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A ranger? Oh no! I've been an assassin so long. Okay, not that long, but the Rangers is the largest guild, and as Plutarch, "I live in a small city, and I prefer to dwell there that it may not become smaller still," I didn't want to be a ranger, EVERYONE'S a ranger, come on now. But maybe it's time for me to accept that the real action is in Rome/that my entire life is a mediation of the driving need to do ALL THE THINGS with the necessity of choosing some subset of Things to actually get done, at risk of being paralyzed by how very many things there are in the universe. So: Ranger. I went to a hockey game last week, and decided I wanted to learn how to skate on hockey skates/maybe eventually play hockey. So, I have three fitness Things that I want to keep up this challenge: -Gymnastics: Wednesday/Sunday, with Wednesday being my main training day where I can go to the gym while EVERYONE ELSE is there and marvel at all the gymnastics happening, and Sunday I come in a bit early before I coach my adult class to do some flips. Lifting: Tuesday/Thursday/Friday. I'm still trying for Thursday, even though i teach a Zoom class at 2:30 and had been spending Thursday mornings wandering around the house muttering maniacally to myself about math for a pretend audience. But if I take the car to the gym that morning then I'll have plenty of time. (I usually take the bus.) Skating: Once a week! There's open skate Mondays 2:30-3:30, so I'm going to aim for that. I need to look up stopping, backwards skating, etc. Other things I will do this challenge: learn python (I got a summer job that... has something to do with data science? I literally have no idea what it is or how I was chosen but hey), learn classical mechanics (my one class that I am taking this semester is first-year physics, which yes hilariously I am taking first-year physics and teaching first-year math, because when I went back to school I MEANT to take science classes that I'd been scared to take in high school because I couldn't do math, but then I had to take a math prereq first, and fell into a rabbit hole of math, and now need to get around to those science classes, and going from differential equations last semester to a physics class which does not have calculus as a prereq this semester is a really bizarre form of whiplash and confusion), keep practicing and making reeds even though concerts are cancelled for the entire month, buy peg dope and new strings for my violin and take it out of the case for 15 min/day, keep up my now weeklong duolingo streak (anyone want to be duolingo friends? https://www.duolingo.com/profile/_tei) and-- GO TO BED BY 11:30 AND AIM TO WAKE UP BY 8 SO I HAVE TIME TO DO ALL THESE THINGS

First off: *g8ggle gif* Ahem. Now that we’ve got that out of the way .... It looks like #lockdownlightlife is not evaporating where I live any time soon. Things are mostly back to normal - with a few exceptions. Masks, temperature checks and green status health apps are required everywhere but running outdoors Restaurants are still limited to parties of 5; with varying capacity Gyms are strictly limited to something like 3m of space around each goer Entrance to the country - even for residents - is highly limited and is a dodgy proposition at best, with strict quarantine protocols upon re-entry for those lucky enough to gain permission to enter. It’s a far from guaranteed thing. I’m sure there are more things, but those are the ones that affect me directly I’m still fairing pretty well with things as they are. It looks like this challenge will encapsulate Thanksgiving - let’s see if I get to do my big to-do for that, or if I’m running packaged plates to friends individually. I’ve promised that hell or high water it’s happening this year. Goals - Of Consistency, no less Nutrition. Continue on the trajectory from last challenge by: Not eating like an asshole (meaning not eating things I know are going to cause me pain or too damn much or all junk in a day) Keeping a loose eye on my macros on a weekly level and seeing how closely they resemble My Fitness Pal’s gentle weight loss guidelines by tracking my food daily with an eye toward accuracy but not Nazi-ism Making sure to eat at least 2 servings of vegetables a day even if I don’t wanna Try to get enough water. What’s enough? An amount so I don’t wake up dehydrated feeling Movement. Continue on my 4 - 5x a week yoga schedule via Zoom or in-person if desirable/available; add in some sort of accessory work on Saturdays. Either a 5th yoga class or something in the gym in my building - even if that’s just treadmill & a podcast Social Habits. Continue on with my Zoom Tuesday Coffee with friends for as long as that lasts; continue supporting my Herd as daily as possible; continue trying to expand my social network through this new D&D group; try to interact with other humans in the world at least once a week Stoke That Creative Flame. Keep my running crafts going. Currently, I’m still into clothes sewing and embroidery. Keep that up. Maybe add other things in as they catch my fancy - but, and this is a biggie: use up the supplies I have on hand before delving into a new thing that requires a bunch of specialty tools. Yeah. I know. This is the bane of all handicrafts peoples. And I used to have bins and bins of supplies from all the different things I’ve done over the years - but I don’t have that here, and to re-build that level of stash is ridiculous. I also don’t have storage space for that shit. So: use what you’ve got and then move on Also tied to #4: Exercise Your Brain. I’ve got a year of Skillshare, and while that’s not learning on the level I feel comfortable with, bite sized info is fine. And it’s better than the plague of listicles that has taken the rest of the godsdamn Internet over. Pick a “class”, complete it, take with it what I can, move on. Not every instance of learning needs structure or metrics. Or papers. Certainly not dissertations. And I almost forgot: Get out of my comfort zone. We all know how much I love a photo challenge. I’ve been stagnant in my photography for months and months and wanted to grow my skills. I haaaaaaaate people in my pictures and my selfies are abominable. I’m also never satisfied with my face in them. Which seems like a psychological bear that needs poking. Hell, I bailed on my 365 days of yoga for Year 40 challenge - let’s fuck around with some insecurities. Shake some trees and see what falls. As such, work on improving my people photography game through selfies - and post the best one in a week. Phone or “real” camera, it doesn’t matter. Face in the shot or hidden - whatever. Just create something and get it somewhere decent. Doesn’t have to be magazine worthy. And that’s pretty much it, at least thus far. Not a deviation from previous Cycles, but more a continuation of that solid foundation I’ve built with a look toward at least gathering the supplies for a second level.

