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Decided to wait on starting my first challenge post until after my camping trip was done. Anywho, the last one basically petered out. I lost steam with the "project" approach, probably because it got to be way too much to keep up with. It ended up being way too granular which, though it got me off to a good start, turned keeping up with this stuff into a chore. More importantly (and in keeping with what Mrs. Keys learned from her nutritionist), it resulted in having things occupy my waking mind that didn't need to be there. (She told my wife that she wasn't in support of tracking food-She said it causes you to think about food all the time. You should do your best to eat good food, but then when you're done, don't think about it). And it's way too easy to get wrapped around the axle with my own shame issues of having to follow "the rules" (even my own ones) way too precisely. So, I'm going to think of things at a much higher level. My only real activity for the challenge will be to post here each night. That post is going to entail an evaluation of my progress towards my goals-Eat better and do creative things. Yes, they're not goals--not the SMART kind--fine, call them "mission statements" or whatever. I intentionally want them NOT timebound, NOT specific, NOT measurable... Think of them more like stars or the rise in terrain away from a river when you're trying to make it back to the road. They represent the general direction that I want to head, and by virtue of checking in each night and evaluating how I handled the day, I can at least know whether I moved closer to where I want to get or farther away. And I know this works for me because I've already seen it. At the beginning of this year, I decided that I wanted to step up my cooking game, and over a few challenges, I tracked some things, yes, but then I stopped paying attention to it and stressing about it. Yet I still made progress toward that goal because I enjoy cooking, and separate from my challenges, I started practicing more and learning more and thinking more strategically about my cooking. Yes, committing to X meals over the course of 5 weeks lit a fire under my butt, but it was all the other stuff that's much harder to measure that kept it lit. I experimented, got curious, my wife went to see a nutritionist and learned stuff, not to mention I've been doing my own therapy work, learning to accept my mistakes, not to mention reading up on the principles of cooking, etc. So, here's the plan: I'll evaluate my meals-Breakfast, Dinner, and everything else. I'll also evaluate my progress towards piano and my other various flights of fancy. No structured scale. Just this: Am I moving closer to my goals (eat better and do creative things) or am I moving further away, and how do I feel about that? Only one rule: Post each night (unless something more important causes me to miss a night, in which case, that's okay, too)

TBH - that's all the energy I have at the moment. I will be continuing my attempt to find the motivation to just walk. That's really all. If you've followed along at all over the years and have seen everything I've wanted to improve - I've done pretty well. The house is mostly clean (finally). The kitchen stays clean. While we aren't "full on" meal planning, the little guidelines about a nightly theme and suggestions I keep on the fridge have WAY helped so we're not eating the same thing 2-3 times a week and while we do have a few things in heavy rotation, it's not really a "rut" - basically a ton of stuff I've been desperately spent years trying to work on have kind of fallen into place. It's certainly not "perfect" by any means, but I've learned long ago there's no such thing and there really is a "good enough" and for some of those areas I've reached it through some sort of motivation and finally sitting down to do the pre-work required. I'm still trying to reach that with walking - some of which is also fixing my sleeping which is also a gazillion times better - so I'm just going to keep at it!

Here I am again. I have goals and I thought it would be good to have some accountability to go along with them, so I'm back. This is a simple challenge for me - in theory at least. 1. November is NaNoWriMo so my first goal is to write - even if I don't quite have a handle on my story yet. Power through and get it done one more time. I can't start until 11/1 and must write 50,000 words of a novel by midnight on 11/30. I'll track my daily or weekly totals as I go along. It's going to be some kind of weird Western Fantasy thing, but I'm still lacking a bit on the plot - one week of planning to go, so I can track that as well. I've done some brainstorming the past couple days, and hey, today I actually names for several characters, so that's progress. 2. I'm determined to get into a strength training routine and I have found a Beginners Over 50 30-day Challenge. I started on Monday morning and I did Day 2 just a little while ago. Must keep going and not miss. Each video is less than 20 minutes, and I get Sundays off, so it's not too taxing. Just the right amount I'd say, considering how my arms and abs feel right now. 3. Tracking is also very important. I know that. I want to track at least 2 meals and 1 snack daily. I did that yesterday. Today I tracked almost everything I ate well before I ate it, and there's still time to get the couple snacks I missed. I'm using the MyFitnessPal app for this purpose. So that's it. I track my food. I work out daily. I write like the wind. What do you think?

