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What a weird year! I'm feeling kind of ambivalent about Christmas this year, but I'm excited about New Year's. I don't have some kind of Pollyanna thing about everything being better after 2020 is over. I just really love the hope and promise of the New Year holiday. It's probably my favorite night/day of the year. I've got a couple goals for this mini challenge but will probably add some more...or maybe not. 1. PUSH-UP challenge! A couple friends and I made our own push-up challenge that runs from Thanksgiving to Christmas. The idea is you do as many as you can in one set on Thanksgiving (scaled however necessary), train like a beast, and then re-test on Christmas day. I did 14 negatives for my test. I'm doing a training plan I saw in an old issue of Trail Runner magazine. Basically 40 negative push-ups each workout (every 2-3 days) in sets of 7-10 with decreasing rest intervals each workout (starting with 1 min). 2. BuJo/Art Journal Set-up. I've gotten into sketching/doodling in a BuJo-like format. This is the first time I'll be setting up a journal for a new year. I'm not sure of all the pages I want, but I know I want a 2021 cover page, year calendar, monthly future log, and then NF challenge overview section. I'll try to at least get those done during this mini. 3. Clear out the old. I just went through a big flooring and painting project. While doing that, I piled up a lot of stuff in the spare bedroom. Now I'm wondering if I even need all that stuff. I'm gonna treat this as a "sushi list" project. I'll make a list of 10 or so things to deal with, and then I'll take care of them when I can. It might not all get done during this mini challenge, and that's fine. 4. Kindness. I want to think about being kind rather than nice (although in most cases you can certainly be both). I don't think I'll write much about it here, but it's something I want to think about. 5. Mobility. I'm going to try sitting on the floor for at least 30 minutes every day. I did this for quite a while and somehow got away from it. It's super easy to do (e.g., while eating or watching tv), and I think it's good for me. I basically need to spend less time slouched on my couch or sitting at my computer station. Some other things I'll be doing (not making them specific challenge goals) Decorating for Christmas. I'll definitely be home a lot to enjoy it, so I should do it. The sooner the better. Quick Strength program...I just finished going through the 8-week program. Gonna re-start it. Have pages set aside for it in the new BuJo so I can track how I improve on specific workouts over time. Running...lots of running. "Last mile." A couple of us are going to do a hard mile some time between Christmas and New Years. The specific day will depend on weather and our schedules, so it might be this challenge or might not. I got this idea from a friend who does it. He was talking about how it lets you put everything out there on the track and kind of symbolizes leaving behind the old year. It appealed to me.

Hellooo friends! You have stumbled upon my Intuitive Eating Journal. There will be a lot of feelings about food and my relationship with food. A lot of feelings. Hopefully most of it will be love towards food. I f**king love food. Why The Fox Is On The Run Tale as old as time: I have been a chronic dieter since my early teens, and I've tried pretty much every diet there is. I believed that being healthy meant being thin, so I hated myself for not being able to get thin (healthy) enough. I've also hated my body and myself for not having enough willpower to do what it takes to lose weight. My self-worth has been tied to how well I managed to eat. I'm sure we all know what self-hatred is, so I'm just going to go to the turning point. This spring, I was counting my calories and focusing on paleo-ish foods, when I started to feel fed up. I felt bloated and anxious, and eating was like an obstacle course I had to pass every day. Thinking about food took so much mental energy from me that I just wanted to let go for a moment. I had listened to a couple of podcasts about body positivity and intuitive eating, and I guess I had started to realize that I have all the information about what a healthy diet is, but there's something wrong with the implementation. I was in a constant fight with my body: "I'm not supposed to feel this way, I'm not supposed to eat like this", and so forth. So, the next morning, I didn't rush to eat my regular breakfast, but listened to my body: was I hungry yet? How much did I want to eat? What did I want to eat? After some time, the hunger signal kicked in, and I had my breakfast. And the hunger went away. I decided not to eat until I would be hungry again, and magically, the hunger signal kicked in a few hours later. I ate, listened to my body, and kept doing this. Listening to my body's signals was the turning point: I realized that every day, I had ignored my body and my