Hello Everyone ! I should of started this a while back when I was on fire for the Lord and hungry to learn and memorize scripture. I'm still hungry but have recently got out of the habit of daily devotionals and wanting to guard my heart with the Good News of the Bible. I want to get back to my daily habits of reading the Bible, memorizing scripture and continuing to walk the narrow path for the Lord of Lords. I was hoping I wouldn't be alone in this journey. Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another." (CSB version). How true this statement is. The devil seeks to isolate us. God seeks to bring us together for the Glory of His Kingdom. This is why I choose to make an accountability group. Together, through prayer and worship and encouragement, we, too, can be like iron and sharpen one another. Over the course of...well, forever, I want to keep this group active and strong as we all work to grow closer to God through daily sharpening. Like the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:7, we cannot allow the seeds that fall among thorns to be choked out. We must guard our hearts from the enemy at all cost because he seeks to choke out our faith. He seeks to smother us and keep us living in darkness and sin...to be bound in chains and to be as far away from God as possible. I know that together we can form a community of Christ followers and combat the devil and his wicked ways by the Power of the Word of God. I know that we can lift each other up in prayer and form bonds that will be blessed and powered by God Himself. Who's with me?? When I started my memorization, I started with 4 verses I wanted to learn. Not all at the same time, but over the course of a couple months, I learned; Romans 8:28, Ephesians 3:20, Philippians 4:6 and Jeremiah 29:11. These are more well known verses but each on of them carried significant weight. I would read them. I would listen to them. I would turn them into songs. I would wake up in the morning and recall them all before I brushed my teeth. The goal here is memorization and the ability to recall scripture in the heat of battle. If you have a specific method for learning and memorizing, then please share with the group. You never know what failed methods you've tried may help another person out, so please, don't be shy. I also realize that not all of us will read the same translation, and that's perfectly fine. As long as you are actively trying to learn and read from the Good Book, then I don't think it matters in the slightest which version you read. I prefer the Christian Standard Bible or the CSB, so, anything I post and refer to is usually referencing that version. If I reference another translation, then I will add that in parentheses. ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP GOALS: The goal with this accountability group is to choose 2-3 verses each month and memorize them. We can actively as a group choose these, or we can all have different pieces we are working on and encourage one another during the month-I'll let the majority decide on that. I'm fine with either one . Post your memorization methods for the group and see if we can help each other out! And, I want this to be a place where we can generally just talk God, faith, salvation, promise, struggles, sin, and anything else. This is a judgement free zone as we will leave the judging to our Lord and Savior. This is a place for ALL God's people to come together and exhibit the most important commandment of all: LOVE. Ask questions. Encourage. Learn. And continue to fight sin together as one People under God. Wolf

Building my first Holocron - Jedi Sentinel Training, Prologue Welcome to my first 'official' challenge with the Rebellion. I've kept many Battle-Logs (and I am running one now - Holo-log - Study of the Jedi Sentinal), but never participated in a four week challenge. Here we go then. Background After years of physical training, experimenting with a number of training domains, I now appreciate the need for dedicated focuses. Short, sharp, intensive periods where I can push to better myself at a select number of skills. I'll call these chapters in the Holocron I am writing on my progress towards becoming a Master Jedi. Prologue - A Foundation 12 Feb - 11 Mar "Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation." - Saint Augustine A Jedi Sentinel is a Force Adept who blends combat expertise and training in the Force with a more pragmatic approach to their duties. If I truly desire a higher structure, I need to focus on these key elements; I need to ensure my foundation is strong. Challenge parameters: Jedi Physical Training - building the ability for combat expertise - Train each day according to your program. See Battle-Log for structure. This is will always be enduring. Jedi Mind Training - connecting with the Force - Journal each day. - Reflect on the end of each day. - Read 'The Daily Stoic' each day, and write to your family. Jedi Sentinel Training - preparing for expanding to future skills - Complete 'Learning How to Learn' MOOC - Complete 'Mindshift' MOOC - Teach 'Learning How to Learn' principles to an audience

