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Hail! I haven't been active on this board since September 2017,. Better late than never, right? but those weekly challenges really made a difference, and I'm finally refocusing on myself - seemed as good a time to come back to the den and reconnect. So Haii. Respawn Loading - Nina-Rose - Assassin/Ranger/Monk Cross - Joined NFA June 2016, fell off Forum September 2017 Historically worked on skills including: bouldering, unicycling, jugging while unicycling, gymnastics, bodyweight workouts, pull-ups, karate (GKR), poi, and staff spinning. Currently Playing: Witcher 3, but I’m early game so not familiar with aspects to name this challenge after… Quest Game for January:“Darksiders II” – using my favourite quotes as sections ^^ Absolving War’s Crime - Relationships "My brother, War, stands falsely accused of unleashing Armageddon upon the human race. His fate concerns me. Yours.. does not." Goals: Read ‘Codependent No More’ weekly. (1) Complete a CNM chapter journal prompt weekly. (1) Listen to ‘We Can Do Hard Things’ podcast weekly (1) Stick to boundaries (& set new ones as needed) while living with my ex. (7) /10 Trainer’s New Moves - Strength Building “To bring humanity back from existence? Madness.” Goals: Daily Movement = 10 squats + press ups / plank for 1min (combined sides) / yoga / staff practise / walk / dance (7 points) One main workout a week. (1 points) /8 Possessed Weapons - Healthy Attributes "How many times would you have me kill him!?" Goals: Eat 5 fruit/veggies 3x a week. (3 points) Intermittent Fast 15 hours. (7 points) /10 Combo Moves - Write Weekly "And what is your use, as a door-stop?" Goals: Write weekly (1 point) /1 Despair & Dust - Family & Home “This is no place for a horse.” Goals: Move items out of shared space / declutter to move (1) /1 Total XP: /30 per week

Challenge 2022 The NF App is running a Jump Start 2022 side quest which coincides with zero week here. The task for today is to come up with a BIG goal for 2022, something inspiring. That's a hard one. My life is pretty comfortable. Sure, there is lots of room for improvement. Those things are incremental - not earthshaking. I'd been pondering whether taking an archery class would count. Probably not, when the universe dropped two videos on me. And @Heidi's post from last challenge here. Both of these are about mental framing. I also got a surprise Yule gift from an old friend, Naked in the Zendo by Grace Schireson. Three things make a pattern. My main goal for this challenge is to examine how I look at the world and change my attitudes. I'll have other goals about exercise and projects too. The main one is a biggie. Edited to fix link to the post in the last challenge. 12/30/21

Momentum is what I need these days, but it can’t be the kind that takes you over and smashes you to bits at the end of the day… I found the following definitions for momentum: PHYSICS - the quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity. the impetus and driving force gained by the development of a process or course of events."the investigation gathered momentum in the spring" Both definitions are applicable to me. I need momentum to make the small habit changes needed to improve my health. I need momentum to stay positive and encouraging for me and my family. I need momentum to take that jump into management at work. And I need a way to track this momentum that is inspiring! Lots of thoughts that have tumbled out of my head tonight, although honestly they have been rolling around in there for the last couple of weeks! I'm spilling my stream of consciousness, hidden in here... I’m off to find the dot journal that I know is around here somewhere and create a good set of goals for the coming days, weeks and even months!

Hi all! I'm Stronkey Kong. Umm... yeah... still here. If you don't know by now, just ask... I just did a long, rough draft outline of this challenge at the end of the last one hidden in the spoiler because of its length: tl;dr -- I'm kicking off a year long (or at least multi-month) challenge aimed at losing weight by training like a boxer... really tho, it's all about calisthenics and cardio with boxing training mixed in for fun and because hitting a heavy bag for 10x3 min intervals is an awesome workout. I have it themed and organized after "Mike Tyson's Punch Out!" on the NES. Here's how this will work... I have 3 Major goals: FIGHTING WEIGHT (FW): Hit 199 lbs in the next 1-2 years BOXING SHAPE (BS): I want to be in the kind of shape that boxers and other fighters are in so I'm going to train like them... lot's of cardio and calisthenics for foundational strength and conditioning, and bag work and boxing/martial arts drills for developing speed, coordination, balance, power etc. METABOLIC HEALTH (MH): Be able to burn whatever I put into my body: carbs, fat -- metabolic flexibility, learn to maintain the balance of calories in vs. calories out, and develop good eating habits. I'll be using LUMEN for metabolic feedback... might start tracking body temp too... smh, and tracking diet with MFP. OTHER minor GOALS (OmG): I will also be doing some writing, meditating, and home improvement projects throughout the year. Right now I'm in a warmup phase where I assess a few baselines and set goals for the first 'fight.' Each fight will be 3 weeks (rounds) in length. The morning on the day before the fight, I will 'weigh-in' and this will be my official weight for tracking weight loss in the fight. For each fight I will identify 3 KO techniques -- one for each of the first three goals. These are impressive and worthy enough to constitute a KO singularly. Then, I will have 3 TKO criteria -- again one for each of the three major goals that together (all three) constitute a TKO. Finally, even if I fail to KO or TKO, if I go the distance and do more good effort than bad, I can WIN by DECISION -- wherein I track good habits on the FIGHT SCORECARD for each round. There's a lot on the scorecard, and it includes things from my OmGs. Throughout the course of the year and 13 total fights, I will track my W-L-KO stats. For the first Minor Circuit Bouts, I'm just diving from one into the next. After that I might decide to take breaks between fights and title bouts. And I won't be sticking completely to the NF Challenge Schedule. Some Fights will straddle Challenge breaks, I may decide to take week long breaks to sync them up, or just as I need a break here and there. We'll see. I'll keep the current fight, future fight schedule, and fight record on the second or first post of each of these challenges so you (and I) can find it and figure out what the hell I'm currently doing at any time. Stay tuned.