feelings, and tried to make myself be good by following a diet made by someone else, someone who doesn't even know me. Basically, I had been telling myself every day to shut up and do as I'm told. Not cool! I realized that I had tied my self-worth to my food choices. Every day, if I had eaten "right", I could tell myself that it had been a good day, and if I had eaten "wrong", I would punish myself by eating less the next day. I can't say that I've had a full-blown eating disorder, but my eating has certainly been disordered. With the help of some body positivity resources and intuitive eating instructions, I started to work on my feelings of worthlessness, and now I feel like I have a better connection to myself and my body. I will never diet again, nor count calories. Where The Fox Is Running To Bacon and eggs. Obviously. My mission is to practice intuitive eating, and stay mindful about my food choices. After I stopped dieting and labeling foods as good or bad, I had a bit of a honeymoon: I ate everything I wanted, whenever I wanted, and didn't feel bad about it. After a couple of weeks, the foods I thought I had no control over (chocolate, ice cream), started to feel "meh". And then I started to get worried. If there are no rules, how do I construct my eating habits? I do want to keep my diet healthy: it is a fact that eating less processed foods makes me feel good, and eating a lot of processed foods and sugar makes me feel bad. And that's the key: There will be no rules, but guidelines. Following the guidelines helps me to pick the foods that make me feel good. My goal is to feel good and healthy, not to lose weight. It's a tough one, because I've always eaten to lose weight, but it's necessary if I truly want to reject the restrictive mindset and listen to my body instead. I can't control my body mass as much as I'd like to, anyway, but maybe I can make myself feel healthy and calm. And after a few weeks, I feel better. My stress levels and my self-hatred fueled anxiety have gone down. I am now learning to stay mindful about my food choices, and ask myself, how the food will make me feel - not if it's good or bad. It has been mentally very hard to process these feelings (as I forgave myself and let me just be as I am, I spent a few days crying because I was just so relieved), and it's still a process. I want to keep working on this, though, because I haven't felt this carefree and happy in a long, long time! This will probably be enough for now! I will gather resources and some ideas to the next post.

>> through the expanse of the boughs and the woodlands a wayward ranger comes; one that to some will have an unfamiliar face, unremarkable as many others that may pass through these parts, but to some still may make them take pause and go, "... oh. OH!" as of late she has been taciturn in traveling these lands - venturing alone into the wilds, experiencing their unfathomable lightness, unbearable darkness, their stony soils and airy depths. her victories and struggles both kept close to her chest. she is fatigued and dirty but yet she returns, to the greenery that embraces her heart, to the natural world that stirs her soul; to her home. Hey guys. It's been a while...but after a stint with the Assassins and a self-imposed forum break I'm returning to my Nerd Fitness roots (pun intended) to take up the mantle of Ranger again. <3 Let's be real, I'll never NOT be a Ranger (my last challenge was pretty much Rangerbrain in challenge form), and honestly this challenge is going to be part Ranger and part Druid because I need them both right now and I'll have 4 challenges - 2 physical, and 2 mental. So I've had a lot going on in my life - and when I say a lot I truly mean A LOT. I'm dealing with some sensitive issues (that I won't be posting about publicly yet due to the nature of it all; someday, but not yet) and on top of that life has been exceedingly difficult this year. I allowed myself some time away from the forums because I had been getting pretty overwhelmed with everything altogether but I think my time has come to get active again, as much as I can without my head exploding. I miss my friends and nerds and this amazingly supportive community like WHAT and I'm ready to challenge myself again!!! This challenge is going to be WAY toned down compared to my previous endeavors - I'm still halfway through my gigantic FFXIV job quest battle - but I know I can't throw myself in full force yet. I'm giving myself some basic priorities that are starting to fall by the wayside, in hopes I will be able to regain my Forum Footing. I will, obvs, be sticking with the FFXIV theme - from the wiki Gridania is one of the three main city-states of Eorzea, and is home to vast, dense woodlands and coursing rivers. The cityscape is a mosaic of labyrinthine waterways and great wooden structures, so gracefully constructed they seem a part of the surrounding environment. It's a pretty fitting place for a Ranger to re-gain her bearings, no? (PS I made all these GIFS myself, YEAH!!!!!!!) I'm also naming all of these quests after FFXIV Bard talents because I'm a WICKED NERD, and bards are pretty Ranger-ly, and the class pretty much embodies my goals this go-around: "Upon hearing the word bard, most folk are like to be put in mind of those itinerant minstrels, fair of voice and nimble of finger, who earn their coin performing in taverns and the halls of great lords. Few know, however, that bards in fact trace their origins back to fierce bowmen who took to singing in the heat of battle, that they might fortify their spirits with anthems beseeching the gods for victory." 