I'm on the final countdown to my next hike, The Great Ocean Walk (100km). In four weeks time I'll be sitting in a campsite overlooking the ocean. My hiking buddy is applying to join the police force and as would happen has her fitness test on the day that would be day two of the hike. Because Easter we can't adjust the start and end date so I first thought to just skip the first two days, but then I remembered that a lot of hiker/bloggers skipped a campsite on the first two days where the terrain is easier - so I have adjusted the booking and now we are starting with a 21km and 22km days before settling into around 15km with more hills. This is a big push for me because I'm more of the slow and steady type. With all this in mind I'm starting my challenge today (Ok it's a Tuesday) so I can fit in a four week plan to prepare. Quest One: HEALTHY FOOD - the do and don't challenge 1. DO eat more vegetables. I'm good at salad for lunch but often fall into the lazy dinner. I just need to get a bit more organised. 2. DON'T eat carbs. I'm planning on a four week low carb challenge to get myself into better hiking condition. 3. DO track food. I can't do low carb without tracking - I'm not expert enough to do it well. Also tracking leads to accountability. 4. DON'T beat myself up about food choices - something I'm more prone to do when tracking. Don't get me wrong, I've had success with tracking before but I can go off the rails and give up. Quest Two: FIT FOR HIKING I've got a good general fitness routine going and should be getting in a few extra yoga sessions because I've bought a four week membership with my sister-in-law. What I need is to step it up and I plan to do this with: 1. Steps - I'd love to do 10,000 and I have such admiration for those who do. Again I don't want to beat myself up if I don't so I'm aiming for 10,000 but what I real need is to schedule in some walking time. 2. Running/Interval While I'm not a runner I do have a little routine of about 5 minute jog and then some interval sprints while walking the dog and then the same in return. While it achieves around 6,000 steps it also leaves me with some serious DOMS which shows that I'm out of my training comfort zone. 3. Put on the Pack - It's time to shoulder the pack and get some km's in. I'm not likely to do this during a normal work day so I'm planning for the next three weekends and then in the week before we start I'll have a little weekday free time to maybe get a morning or evening session or two in. 4. Yoga - I have a four week yoga pass mostly to encourage my Sister-in-law to try yoga. It wasn't a happy beginner session for her so enthusiasm might die pretty quickly. I would like to try all the various classes so if going regularly with the SIL doesn't pan out I will attend a few sessions a week myself to take advantage of the pass and improve my yogaing. Quest Three: LIFE LONG LEARNER Really I just want to keep this going so I don't lose momentum. Two mid-week session and then at least one (but probably two) sessions on the weekend. Most if it has been easy but I'm expecting it to get hard real soon. I'm just trying to tick off the beginner stuff as quick as I can. Quest Four: LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE I haven't been working on this quest so far. Basically it is a combination of my living environment (de-cluttering, doing repairs, beautifying) and having strong health relationships around me. 1. Just call your mother - I am well an truely a grown women who shouldn't need to be prompted to call my own mother. I just need to develop a habit so I'm not feeling guilty about not calling her or dropping to to see her (also my dad, but somehow it seems worse not to call your mum). I should be able to drop in to see her three times in this challenge (I've got a standing monthly knitting day in MY diary) and call her at least once a week (twice if I don't see her). 2. Fix something - I have an actual list of things that need fixing. Most are projects that I'm working on with my family - and motivation can be an issue. 3. De-clutter - THE SHED. Hubby has already started this so the yard is full of stuff that now needs to be sorted, thrown, donated or put away. This has to happen (so not really a goal but I'll feel good to cross it off the list). 4. Beautify - New Garden bed - Again this is already mostly scheduled - just waiting for pay day to buy some soil. I've been working towards this for ages but process is slow due to money and family priorities. I'd love to have the bed ready to start planting after Easter but will settle just for the load of soil to be carted to the back yard to start filing it up. LIFE GOAL: Hike Prep Even though it's not that long since I did the last seven day hike - I really need to get organised for this one. My hiking buddy is really busy moving houses and applying to the police force so is a little distracted. Also planning for The Overland took more effort in terms of needing to get to Tasmania etc that I felt that I had started earlier and was a little more focus on preparation. What I really need to do is: 1. Menu planning and food purchase. 2. Collect all the hiking things together ready to pack (I actually train with as much real stuff in the pack as possible so this should happen as part of the fitness goal). 3. Logistics - getting there - maps - tide times (Very important!!) It looks like a busy challenge - I'll really have to be focused. I'm heading to my Trello board to schedule some of this stuff in!

Here you can find a pen pal in a language you're trying to learn. If anyone is studying a language and wants to practice, write your prefered language as a comment and I will add you to this post. If you're too shy to write a comment - feel free to PM anyone in the group you're interested in, have a discussion, both of you can learn some words and practice French Group: Helix The Peasant German Group: Helix The Peasant Grandkai_NL Romanian Group: Phoenix91 Russian Group: Italian Group: Spanish Group: // Old topic was underused and filled with people who were no longer active. //

Gentlemen! Willkommen im NF Deutsch Club! Die erste Regel des NF Deutsch Club lautet: Ihr verliert kein Englisch Wort über den NF Deutsch Club!

After a F Up in my last challenge and a okay Respawn...here it is...the last challenge I will do with the Scouts for now. I will ttry something new and split my goals over the four weeks (because this time it makes totally sense.) I will add how many times at least I want to do so that I feel that I passed that goal in brackets My goals are: Quest 1: Run Forest Run! Timeframe: Now till 2nd October My first ever marathon will be on October 2nd so the goals are: - Follow the plan for regeneration and running (I will add that here later) - Do yoga every other day.(Goal 7times) - Finish the marathon! Bonus: Plan meals that will benefit the overall goal CLEARED! Quest 2: Habla Espanol? Timeframe: 5th October till 22th October It's time to get back to learning Spanish. Since I will be travelling a lot there should be time for learning: - When on the road, read at least one chapters from the spanish book per day ( 13times) - when at home add 20 minutes of vocabulary training (with cards and/or duolingo) Quest 3: "...denn du bist, was du isst" (Rammstein reference because German - Track what I eat with MFP - Try to stay under the calorie goal - Don't undereat (-200kcal for the goal are okay...) Quest 4: It's all about the community! - Have a lot of fun meeting NF-Nerds in Edinburgh - Support the League of Epicness (and maybee restart the Accountabuddie Thread for that) - Support the Hellfire Club (REPRESENT ) - Spread the PMA So that's it for now.

Happy New Year!

Hello again... this is the continuation of a thread that began last challenge (Link). We talk about all things kitchen, cooking and eating. I try to cook one meal a weak and post the pictures here. You are free to set your own rules. So lets get cooking... During the last week of the last challenge i was sick and sleept a lot. I didn't really cook, but tried various smoothies. These following two i like best: * 2 Bananas, a cup full of spinache, apple juice, a lime * 2 Bananas, almonds, a spoonful of honey, milk