Happy New Year, y'all! Wishing you and yours peace and prosperity in the coming year. For those of you who are new to the Monastery, hi! I'm Kishi, your humble GL. Glad you decided to stop on by. I'm a martial artist with ~13 years of harder contact practice: mostly striking via karate as done in a K1-kickboxing style with some relatively recent forays into standing and ground-based grappling, as well as Dutch-style kickboxing. I've tried a bunch of different training modes and methods, most recently landing on a mix of calisthenics and kettlebell work because, hey! We're in the middle of a pandemic! Staying away from people is kind of my jam these days, inasmuch as I can (especially since I caught the thing the last challenge. Don't worry, I was lucky; I came through it fine and I was incredibly well-cared for). Since my life is pretty great and I'm not big on challenges and novelty for their own sake, I've taken to focusing on just one thing, because I find that earnest focus on one thing has a ripple effect, both as you work to accommodate it and as it in turn changes you. Last challenge was about getting rest, which meant managing time and productive output, and this was very good. My one thing for this challenge, then, is going to be my writing. The situation right now is as follows: I work an office job that isn't letting me work from home for a whole host of bad reasons that I have no power to do anything about. This presents many problems and inconveniences, not the least of which is that I have a novel that I'm honestly pretty obsessed with. I've done a lot in terms of documenting its structure and planning it out in a way that works for me, but one of the downsides then is that I'm reliant on these documents to actually get the job done. I can't access them at work, and I've been using that as an excuse to not write. But, just because it's been that way, that doesn't mean it has to keep being that way. So, what is the one thing I'm going to change? Well, the thing that's been holding me back the most from writing is lack of access to my documents. But in truth, there's nothing saying that I can't just transcribe the relevant bits onto notecards or something and then carry them with me so that I know where I am. The goal, then, is to return to a daily writing habit. One page per day. I'll be going out tonight to pick up some note cards and jot down the relevant bits I need for tomorrow. And, uh, I guess we'll see what happens. Day 1 of this challenge, in the meantime, is already marked by some complications. I went to do New Year's Eve at my sci-fi friend's house, where I normally go on Tuesday nights. His wife had a head cold out of nowhere, and she got back to me on Saturday saying she tested positive for COVID. This is a whole can of worms. Maybe she had it and maybe she didn't since she apparently took a home test and my understanding is that they're prone to false positives in the event of a regular head cold. CDC guidelines say I need to quarantine for 5 days and then get tested, but the language has recently been adjusted so that if I "can't quarantine," that I can continue to go to work and just be really strict with wearing my mask. Either way, I'm going to have to bring it up with the boss and see what she says; my pessimistic streak is telling me that she'll want me to come to work, so I'll be free to work but not to engage in recreation like I wish and that just sucks. But tomorrow is sufficient for its own troubles. I still have work to do today; I'll update again when I get it done.

If Chaos is a ladder, Terror is the chute. One can spend a lifetime climbing for whichever lofty height their ambition demands but find themselves plummeting into the embrace of damnation far easier. We seek, we strive and try not to yield - many crumble and fall to ruin all the same. That same madness which claims so many isn't some fearsome specter in the dark to me though; eldritch power runs as blood through my veins and I fear not its embrace. It emboldens me, empowers and unfetters me. Through elixir and hex and blade or arrow, I wield the powers of Life and Death necessary to maintain the balance between this world and the sinister rifts from dark planes beyond. Hatred, and Discipline, are my tools. The Witchwood calls me inward, the Desolate Peaks whisper their song in my ear, and the Blood Moon greets me as an old friend coming home. I've made my pact and there is no turning back. Yet there are forces far more sinister than I abound. You mustn't forget though - the gloom is my home and I stalk it well. [BLOOD ALCHEMY] (+CON): MyFitnessPal tracking and mindful nutrition (read: don't eat like an asshole) 6 of 7 days/week. [HATRED] (+STR, DEX): Three workouts while away for the week and two at home on weekends. [DISCIPLINE] (+INT): Post on the Forums, do the things. Challenge Inspiration: I am returned unto the Forums, prepared and ready for another adventure in the New Year. A new career calls me away from home during the week to study the secrets of a new Path, carrying me away from my sanctum parabellum but unlocking a world of power just beyond my fingertips. And yet the road I am on is a hazardous one for their are many caltrops and dangers which can lead cripple or lead me astray. I will stay the course, I will be the better man, the ubermensch, and I will carve my legacy into the stone as the Blood Moon rises!

Right, so I'm taking a month-long holiday to go back home after over 2 years away (thanks Covid), and I just know I'll end up stuffing myself with all the good food, so I'm pre-emptively making this challenge to fight back and not lose the little bit of fitness I have! I'll let myself eat anything I want, but in moderation (which is where the calorie tracking comes in) and keep exercising so I don't completely let myself go. Goals: 1. Food/Nutrition - maintain max weight of 48kg by Dec 25 (if can get even lower, all the better) - Use lifesum to track calories and keep it down to 1000-1200 at least 5 days a week, preferably IF too (but won't be strict on that except when at home with mom, who does it herself) 2. Workout - exercise at least 5x a week. This can be BJJ, pole, MT, at home work, yoga, etc. but 30 min every day at least. 3. Mental - get over FOMO, eat in moderation What's likely going to be the main factor getting in the way is a) all the delicious food b) my own gluttony and lack of self-control in the face of said food. Best way I can think of to combat that is to try IF and track the calories and cut myself off once I hit it, and get over the FOMO by reminding myself that I can get it later (it might help if I make a plan to eat it some other day). Also, if I know there will be family or friends meeting up later in the day, wait on eating until that. For exercise, it's a lot easier - I'll get myself the free classpass for two weeks, and then get my sister to take me along to her BJJ classes or my brother to his gym, and for the days that's not on, I'll just do yoga in the morning at home.

Okay, so, uh. First off: Happy Holidays y'all! Whatever it is you celebrate this time of year, I hope it rocks socks. Y'all probably noticed I disappeared from the forums for a while. Kind of related to the heart thing, but not on account of anything that actually happened. Kind of got in my head about it for a while, and the last month's been a pretty transitionary period with return to the office and new school and... just a lot. With everything going on I found myself just rolling with it; I didn't make a conscious decision to step away, but it happened anyway. OTOH, I got stress-tested. (it was stressful! But I passed! Cardiologist isn't worried about me and I'm due for another appointment in April). I've had to return to the office, where I found that I can really neatly do all the things I struggled to do at home in terms of writing and napping and meditating. All that time spent out there, however, has made balancing all the disparate elements of my training a little hairy. That's not anything new. It's been a lot, really. And taking care of all that caused me to neglect the forums here instead. I don't think that's fair of me to have done, but I also think it's arrogant of me to assume that I'm really that necessary to the goings-on around here. Either way, done is done. I'm back. I'll try not to drift again. As far as goals go, a lot of it is down to schedule and time-management. Stuff I tried to work on but didn't stick. I'm paying a price for that now. I'm also trying to figure out what effective balance looks like, mostly because I don't want to fall into that martial artist's trap where I live to train and neglect everything else that needs to be done. So, in the spirit of the holidays, just gonna take it easy and make a goal of getting down to bed by midnight. That's it. That's my one goal. I'm not saying that everything else will manage itself necessarily, but I feel like the earlier I get to bed, the more time I have, and the more time I have, the more opportunities I can take to get done what I want to. It's also the one thing that's really challenging me right now. Like I said, the office structure takes all the challenge out of the other stuff. It presents its own challenges in turn, but an early-to-bed, early-to-rise challenge probably will do more to address that than anything else. And if it won't, well, the only I know to find that out is to try. I'll be around to y'all as I can. Wish you well.