We love throwing up threads on our lunch break. May be a little haphazard but the intent is there at least? Started work last week, still adjusting to being out of the house ten hours a day. Life is kinda falling by the wayside because of it. So basic tasks, getting a grasp of this new and making it normal. 1) Steps target every work day. This should essentially be a given, since my target is only 2k steps and I have to park about a ten minute walk from the building. Construction actually working in my favour right now. 2) Check in every day. Just getting in the habit of getting on and checking in here. Even just "hi, not dead, things are still things." Or a cat gif. I like cat gifs. 3) Eat like a person not a trash panda. The temptation now that I have adult money and less time is to just grab takeout or hit up a drive thru on the way home every day. No bueno. I have tasty foods in the house. I paid good money for those tasty foods. Take the extra couple of minutes to make the tasty food. That should be enough to be getting on with. Overloading myself with adjustments while I'm fresh back into the workforce after 8 years unemployed is a bad idea.

Welp, I stuck around and didn't ghost the last challenge, so I didn't technically need to respawn, but I'm basically just doing the same challenge as last time because it was not such a successful challenge. So maybe not-ghosting is an accomplishment!? I'll take it! I'm on my lunch at work right now, thinking about how my morning went and it was overall unproductive which was a lost opportunity for making my day just that little bit better. I could really use this basic challenge to turn my mornings into more consistently productive and simultaneously refreshing ways to start my day. Since the ends of my days aren't really available for doing these "refreshing" activities and I'm more of a morning person, getting this challenge to work out will be a MAJOR win for me. Here's my challenge, take two: Early rise -- Get up at 4am or 4:30am on weekdays so that I can get a few foundational things done and have "me time" before I have to go to work. M-F. 🌞 Exercise -- Walk for 30 minutes, cardio dance for 30 minutes, yoga for 30 minutes or weights for 30 minutes. It's all good. Daily. 🏃‍♀️ Drink More Water -- Drink 1+ liters of water every day. Daily. 🌊 Meditate -- Practice meditation for 5 minutes minimum, working my way up to 15 minutes by end of challenge. Daily. 🕯️ And... that's it! I got up early yesterday and drank more than a liter of water. No meditation or exercise yesterday, though. Let's see how today fares.

This setup started out okay in the last challenge until shit blew up so let's try again. There are 4 categories and I need to do one thing for at least three every day; no other guidelines, just one thing that will help in that area of my life. 1 - a food thing 2 - a movement thing 3 - a stress relieving thing 4 - a thing related to finding a job or learning a new skill please send spoons.

This time is all about keeping up the things that have worked for me, keeping me well, keeping me happy. A not fully inclusive list : -organized fitness 6 days/ week -eating well/ not over-indulging on snacks -reducing alcohol -sleep enough -listening well -pausing before I speak, especially in irritation -meditation/review time -mentally prepare for the day -remember we are all human, flaws and struggles included -advocate clearly and calmly for myself I will add if I think of anything else. Obviously some of these are harder to quantify but I will try to bring organization to them anyway.