After leaving the Scorpion tunnels, Red decides to enjoy nature a bit by taking a stroll into the nearest forest. However, the powers that be, decide that they aren't done with him yet... "Ahh, now this is nice! Just the still trees and the whispering wind." He hears something move. He turns around, only to see nothing, but leaves fall around him. 'Huh, must've been my imagination.' he thought. He keeps moving forward, and again, he hears that same rustling, knowing that something is indeed watching him, he pretends not to notice, a few steps further, he listens intently to pinpoint the source. Once he hears movement again, he immediately throws his sword at the would-be stalker. "HA! Found you!" Once the sword struck, he hears an unexpected sound, "WAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" As something, or rather someone, hits the ground in front of him. "What the--? An archer? What are you doing following me?" The Archer replied, "I wasn't following you, you idiot! I was following the Slime!!!" "Slime? What slime?!" "The slime you stepped into, and now got ME stuck in! You idiot!" "What the?! How in the--" "Great! Now we're both going to be slowly digested, I hope your happy!" "Now, hang on, if we work together, surely we can get out of this... err... slime!" "Fine! But you have to do exactly what I say, otherwise, we're dead meat! And don't call me 'Shirley'!" "First of all, we need to get our arms free!" - By doing the Advanced Bodyweight routine and Shadow Boxing x3 a week! Str +2, Sta +3 "Then we need to Pull ourselves out!" - Work up to 3 sets of 6 pull-ups or 1 set of 15 without stopping! Str +2 Sta +2 "OK, What do you know about slimes?" "Uhh, they're slimy?" - Set aside an hour to review Biology notes, or watch a Biology lecture 5 times a week. Wis +3 "Come on! You have to want this as much as the next breath! Literally!" - This one is a bit of a personal goal, I feel like I've lost my drive to achieve my life-long dream of becoming a doctor, so this goal is mainly to remember what made me want to be one in the first place, and to rekindle that drive that made me obsessed with this dream. There's really nothing to measure with, although, if you guys can help me by asking me deep philosophical questions about it or question my reasons for being so, it'll help me sort my thoughts... I hope. +5 Inspiration!

2016 Road Map These are my big goals for the next year, there is a lot I want to accomplish so I reserve the right to alter them as life happens Mental Health Live In the Moment- take things second by second day by day maintain good habits Meditation at least 5x per week, preferably daily Inspiration Gratitude Positive Self Talk falling in love with myself Physical Health Exercise Pilates 2x per week Lifting 2-3x per week walking- as active rest yoga? Eat your Freggies Sleep Water Creative Health: Writing write another book this year (Camp NaNo) finish second draft of 2014 Nano by april (Editing from Jan-March) finish third draft by june (March-May) finish 2015 Nano (May-June) Drawing 1 per challenge Music Write an EP 3-4 songs I like Become proficient at guitar, this means: able to play songs change chords well know all the notes on the frets Return to School: Financial Aid for School tax returns (by april priority deadline) fafsa (by april priority deadline) CSS profile (by april priority deadline) Finalize return to Wes (May-June) email dean email advisor pick classes Learning: Read 20 new books this year Take 3 coursera courses to get used to studying and classes again Fluency in French?

Where to begin? I'll start by saying I am a 24 year-old Canadian girl. I'm 5'3", weighing ????? pounds (I'll get to that later), looking to really commit to getting my butt in shape!! Literally and figuratively speaking. I need to go back a bit to explain. A long time ago, in a city far far away.... For the longest time I was kept in decent shape by a physically demanding job, but then I was promoted to an office job. A financial "Yay!" but a physical "Oh no". I quickly went from weighing about 115lbs to 150lbs. Ouch. Over and over again I told myself I would get in shape, but I could never commit. Until about a couple months ago. I am doing great! I'm really trying to stick to mostly healthy eating as well as working out most days of the week. It also helped that I STOPPED weighing myself! I have no idea what I weigh right now and it's incredibly liberating. I realize that the scale is what made me stop every other time. Since your weight doesn't properly reflect how well you're doing, it was always a disappointment and very discouraging. Now that I am more determined than ever, I NEED SOME HELP. I need anything I can get ESPECIALLY support. Unfortunately my friends, and fiance, are all gaming nerds with 0 interest in being healthy, so I am on my own here. I'll tell you where I am at right now: Every Sunday and Thursday I take a 1 hour Iyengar yoga class (cutting back to one soon for financial reasons). 1-2 times a week I go to the gym with for 1-2 hours, usually focusing on either my arms or my legs (mostly machine-work for my legs). At home I switch it up quite a bit. From running on my treadmill for 20 minutes or so (attempting HIIT training), or doing awesome and short Youtube "Blogilate" workouts. As far as food goes, I am REALLY trying to eat healthy. Overeating is my weakness...and cheese...mmm...cheese (I'm never giving that up though). It's tough to find time to prep and cook dinner every night (if I don't cook, it's pizza or KD for dinner), So I'm also looking for great, healthy recipes that I can prep ahead of time, use the slow cooker and/or freeze. I also need some MAJOR support here. It's incredibly hard to eat healthy and properly living with someone that is determined to eat and buy junk all the time, as well as argues with me about what is good food and what is not. This also causes a lot of food to go to waste. If I don't eat fresh food right away, it's garbage. Did I also mention that I love playing video and computer games?!? It's true. So far I'm proud of myself for staying away from a new WoW subscription. Although I could probably resist the temptation on my own, it's nearly impossible with a certain someone I care about, begging, bribing, and reasoning with me to join him in doing some LFR (as in al of them) dungeons, daily quests etc. I also have incredibly low self-esteem. I need to stay positive and I just need someone to keep me on track! Someone I can talk to on a regular basis about healthy eating, new techniques and overall encouragement...and you know, I can also be won over with talks about Fantasy novels (esp. WoT...I have a Moiraine costume), Star Wars, Firefly, WoW, Diablo, and you know, general awesome things like that. Help me Rebels, You're my only hope!