1. Enliven Easy peasy. At least 100g of protein per day. 110 would be optimal but at this point I'll settle for triple digits. My diet has actually been extremely efficient with few slip-ups overall but I really need to hone in on this to get the most out of my lifting (and recovery, ugghhh). A - 5+ days of 100+g B - 4 days of 100+g C - 3 or less days of 100+g 2. Iron Jaws This one's easy too - at least 4 days of activity. Right now I'm still hitting the gym 3 days a week to lift (which honestly is pretty amazing, through everything I still make this a priority, yaaaass) but that 4th day will be integral, especially on the weekends when I need it. It can be anything; walking, hiking, yoga, tree climbing... <3 A - 4 days of movement F - Less than 4, YOU DONE SCREWED UP 3. Manasong I've been battling my own personal Black Dog lately and it is equal parts - exhausting - maddening - introspective - fascinating - scary - frustrating - did I mention exhausting?? I'm pretty pro at dealing with life being a butt but lately it's been more consistently difficult than ever, and I find myself getting less present and more tuned out to everything, including taking care of myself. I need to fight for myself more and be mindful to do at least one kind thing for me each day; something that refreshes me and makes me smile and gives me a little boost to keep going. A - 7 days of kindness <3 B - 6 days of kindness C - 5 days of kindness 4. The Warden's Paean Lovingly borrowed from the ever-inspiring @spookyfoot, I'll be making a few gratitude lists each week to remind myself just how AWESOME things are! I won't let the bad things umbrella over all the good I've got going on. (Seriously Shaar stop listening to Sigur Rós and do this.) Ideally I'd love to write these out with colored pens and paper and photograph them to post here, something like a written meditation, but typed will work just as well. As long as I can get into my head and retrieve the comforts and victories, that is the goal, at least 3 times a week! A - 3 days of gratitude each week B - 2 days of gratitude each week C - 1 day or less of gratitude each week BONUS QUEST!!!! POST MORE SCREENSHOTS OF LOIC REMY!!! Ahem. Sorry. Anyways................. That's all I've got. *^_^* It's good to be home, guys. <3

Ballad's Challenge [#2] “And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?†― Rumi 2016 Epic Quest: Develop mental fortitude, discipline, and kindness. I'm very excited to officially join the Druids for my second challenge. For this challenge, I'll continue to focus on mental health and wellness - this time, with more of a focus on gratitude and being present. All of my challenges will be ongoing throughout February. I hope to continue to cement habits that I've been working on and build up new ones. For those of you who followed along on my first challenge, this format may look familiar (why mess with a good thing?). Quest #1: Go to sleep by 11pm on weekdays (Sun-Thurs) and 2:30am on weekends/holidays (Fri-Sat). I'm still working on the sleep thing. My last challenge took me out of the sleep deprivation cycle. This challenge, I intend to continue building better sleep habits by getting to bed before midnight on a regular basis. A+: 26 days A: 22-25 days B: 18-21 days C: 14-17 days D: 13 days F: Less than 13 days Quest #2: Make breakfast at home 3 times/week. [exceptions made for travel] Because breakfast at home means more energy right when I wake up and less money spent. Win/win. Week 1: Pass/Fail Week 2: Pass Fail Week 3: Pass/Fail Week 4: Pass/Fail Bonus: Remove caffeinated coffee from my diet for the month of February. Quest #3: Do at least 5 minutes of meditation per day. I want to build the habit of meditation into my life. The goal is less stress, more mindfulness, and increased mental resilience. A+: 26 days A: 22-25 days B: 18-21 days C: 14-17 days D: 13 days F: Less than 13 days I've also included one life quest. I plan to link this to my meditation quest by writing the list after I meditate. Life Quest: Write a daily gratitude list containing at least 3 items. Sometimes, I get so caught up in the negatives that I forget to stop and be thankful for all of the goodness in my life. I'm looking forward to this daily practice of gratitude. A+: 26 days A: 22-25 days B: 18-21 days C: 14-17 days D: 13 days F: Less than 13 days So, what happens when I succeed? I get access to the treasure pile, where treasures stack. Complete all 4 quests: Book a massage + bragging rights. Complete 3 quests: Purchase The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman. Complete 2 quests: Buy a new lipstick from MAC. Complete 1 quest: Watch a movie/documentary from my Netflix list. Please feel free to follow along, cheer me on, and ask about my progress! Cheers, Meaghan

