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This is the Way - Building Habits for Wellness My Kaizen technique of making gradual changes over time seemed to work well for my first challenge of 2021, so I'm trying it in Part II. There are three areas I want to focus on. 5 points per week that I'm successful in each goal, plus opportunities to earn additional points each week with 'bonus' wellness tasks. Sleep I need to get back to an earlier bedtime, so I get a decent amount of sleep each night. Adequate rest is essential for health, wellness, and weight loss. Over the next 5 weeks I will gradually increase the number of days per week that I need to hit my goal of being in bed, lights out, and no devices, by 11:00 pm. Week 1 - 2 nights Week 2 - 3 nights Week 3 - 4 nights Week 4 - 5 nights Week 5 - 6 nights Strength I've been trying to find a program to gradually increase intensity, or create my own program - too complicated. To keep it simple I found a series of DVDs I had received as part of an old weight loss program I had joined through work. The DVDs are good though. They have 5 DVDs covering 5 levels of strength. I don't intend to do one each week, but I hope to make progress at least through the first two, and then we'll see how I've progressed by Week 5. Week 1 - #1 x 2 days Week 2 - #2 x 3 days Week 3 - #2 x 2 days Week 4- #2 x 3 days Week 5 - #2 or #3 x 3 days Sustenance I'm still figuring out exactly WHAT my diet should look like, but I do know that tracking will be important if I want to get moving in the right direction with my weight. So this one is all about tracking everything I eat. Week 1 - Track 2 days Week 2 - Track 3 days Week 3 - Track 4 days Week 4 - Track 5 days Week 5 - Track 6 days BONUS This time it's all about self-care - Sleep and eating better and exercise are already in the plan.. Along with these, I can earn bonus points for journaling, reading, decluttering, taking a bath. I may even attempt meditation.

Here I go again, back after a long absense. Ever since I was finally able to binge-watch both seasons of The Mandalorian last month, (and I'm now watching them all again, just a bit slower this time), I've been enthralled by the whole 'this is the way' mantra of our hero. I've always considered myself a 'bounty hunter' in the line of Boba Fett, but now there's so much more information than just the few random scenes of a barely-there character in the original trilogy. So I've been trying to figure out what exactly is 'the Way' that will work best for me. - a method to help me with my diet and fitness goals, but that could also be applied to other areas of my life, like keeping my house clean, and getting things accomplished. It's been a rough year that saw me hit my highest weight ever of 246, and right now I'm at 243.6. I know, know, know that I can't just resolve to lose weight and expect to actually have it all fall away overnight. But I need to start, to take the first steps no matter how small that will propel me forward, consistently, into a better version of me Trying to find my 'word' for 2021, a word to focus on that would encompass the sort of improvement in all aspects of my life that I want to make, I stumbled upon this word - KAIZEN - that I actually attended a virtual seminar about through work this past summer - kaizen and ikigai. That was mostly about applying the Japanese philosophy of 'good change' or continual improvement to the workplace, but it certainly can be applied to one's personal life as well. It's the idea of just trying to make each day 1% better than the day before. I've had my ups and downs, lots of downs, this past year, but I feel like a 1% daily improvement is totally doable. And Boba thinks so too! My targets for this challenge: MOVE MORE- I've been averaging just 3,822 steps per day since about Thanksgiving, not even 27,000 steps per week. So my goal will be to increase that amount each week of this challenge to work my way up to 5,000 steps per day. GOAL RESULT Week 1 28,000 steps 27,820 (missed it like a storm trooper) Week 2 30,000 steps 37,272 WooHoo! Week 3 32,000 steps ____________ Week 4 33,500 steps ____________ Week 5 35,000 steps ____________ EAT BETTER - I don't really cook, and I don't see that changing much in the near future. I eat frozen/convenience foods and meals more often than anything. But what I can change is to get back to eating fruits and veggies, which have been sorely neglected in my diet of late. This goal is designed to get me eating fresh fruit and/or veggies as a snack or part of a meal at least once a day by the end of the challenge GOAL RESULT Week 1 3 fresh fruit or veg I had at least one every day Week 2 4 fresh f/v Done (barely) Week 3 5 fresh f/v ____________ Week 4 6 fresh f/v ____________ Week 5 7 fresh f/v ____________ TIDY UP - This goal is just for me to get rid of crap cluttering up my apartment and throw away the stuff I've been hanging onto for ages that can easily be tossed or given away. I don't think it will be too difficult to get rid of 75 things altogether, but I will work on the habit of looking at my stuff more critically so I can get rid of the junk I just don't need cluttering up my life. GOAL RESULT Week 1 Remove 5 things Removed a box of crap and a bag of clothes (way more than 5 things, but we'll call it even) Week 2 Remove 10 things Located, collected, and disposed of 10 items this week, 3 of them quite large Week 3 Remove 15 things ____________ Week 4 Remove 20 things ____________ Week 5 Remove 25 things ____________ None of this seems too difficult for a first challenge after so long away from the game. Success means reward, so let's go get those bounties! For extra motivation, I'm awarding myself points for each successful week, each goal achieved - 5 points per week per goal. And for each day that I can say I've done something 'extra', something beneficial - cleaning, working out, taking a class, etc. - I can earn a bonus point, up to three points per day. My target is 100 points over the course of the challenge - success means leveling up and getting some nerdy merchandise. Total Points Earned Week 1 = 22 Week 2 = 22 Week 3 = Week 4 = Week 5 =