A couple of days late due to travel, but I am happy to pounce upon a new challenge. What to expect: Ambitious goals that I will profit from pursuing even if I don't succeed 100% Charts and graphs Random photos Enthusiasm and optimism but also probably some snark Musings on assorted tangents Also, fair warning to the visually minded among you: I have changed my user icon to a custom avatar I had designed by an artist I love. Sorry for any discombobulation. And now the question that matters: what am I up to this time? Three things! 1. NOT EATING CHOCOLATE You know those people in multi-decade toxic codependent relationships with shitty partners who are nothing but bad news for them, but inexplicably they keep getting sucked back in? That is the story of Severine and chocolate. Chocolate is kind of an asshole who has never had anything but a negative experience on my life, health, self-esteem, etc. and offers me so very little in return (most of the time I barely enjoy it; it's more compulsion/addiction than anything). Yet, it's been so hard for me to stay broken up with chocolate. It took me a long, long, long time to realize that moderation simply does not work for me with chocolate. On the bright side, I have given up chocolate completely twice in my life (once for more than six months!). Both times, it was an unequivocal and drastic improvement, positive in every single way. Yet, due I think to inadequate awareness of the challenges of maintaining that policy, and attendant lack of planning on my part, I stumbled back into chocolate's sinister embrace both times. So, let's repeat what worked so well and iterate on it to solve the problems that arose last time. I will be tracking this, reflecting on it, and working to make a durable long-term plan with necessary contingencies. 2. IMPROVING MY HANDWRITING I don't think it's any secret that I love notebooks, journalling by hand, doodling, etc. As such, I probably pay more attention to my handwriting than is standard. It has been bothering me for quite a while that my handwriting seems to be getting sloppier. The reason isn't mysterious: I don't write by hand anywhere near as much as I used to, and my muscle memory isn't what it was. Plus, I am often in a rush when writing these days (sometimes for legit reasons like needing to note things down during a video call, but often just because I am impatient), which just makes things worse. And then not loving my handwriting means I write less...which means worse handwriting. Vicious cycle. I'll post a separate post with a 'before' sample. Good handwriting is often incorrectly associated with being smart or organized, but it's a physical skill, and it responds to physical training, not thoughts or intentions or strategies. Just as I would need to do strength training if I wanted to get better at lifting things, I need to do handwriting drills/practice to improve my handwriting. My goal is to do this for a short period of time every day, probably about 10 minutes. I will periodically post the progress. I am confident that I will see a concrete improvement over the duration of the challenge. This is important for me because I really enjoy writing by hand - I do it for stress relief and creativity and fun and the neurological benefits (esp. with regard to learning), and I want to feel completely positive about it, not have this lingering dissatisfaction with my physical handwriting skill decreasing my enjoyment. 3. USING MY EXPENSIVE ELLIPTICAL BECAUSE COME ON SEVERINE I have probably mentioned that I find it difficult to spend money on anything that isn't strictly necessary. We bought the elliptical recently for very good reasons, but the consciousness of its cost is still kind of needling at me, and I know from experience that the more I use it, the better I will feel about the purchase. So I'd like to try and get into the habit of using it every day, even if it's not for that long. As such, I'm setting myself a goal of at least 15 minutes on the elliptical every day unless I'm too sick for it to be advisable (hopefully this will not happen). C'est parti!

I’m back. I am so glad for this community and its acceptance of respawners such as myself. Thank you, everyone. I can always try again, right? That’s what I’m going to go with. I need to learn to accept my own failures as much as those around me do. I need to give myself as much grace as I do others who don’t meet their aims. This time around, here’s my plan: 1. Exercise 3x a week for 30 minutes each session. 2. Practice meditation 3x a week, working my way up to 15 minutes. 3. Drink at least 1 liter of water each day. 4. Get up at least an hour before my son so that I can start my day right, daily. I really need to nail down these habits, so if you’re reading this, consider sticking around and encouraging me along! I’ll do my best to reciprocate.

Yeah, yeah. Those of you who've been around a while have seen THAT before LOL. Right along with "and this time I mean it". But, I'm gonna keep laser focusing on that because it truly, truly is that LAST key piece to my fitness struggle. So, my challenge is raising my step count on my fitbit to 5k and hit it 5 days a week. I'd love, love to hit 10k a day at some point. My body is capable of it. It's cooling off and there's no real reason I can't walk twice a day other than weather (rain and avoiding sun rays). Can't do a WHOLE lot about rain, but I have "sun sleeves" and hats - so I need to stop using "I can only walk in the shade" as an excuse - because that's what it is..... an excuse. Enough challenge stuff LOL. In other news, I just made it back (and am recovering) from DragonCon - where I totally averaged > 10k steps a day. Every year we do a little less - getting older SUCKS - but we hit a few panels, saw some old friends and were amazed at everyone's Cosplay. If ya'll are interested in seeing pictures - Search FB Groups for Dragon Con (Official) and Dragon Con (Unofficial). There will be a lot of cross-over as many folks are in both groups - but tons and tons of pictures - some by pros. I think my personal favorite costume was Marvin the Mandalorian - a crossover Marvin the Martian as a Mandolorian character. Brilliantly done (and he was in the "masquerade" where you have to show that you constructed the piece, so yes he designed and did all of the armor himself). Barbie and Ken were EVERYWHERE - and everything you can imagine was Barbiefied - from a Barbie Mandalorians and Storm Troopers to "Hungover DragonCon Barbie". Folks are so brilliantly clever and talented. I've always loved Cosplay but never was good at designing my own stuff. I'm CONSIDERING working with Mom to design a kind of universal wrap dress pattern, then using fabric and fabric paint to design some nerdy nods in dress form which would work as something cool\comfortable for Con and if not too in your face I can wear it outside of Con too. I really, really want a skirt out of the Dr. Who van Gogh pattern.

