and I like the juxtaposition with the rowdy power seeking vibe of my home guild. I have a feeling that I will return as a much more well rounded warrior, and I'm excited as what fruit will bear in my real life. Cheers! Broba

I am back and I'm determined to get my life back on track. I need to get my life in order before I get used to all the bad habits I've fallen into throughout the years. So, without further ado- WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA: Lifelong goal: to be confident in the body I'm in so I can be the made-of-awesome person I am 5 or so years out: To have some serious muscles A year or so from today: Have the physical capability to do a set of five pull-ups and finally own and confidently wear a bikini A LITTLE ABOUT ME: I'm a college student with only a few years left in school. I really fell off the wagon this past year out on my own. I'm working through the summer, but I want to start building habits so when classes start up I don't get worse. Nerd-wise, I love Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Lord of the Rings, Sherlock, Supernatural, Nerdfighteria, among a few other things. LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS: Since everything I've read on Nerdfitness emphasises simplicity, I'm going to stick to three overarching goals for the challenge, increasing the willpower needed to stick with it as things go on. They shall be as follows- Exercise +5 mins/ day every week! This one is pretty simple, I currently do not exercise, so I need to change that and get the momentum moving. So for week one, I'll aim to workout for 5 mins every day and then add 5 mins every week. I may add a bit of strength training later in the challenge, but no promises One paleo change/ week! I may not ever go full paleo (I'm from the dairy state, it's kinda hard to completely eliminate cheese. But limit, sure) but I know I need to adapt more of the concepts into my life. These will be cumulitave throughout the challenge. For week one, my challenge is to have one meal a day that has no grains. Spend +5 mins/ day every week in God-time! This is for my spiritual health, because I know I need to work on this. If I'm going to level up my life, I'm not going to be able to keep it together without my God and my faith. (Disclaimer: I am a religious person that will force my beliefs or otherwise condemn a person because they don't believe the same thing as me.)THE BIGGEST OBSTACLES: The big issue I face is not having any person to hold me accountable and cheer me on. So if there's someone out there who also needs an accountabilibuddy, let me know. Smaller challenges are getting this whole thing started while I'm at home and adjusting to a new job in the next few weeks. A side note- I can be really horrible about checking in on these forms, so I'm also starting a tumblr to record my overall journey. So if you have a tumblr and want to follow me, let me know!

Hello everyone, My name is Sandylion, and I am a lazy-person. Starting today, I am a recovering lazy-person. Last year in June I was super proud of who I was and how I looked. I was lifting heavy things, I was social, I looked good. Then some $h!t hit the fan, I got super depressed and started wallowing hard-core. Things have gotten better, a lot better, but I've lost so many good habits that made me happy. I am going to get them back! No more excuses. I have this habit of doing nothing, then attempting to do all of the things, then failing, and going back to doing nothing. Hence the lazy-person issue . So, here I am again and we are going to make this happen. Main Quest: Happy, Healthy, and Hot. Explanation: Build back habits lost in last bout of depression. Stop eating all of the craps that make me feel gross. Lose the 30-depression pounds. 3 Incredibly specific Goals: Happy- Don't die on habitrpg.com (I've got a whole bunch of daily habits on there) Healthy- Eat only my lunch at work. No chocolates, no Starbucks apple fritters, no cookies, or taffys or anything else that people bring in constantly. Hot- Follow the plan to do hand stands and do 1- 5 min work out every day. Or yoga, cause yoga is good. Side quest: Improve marital relations. Spend 1 hr 3 times a week with the DH just being couple-y . If I make this more complicated, I will give up.