Holiday Cheer Challenge 2021 Last challenge I worked on having more grace in my life, and that was somewhat successful. This time I am working on cheer. I almost wasn't going to because I thought it would be too hard. I am not feeling at all cheerful at the moment and the holidays typically make that worse. That said, I do have choices about how I deal with the things I don't like. I know that Elf and Cleo both have bad histories with this season. Me being cheerful will help them get through it with far less stress. Goals: 1. Get enough sleep I know that tired => cranky. Now is not the time to try to be disciplined about getting up at a specific time. Continue to work on ending evening activities and getting to bed on time. If things happen, sleep as much as needed and rearrange my morning activities. 2. Sit zen Sitting zen lets me look at what my brain is doing and helps quiet my brain weasels. It also helps develop Jedi powers. Keep doing it every day. Mornings are best, but a short session in the evening is better than nothing. 3. Exercise Movement helps me feel better physically and feel better about myself. a. Finish up the Elements course. I think I have about 10 sessions left. Do those as soon as I can. It is working, but I don't love it. I want to say I gave it a fair shot and finished the whole thing. b. Do the NF pushup challenge. I'm on week 3 of a 6 week challenge. When I finish this, I will move to bodyweight exercises. c. Do PT exercises. I just met with my physical therapist about my left hand and shoulder. Earlier this year I was doing PT for my hips. For now I will do PT in the rest intervals in my other workouts. When I am done with Elements, I will alternate days of PT with days of strength training. d. Aikido - practice as much as I feel works with my life. Aikido is more fun than most things, but it takes a lot of time. Make good choices. 4. Work I am stressed about being behind at work again. Put in extra time as feasible to get caught up. The incoming work volume historically slows in December. Hopefully that will help. 5. Finances I am worried about money. Make time to at least know where we are at. If I can do analysis and budgeting, so much the better. 6. Fun stuff Do a little of this every day. a. Take 10 minutes to spin or knit, even if things are really busy b. Duolingo. I decided to start working on my French again. I would like to spend the month of December doing review. I am not thrilled with the current cost/reward format for Duolingo, but I'm willing to pay for their premium service for a month so that I can blast through a bunch of sections doing review. My goal is to do one topic area a day, like an advent calendar of French grammar. I can do more on weekends if I need to skip days or do short sessions during the week. In order to maintain my cheerful outlook, I am NOT going to worry about cooking or chores. I can do things when I have time and want to. If we actually manage to have a household meeting and divvy up chores, I will do mine and not worry about anyone else's. Our holiday meals might be pizza or Chinese take-out. All good so long as everyone is happy.

There is my scoring system. It is very simple, because what I can manage right now is a very simple challenge. My challenge will probably change as it goes on, because I'm starting out with a major logistical issue, and then, like, travel and holidays. My list from last year is still pretty good: Make a list and check it twice Hogswatch cheer Walking in a winter wonderland However, it might be a lot for the first couple weeks of this challenge, so, while we are assured THERE ARE RULES, this is more of what you might call a guideline. Right. Challenge. Here we go. Things need to get done.

This month my gift to myself is to take care of me! My weight has crept up over the last few stressful months, making my right knee is angry at me . My right hip is still trying to finish healing and my left shoulder has a potential tear. All of these issues need my my attention, so attention they will get!!! I will focus on three things with a bonus fourth goal. Overall I need to take the time to care of both my mental and physical health. These goals are simple and perhaps need a bit more rigor/scheduling. I'm going to think about these for the next 24 hours and assess the plan to accomplish them tomorrow. First - eating to lose weight is a must (how am I going to accomplish this? paleo, keto, low carb, portion sizes?) Second - Physical therapy and stretching (how often, when and where?) Third - Take time for my mental health (what does this look like?) Bonus Fourth - other exercise for both physical and mental health. BJJ, Core classes, hiking, stationary biking (bonus schedule?) That feels like it should be simple but I know it is not. Especially not during the holiday month of December. I have promised myself that I will not overdo thing this month. Decorating is done, gifts are simpler that usual and almost done, cooking will be limited and when we leave on the 24th for Florida, I will let it all go and enjoy our vacation. My husband is home from radiation treatments. His tumor moved away from the optic nerve in the last few weeks and that is GREAT news. He returns on Dec 20th for his first follow-up MRI and appointments. My daughter is struggling. Her digestive and swallowing issues are worse and there is not much we can do this month. She has all the appropriate appointments scheduled for early January. So this month we are fighting to keep her nutrition levels where they need to be, and improve her energy levels and focus. She is very limited by what solid food she can eat and we are finding her new dairy free nutrition shakes because she needs new flavors. This is impacting her school work. I have appointments with her teachers and the counselor to discuss options. Dysautonomia and EDS suck! Long term goal is to get myself back into some form of weight training. I have not been successful in getting there for a long time. I will talk to some friends to see about making it a group thing which often works well for me! I'm researching ways to get me back into some lifting routine. Possibilities include: gym membership at Anytime Fitness, KB workouts at home, or...? I'm grateful for everyone who has read through my plans and goals!