Hi nerds!! (That's a corgi and not a fox, but just like me, it's waving at you) I'm returning to NF after being away for a few months. This year has been very tiresome, but overall, I'm happy. I have attended therapy this year and I feel like I've made a lot of personal progress, I have studied for my second master's thesis, and I have secured a job at my local library where I get to work with our website and other IT systems. The work is interesting, my team is wonderful, and I get to work remotely 80% of the time. So, at the end of the year, I'm happy to say that things have turned out pretty well! It's just that during my Christmas break, I binged the both seasons of The Mandalorian and realized that I need someone to nerd out about it with Then I remembered that NF has been a place filled with very friendly nerds, so... here I am! As for my goals... I'm taking this as a respawn challenge, where I figure out my exact goals for long term. I am pretty happy with where I am, but I am currently pretty excited about design thinking - I want to find out, what I need, and design my everyday life so that I am as happy and satisfied as possible. Instead of starting by looking at outside resources, I start with analyzing myself and my needs, and then figure out exactly what to do. I'm also going to corporate some systems thinking to figure out, for example, how to organize my laundry in a way that minimizes the times I need to do my laundry during the week And how many times I need to meal prep, order food online (I barely go to the store anymore haha), exercise, do house cleaning... You get the idea. I'm going to do this in order to make changes that will last for long, and make it as easy and natural for myself as possible. I don't believe that self-criticism can take me far anymore, because so far it has failed every time. I want to support myself and make positive changes. This also includes practicing intuitive eating, getting enough sleep and taking care of my dental health, among other things. Welcome aboard, if you're interested! I will be writing about my thought processes a lot, and figuring out goals as I go. New Year, here we come!

PRELUDE: Though the storm around me continues to rage, there is some peace to be found in its eye. I’ve looked into the very heart of the Dark itself, but I haven’t emerged unscathed. Like the ancient battlefields of our ancestors fought across the cosmos, I gain ground at times only to lose it hours or days later. The Rurik of days past would never have acknowledged let alone outright admitted to the weaknesses in my character but the scars which were once only inside seem to find their way to the surface in such a way that few escape notice. Maybe I sound melodramatic – and perhaps I am a bit – but exposition seems to be the only factor keeping my tenuous hold on sanity. One day the burden of my destiny became too much and I lost touch with reality, my path veiled behind a cloak of shadows, and I found myself without the Force to guide my way. This is my story. Starting weight baseline: 207 lbs. CrossFit Skill Metrics: CrossFit Metrics BIOCHEMICAL ALCHEMY RP Plan & MyFitnessPal Tracking 5 of 7 days/week: ☐☐☐☐☐ [Challenge Total: ☐☐☐☐] Mindful Moment before meals [Challenge Total: __ ] TACTICAL ADVANTAGE 4 CrossFit classes per week: ☐☐☐☐ [Challenge Total: ☐☐☐☐] Visit the Sanctum of Inner Sight (Happy Place™) daily: ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ 3 sessions of “something resembling meditation” per week: ☐☐☐ SELF-IMPROVEMENT JUNKIE Post a daily challenge update 4 of 7 days/week: ☐☐☐☐ [Challenge Total: ☐☐☐☐] To-Do list… ☐ Read: Focus on your N.U.T.S. ☐ Minimalize: Liquidate personal vendor trash. ☐ Test: Weightlifting totals for Hot and Heavy Heroic Hefting 2017 CHALLENGE INSPIRATION: This challenge is dedicated to the fallen Jedi, the Paladins who've lost their Light, and the mercenaries who fight for nothing. When you lose your purpose and your hope, the world seems to hide behind an impenetrable mist and your days plagued by overcast weather. All a man can do is find his own way through the stars; it may not be the destiny full of triumph and grandeur he might have hoped for, yet even survival itself can be a trial worthy of celebration. I see a familiar face in the rearview mirror but there's a crack in the reflection. Yet even if I cannot see the forest for the trees, that isn't to say I've lost sight of who I am. That much, at least, is something tangible I can cling to: a foundation worth setting out from, the cockpit of a starship from which to chart a new course. “Always work harder than you feel capable. That way, your enemies will never know your limits.” “The only thing better than having a Mandalorian’s mind is having a Mandalorian’s heart.” - Mandalorian proverbs.