I had no idea I would relate to Gnomes in such a way until I read NF's 15 common mistakes article. I do this all the time, with everything...step 1. collect all the info on subject! step 2. ??? Step 3. Magically Be a better Parent, person, more fit, smaller, whatever. I've never quite made it to step 3. So, it's time to gather the best underpants, and wear them! I will be a Gnome no more, but the Satyr I was meant to be! (Never knew I could be a Satyr either until another NF page said I could. Satyrs don't know what to do with underpants either, but I imagine some have quite a collection. So, it's makes a silly sort of sense.) With such a history of not really finishing, I thought I should keep my first challenge a small, gnome-like building block. It shall be... Make Strength Training a Habit. As opposed to making a strength training habit. I'm not a nun. I don't think I even know any. Do you think weight-lifting nuns would need a workout habit? I mean the outfit, not...what ?...oh, sorry. yeah, back to the point. There are three specific things I can do to make strength training a habit by the end of this challenge: 1. Make and FOLLOW a schedule for 3 Bodyweight Training routines a week. A particularly boxy pair of Boxers (embroidered with WW) puts a lot of weight in setting good routines. Sunday = Playground Routine at playground with family. Tues and Thurs = NF Beginners Bodyweight routine (done at gym after work). 2. Prepare "Equipment" the Night Before. (This tighty-whitey came from an NF article.) Change of clothes, shoes, H2O bottle all together in an "Adventure Pack" (I just made that up. Maybe I'll go with it. That's so much cooler than "Gym Bag".) And maybe some rope. I hate setting out from Rivendell thinking, "I should've packed a bit of rope." 3. Take Stretching Seriously. I feel the most self conscious when I stretch. I mean, really. Some of those poses- nobody wants to see that! So I kinda half-ass it, go real fast, or skip it altogether. If I'm interpreting these thongs correctly, a good, thorough stretch is critical to a solid workout routine, so I need to get past my embarrassment and just stretch. After all, if I'm interpreting thongs, what the hell do I have to be embarrassed about?! And as for a leveling-up life challenge? I going with spending a minimum of 20 minutes, every day, studying my Equinology materials. (I'm working on being a horse masseuse. AKA Equine Massage Therapist. Yes, it's thing. Sorry, it has nothing to do with underpants.) I've already done a Playground Routine yesterday, and it was fun! My pre-schooler followed me around some and kept saying "I want to exercise too!". I also discovered my husband has a competitive streak- he did the same routine while I played with our son! Even the dog was with us. A really great Sunday morning with the fam. I'm very much looking forward to next Sunday to do it again. I'll be checking in again soon. Thanks, d'har

Our last report from Agent H.N. relayed that she had crash landed on an Ice planet during her first deployment. It has been 11 months and 7 days since her last transmission. We must assume her to be M.I.A. I looked in the mirror one more time, shocked once again by the drastic change in my appearance. I have to say it felt pretty stinking awesome. Almost a year ago, I discovered this unbelievable time lord power when I was fatally injured after my ship crash...and woke up as a blonde. Still as bloody gangely as ever, though. I have since been on the run from the band of pirates that caused my regeneration on the ice planet, running from system to system, barely surviving. My training fell to the wayside as I struggled to stay alive. But now, I knew, as I stared in the mirror at my newly regenerated features, red hair and all, that something had to change. This time it had been a deadly plague, one I could have avoided if I had kept my wits about me. This regeneration had been different: a great deal of regeneration energy had been left over. I could still see it glowing around my hands if I tried. I was determined to use this power to help shape myself into what I had to become. And also....there was something else. A new sense of...awareness? of power? I wasn’t sure, but I was certainly going to find out. HEY EVERYONE I’m back!!! And I’ve regenerated....TWICE. So moving to Florida completely derailed me it’s been massive chaos. This is not to say that I didn’t necessarily enjoy the chaos sometimes, but I’ve made absolutely zero progress fitness-wise. I lost a TON of weight (OMG I saw the number 5!!!) and then promptly gained it all back (Booooo). I got to ten push ups, and then lost it (I’m back to 4). I’ m ready to get back to some serious training and I missed you guys!! My internet has also been ridiculously spotty and I finally have real internets now. Updates: School has been going wonderfully, I love learning and it’s an absolute blast so far. (side note: I had wondered about being the same age as my peers....and I hate it LOL. When I was a kid, at first I hated being the 10 year old in high school or the 13 year old in college, I felt like I was going to get stepped on or something HAHA. But now that there are actually students a year or two YOUNGER than me in some classes, it makes me feel like an absolute dunce. haha. I guess it’s all in what you get used to.) So Challenge Goals. Woot Woot Yay Yay. You may not have noticed that in my recent regeneration I became a Gallifreyan Jedi. I have only just begun to be aware of these powers and must train them accordingly. I had a hard time determining my main quest, because this challenge is a bit of an experiment. I want to see what happens when i do a