GONE TURBO This is my second challenge in my return to NF. I decided to take a break from NF while I sorted through the pandemic, teleworking, and virtual relationships. It was a good plan, because each day presented new obstacles and challenges while navigating to best ways for finding time and space for fitness and karate training, adjusting to maintaining healthy meals at home, and staying productive at work and in my different self-development programs with the myriad of distractions. Planning a 4 week challenge would have been impossible, because I would be course correcting daily. I took my time and built new routines understanding that they may be temporary. Over time, I developed my new normal with virtual and hybrid Toastmasters meetings, virtual gaming with friends, moved to a new gym, and working a hybrid schedule for work with some telework built in. Some things have been able to return to normal such as karate training, DnD, visiting family and friends, and working on-site but with known risk. The biggest change came in July when I launched my own website: Journey2U.org . I started a blog and coaching business to help others. It is in it's infancy, but it is a project I have been dreaming of launching for a very long time. Having it out there, I am living that part of the dream and building a new future for myself and others. With all these changes, it feels like I am not just in a new world, but like I am playing a whole new game. I'm taking a page from the movie "Wreck-It Ralph". I've Gone Turbo jumping games. So now, here we go with another episode of The Exciting Adventures of JediNickD! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that I joined this site and started my first challenge. As a Ranger, I tried to Do All The Things in World 1, my first extended stay at NF through 22 challenges where I learned how to develop and pursue health and fitness goals utilizing daily, weekly, and monthly routines. I took a hiatus from NF and came back with a better focus for my goals where I warped to World 2, which I defeated in an Epic Boss Fight slaying some mighty big life goals. In World 3, I hopped over to the Assassins and continued to develop my fitness, getting my body in the best shape of my life, even with the Degenerative Disc Disease, Arthritis, Disc Fissures, and more. Through physical therapy exercises and karate, I have maintained my core and back muscles to ease the pressure off my spine, but in the end I defeated World 3 by transforming my life into a new form. With chiropractic care healing my spine, reaching the high ranks at karate, blazing through the new Toastmasters education program called Pathways, and working to complete Novice rank at IJRS, World 4 was something new everyday. I have moved over to the Monks to reach for more diversity in my workouts and culture as my physical and mental training focus has been more on my karate training. As I actively took on more responsibility of coaching, mentoring, and teaching in all aspects of my life, I formed a different me on World 5. Now, I have Gone Turbo into World 6. Every day, I just keep on L-I-V-I-N: fighting the good fight, lighting it up, and leveling up my life!  Challenge Lesson: "Keep On Trying" I like themes so I'm going to continue with my karate dojo's creeds. The next one is for our Orange belt rank. The creed is below: Failure is the road to success. I've written about this many times and so have all sorts of professional writers, industry leaders, self-help advocates, etc. We learn in moments of failure, we gain momentum in moments of success. But how? Well, sometimes we fail because we lack experience or necessary skill. Through practice and preparation in a consequence-free environment, we can gain the experience and skill to succeed. When showtime comes, we are ready to perform. Other times, we may be successful in an overall capacity, but there is room to improve, or smaller areas where we failed to hit the mark. This requires evaluation to see the areas to improve. Self-evaluation may not be enough to catch all the errors. A second or third set of eyes can give you new perspective. Game-tape can be crucial for evaluating, because then we are not relying on memory or interpretation. Now, we understand how to achieve success learning from failure. Let us better understand what this creed is saying about success and failure. It starts off with "I am not judged..." The fastest way to quitting on a learning enterprise is to compare yourself to others, because there is always going to be someone better to put yourself down. It is demotivating. Instead, we should always compare ourselves to our self from the previous day or week. Focusing on our own progress is a great measure of success while building confidence and momentum. Progress is also about failure, where you have understand where the starting place compared to the current place is to know when you have achieved a level of success. My dojo takes the same approach, focusing on progress, consistency, and effort for considerations towards rank elevation. Perfection is never required. These considerations get tighter the higher one ranks, but the instructors and leaders of the dojo would never judge one person against another for rank. The last three words, "Keep on trying!" ties the creed together. This isn't the same try as Yoda refers to in "Do or do not... there is no try," or Mr. Miyagi's "Karate guess so" grape analogy. This try is about persistence, because success, failure, and progress are all part of the process of never giving up. Persistence to achieve your goal is a requirement to succeeding. Without persistence, you give up when you meet failure. Without persistence, you won't keep practicing to make progress. Failure is inevitable. It is what you do after that matters. To be successful, we get back up, we learn from to failure, and most importantly, we keep on trying. With persistence, progress is inevitable. With persistence, success is only a matter of time. I like the way Jason Nesmith from Galaxy Quest says it: "Never give up, never surrender." My Main Quest and Mission: My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no end in Jedi training for every light cast a shadow somewhere. Instead, it is a journey of self-discovery and compassion for others. World 6 Level 3 Challenge: FITNESS: Cardio: Speed and Stamina - Run twice a week. Include sprints and distance. The goal is to get faster and build stamina, but I have to set a starting block to decide where the finish is. Time to measure where I am for my 40 and 100 yard dash, 1 and 2 mile jogs. STA +1, DEX +1 Walking: Fortify the Spine - 10+ min outside with good posture, daily. CON +1 Exercise: HIIT Lifting and Bodyweight - 20+ min twice a week. STR +1, STA +1 Flexibility: Stretching and Physical Therapy - Daily exercises. Focus on hips, hams, and splits. DEX +1 Karate: Training and Practice - Two classes a week, practice for 20+ min twice a week. DEX +1, STR +1 DIET: Lean Body - I need to lose some weight, which starts with what I eat. 5+ cups of fruits and veggies. Cut down flour and corn based carbs at lunch and snack time. Fill up on spring mix. Time to start tracking the weight loss and body measurements again. 166.6 lbs yesterday. CON +1 LIFE: Write for Journey2U.org website, Facebook, and blog every day. WIS +1, CHA +1 Epic Quest - Complete something EPIC! I want to be able to look back at my four week challenge and say, "that was the challenge I did X". My challenges tend to be a lot of the same old. I've given myself plenty to improve in small steps, but I also want to see big strides in the things I've been working on. What box can I check? What have I been procrastinating? What am I focusing on? WIS +2, CHA +2