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

Back at it once again! Jumping in on this challenge mid way, simply because I have the free time now, and am excited to be back! Keeping with the Mandalorian theme, I plan on getting stronger, building mental toughness, increasing my Mandalorian vocabulary, as well as strengthening my body's movement ability! I plan on sharing my trial and tribs, both here and in the daily logs! Let's get to it! Challenges: STRENGTH 1. Complete the daily lift workout 2. Post said workout for tracking methods MENTAL 3. Commit one Mandalorian word to memory 4. Meditate daily DEXTERITY 5. Attend the yoga class for mobility and range of motion ENDURANCE 6. On Sat. Do an endurance activity, i.e. Beach run, hike, etc. Bonus: 1. Encourage, enlighten and motivate others through living the ramikadyc Lifestyle! 2. find a workout buddy! 3. Eat more nutritious meals for BLD

I'm going to be restarting this challenge, I completed the first two weeks successfully but tracking it completely slipped my mind! So therefore instead of using the original schedule scheme i was going with, this restart gives me the opportunity to follow the actual challenge program! 4, then a rest and 4 again! Let's do this, Mandalorian style. OYA! Main Goal: Gain strength, build upon mental toughness, Improve diet, Become Mandalorian. Epar Yai'yai [(Eat Richly nourishing) 30pts] prepare and cook healthy meals for b-fast, lunch and dinner. (Some Paleo meals. Meat, carb, Veggie. Bonus if carb is a veggie) Full night sleep. 7+ hours Shop healthier on the first shopping cycle( Which will last me two weeks). Limit/ no junk food. Eliminate fast food. (bonus for healthy alternatives) Atin'la baar [(Tough body) 30 pts] Complete the first two weeks of Arnold's Blueprint. Post progress & accountability logs Stretch, roll, and warm-up daily. Off saturdays light cardio/hike, stretch, yoga or tai-chi x2 Ramikadyc [(Warrior Mindset) 40 pts] Learn 40 words in the Mando language Do things that suck/ build mental toughness. Commit to workout. Volunteer for the jobs no one wants at work. Build finish upper armor sanding and forming save $100 for the month

Seven years have passed since the Treaty of Coruscant established a peace between the Sith Empire and Republic. Now an ongoing cold war exists between the two faction as both sides vy for resources and struggle to gain the edge over the other however they can without igniting a galaxy-wide conflict, though there remain those who would see it so. Many grizzled veterans have returned to their mercenary roots and now act as hired guns for ambitious Imperial elements or find themselves taking whatever work they can find among the criminal elements in the seedy underbelly of the galaxy... Mandalore the Vindicated has stood down his legions of Mandalorian commandos, leaving some warriors disenfranchised and itching for another good fight. In the galactic arms race that followed, there are glories to be forged and fortunes to be won. Rurik Harrgath is one such man. Starting weight baseline: 199 lbs. CrossFit Skill Spreadsheet: CrossFit Metrics MANDALORIAN ALCHEMY: Nutrition accountability measured through Health meter. APEX PREDATOR: Experience meter focusing on rucking and Co-op missions. SELF-IMPROVEMENT JUNKIE: Day-to-day inspiration & Big 3 goals for the week. Experience Bar activities... CHALLENGE INSPIRATION: The Modern Viking theme slipstreams toward the near future in this installment of the ongoing Chronicles of Rurik Harrgath. Sure to be as action-packed and adrenaline-fueled as any other, this challenge invokes the spirit of the Mandalorians in Star Wars: the Old Republic and the Hunters of Destiny, with perhaps a taste of Overwatch and Killzone: Shadow Fall for good measure. It’s time to don my battle-scarred armor, charge up my primary weapon system, and put boots on the ground in yet another hostile environment. June’s 4 Week Challenge won’t know what hit it... “Always work harder than you feel capable. That way, your enemies will never know your limits.” “The only thing better than having a Mandalorian’s mind is having a Mandalorian’s heart.” - Mandalorian proverbs.