bunch of stuff.... So caveat’s expressed, my main quest is: Hit 159 pounds. Again. *clears throat* Ok So I want to go back to doing a lot of the things that I used to as a kid (and also was skinny as a rail...) I’m not going to weigh myself for the duration of the challenge, because even though losing weight is my main quest this time, I want to go about it by focusing on NOT losing weight. Goal 1: Get out walking/running/playing parkour at least 5x per week. Why it’s a challenge: I am busy. I am not a morning person. I usually get home well after dark. I am not a morning person. I also hate mornings. And that time period before noon. Why I want to do it anyway: As a kid this was a habit of mine. I got up every morning at 5am (WHAT KIND OF PERSON WAS I???!!) and went running in the woods. Running, jumping, walking, rock climbing, swinging on vines. I didn’t do this with the goal of losing weight. I did this because I was friggin luke skywalker with yoda on my back, jumping around and running on rocks and generally having all the fun. I was usually out there for about an hour and 5ish miles before I came back and had breakfast and went to school. That is a ton of excercize to start the day. Plan of attack: Go out and do stuff. I’m really going to try to make this every morning before breakfast, but I will be satisfied if I do it in the evening if i really can’t pull it off earlier. I’m aiming for every day, but a full A will come from 5 days a week, every week. I’m just going to go out and have fun moving around outside, without thinking about calories or whatever. 5 = A 4 = B 3 = C Less = F Goal 2: Dance Breaks What it is: I just recently got a new job (whoooohoooohooo) where I am now working from home. As such, I can get up, move around, eat dinner, whatever, while I’m on the clock. However we are still required to take a 30 minute lunch break. These will be dancing breaks. Why it’s a challenge: My shifts are late and a lot of times my breaks will be like 9pm. I’m probably gonna want to be taking a nap. Why I want to do it anyway: I have wanted for a long time to get back into breakdancing. I used to be fairly good at it in grade school and high school, but then it just kind of faded out of my life. Sad panda. It advances my main quest by being active, and does so in a fun way that I don’t even notice. Plan of attack: I will work on six moves, one per week. week one: 6 step week two: cc’s week three: indian step week four: swipe week five: various freezes week six: 3 step I used to be able to do weeks 1-5, I’ve never been able to do a 3 step so I left it for last, hopefully I’ll have worked up to it by then. I’ll earn an A if I do this during at least half my shifts. So if I work 6 days, this will be 3 times. 0.5 of shifts = A 0.25 of shifts= B Only once a week= C Less= F Goal 3: Push ups, A.K.A. Earth-downs Why this is a challenge: push ups are hard and the last thing I want to be doing in the morning. Because I hate mornings. Why I want to do it anyway: I want to be stronger. I am seriously tired of being a wuss about this, and it’s time I seriously started training for my one-arm push up that I desire so much. All the seriousness. Also I used to do push ups every morning as well, before, during, or after my run/climb every morning. And I used to be able to do 20 of them. It advances my main quest both because it is activity and secondly because stronger muscle is more metabolically efficient. Plan of attack: I was intrigued by this article: http://www.lovingfit.com/fitness/improve-your-push-ups/ and am therefore going to attempt this program on weeks 1, 3, and 5. On the in between weeks I am going to try to do 30 seconds of pushups every morning (full or knee, whatever I am capable of.) I am only going to grade myself on the program weeks, the goal here is mainly to get stronger and build up a base of reps. A full A is to complete all 21 days of push ups. 21 days= A > 18 =B > 15 = C > 10 = D <10= F Life goal: something in russian EVERY DAY I am so lazy about this, I cannot even express. I'm actually disgusted by my level of sloth surrounding this topic. Therfore it is a top challenge priority. Why it is a challenge: part 1: i tend to be kind of intuitive when it comes to languages and I can pick them up fairly quickly (speaking and understanding only). This at first glance sounds like not-a-challenge, but my problem lies in the fact that im the biggest lazy-head when it comes to actually studying. Im making aproximatly the same amount of progress as my fellow students who do about an hour of study a day, and I literally have not cracked a book on this in 3 weeks. I get too caught up in comparing myself to others than looking st what kind of effort im actually putting in. Part 2: I just found out that im dyslexic. Yay. This only took 23 years to diagnose. And now im learning a new alphabet and reading is megahard. Why I want to do it anyway: Re: part1: This is not good. This is BAD. How much progress could I be making if I actually bothered to study? I will be much more useful if I am fluent than if I am just trudging along doing the minimum. Re: part2: Im going no need to be able to read and spell, so yeah. Plan of attack: I need to do at least SOMETHING in russian every day. This could be (best) rossetta stone or pimsleur, (good) workbook work, (ok) reading something in a russian book/website, or (if im super exhausted) listening to a russian song or audiobook or a movie in russian. All the days = A All the days > < 3/4 Of the days = B 3/4 of the days > < 1/2 the days = C Anything less is lazy and = F Alright! Allons-y, vamanos, пойдем, اجازه دهید به, vamos, gehen wir, twende, 我们走å§, let’s go!