Ballad's Challenge [#1] “There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled. There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled. You feel it, don't you?†Rumi 2016 Epic Quest: Develop mental fortitude, discipline, and kindness. My first challenge is dedicated to building a solid foundation of small, but extraordinarily important, habits that will support both my mental and physical health. Two quests (sleep and water) will be ongoing throughout the challenge. The third quest is a one-time achievement. Quest #1: Sleep for 7-8 hours per night. I need a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each night to be fully functional, thoughtful, and kind at work. Getting enough sleep gives me energy, is great for my skin, and allows me to exercise the willpower and discipline to make good, healthy decisions. It allows me maintain my perspective, particularly when stress rears its head, and helps me to be fully present in my relationships. A+: 26 days A: 22-25 days B: 18-21 days C: 14-17 days D: 13 days F: Less than 13 days Quest #2: Drink 1 glass of water each morning. The body is, what, 60% water? This shiz is clearly important. This is quest is intended to test (1) the effects of having a morning ritual, and (2) the energizing effects of drinking water right when I wake up. Future quests will include drinking 5-8 glasses of water per day, but I'm starting small for this challenge. Quick wins lead to momentum! A+: 26 days A: 22-25 days B: 18-21 days C: 14-17 days D: 13 days F: Less than 13 days Bonus: Bring a reusable water bottle to work. I don't drink enough water at work, so tearing down one of the barriers & bringing a water bottle to the office will make developing this habit much easier. Quest #3: Book a doctor's appointment. I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't seen my family doctor in almost 2 years. I feel & look healthy, but two years is much too long. I want to baseline my physical health for this challenge and make sure everything is good to go. Pass: Book an appointment. Fail: Don't book an appointment. Bonus: Book an appointment with a physiotherapist. I want to practice prevention, rather than rehabilitation. I'm a bit concerned about the future state of my knees, so I'd like to get a baseline from a physiotherapist to identify any problem areas & solutions. I've also included one life quest, based on my Goodreads goal of reading 35 books in 2016. (As a side note, please feel free to connect with me on GR!) Life Quest: Read 2 books between Jan. 4th - Jan. 29th. Pass: Read 2 books Fail: Read less than 2 books So, what happens when I succeed? I get access to the treasure pile, where treasures stack. Complete all 4 quests: Get a facial or sign up for a class (singing, improv, yoga, wine), + bragging rights Complete 3 quests: Buy a new workout top Complete 2 quests: Cook (and eat!) a delicious meal with friends, complete with wine Complete 1 quest: Guilt-free "me time" day Please feel free to follow along, cheer me on, and ask about my progress! Cheers, Meaghan

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

Ballad's Epic Quest [2016] "Rule your mind or it will rule you." Horace Welcome to my epic quest for 2016! For the past few years, I've done my best to choose a theme that guides my actions and decisions throughout the year. The last two years have been heavily structured around stepping outside my comfort zone, gaining knowledge, and cultivating friendships. I want to continue to grow in 2016, but there are some mental blocks that have been holding me back. This year, I plan to consciously focus on building a strong mental foundation for future success. I'll be basing my epic quest around 3 pillars: 1. Mental fortitude 2. Discipline 3. Kindness More to come of the meaning and significance of these pillars. Side Quests "You can accomplish by kindness what you cannot by force." Publilius Syrus I've included examples of potential side quests to tackle during future challenges, each of which is related to a particular pillar. More will be added throughout the year. Mental Fortitude 7-8 hours of sleep/night8 glasses of water/day5 min meditation/day2 cold showers/weekComplete Mark Divine & Ramit Sethi's "Hell Week"Attend a meditation retreat Discipline Arrive everywhere 5-10 min earlyGo to the gym 3 times/weekWake up at 5:30am, 5 days/weekWrite once/dayCook dinner 2 days/weekRead for 10 min before bed, 5 days/weekComplete a "28 days of yoga" challenge100 push-ups challenge Kindness Record 5 things I'm grateful for each dayGive 1 compliment/dayWrite 3 thank you notes/weekEat vegetarian 1 day/week (ex. "Meatless Monday")Be present in conversation I'll be using this page to share updates, record accomplishments, and remind myself of my motivation. Please feel free to follow along, ask questions, and cheer me on! Cheers, Meaghan