Last we left Red, He agreed to become the apprentice of the Martial Arts Master, Kru... "OK, it looks like this is it." Red looks around, confused. "What's it?" With a smile and a bow, Kru vaguely explains, "The Winds of Change have begun to blow, our meeting will soon come to and end and you will have to continue on your journey without me." "Wait, whaaa?! Why? H-how could you possibly know that?" "Sorry, guy, but you're just going to have to wait and see." And he was right... Several weeks later, Red found himself unemployed, walking along his path and now he looks ahead and faces uncertainty... "What do I do now?" He asks himself, he knows where he wants to go, however he doesn't how to get there. He hears a voice echoing from the crystal in his pocket, 'Scorpion...' He pulls out the Water crystal shard and notices that this isn't where the voice is coming from. 'Scorpion...' it whispers again from his pocket, he reaches inside and pulls out something he didn't know he had, a Fire Crystal shard! "What the? How did--... *sigh* Kru. But wait, this is great! I'm on my way! Now, how do I activate this thi--" 'Scorpion.' The shard echoes. "What does that even mean?" Red stood for a moment. and then he looked around and found himself not alone. 'Why are they just staring at me?' Red thought to himself. 'Because they're here to guide you.' "OK! This is starting to get a bit freaky! Err... Lead the way?" At once, the Arachnids began crawling towards a direction. 'Let them guide you.' And so, Red follows the Path of the Scorpion! 'The Scorpion is aware of its limitations and potentials' - One of my favorite TV shows, where a bunch of Super geniuses solve world disasters using their intellect. I am going to remember and relearn information lost to me, by watching Biology courses from MIT and studying my old textbooks and notes! - Finish all of the Courses before the Challenge is over'The Scorpion constantly strives to perfect its abilities' - I will not be able to take Muay Thai (due to my not having a job currently), but I will finish out the month and resume my training based on what I've learned. - Make a Routine involving MT practices and BW exercises'The Scorpion endures the harshest of conditions' - Look for a new job - Apply to as many as possible and finish up loose ends'The Scorpion does not even let loss of limb stop it from moving forward' - Don't let myself be comfortable with not having a job, to be constantly reading, learning, or applying - Keep moving forward!

This challenge will be all about rainbows. And cats, but of course everything on the internet is about cats, so therefore this is a rainbow challenge. Anyway, rainbows are awesome: - they have many colours - they are formed like an arch - they are outside - they are very science-y I want my life to be more like a rainbow! Therefore, my goals for the next challenge are: 1. Cook with colourful vegetables and fruits, at least 14 different ones, 2 for each colour of the rainbow. Instead of blue and indigo, I can use any colour I want. So at least 2 red, orange, yellow, green and purple fruits and vegetables, and at least 14 in total. The ulterior goal here is to keep eating varied foods. 2. Practice bridges every day. Bridges are a great show-off and cool trick, they also might be good for back-mobility. I will also do one auxiliary exercise every day, mostly to help with upper back mobility and wrist strength. Lastly, before and after pictures are mandatory . 3. Walk/cycle for fun once a week. I used to enjoy going outside for a walk or cycle route, but I keep giving myself excuses why I don't do it anymore lately. No more! One route of at least 30 minutes every week. Berry picking sessions do count though . 4. Do something science-y every week. I need to keep expanding my knowledge to feel fulfilled, and with my PhD I'm just learning more about a relatively small subject. Possible activities: - read a peer-reviewed paper that's not from my field - read a chapter of a book at undergrad level, not from my field - work on advanced programming techniques, testing, or other computer science skills for at least 1 hour - solve a project Euler puzzle Scoring Each goal will get a percentage in the end. Grades are given based on these percentages: 100% A+, 90-100% A, 80-90% B, 70-80% C, <70% F. Have a nice challenge!

3 skills and 3 for improvement of self and non-procrastination (Archery falling in both) Archery 2 hours a week (~20min a day average, if one day is missed per week) That is a total of 12 hours for the challenge It may not arrive until the second week, but I plan to make that up with initial excitement. Push-ups Average 20 a day Which is 140 a week and 840 total Sewing I plan to level up this skill so that I can forge high charisma points. I have 3 started but not finished projects, and mending for a total of 4. -all mending by end of challenge, including new articles -finish making a jumper -fix an old dress project -corset After those I have some easy-ish ideas for further skill leveling before I start with the awesome attire ideas. Studying I was at 88% last challenge, so I won't up the amounts. Average 2 hours per day that is 14 hours a week and 84 total Maths, physics, certifications, languages, vocabulary, music, whatever Read/Write/Draw I had this as two separate goals in the last challenge. I did well at doing some of both each day but I want to work toward finishing stuff. 40 total books read, chapters written, or pictures drawn finishing a previously started one counts books can include small or large (there is a mix for my pile for deciding to give away or keep) pictures do not need to be digital nor coloured, just in a state of completion (shading, backgrounds, . . the full idea)

Onto The Next Challenge!! Brief recap of last challenge: Pretty much was a washout for my fitness goals but did learn several things. This challenge will (hopefully) be a welcome change to the former challenge. Continuing on with the previous challenge, more that I (kinda) found the Three Hidden Keys, time to unlock the Three Secret Gates. While similar, the last challenge gave me thoughts about how to augment and work them better.And now, on that note: AGAIN, MAY HAVE SLIGHT SPOILERS, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!! Goal One: Out-Think the Copper Gate In the book, when Wade slips into the first gate, he ends up in a recreation of the film Wargames. Matthew Broderick as the quintessential 80s movie hacker. He needed to out think both the government and the computer. So now what I need to do is out think my old habits and get my mind working better. Goal 1: Learn something new every week (something substantial, via app, class, etc). +3 WIS Goal Two: Out-Fight the Jade Gate Through the second gate, one needed to contend with the game Black Tiger (Dragon in Japan). Very similar to many of the side-scrolling fighting games of the time like Double Dragon or Strider, it shows me the need to fight for what I want. Goal 2: Bodyweight workouts 3x per week +2 STR, +1 STA Goal Three: Out-Play the Crystal Gate I'm not going into too much detail on this one just because it's the last one and pretty awesome but I will say it dealt with several different things and now, so must I. I'm calling this the Three F's Goal (though three f's have nothing to do with the book, just this challenge). Going to focus on Food, Fellowship, and Focus. Goal 3a: Food: 7 Healthy Meals per week (no limitations) +1 CON, +1 CHA Goal 3b: Fellowship: Keeping up with the community +1 WIS, +1 CHA Goal 3c: Focus: Meditate for 30 15 minutes twice a week +1 STA, +1 WIS