SuNoYo Want to Be A Cat 'Cause a cat's the only cat Who knows where it's at. 'Cause ev'rybody digs a swingin' cat. Previous challenge My last challenge was pretty awesome, though there were some stumbling blocks and, somewhat stereotypically for a Brit, 'rain stopped play' at times. Well, I say 'rain' it was more like hurricane force storms, floods and structural/property damage to my local area (and the country at large). Equally stereotypically, I put on my stiff upper lip (well, with one or two exceptions) and kept on going. Not one to let my momentum tail off when I'm on a roll, I'm dropping straight into my next challenge. It's themed and everything. Main Goal: SuNoYo Want to Be (More Like) A Cat Cats! Cats are adorable, cuddly and a source of adorableness, silly antics, cuddles, comfort and a whole host of other things. F'r'instance: Cats Are (Usually) Flexible and Agile Cats are masters of agility and flexibility, regularly contorting themselves into small balls of adorableness and just strange pretzel shapes with no sign of discomfort. They climb high things with ease, perch on top of narrow things without care and are generally graceful little things. - Complete the beginner's programme on doyogawithme.com OR do yoga exercises a minimum of three times a week, paying particular attention to the wrists, forearms and upper body as I find that my wrists and shoulders (and butt, but that's another thing altogether) always ache the most after a BBWW, even with a cool down incorporating T'ai Chi stretches. - My hips, alas, are not equally flexible or mobile, I would go so far as to say that while they are both equal, one hip is more equal than the other. I will do a hip specific exercise every day, be it hip related mobility exercise from Gold Medal Bodies, MWOD, yoga or even Pilates. Or something else entirely. I'm open to suggestions. Success Markers - I can touch forehead to right knee about half the time; I want to be able to touch forehead to right knee all the time and at least lessen the distance between the forehead and my left knee from three inches to one inch. - When my wrists and forearms in general no longer hurt after a BBWW or other strenuous exercise (or is markedly less painful/frequent). - Doing the yoga three times a week minimum. - The hip thing. Self-esteem challenge: Splits. Do them. Cats Are (Usually) Calm and Quiet Cats are masters of being calm, able to sit down and (seemingly) contemplate the mysteries of the world for hours on end, rather than facing a problem or conflict head on they will think about it beforehand so as not to get in too deep. - Meditate every day for at least five minutes at any time about my day, my feelings and my life. My sleeping meditation doesn't count. - When faced with a significant problem or someone spoiling for a fight, rather than rising to the fight or getting into a panic about the problem or event I will breathe. I will think. I will calmly evaluate the problem or argument at hand and find a way to defuse my growing negative emotions. - Sleep. Do it. Six hours a day minimum at a sensible time. This means no more composing posts on NerdFitness at half past four in the morning. Yes, this is actually the very last sub-goal I'm writing given that I just saw the time. Success Markers - Meditating every day and by the end of this SWC be able to meditate for at least forty minutes a day (in chunks or all at once). - The reason I added 'someone spoiling for a fight' in my little challenge is that I have a relative who enjoys nothing more than calling me horrible names and accusing me of being a Jew killing Nazi, a member of the KKK and saying things in my presence about slavery being good, that all gay men should be gassed and basically the kind of appalling things that would get you insta-banned almost everywhere online or, should you say it in the wrong place in the real world get you beaten up. And because he's autistic he more or less gets excused everything and I'm the one to blame for trying to defend myself. I won't rise to him. I won't. I can't calmly argue anything he says because he takes it as an excuse to say worse things and start screaming. I can't ignore him because then I'm at fault. I will simply . . . breathe. And agree. - I have awful social anxiety/crippling shyness/people problems. Even applying for jobs (and Master's courses) scares me to the point of nausea so, depending on my general mood I actively avoid it. This is a Bad Thing. I will have figured out what exactly makes me feel like this, and begin finding ways to address it. - Sleep is happening at a sensible time. Self-esteem challenge: Leading on from the above I will have applied for at least three jobs AND/OR at least one MA course. Cats Are (Usually) Creatures of Habit Indoors and Outdoors Cats, once they fall into a pattern stick to it like no one's business. Her Majesty will be in this room, sleeping on your feet for four hours between the hours of ten in the morning and two in the afternoon; then you will walk with her to her next room, opening doors as you go. From two in the afternoon until six in the evening she will sleep on the router, the meagre space between