My 8th challenge and my one year anniversary with Nerd Fitness. My last challenge was really involved. I have learned through this year, I am really inconsistent. Just something to improve on in a loving and forgiving way. I am no robot, I can't just reprogram over all my bad habits and quirks. Here's my thoughts for this challenge: Gratitude - 3 per day - Love to do these. Sugar busting diet - keep getting rid of sugar from my diet. I would like to work with Crockpot recipes. I would have no problem lowering my sugar if I didn't find myself in the middle of the day with nothing to eat but fundraising chocolate bars. Meal planning is key and I have room for improvement with that! Meditation - once per day - I was best with this when I woke up early and used a 15 min. meditation app. Working out - 6 times this challenge, my shoulder is just not right and I am not sure what to do. Rest is not improving it. I would like to lift with the empty bar and see how that goes. Black break-up/redo wardrobe - Getting rid of black in my wardrobe has been awesome. I am amazed at how many people have noticed and I get so many complements, even strangers notice. Most people dress in black and very dark colors, I walk into the room with a bright orange jacket and everybody notices. It would have freaked out if I did that in the past, now it is fun to show others that you can wear colors. I feel there is power in it, to not be afraid to stand out. I have wore some crazy combinations of colors just to not wear black, like bright blue with olive green. I am sticking to my goal of wearing no black and all my friends are watching and checking up on me. I have a lot of accountability on this one! Kindness: Active listening, no sarcasm, smiling. I want to take kindness to another level and work on improving my listening skills. The sarcasm jar is great although I am not putting in the money, everyone is pointing out to me every sarcastic remark I make. I am much more aware of my interaction than before. I want to continue to smile and also smile as I am resting, driving, standing in line and throughout my whole day. Too many people walk around with a frown or terrible look on their face. Smile, smile, smile!!!

Looking at how my life has been lately, I may bring up dark topics, like depression, suicide, sadness, vulnerability... 1) I will commit to one Random Act of Kindness every week Jitters suggested it'd be helpful to look for opportunities to help other people. Not just opening a door for someone, or a compliment, but something they will remember, and smile about. 2) Zenhabits 1000 cuts "Over the previous challenges, I have several times tried working out as a solid set of bodyweight exercises with a warm up, exercises and streching. It has felt intimidating and pressing to obsess over it and have it as a unyelding chunk. Then, during the Planksanity I found it fun to do planks in small 1-2 minute doses over the day. So it turns out The Zenhabits Thousand Cuts Fitness Program, as described there, http://zenhabits.net/1000-cuts/ is small things along the day. A few pushups there, a pull up when you pass the bar, run when you feel like it. Making them more frequent, harder and preferably something playful given time. So for future comparison, run until I have to stop, 10 push-ups or 1 minute good-form plank are sufficient each for one point." This has worked before, I got results with it, I felt better. I can do 10 push ups, a little planking, a few lunges... I feel like shit sometimes, both mentally and physically. Human beings are meant to move, and when that doesn't happen, it leads to all kinds of problems, right? So I have to get off my butt. 3) Find three significant / beautiful / good things I am grateful for, every day. (I remember Liberator did the same thing before, so tip of a hat her way ) There has to be, and are, good things in my life, I know it. I forget/don't want to look for them sometimes, and still they are there. I am alive. I bought vegetables instead of candy. My workday wasn't a complete disaster. I still did some productive things. 4) Go to work, every day, on time, and do focused, productive work. Last week, I used almost three full workdays on computer games, NF and other shit not related to work. That is unacceptable. I am not proud of it. They pay me to work there, and then I cheat on them like this? Makes me feel horrible. I wouldn't go and steal from the cash register, or lie to my co-workers, but what I am doing is so close I might as well have. It isn't right. I do not want to be that kind of a person. Also, I will not cut a single meeting with my therapist, and I will be honest with them.