To achieve Level 8, I will be continuing working towards a more balanced self. I have some loose ends to tie up before I holiday in Amsterdam with my SO and BFF and a crowd of other dolly people. My Amsterdam trip will happen during the last 2 weeks of this challenge. My main quest is to fit comfortably into size 14 trousers by losing body fat. To move towards this achievement, I have set the following quests for this challenge: 1. Handstands! STR+1 DEX+2 As a much younger hooman, summer lunchtimes were spent out on the fields doing cartwheels and handstands. Now I have all but overcome my shoulder injury, the time has come to revisit those carefree days. Using Chris Salvato's method as a guide, I will spend 5 minutes per day on handstand practice (continued from previous challenge). A = 28+ days of handstand practice B = 25-27 days C = 22-24 days F = 21 days or fewer of handstand practice. 2. New Moves! STR+1 DEX+2 WIS+2 After being introduced to kettlebells last round by the Rangers mini-challenge, I found I enjoy learning new things and incorporating them into my circuits. So using sources such as Girls Gone Strong and Lift Weights Faster, I plan to learn new exercises I can put into practice. A = 15 new moves or more B = 12-14 new moves C = 9-11 new moves F = 8 new moves or fewer 3. Spreadsheets! WIS+3 CON+1 My employers have provided me with an advanced course in Excel, all paid for, but I need to find a few hours a week to learn it, practice it and take an exam. I want to take the exam before August. A = Learned, practiced and exam date agreed B = Still practicing but nearly there C = Still learning; will sit exam but not sure if I will pass F = Nowhere near ready, have to defer the exam 4. Floor! CON+2 CHA+1 Now my wardrobe is tidy, I want to make use of the mirrored doors and the space in front of the doors. I need to make a space on my floor for my exercise mat to fit. In order to see that bit of floor, I need to put things away and keep them away. A = Plenty of space for my mat B = Mat fits but clutter is creeping back C = Mat just fits but I trashed everywhere else F = No space for a mat to fit

Since I was a kid, I always looked up to the superheroes out there, especially Spiderman, because he is the friendly boy next door you really can compare yourself with, he struggles with daily problems, girls, is short on money and the bad guys of course, but still, he never loses his courage, his hopes and tries always to be friendly. But what do you need to "become" Spiderman? I know, it's gonna be hard to find a radioactive spider and let it bite you...and survive...and become superpowers, but there are some things you can do without your gene's be manipulated to become this friendly neighborhood Spiderman, and that's what I'm gonna try the next 6 weeks! Let's see, Spiderman is a pretty good wall climber, so I need to climb! I already climb, but now when it's getting warmer outside I can start again to climb on rocks and mountains. (STR+1) He is strong and his body looks better than mine, so I have to put on some muscles on my body and loose some fat with a different kind of workouts. I prefer to do bodyweightworkouts, pull ups, spiderman push ups, etc. (STR+2,CHA+1) He is fast and persistent, that's where I'll do some running and biking. (STA+2) He can fight, protect the ones he loves and kick the bad guys asses, that's something I definitely need to learn and this is why I'm joining krav maga classes. (CON+2,WIS+1) He is super flexible and acrobatic. I need to do stretches and get more flexible, Spidey also can do flips and stuff, but for the start, I try my luck with handstands. (DEX+3) And beneath that strength and superheropowers, he is still a pretty smart guy. I wanna go to italy this summer for my holidays and can't speak italian, that's why I want to learn this language, enough to order some stuff, ask directions and the usual small talk. (WIS+2,CHA+1) and let's face it, you can't be strong, have superhuman reflexes, superhuman agility and be a smartass without watching your eating or sleeping habits. Or like someone once said: "Workout, plenty of rest. you know eat your green vegetables!" That's why I'm watching what I eat and try to get enough sleep. Sidequest: Peter Parker is also a photographer and I like to take photographs too, but didn't do it very often, I want to take my camera, go out and shoot some pictures! Oh, and I forgot the mention, Spiderman isn't invulnerable and that's something we already have in common. I hurt my right hand last friday and hope I can start soon with workouts and handstand practicing, but till then, I have to rest my hand and concentrate my power for the beginning on my other goals, like stretching and learning. Progress spreadsheet

Wooh Wooh!! First challenge as a Monk and second overall. Time to get to it then: http://youtu.be/bQAULthTBvA I've been too sedentary, this time around I'm determined to get moving. BBWW, walking to Morodor and KickBoxing are what I have on my plate for this challenge. I also need to eat more like a Saiyan; veggies and meat are the way to go! I also need to use this time to gauge my center, so it's on with the Yoga and meditation. I really need to learn consistency, so I will offer myself bonus points if I can keep on track. On to my goals! #1: Gohan's Wilderness Training: No more messing around! M-W-F are my Beginner Body Weight Circuit days and T-Th will be my KickBoxing/Yoga days. Bonus points for not skipping more than 2 workouts a week. +2 STR BONUS: +3 CON #2: 10x Earth Gravity Training: Keep up with my 100 Pushup Challenge every day and hopefully be up to the big 1-0-0 by the time this challenge ends. Bonus Points for not skipping more than one workout a week. +1 STR +2 STA BONUS: +2 DEX #3: Eat Like Goku I need to explore my options as far as paleo goes. I've found that I'm in love with veggies (broccoli in particular) and I'm sure there's room for more. I also need to mix up the menu a little more. Add in seafood when finances allow and get down with some spare ribs since they're apparently super cheap at the Latin Market down the street. Bonus Points for eating one new veggie a week till the end of the challenge. +2 WIS BONUS: +1 DEX Side Goal: Gohan's Study Regiment: Collection of ze informacion. I need to keep up with my new Coursera classes, and read more. I'm also trying to learn spanish with Duolingo, so far so good, and I need to make using the app a habitual thing. +2 CHA So There it is. I don't have a way to get exact stats but my weight as of the moment is around 220 and my waist size is "36. I want to be around 200 and a 34" by time this challenge is over but it's more of a guideline than anything. As for my collection of information goal, I've started with Tim Ferriss' "4 Hour Chef" and I'll be reading along with the audiobook. Hopefully I'll finish it faster that way.