your laptop and your crossed legs on your laptop if necessary, and on your feet. At six you will share your dinner with her. At twenty-five to seven you will open the room's door, escort her downstairs to her place on her 'table' where you will feed her and pour a precise mix of water and milk into her cup. You will also turn on the tap and ensure there is a clear space in the sink and on the draining board so that she may drink at her leisure and so on and so forth. - Keep doing T'ai Chi once a week at class and after every BBWW. Therefore, keep doing your BBWW three times a week even when I'm tempted not to because this challenge 'technically' isn't focussing on strength. - Cats shouldn't be kept indoors, they need to go outside. So do humans. Spend more than an hour outside the house every day, even if it means spending time inside another building, such as visiting another person or shopping, though it's preferred to be simply outdoors. Success Markers - all T'ai Chi classes attended unless they're cancelled - all BBWWs and T'ai Chi work done every week unless excused due to injury, illness or pushed back a bit due to The Icky Period. - I'm voluntarily spending time outdoors every day, for longer and longer periods of time. Free passes for: bad weather, especially if it puts me at risk or could affect my health; actually being properly ill/injured. The missed daily hour is still expected to be made up wherever possible. Self-esteem Challenge: most of this SWC involves getting into the habit of doing things; at least one of my other goals/sub-goals must be maintained 100% while maintaining all all my other good habits. - stop my usual form of self-harm (ripping and biting at the flesh around my fingertips) or at the very least drastically reduce it to no more than once a day. - doesn't actually belong here, but I don't care - there's an all-day T'ai Chi course some time in early April. Attend providing you have the funds. Life Side Quest Cats Are (Usually) Clean and Fastidious Cats are obsessed with being clean, while simultaneously being cursed by their owners for making a furry mess everywhere, they groom themselves nigh on hourly and they (almost) always look well-presented and cared for. For much of my teenage and university years I struggled with (and still do) undiagnosed depression (and those social issues I previously mentioned) and, to be frank, I would often neglect my personal hygiene for days on end. I wouldn't bother showering, washing my teeth, changing my clothes; and in many ways I just didn't care for myself in any way at all. I didn't live in my head, I lived in my books. - I will shower every other day - I will maintain my morning and night time facial routine, including the cleaning of the teeth. - I have too many belongings, some of which I almost never use. Not including my books, I will systematically go through my clothes, jewellery and other items and sort out what to keep, what to throw away and what to donate to charity. I currently have one suitcase, one (and a half) drawer(s) and a box of clothing; four or so boxes of college and uni work and other items and who knows what scattered around the house. I will get rid of at least ten percent of it, particularly the clothes. Self-esteem challenge: pitch in more around the house; learn to do the laundry properly for when I move out. Rewards: Ehm. We'll see.

Liberator's 3rd Challenge: Building habits for a Beautiful Back & a Masterful Mind #1 AM Gratitude StatementsLove writing these things! I aim for three a day but it gets hard to stop at just three. 5 minutes daily AM#2 AM Meditation and Yoga Practice and Light Therapy10 minute daily AM meditation with red light 5 minute daily AM yoga routine - sun salutations A x5 5 minute daily AM back stretches and chest openers & foam roller #3 DietCarb Nite Solution w/Bulletproof coffeeHigh fat, med protein and ultra-low carb; 30g w/weekly carb nite refeedCurrent: size 8, weight 145-150lbGoal: size 6, weight 140-145lb#4 PostureAll Day Posture work; mindfulness awareness of my shoulder blades to open chest.I need a reminder to fix my posture when I am sitting; a poster, a bracelet, a thing on my finger… something visual…A photo of Kelly Starrett telling me to "organize" perhaps #5 Strength Weight-lifting 2x week 20 minutes after workMonday or Tuesday then Thursday or Friday at School/WorkBig Five WorkoutChest Press - 60lb inc to 75lbPull Down -85lb inc to 100lbRowing - 85lb inc to 100lbShoulder Press - 25lb inc to 40lbLeg Press - 275lb inc to 325lb5:00 PM Home Workout (for off days)50 squats50 lounges 50 jumping jacks25 pushups Side Quests: Organization & PlanningThe biggest challenge for me in my life is organization.Creating habits & Planning to get more out of lifeUse Identity Statement: I am organized and focused 1 - Create Daily routines2 - Declutter & Organize my home3 - Address Health Issues: Skin/Allergies4 - Plan Summer of Awesome 2014; Rome?, Chicago?, Savanna?, ??? 5 - Review and address Bucket List Items Grading A = 6-7 times per weekB = 4-5 times per weekC = 3-2 times per weekD = once per week RewardsNew Spring Clothes in a size 6 Massage(Need to add something awesome here!)