Why a Rockstar? A few people have called me a rockstar on different occasions in the past few months. The first time I was embarrassed then a few more people said it. I realized I loved it, so I am owning it and embracing my inner rockstar! I have recruited my colleague and we are planning to have a rockstar school year together. So rockstardom is an on going project of awesomeness. What is a Rockstar? What qualities of a rockstar do I want in my life? Confidence: A rockstar oozes confidence. Mind, body & spirit confidence is my aim. Kick ass body: A rockstar is in shape and ready to rock all night. I want to be up for whatever adventures come my way or I make happen. Fearless, A rockstar takes on life's challenges and lives large. Fun: A rockstar doesn't take life to seriously. Stylish: A rockstar dresses with confidence and personal style and is not afraid to be noticed Rebellious: A rockstar follows their own heart and lives a creative passionate life.Entourage: A rockstar doesn't do it all alone, they have support staff. I want to develop my own "support staff" and a positive rapport with the people around me. Favorite Rockstar Role Models:Sting: I love how Sting walked away from the security of a teaching position and followed his passion for music. I love how chooses to work with other amazing musicians and is open to many different styles of music. I love his writing skills. The man can write gorgeous lyrics! Eddie Vedder: I love his crazy, fearless 50 feet jump and crowd surfing awesomeness. I love his giving humble spirit. Patti Smith: I love her courage and her heart. She has an amazing ability to love.Joe Strummer: Risktaker with passion and meaningful purposeful rebelliousness! My road to RockstardomBlissaplineBodyloveFoodlove (Diet) Awesomeness Planning (Weekly Planning)"Entourage" (People-love)Confidence & Fearlessness CreativityBeauty & Style Blissapline I got to continue Blissapline! It is a joy to do I want to make this the priority. Inner work comes first and is the most meaningful to me. Daily Blissapline is spirit work; it gives me confidence and a calm attitude to take on the day. Yoga: Morning stretching and sun salutations Meditation: Silva methodGratitude: 3 or more per dayAdd:Kindness: Say something nice to a student before homeroom and during each class. Each week I should have said something nice to each one of my students, especially the ones that are quiet. Gold star program! for students in my AP class. Kindness to my family everyday. Blissapline Goal: Complete Daily Blissapline each day of the challenge (42/42) BodyloveWeight: 149.5Waist: 32" Hips: 41" Chest: 32" Bust: 41" Lt leg: 22" Rt leg: 22" Lt arm 10.75" Rt. arm 11.75" Bodylove Goals: Goal Weight: 140# Goal get my waist down to 30" Stay comfortable in size 6 Lifting Squat: 105# goal 145# Bench: 55# goal 75# Row: 70# goal 90# Overhead: 50# goal 70# Deadlift: 110# goal 130# Weight lifting goal: Lift weights 10 times this challenge. Foodlove Stay away from nuts and dairy Drink lots of water Limit breads, waffles, cake, cookies, etc... Limit sweets Eat good stuff; meat, fish, veggies Foodlove goals: No chocolate for the whole challenge! I don't always do well limiting my chocolate I think I need to be 100% chocolate bar free (I will get my chocolate fix with cocoa power in my coffee. Awesomeness Planning (Weekly Planning) Sunday: Awesome planning & Grandparents NightMonday: Creativity day (Life Drawing class); O & me Gym Time & Crockpot nightTuesday: J & me Time Wednesday: O day (Piano & Tae Kwon Do lessons)Thursday: Health Club Day; Lift and sauna after workFriday: Social Night (Happy Hour or Art Masterminds) Saturday: Family Fun Day Monthly Special Days at least one during this challengeFriends Night for OFriend Night for me (Concert w/RL 10/4)Happy Hour w/work friends (9/26)Guys' Night (Boys only movie night 10/4)Date Night (10/11)Nature or Outdoor Fun Days (Fall foliage hike)Family Health Club Night (9/27)Art Masterminds Night Spa Day - Henna hair treatment and facial (9/19) Awesomeness Planning goals: Each Sunday I will spend an hour planning for the week and checking my calendar . Each week I will plan time for health, work & fun. "Entourage" (People-love)What I mean by this is; the people who help me and I help them as well, win/win situation. I already have a daily babysitter to get J on and off the bus and helps out evenings and weekends as needed. I want a work assistant, I had a great kid last year who was awesome and loved to organize things, this year I have kids that hang out after school and make my room worst rather than better. So I need to find another good helper. I am going to delegate more "jobs" in the classroom. I am going to find a financial advisor as well, I am not managing my money effectively I need to get better at this and if I have help it