becoming a heroine: challenge one: the spring semester grind Yo, nerds! So, midpoint update: At the start of this challenge, this thread was very long and over-complicated and maybe a little over-ambitious. Meaning I forgot that I would actually have a lot of work to do and a lot of friends to catch up with once the semester started. However, I'm pretty stoked with the way my semester has gone so far -- it's currently the start of week three of the semester, and week four of the challenge -- and I'm doing great. I'm not playing quidditch because I realized it would be too big of a time sap, but I am playing three different intramural sports, with one game per sport each week. I'm eating better (still not great, but better) and drinking at least a half-gallon of water a day just out of habit, now. I'm awake by 7:30 every weekday, and usually by 9:30 on the weekends. I'll come back to this later to update more fully, but overall, I'd say I'm kicking ass.

Main Quest - Improve my base health Fitness Quest - Reverse weight gain and start to get fit again Life Quest - Rapidly increase my knowledge-base In previous challenges, I've noticed I: often want to completely change goals after 3 weeks, based on changing priorities have been too overwhelmed to complete everything I challenge myself to do, due to life circumstances So I have identified I need to: be less reactive, in general focus on smaller goals So here goes on the latter... 1. Look after my teeth - CON +4 My gums have been bleeding a lot recently when cleaning my teeth. - no sugary food at work - no more hot chocolate drinks (max: 3 over a weekend if needed, none during the week) - clean teeth twice a day - use mouthwash twice a week I will substitute lemon & ginger tea or hot water at work for hot chocolate drinks. I need to come up with a strategy for morning teeth cleaning, as I've always believed it's bad to clean teeth right after eating, but I don't have all that much time in the morning. 2. Stand up straight - STA +3 A continuation of my posture challenges. Monitor at least 10 times a day and adjust if I'm not stood up straight and head is kept up. Next level: maintain straight back when I'm bending over (e.g. in kitchen doing washing up or bathroom cleaning teeth), and while walking up & down stairs. 3. Take my asthma medicine regularly - CON +2 I've never really got into taking 'the brown inhaler' but apparently my life will be better for it. Take it twice a day (morning & night), every day. 4. Start exercising again - DEX +3 Gym twice a week. 5. Keep learning - WIS +3 After "sharpening the saw" in the last challenge, I feel that there's so much more I want and need to learn to level up in my career. Perhaps I should have been doing this 5 or 10 years ago, but what the heck, we are where we are! I won't specify in advance what I want to study, as it may change over time. However, I am signed up to two Coursera courses (Algorithms Part 2 and Inspiring Leadership through Emotional Intelligence), both of which I would like to absorb.

Introduction Hi, I've moved over from the Rangers as I found most of my challenges were around improving self which is a natural fit for the Druid guild. I'm 95% vegan (100% vegetarian) and of all the forms of exercise, I like running. My favourite hobby is LARPing, and I'm looking forward to an intensive 6-day LARP event at the end of October. I joined NF a year ago now. This is my eighth challenge, and I've just changed my profile name. Eirlys (pronounced 'ayr-lees') is Welsh for snowdrop. I'm interested in learning more about practising stoicism in daily life, but that will have to wait for another day, and another challenge! Goals My goals for this challenge are to: improve my confidencesharpen up body & mind My probationary review at work indicated confidence is an area I need to address urgently. I believe that I will feel more confident if I a. get on top of the subject matter required by my new jobb. 'act as if' - having a hunched posture doesn't make me feel confident!c. just get stuff done. 1. LearnRead book: Responsive Web Design with HTML5 and CSS3Read book: Javascript & jQuery: The Missing ManualMemorise the article content on streamingmedia.comContinue watching videos for coursera.org: Think Again: How to Reason and Argue, for as long as I feel I'm deriving benefit from the courseRevise this list if I've finished both books before end of week 4 2. Stand Up Straight Check at least 10 times a day that my standing posture is correct, and that my head is up Success is graded by how many days I do this during the challenge. 3. Efficiency Now that I'm settling into my new job, I want to build up a sensible daily routine. At home:Continue to improve on routine: current improvement is to get ready for bed at 9-9.15pm, measurable by how many days I achieve this per week. Mitigating factors accepted, e.g. does not apply if I am out that evening.Review weekly whether I am ready to add another element to daily routine & start that if so. At work, continue to:wield the Sparkling Sword of Clarity to cut through the ambiguity and get answerswear the Helm of Action to plough through my work, especially getting through the daily fatigue around 5pm - measurable by whether I continue working at 5pm and leave the office around 6pm (or whether the end of my day slips by an hour)'touch it only once' - for items that take less than 5-10 minutes to do, don't write them down and come back to them, process them now 4. Life Quest - Purify I would love to feel in charge of my brain by the end of 2013. The outside - minimalism:Sell off selected books that have been removed from the shelvesCreate ebay listings for items to auction in advance of next free listingTake miscellaneous items to charity shopFind someone who wants to have my LARP-specific items The inside:Continue to monitor ruminating thoughts and follow this process:notice when I'm ruminating ask myself 'who' I'm ruminating to? (usually the sequence of thoughts is directed at someone/some group of people) ask myself what I'm seeking to achieve ask myself why I'm doing it think of other strategies/tactics for achieving my aimsWrite down any insights about my shadows ('mental scripts' that impair my life)Ponder and seek advice on how I can best deal with people who want to talk about a topic that causes me much anguishDo the exercise in the book 'The Worry Cure' for my biggest fear 5. Diet/Fitness Quest - Get Training & Get Healthy I have a LARP event I need to be super-fit for, just after this challenge finishes. Fitness:Try beating PB set for 1 mile run (7 min 43 s) - 'nice to have' - I've been out of action for 3 weeks following an operation, so I'm not sure how achieveable this is.HIIT at least once/weekExperiment with cardio that improves quick reactions, e.g. tabata - try something new at least onceDo floor exercises 3 times a week to get into shapeFood: Lose at least 1kgChallenge the 'excuse/temptation demon' that suggests I eat something unhealthy; I get 1 point for each time I manage this (over a period of 15 minutes)Weekly review & adjustment of strategies to stop snackingWeigh myself twice a day - I found this tactic very helpful when I lost 10kg last year.If I deem the number of 'challenge demon' points sufficient, I get to treat myself to something nice.If I lose 1kg, I also get a treat. Yes, bribery!! It's time to turn the tables on this particular challenge nemesis of mine!