Mistr works on grace My theme for this challenge is to handle everything with more grace. What do I mean by that? The opposite of graceful is awkward. I want to work on smoothing out the stiff, frustrating, sticky parts of my life. Certainly I want my movement to be smooth and flowing too. The exercise side is easier to see, if not always to do. Decisions and interactions are harder. That will be the main focus of this challenge. You may notice that the first five goals are the same as last time. Having accountability here helps me keep working on things. Goals: 1. Continue with the Elements program and aikido. I am halfway through the Elements program and already seeing improvement in my movement. Once that is done, I will do bodyweight workouts instead. I need to do lunges and work up to pistol squats so that I can get up gracefully from sitting when one of my feet is asleep. 2. Keep doing zen. Let the passing thoughts go without engaging them. 3. Do creative projects. These give me a sense of accomplishment and progress. I selected the "Practice Creativity 101" mission on the NF app to remind me to do this. 4. Get on top of my &^%$#(@! finances and stay there. Continued from last time. Still climbing the metaphorical hill. Block time on Sundays and Thursdays until this is at a steady state. 5. Flexibility in household tasks. Concentrate on doing the things that I care about. I can let everything else go unless I get a specific request from Dumbledore or Elf. 6. Improve my eating habits. I fell back into bad habits because of stress and working from home. I want to get rid of 12 pounds of extra weight over the next three challenges. My strategy has three parts A. The first is to do intermittent fasting with a window of 12 hours from 7am to 7pm. I usually eat breakfast about 8 and try to eat supper by 6, but want to leave myself some slack. On weekends this can shift to 9am to 8pm. The main thing is no snacking in the evening. B. The second is to limit baked goods to things we make ourselves. No commercial bread or cookies, no buns on burgers. I can make any decadent desserts I want to have. My free time is the main limitation. If Elf makes pizza or Dumbledore makes bread, that is fine too. One the same note, no Halloween candy (or the same thing not in orange wrappers). I can still have high quality chocolate. In a perfect world I would cut way back on sugar, but I'm not ready to go there yet. C. The third thing is to strictly limit dairy. This is for health reasons, not to control my weight. It seems like butter and cheese is okay. Milk, yogurt and sour cream are clearly NOT okay. Keep working on alternatives to the high-dairy foods I grew up with.

It's autumn. I need to do the things. And I need a bit of discipline and structure about it. But the supportive mentor variety. So I need to get the dojo mentality back into my life. This fire dude will do, cuz of all of them, he's the one who has his adulting game on point. Hopefully there will be autumnal moon cakes. (Of the inauthentic low-carb variety. This is Avatar, you're lucky they're not on fire.)

Sorry for the late arrival. I knew what I wanted to do, but I'm kind of having a hard time squaring it with the general mode of daily practice and new habit formation and stuff like that. But whatever. If I wind up in a better place because of what I do here, it almost seems like de facto I had to overcome something, right? So a challenge it is. For those of you who were around last time, hi! Welcome back! For those just tuning in for the first time, I'm Kishi, sole surviving Guild Leader of the Monks. We don't talk about what happened to the other two. Sadly, I'm not some sage figure, so I can't give you much in the way of answers, but I like to think I help with asking different questions. Things last challenge took a turn for the dramatic. I got diagnosed with heart disease, the striking program I was going to got shut down, I had some tumult occur at work, and the training program - so meticulously programmed - collapsed on contact with the real world. Much of last challenge was spent picking up the pieces and carrying on, and I'd like to think I did so relatively well. And the situation has changed. Since then, I've started on a low carb Mediterranean diet, but it's low carb enough to really be a Keto Mediterranean diet. Interesting results so far - my waistline is shrinking (probably water weight) and I've got a lot of slow burn energy as documented by rolling for about an hour and a half without any dip in energy or performance. Which is interesting, but for all I know could just as easily be chalked up to more technical rolling and generous rest. I have designs on veganizing this at some point, because it sounds like a challenge, and vegan diets are tied to good outcomes for the heart also, so this sounds like a real possibility, but given all the everything that's getting thrown at me this round, that's more likely something that's gonna phase in over time. Because a lot's happening, y'all! I'm going back to the office; I misspoke when I said last challenge it'd be 11/8; it's actually going to be 11/15. And it's a phased re-entry, so over the course of three weeks, I'll be adding a day, so first week will be one day, second week two, and so on until the 4th week, when I just go back to fulltime. Why's that complicated? Because one, the holidays will be starting around that time, and two, I'll be starting up at a new school, meaning new logistical challenges to overcome. The theme this time is about balancing the books, because I've decided I want to upgrade my computer. I took a look at the new school and I realized that there's only one no-gi day there, so I'm basically done as far as no-gi grappling attire is concerned. But before I start putting away for a new computer, I want to make sure that my finances are in good order. I think I've got some expenses coming out that I don't need to, and there's no reason to keep throwing money away. I also want to go further in my meditation and to make time/space for my writing - hence, balancing the books. Goal 1: Meditate Bumping up to 9 minutes. Goal 2: Balance the Books Might wind up being something of a gimme. Ideally, find one thing a day and do something about it in my finances, whether that's regular savings or finding and disposing of an extra bill I don't need to pay anymore. I really don't think I've got that much to do, but honestly, if this makes the challenge easier for once I'll take it. Goal 3: Write Gotta get back to butt in chair time. It's worth doing. Just gotta do it. At this point, just gonna focus on getting to my writing; no word count goals just yet, just carving out space. And, uh, yeah. That's really it this time. Let's get to work.

I missed the last challenge but still got it in some great workouts for the last six weeks. I am trying to find a good way to keep track of my workouts but I haven't found and easy way to do it which and many times, because of the multiple workouts per day, I cannot remember what I did by the end of the day. Anyway, this time around, I am going to keep focusing on the chaos workouts and continue to do at least two workouts per day with the focus on the following: 1: Get 10 strict pull ups by the end of the challenge. Since my squats and lunges have improved with my current workout, I am going to apply the same method to pull ups. If I remember correctly, I was able to do 28 pull ups when I was 17 during a fitness test which was 38 years ago. The end goal is to get to 30 consecutive pull ups overall but if I can get to 10 over the next five weeks, I know I can keep increasing that number going forward. 2: Mobility training three times per week. I am seeing a lot of improvement since I started doing The Simplistic Mobility Method and the only thing that is holding me back is consistent training. I get one or two of these workouts in per week but I need to up the game. I also found some interesting Qi Gong training on Youtube that I started doing which is similar to moving meditation. 3. Three Karate classes per week. I have two formal Zoom classes each week but I need an additional class, on my own, to work on what I am learning in the two other classes. I do a good amount of kihon and kata throughout the week but an additional, structured class will go a long way. Extra credit: Mediate at least three times per week. This is one area that I have been lacking in over the last year or so. I was doing so well with headspace everyday for over three years but I started to feel that it wasn't helping. I have a couple of apps and some Youtube videos that interest me and doing them three times a week should go a long way.