will get done. Entourage Goal: Find work and finance helpers to make my life better. Confidence & Fearlessness I want to develop this but I am not sure how I am going to address this…. Maybe a mantra and a bold action of some kind... Creativity: I am taking a life drawing class. I want to have some new work to enter into shows. I have only done two shows this year. Beauty & StyleSkin: I have had problems in the past with break outs and redness, I changed my diet and things improved.Hair: I went all natural with my shampoo, I want to keep experimenting with natural products. Next is toothpaste and cleaning products. I want to figure out an all natural deodorant.Style: I love Zulily on-line shopping with awesome prices; but no returns. So I am buying more dresses and skirts. For a number of years wore black pants to work everyday. I am not going to buy any black pants!!! I had a closet full of boring black pants. I am going to wear dresses or skirts and tops with great shoes or awesome boots. I love wearing dresses. This makes me happy. Beauty & Style goals:Keep away from nuts and dairyTry two more all natural beauty productsBuy more colorful dresses and skirts, cool shoes & boots (Fall and Winter wardrobe) Have fun with what I wear, enjoy my clothes and my body Reward:???I am not sure… Money for a trip?A chocolate bar?

Hi Druids! A Ninja (in training) is joining your ranks for this challenge. Short recap: In my previous challenge, we followed Swen, my alter ego, who is attending a camp in the Shadow Mountains. His mentor, BrusLi, has now explained that Swen for the remainder of the summer must leave and explore the world outside camp. Swen has reached the physical requirements for joining the fellowship of the Shadow Ninjas, but now he has to for the next 6 weeks be prepared mentally as well. In this challenge, I won’t be as thorough as I was in my previous one. For instance, I will meditate daily, but it´s not the end of the world if I miss a session. Looking at the bigger picture is key, and my grading will be based thereafter. Mindfulness and awareness (WIS+4): I will be more mindful, more present, more aware of my feelings and thoughts. In plain English, this means: I will meditate daily (Qigong and/or other meditation forms)I will eat mindfully and slowly (no computer, and preferably no reading either) I will be more mindful during my day (no constant checking the iPhone, not turn on the computer at once when I feel bored etc)I will be aware of how blessed I am by writing a gratitude journal dailyI will focus on how I feel, instead of how I look. This means no weighing myself or looking in the mirror (body composition). This will be tough….I will take a day of mindfulness every week and some nights. This means, no phone, no computer (unless for writing) and no TV. Taking part of in the world (CHA+4): I have few friends, and I feel that I´m slipping away from the ones I have (different interest, so it´s not a bad thing). Therefor, I will expand my circle and trying to meet new people (IRL…..). I will meet new people who share my hobbies and values.I will every day make the world a better place. It doesn´t have to be big things, it can be anything from picking up litter, writing a kind compliment in the woot room to doing a random act of kindness in the supermarket. The important thing is that I do something and that I do it daily to get the habit going. Food and fitness (STR+2, STA+2): This is mainly not a fitness challenge, but I still want to stay in shape, so…… I will track and plan my food intake so as to be sure that I eat enough but don´t binge (>1500 kcal in one meal)I will work out / climb 7 times a weekI hate the rowing machine (ok, maybe don´t hate it, but it just so fricking exhausting J), but since my knee injury won´t let me run, and this is supposed to be a challenge…..I will row once a week (assuming my knees are holding up), starting with 2 K, then gradually going up (goal will be somewhere around 5-7 K). The longest I´ve ever rowed so far is 1 K so I have no idea how my body will react.Life goal (WIS+3): I will write my personal manifesto. The hope is that this declaration will help me focus on what I deem most important in my life, and provide me with guidelines when making decisions. Motivation: “Someone once told me the definition of Hell: The last day you have on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.†This pretty much says it all. I want to live my life to the fullest, and I do this by staying fit, by eating food that gives me energy, by being a “good†human, by not wasting my life in the couch watching crappy B-movies on Netflix. Psyched to be here, and hope to meet some new friend in this guild! Ohh, PS, If you don´t like people who ponder and submit their random thoughts, you probably should´t follow this thread…..