Search the Community

Experience Tranquility! Why hello, Challenge #2! I'm glad that I have the challenge weeks on my calendar because it keeps me going! My first challenge of the year died off at the end. I was still (sort of?) tracking most of my food choices, but I could tell that I was only giving 50% of the effort. I realized that I don't really like putting heavy time constraints on myself. Having a routine is one thing, and something I am going to be working on, but I don't like doing things in time blocks. I am more of a "Make a List and Do each of the things as they come but not necessarily in any order" and I'm successful with it! I also realized that I sincerely miss doing yoga. I miss having it be part of a daily routine whether it was in the morning, in the afternoon, or bedtime yoga. It helped me keep a calm mind, fight fatigue, sleep better, and just have an overall better outlook on life. All of that said, lets jump right into it: The cycle begins a new... Quest One: "Repetition is the path to mastery" My first quest revolves around establishing a routine. There are not set time slots, but it will be important to maintain the routine as close as possible. Given that life will sometimes throw you lemons, or commitments, don't fret! Just plan accordingly. Daily Routine Brush teeth/wash face/shower Change clothes (don't hang out in pjs all day!) Take out items for dinner If crockpot meal, prep and set to cook Prep items early if possible Breakfast/Coffee with one or two shows If appointments are scheduled, consider breakfast/coffee on the go for both myself and Mom At least two-three housekeeping events (because using the word chore makes it look ominous!) Kitchen always Vacuum Dust Bathroom up-keep Recycling Bedroom de-clutter Maintain an active laundry cycle as to keep from getting behind Daily exercise Lunch at a reasonable time Plan snacks if appointments/errands run long Carry water at all times Play time Computer time Reading time More shows Dinner ready, at the latest, 6:30 PM Kitchen clean-up I think that this will be a great routine to work to establish. There are things that may change, or may be finished prior, which is why not having time constraints work best for me. I am also going to get back into the habit of grading myself! I think it's a good way to keep myself accountable, because who likes seeing a failing mark on anything they do? This particular quest is a Pass/Fail. Along with keeping it here, I am making myself a habit chart so that I can manually check off each time I successfully complete an item. It will also let me see how often certain things need to be done, and if they do not have to be done. I can also note if I substituted something else in an items place. Maintain Routine for Four Weeks: Pass Not Maintaining Routine: Fail Quest Two: "Life is more than a series of ones and zeroes" While the above is to help me establish and maintain a routine, this quest is going to help me remember that there is more to life than fretting over said routine. Once it has been established, and repeated, it will begin to feel like second nature. However, I find myself once again neglecting things that I was very excited to jump back into at the beginning of the last challenge. Therefore, this quest is to help me keep a steady foot on the road of art, photography, silly selfies, writing, and reading. Not to be confused the the play time part of the above routine, I want this to help me continue to build the enthusiasm I had just a few weeks ago. I was drawing, sketching, and just playing around with a variety of art media. I haven't done that in a while, and I can see a drastic difference in my state of mind. I was also sharing things that I was doing, and it really felt good doing so. Even if pieces weren't completed or, in my own opinion "good", I shared them. Not only was it building my confidence, others were voicing their enjoyment on seeing them! So my goal here is to share at least one piece of art every week during this challenge. If there is more, great! It can be in any state of progress and any media. As long as I am doing something and sharing it (here on the forums, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, DeviantArt, etc!), it will count! One Piece of Artwork Shared a Week: Pass No Artwork Shared: Fail Quest Three: "One cannot survive on strength alone" And here we are at the actual fitness part of my challenge. For a long time, I was so intrigued my Yoga. It not only looked cool, but I had always heard how much fun and relaxing it could be. I finally tried it, and actively did at least 15 minutes a day for a while. I was not only losing weight, but a lot of the aches and pains I've regained weren't there. My lower back didn't bother me, my hip joints weren't always sore, and I just felt better. It was good for both my mind and my body, and that is what I need more than anything. So, I am going back to it. Why I left it, it's hard to say. I tried to think about the reasons the other day, and while I did run into some life-related complications, I should not have let it stand in my way. Then again, at the time, I wasn't strong enough mentally to battle it. My ultimate goal is to start and complete Nerd Fitness Yoga Water A, which I believe is the beginner course. I was very close to being able to complete the first one before everything went belly up. While I work toward that, I will be working on the foundation and basic poses of Yoga to establish stamina and do some core strengthening. I know of some great Yogis on Instagram, and also found some good beginner Yoga routines through Pinterest. So, my quest for this challenge will be to do, at least, 10 minutes of yoga a day. It can be more, it can be in two different 5 minute intervals, but I MUST do at least 10 minutes. Even if it's working on one or two different poses. Repetition! 10 Minutes of Yoga a Day: A 10 Minutes of Yoga 4 Days/Week: B 10 Minutes of Yoga 3 Days/Week: C 10 Minutes of Yoga 1 Day/Week or None at All/Week: F Like Zenyatta, my ultimate goal this time around is to balance discord and harmony. Take the discord and throw it back to battle the enemy. Take the harmony and use it to heal wounds overtime. "We walk in harmony, my student." "I know the doubts that plague you."