I've been looking for something more fun. I need fun stuff. I feel stagnant lately. And when I thought about it... I realized I have learned things over the past few challenges. Crime is fun. (Thanks, Leverage!) 1990s feminism was amazing and very stylish, and often had a good soundtrack. (Thanks, Voyager!) I miss traveling. Or even going to some damn art museums. (Thanks, pandemic!) When you add all that together, there's only one thing that needs to be said: Do it, Rockapella! For the hottest G-rated femme fatale crime boss of all time, she never quite got the TV show she deserved, but she definitely got the theme song we all deserved. Well she sneaks around the world From Kiev to Carolina. She's a sticky-fingered filcher From Berlin down to Belize And she'll take you for a ride On a slow boat to China Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? Steal their Seoul in South Korea, Make Antarctica cry "uncle", From the Red Sea to Greenland, They'll be singin' the blues Well, they never Arkan-saw her Steal the Mekong from the jungle Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? She goes from Nashville to Norway Bonaire to Zimbabwe Chicago to Czechoslovakia And back. Well, she'll ransack Pakistan, And run a scam in Scandinavia, Then she'll stick 'em up Down Under And go pick pocket Perth She puts the "Miss" in misdemeanor When she stole the beans from Lima Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? (Oh, tell me where can she be!) Botswana to Thailand Milan via Amsterdam Mali to Bali Ohio Oahu Yeah, she flies around the globe, And she'll flim-flam every nation She's a double-dealing diva With a taste for thievery Her itinerary's loaded up With moving violations Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

Winter is the cold and often brutal season of darkness. But like all seasons, winter passes and spring is out there somewhere. And while I cannot stop winter from coming, I can prepare! My “winter” is a combination of things but mostly medical issues plaguing my family. My husband’s tumor has started to grow, which means he is preparing for some form of radiation treatment at MD Anderson in Houston, TX (an 11-hour drive south-east from our home). My oldest spawn is dealing with dysautonomia and we are fighting to get her to doctors (in Denver, CO which is a 7-hour drive north of our home) to verify if she has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. And the we fight to get her the help to deal with the mess of EDS, if that is what she has. My youngest spawn is struggling with my attention on her dad and sister. Not to mention she is dealing with some issues of her own that are not nearly as bad but she is 14 years old and the world revolves around her teenage self. My dad has some “spot” on his kidney that they are watching, but he is recovering nicely from his bladder surgeries. I am still trying to get all of my strength and mobility back in my hip, so I can get back to my normal self. This all is the “winter” that I speak of. So what will I do? I will do what I can! I’ll prepare for the possibilities, manage what I can, accept what I cannot change and take care of myself. Prepare I will do everything I can to be prepared for the next big change of plans. I will have options for whatever comes my way on the table and I will not discount something because if I do that is what will come my way next. I will be prepared to eat healthy, no matter the situation. I will find healthy food options that are portable and easy to store (including food in my car, which can get hot) for me and my family! I will have backup options for exercise on hand. I will have care options for my youngest spawn who had no big doctor visits and needs to be here in school. Manage I will manage the chaos to the best of my ability and take care of everyone, including myself, to the best of my ability! I will not spend $ on things that aren’t needed, because life is gonna get expensive dealing with all the upcoming travel. I will do my best to spend time with my family (one-no-one or all together) when ever I can. I will do my best to balance family, travel to medical facilities and work. But I will take care of the important stuff first (family) and the rest will get what is left of my attention. Accept I will accept that I can not do it all, but I will give it my best shot. I won’t be able to change medical outcomes, people’s attitudes or many other things…. I will accept what I can not change. If I can change it and it needs to change, then let’s do it! Myself In all this mess, I am still valuable and much needed. If I don’t continue to take care of me then it will all fall to hell! I have made good changes this summer so let’s maintain those habits. -Food Smaller breakfasts with no bacon or sausage and smoothies for lunch during the week. Less snacking & desserts. High protein and lower carbs because that is what my body likes. Exercise BJJ and core/conditioning class as much as possible. FitOn app is a great resource for backup exercise classes. And physical therapy twice a week, if I do classes, if not 3-4 times! Walking as much as possible. Hiking with friends. Mental If I am prepared for anything, manage life as it happens and accept the things I cannot change, I should be in good shape. With all the craziness that I expect, gratitude will be a vital part of not going bonkers in the next few months!!! Kindness I will make time to take care of me. I will follow my skin care regime. I will shower and shave my legs. I will color my hair as needed. I will wear pretty clothes and put on makeup. I will take breaks and bask in nature. I will make sure that I don’t lose myself if being the caretaker of everyone. (kidding but not kidding!) At the end of the day... No one is dying, there is a path forward and I can do this all this because it needs to be done. I got this. And I promise myself to ask for help when needed and let others help when they offer!