Hey guys, this has absolutely nothing to do with my physical health at all. But I wrote a personal essay for this contest (the topic was "what is your passion and why?") and I WON! I won a beautiful, handmade desk. It's going to be perfect for my new house and for all the homework I'm going to have soon. I thought I'd share my essay here for fun. Enjoy! Narrowing down my passions to just one thing was more difficult than I thought it would be. I mean, after Pinterest, cute pictures of kittens, and British television, what else could I possibly be passionate about? My name is Kris and I am a full time student at Brigham Young University. (I get this little shiver of glee every time I get to tell someone that.) I'm a student! My road to student hood is long and convoluted. I graduated with my Associate's Degree when I was 17. The stress from completing two years of college during my senior year of high school burned me out and I ended up dropping out of school later that year. It was the biggest mistake I have ever made. Don't get me wrong - I did some amazing things while I wasn't in school. I married my amazing husband, gave birth to a beautiful and brilliant little boy and opted to stay home with him until he was ready to start kindergarten. To keep my mind sharp, I read everything I could get my hands on and I started taking violin lessons. But it wasn't enough for me. I felt like I was losing brain cells daily (and trust me - I need every single one that I have left!) In January, my time finally arrived. Toby, my son, was accepted into a preschool that allowed me just enough time to get a full 12 credits from BYU into my schedule. I was very nervous to start school again - it's been 8 years since I was any sort of real student, would I remember how to do it all? Would I survive my autistic 5 year old and 12 credits worth of homework and being in charge of making dinner, too? Starting school has been the most incredible experience for me. For the first time in 8 years, I feel like I am doing something awesome just for me. Raising Toby has been rewarding too, but it was a joint venture with my husband. School is something I get to experience. Every day I arrive on campus and I breathe in the scent of books, learning, and collegiate stress. I watch the little freshmen scurry off to their classes and smile at the opportunities they have ahead of them - playing the dating games, living with roommates, bonding over chocolate and boys and exams. I go to my classes and I sit there in awe as my professors share their knowledge. I try to soak up as much of it as I can. And while I'm learning about Spanish, I'm learning about myself. I'm learning that I love languages, that the sound of Spanish is beautiful and that I want to share it with my son. While I'm in my religion courses I marvel at the incredible world I live in and I want to share it with my husband. In my linguistics class I wonder at how our language came to be and why it is used the way it is and I want to share it with anyone who will listen! My passion is learning. You don't have to be a student to learn. You don't have to have attended 4 years of higher education. You can keep learning throughout your life, just by making time for it. Consider a topic you're interested in, go to the library and pick up a book on it. Do a Google search and start a blog teaching your topic (they say that teaching others helps you cement your knowledge further.) Anyone can learn, and anyone can learn anything they want. Isn't that amazing?! To know that even though you may never be the world's most advanced expert in ornithology, you have all this knowledge in your head for you to enjoy and to share with whoever cares to listen. How cool is that? I haven't chosen a major yet. I tell my husband that I want to be a professional student, but our bank account doesn't think that's very funny. I'll have to decide my path soon, but it's comforting for me to know that if I ever have the desire to learn about math (shudder), I finally realize that I have methods of learning at my constant disposal, even though I may not be in school forever. My favorite thing about being a student is the example I am setting for my son. My husband has a great job, although he's not a college graduate. But me being a college student has already impacted Toby - he tells everyone that "Mommy goes to school just like me!" (He asks me all the time if I get to play with toys like he gets to, or what I had for snack time.) It melts my heart when he says "When I turn 18, I am going to BYU just like my mommy." Because I am a student, because I have found my true passion for learning, I am a better person. I feel like the things I teach my son have more impact on him. I feel closer to my husband, who has supported me through the semester and even finals week without hiding from the Stress Monster I turned into. I feel like I am more myself, now that I am exercising my brain and learning and growing daily. I love school. I love learning. I love Pinterest and Downton Abbey and I wish I could somehow major in those. But until I figure out how to do that, I'm going to keep on taking as many classes as I can fit into my schedule, and I'm going to keep jumping for joy whenever Toby says "Mom, you rock at school!" -Kris

I'm probably younger than most people on this site. I'm in college, but I've been out of my shape for most of my life. A year or two ago, I joined a gym that offered some circuit training classes, which really boosted my fitness level, but I'm no fitness pro. I've since grown weary of having to go and suck from the teet of the great, bloated cow that is the franchise gym. I want to learn what the trainers there know and be able to take control of my own fitness, rather than relinquishing control to them. I'm hoping I can learn from this site and from it's members. I'd greatly appreciate it if you would all allow me to extensively pick your brains, because I have a lot to learn.