Originally I was going for an 8 week challenge not really understanding the elements of the challenges, but after having some light shed onto the matter, I've been introduced to a new, creative way to still complete the challenge in the time frame, but also follow along with the challenge dates ( to an extent). So what I'm going to do is during this last week and off week of this months challenge, I'm going to do a two week pre challenge. To basically adjust my lifestyle to this new habit I'm forming, the at the start of the challenge next month, i'll do a 6 week challenge instead of the 4! I think this would be a completely more efficient way to transition into this new lifestyle. OYA! Main Goal: Gain strength, build upon mental toughness, Improve diet, Become Mandalorian. Epar Yai'yai [(Eat Richly nourishing) 30pts] prepare and cook healthy meals for b-fast, lunch and dinner. (Some Paleo meals. Meat, carb, Veggie. Bonus if carb is a veggie) Full night sleep. 7+ hours Shop healthier on the first shopping cycle( Which will last me two weeks). Limit/ no junk food. Eliminate fast food. (bonus for healthy alternatives) Atin'la baar [(Tough body) 30 pts] Complete the first two weeks of Arnold's Blueprint. Post progress & accountability logs Stretch, roll, and warm-up daily. Off saturdays light cardio/hike, stretch, yoga or tai-chi x2 Ramikadyc [(Warrior Mindset) 40 pts] Learn 40 words in the Mando language Do things that suck/ build mental toughness. Commit to workout. Volunteer for the jobs no one wants at work. Build finish upper armor sanding and forming save $100 for the month

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Back again with my basic challenge structure and its Mando theme. Because I WANT TO BE A MANDO MERC! As previously mentioned, I will be adding a co-op element to this challenge. I’ve listed the ways in which I can earn points this challenge (the same way I was grading before in the same structure), but with the goal points already calculated, the co-op elements will help earn points toward the goal (like in @Wild Wolf's previous challenge). The co-op players’ goals will stem from whatever mercenary job is running that week. Four weeks, four jobs. See you around the galaxy! Main Goal: To decrease body fat percentage by 5% through good habits and to build up a Ranger attitude of self-love and confidence. Haili cetare (Eat Well): GOAL 100 POINTS Clean Meal Eat breakfast in the AM Stick to packed lunches during the week When eating office candy, break off ¼ to toss, eat rest; increase to ½ at 2 week mark Nuhoyir (Sleep Well) : GOAL 60 POINTS Bedtime window of 10pm to 10:15pm Do NOT return to bed after alarm is shut off Verd ori'shya beskar'gam (Move Daily): GOAL 80 POINTS Pomodoros movement during extended sitting periods Capoeira class Acrobatics class Stretching/Yoga Bodyweight REPs Weight lifting Shereshoy (Love Daily): GOAL 60 POINTS Mando kit work Self-love/Confidence Meditation Journal/Tracking Food/Sleep/Mood Spread the Love Open Gym/Instrument Practice There's still time to sign up! Name: Species: Appearance: Primary Skills: Weapons & Equipment: Going Rate: Short Bio:

*Mandokarla: having the *right stuff*; showing guts and spirit; the state of being the epitome of Mando virtue - a blend of aggression, tenacity, loyalty and a lust for life If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results. This made such a huge difference in every aspect of leveling up my life last challenge, so it's here to stay. For good. I'm keeping the general format and grading scale the same for this challenge (grading will start next week). General goals will stay the same, but I'm upping the ante for a few of them. Hopefully, they're small enough changes that it won't push me back. Gotta keep that Rangerbrain in check. Oh, and in light of the recent development on my quest to become a member of the Mandalorian Mercs, I'm sure you can guess this challenge's theme. Main Goal: Reach 35% body fat through love and awesome. Haili cetare (lit: Fill your boots/Bon appetit): Eat well. Bring prepared lunches to work every day. Continue to minimize consumption of heavily processed foods and maximize consumption of whole foods. Nuhoyir (lit: slumber): Sleep well. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep and GET UP when the alarm goes off, not a half hour later. Verd ori'shya beskar'gam (proverb: A warrior is more than his armor): Move daily. Whenever I'm sitting still for longer periods of time, use movement Pomodoros (25:5). Don't forget to take care of problem areas (stretching hips and wrists). Train outside of regular classes. Shereshoy (lit: Lust for life - uniquely a Mandalorian word, meaning the enjoyment of each day and the determination to seek and grab every possible experience, as well as surviving to see the next day): Love daily, myself and others. Continue working through my sewing projects and begin work on my Mando kit pieces. Spend time with the Husband. And don't forget to reach out to friends and family every now and then. Haat, Ijaa, Haa'it (lit: Truth, Honor, Vision; said when sealing a pact)