Oh look, I'm doing this thing during 0-week. Most excellent! It's almost like my life is falling into some semblance of order. Almost. Y'all what been around a while should know that it never lasts. The big thing that's causing me to change is that I'm dealing with some ongoing gluteal pain that's responding to stretches and home treatment, which is why I'm not going in for PT just yet. It's mostly okay, but there have been some times where it's got to be a bit much. Like, on my recent drive to Gatlinburg, I basically spent 5.5 hours sitting in the car and it got pretty painful, to the point that it actually impacted my mobility until I was able to stretch out some. Also, I'm a little dissatisfied with my current training regimen. For those just tuning in, I've been using Pavel's strength-endurance program The Quick and the Dead for my base and been doing that 3 times a week. For the other four days of the week, I've been rolling 4D20 and scheduling random work and rest days based on the results. Work days have morphed to mean the GMB vitamin program (15 minutes) plus another thing, generally skipping rope or Turkish Get Ups. There are some other minor add-ons based on my specific situation, but even so, everything's done rather remarkably fast and I'm glad. Believe it or not, I actually really like this way of doing things. I think my prior drive to "work every day" was based on old programming principles or else were based in some unaddressed insecurities that I've been working to meet and manage, and I feel like compliance is super-easy and I'm totally not burnt out. But it's not perfect. My dice, it turns out, are very generous to me, and I tend to roll a lot of rest days. (oh no, what a nightmare. 🙄) And based on both recommendations and prior experience, I tend to give skipping rope priority, because if I'm only getting one work day a week, it feels right to give it there. What that's working out to is less time with TGUs. And why does that matter? Well, in the short term, TGUs are to grappling what skipping rope is to striking: a kind of fundamental full body movement with a ton of carryover and benefit to the sport. I don't want to leave that benefit on the table. In the long term, I'm going to want to get strong in TGUs because one day I'm going to want to try to build some muscle with kettlebells and pretty much every source I can find on the matter aims for low reps and heavy weight. Enter the Kettlebell, the Ur-program in such matters, requires a 32kg swing and a 32kg TGU before allowing adherents to begin. What's a boy to do? Well, I feel like the answer to this problem lies in this program here, which I've referenced before. You might notice that he combines Quick and the Dead (QD) with another program, Simple and Sinister (SS), which is a swing-TGU focused program. His setup involves two SS sessions and one QD session per week of training. I think there's something to this for me, so that's what I'm gonna do. As to the other 4 days of the week? Well, there's GMB like I said, which at this point is mostly about movement quality and skipping rope. I did, however, buy their recovery programs, and I feel like I could be using those rest days to actually dig into recovery work and also work on flexibility and stretching. So. Enough navel-gazing. Let's get to the brass tacks. Goal 1: Training Seems appropriate to make a training goal again since I'm switching things around. Also, I have come pretty close to some compliance issues recently, and I want to smooth that out if I can. Goal 2: Meditation This was a struggle last time. I got toward getting better at it, but I really feel like I do better with a meditation habit, and I want to cement this in place. So. We will remain at 8 minutes this time. Goal 3: Clean Goal remains because I've still got a serious lack of floor space and a serious surplus of dirty surfaces. I'm getting better at both, but that's breeding some complacency, and I know me too well to let myself off the hook on this just yet. The prior arrangement of cleaning and moving a box per week (as a boss) worked good. No reason to mess with it now, beyond expanding what surfaces I clean. And that's that. Should be good.

Mistr returns to reality Thanks to @sarakingdom for the inspiration for this challenge. I spent the last week of the previous challenge on a cruise ship visiting coastal Alaska. It was stunningly gorgeous, and far, far away from my normal reality. Having a week where I had no responsibilities was very strange. On port days I went on hikes and went shopping with my mom. On sea days we went to talks by the naturalist and the port historian and read books. No cooking or cleaning. The last time I had a week with no responsibilities was fall 2019, when I did a week-long retreat (sesshin) at a zen monastery. My earlier vacations this year were to my family's cabin. That is a lovely break from normal routine, but we still have to do cooking and cleaning. There is always some project that needs to get done while we are there. It felt very strange not to have a to-do list on the cruise. I missed my normal life a lot. That said, my approach to normal life could use some improvement. Goals: 1. Implement new exercise plan. I just met with my physical therapist and am done with the latest round of PT. She recommended that I keep doing side-steps with a resistance band, leg-lift alphabet writing and foam rolling. My left hip is still not as strong as the right and my IT bands are super tight. I was doing some PT exercises, some yoga and some hiking while I was on vacation. Strength and cardio have been lacking. Now I need to come up with a good all-around plan that will get me back in shape. I would like to get back to doing aikido twice a week. I may talk to the personal trainer at work if I get stuck. 2. Keep doing zen. It makes a big difference in my ability to put up with annoying stuff and make good decisions. 3. Do creative projects. These give me a sense of accomplishment and progress. I selected the "Practice Creativity 101" mission on the NF app to remind me to do this. I did this once before and it helped. 4. Get on top of my &^%$#(@! finances and stay there. I used to be on top of things. I've been sticking my head in the sand for the last year. I may find that the crawling feeling of dread I have is justified, but I will be able to do something to fix it. I have to get delayed tax info to my accountant by the 15th. That will be the first step. 5. Flexibility in household tasks. Concentrate on doing the things that I care about. I can let everything else go unless I get a specific request from Dumbledore or Elf.

Hello everyone! I am Aquarii, your resident element of chaos trying to learn how to become an element of controlled chaos 😂 For those of you who don't know me, hello! I love seeing new faces around here. For those of you who already know me, I am sorry. Jk. Welcome back, my wonderful friends. The last couple months have been pretty crazy. At the start of the last challenge, I left my job due to the environment spiraling into something very toxic. I have yet to find a new job, but I do have an interview coming up in a few days, and it happens to be for a place I would really love to work with, so fingers crossed there. Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with bipolar II (probably, the jury is still partially out on that one) and have been on a journey to better understand and manage it. Last week, my apartment management decided to inform me that they are raising my rent by about 15%, which serves to motivate me that much more to get a new job position and get out of this place. Anyway, on to the reason for the title of this challenge. Over the last year, the style of fitness that I choose to do has been changing. Avoiding gyms for Covid forced me to focus a lot more on bodyweight workouts with very minimal weight, and I have found that I much prefer working with bodyweight, calisthenics, and bands instead of iron and heavy weights. It just fits a lot better with my interest in functional fitness. Once I am back in a position with a little more disposable income, I would like to start taking a few dance classes again. And, my partner and I have decided that we want to get into martial arts as a couples' activity. He has always had an interest in martial arts, having done some as a kid, and I have always wanted to learn a martial art. So, it seems like a perfect way to increase our fitness while learning something fun together. I don't know if we will be able to join the dojo or if I will be able to get into a dance class this challenge, but at the very least, I want to focus my training around preparation for it. Improving joint stability, range of motion, and muscle/cardio endurance are all going to be a big part of my training this challenge. Because my fitness is going to be heavily centered around bodyweight training and martial arts prep, it seemed like a perfect time to multiclass outside of my little corner of the forums. If you all have any recommendations or tips, I am always open to your advice and ideas. I only have a minimal idea of what I am doing, so I will take all the help I can get. Anyway, challenge goals: Bladesinger - Martial Arts, Dance, and Bodyweight Training - (STR) Strength and Agility: Bodyweight workouts 3x/week with focus on joint stability and muscle endurance - (DEX) Balance and Coordination: Yoga and/or stretching 3x/week with focus on flexibility and range of motion - (CON) Stamina: 20min+ walks/jogs 3x/week with focus on improving cardiorespiratory endurance Bladesinger - Mental, Intellectual, and Passion Training - (INT) Intelligence: Read 6 books - (INT) Intelligence: Complete 6 modules of Health Coach certification course and study for Nov. Personal Training exam - (CHA) Charisma: Choose one performance-based activity (music, dance, or acting) to practice at least once per week - (WIS) Generativity and Legacy: Watch a documentary each week on a topic related to minimalism, protecting the environment, society/activism, etc *Note: If you are interested in learning more about my leveling system above, check out the full leveling map in my Battle Log.

Zero week. Day one. My last challenge was over a year ago. I was training to prepare for an intense period of zen practice called sesshin. While my training went well, I experienced a brain injury caused by a series of seizures. Since then, I have regained my ability to walk and speak clearly. I started working again in July. My over arching goal is to return to my dojo ready for anything. This challenge will reflect my first steps in preparation for my pilgrimage. Goal #1: Eat without distraction This will encourage mindfulness with eating. I tend to make better choices with nutrition and pay more attention to my level of hunger when I pay attention to what I am doing. In my life, this primarily means avoiding scrolling on my phone and not eating while driving. Goal #2: Move every day I am still overwhelmed with keeping up with domestic tasks and work. Whether I go on a several mile hike or take my dogs on a quick walk, I commit to move each day. I will try to incorporate sword cuts and will go to the ocean or mountains at least once each week. Goal #3: Keep up the good work I have been an occupational therapist for awhile but have always worked in the community or in mental health. I am currently working in a hospital. Interestingly, I find working in the hospital to be a good counterpart to rinzai zen training. I need to be aware of my surroundings and ready to act appropriately at all times. Working with people who have COVID-19 requires compassion and courage. Knowing when to push someone and when to encourage rest requires I practice wisdom. I will be a modern day samurai one day, gosh darn it. Aloha and mahalo for reading.

Hey everyone! Getting on late at night because somehow it worked out to being the best time to do the thing. Big changes happened in the past week. I had originally meant to reward myself with rash guards for BJJ, but midway through, I 1) had the chance to change to earlier hours, and 2) saw a cool gi design go up that I wanted more. I still feel quite rewarded for my efforts last challenge; it's just that I had a last-minute chance to take a deal that turned out to be closer to what I wanted. This has the neat side effect of allowing me to use rash guards as a reward again. How fortuitous. Um, also, accidentally got the chance to show some character growth. Saturday I went to a party with my friend group. One of us got a little too drunk for my liking and I slipped and got a little too harsh calling him on it. We didn't come to shouting at each other or blows or anything, but I really hurt him in a way I didn't think I could. I had the chance to talk it over with him this morning, though, and we were able to patch things up. I say it was a growth thing because the last time I wound up in a situation like this was with my Ex and I botched it. I didn't botch this time. I grant you, it's not trying to salvage a romantic relationship, but I think it's got enough in common to count. Hence the title of the challenge. Everything's crazy and up in the air and I'm going back to the office in about a month and some change and just... yeah. It's a lot right now. So we're rolling with it. Goal 1: Meditate I'm up to 8 minutes now, which is great, but I'm not sitting consistently, and that's not great. Need to fix that. Goal 2: Clean Car troubles are managed enough that I can get after getting boxes o' stuff out of my place. But I need to clean the car first. This is going to go alongside my old cleaning goal from before, because now that my sinks are reliably clean, I want to start expanding out onto regularly cleaning other surfaces too. So, the way this will work is that it'll have a daily component build up over the course of the week. However, in order for a given week's total to count, I have to defeat a mini-boss, defined as one seat-section of the car (first couple weeks) and then a box a week for the rest of the challenge. Goal 3: Eating So, I've basically crept over into obesity per my body fat percentage as run via the Navy formula. I know for a fact that my macros are fine and even my daily expenditures are fine, but I'm letting social eating be an excuse to indulge and it's getting in the way of the results I want. While I'll be tracking this as a daily, the real goal is to focus on "leaving things behind" - in other words, if I go out to eat, I come back home and drink a protein shake for my vitamins instead of picking up 'healthy' indulgences at the grocery store. With that in mind, as I'm posting early Monday morning: Goal 1: 0/1 Goal 2: 1/1 Bosses: 0/5 Goal 3: 0/1 Aw, look, it's not as bad as it was last time. I can only imagine how well it'll go!

It always seems that I make the most progress in my life when something negative impacts me. It is those times when I can channel my emotions into motivation and fight back. I am trying to find that fighting spirit right now. There are so many petty things that I could get angry about, but overall my life is pretty good. Not to mention I don't do well mentally if I focus on all the petty little things. The challenge is to find things to fight for that don't drive me totally crazy. Here are my ideas: First and foremost I will fight for my girls. Both of them have been diagnosed with challenges in this last year. (ADHD, anxiety, depression, dysautonomia and we are looking into potentially more stuff) I am struggling to help them but I keep trying. I'm starting to become irrelevant as a parent (less influential in their world) but I can still help. What do my girls need from me at this time? They need to see me fight through and make progress. They need to see my dedication and focus on improving myself. I highlight that because I need to remind myself of that too. I will fight for my husband. There are days when jui-jitsu isn't something I want to do anymore. However, BJJ is my husband's saving grace. It gives him a passion to pursue, something to study/learn, it keeps him moving (and so much more healthy) and it is a social place where he has found his tribe. These are all the reasons why I still do BJJ. I love BJJ for what it has done for my husband and I will continue to support him with it for as long as I can. I will fight for myself!! Sometime I put myself on the bottom of the list. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with everything that I rush to zone out in a book rather than take care of me. My body is healing and I need to work with my physical therapists to get both strength and mobility back. I also have physical therapy exercises that need to be done and I will work with the physical therapists to regain my strength and mobility. M I will fight to keep my wardrobe. This sounds shallow, but I like my clothes and I'd rather spend my money doing fun things rather than buying new clothes. How will I do all of this? I have 1.5 more paid months of Noom. I will use it for the this challenge. I will focus on food and weight tracking as well as a review of the lessons it provides. I will work on strength and mobility. Attending core and condition classes, trying to get back to BJJ classes, stationary bike rides, walking and hiking. 2-4 classes per week 3 walk/hikes per week Yoga/stretching/mobility - I need to work this back into my life!!! and whatever else my PT says to do... and... I'm thinking that maybe I need to do something else, but maybe not. I'll update if needed I am so ready to get back to it with a solid plan!