Okay just playing in the Battle log section got lonely. - Lose 2lbs - Drink 2L water every day - Floss and brush every day - Apply to at least 1 job How do I plan on losing 2lbs? Attempting to listen to my hunger cues. Eat when hungry, don't eat when not hungry. I might play with some fasting stuff. Move more.

I used to go on long walks with a friend of mine in Boston, talking about all manner of things; he is a compassionate person, wonderfully frank, and shared my willingness to talk about a near-endless random collection of seemingly unrelated things. We discussed anything and everything, and once I said to him jokingly that many of my problems in life stemmed from my fundamental inability to fully accept the basic principles of cause and effect. He asked me what I meant by that, and in the process of explaining what I had thought was a cleverly self-deprecating joke, I came to the terrifying realization that it was actually true. Click to expand for the explanation. Warning: non-detailed reference to family violence. I have this problem not only with food, but with work (procrastination and motivation issues), relationships (neglecting to keep in touch despite still being friends with the person in my head), sleep (not even really trying to get enough), various health-adjacent things (not doing PT exercises, following my skin-care routine, or flossing enough), and a host of other things including the very passage of time itself (I am chronically late because my brain can't seem to accept that if it takes 25 minutes to drive somewhere, watching a video on YouTube until 24 minutes before my appointment starts is not going to work out). More recently, I was told by two different therapists that some of this struggle with cause and effect is potentially caused by executive function deficits linked to PTSD, ADHD, or both. I have read about the problems people with these issues experience with things like long-term planning, impulsivity, decision-making, motivation, concentration, etc. and a lot of it is hauntingly familiar. I've been thinking about all of this a lot recently with respect to my goals and plans, especially after what I learned during the last challenge. Fundamentally, there are two major issues: When I do things that are likely to work against my goals, it doesn't truly feel (in a visceral, down-in-my-gut way) like I am causing any problems; and When I do things that are likely to get me closer to my goals, it doesn't actually feel like I am getting anywhere or progressing toward something good. So, as insane as this sounds, my main goal for this challenge is to work on reconnecting with the fundamental truth of cause and effect. 1. Walking: at least 15 minutes every day and 30 or more at least four days a week. The positive effects of walking are as follows: Immediate: time to myself for listening to podcasts and music and thinking, spending time outdoors, and feeling the mood boost of motion. Medium- to long-term: better cardio fitness, wide-ranging physiological effects of exercise ranging from blood sugar regulation to neurological benefits, strengthening joints and stabilizer muscles, and mental health benefits. CONNECTING TO CONSEQUENCES: I will write a little mantra to focus on the immediate consequences and repeat it at the beginning and start of my walks. To help keep the longer-term benefits in mind, I will read at least one scientific paper or article each week on the long-term benefits of exercise, and I will, each day, actively imagine a version of a future me who is active and healthy and doing things I really want to do, e.g. hiking in the mountains without collapsing. 2. Keeping a food record: any format, any level of detail, as long as I'm actively recording my food choices in some way. After a lot of reflection, I think what I like about food tracking is that it makes eating feel real and concrete; it helps me remember that I am a biological organism ingesting molecules with specific chemical compositions, not some character in a book or movie who eats and sleeps when it fits with the plot and the scene and doesn't eat or sleep when it would be boring to show it, and the connection between eating and sleeping and the rest of life isn't treated seriously because it's not an important part of the story. The point of this challenge element is not to change what I'm eating. I can eat whatever I want. The purpose of this is just to pay attention and remember that it's real and it matters. Some days I might use my app and some days I might just write things in a notebook. It all counts. 3. Do one thing each day from my list of "things I theoretically want to do for self-care but never seem to actually do" and actively remind myself why I am doing it. This is an embarrassingly long list. Some examples: Flossing 10 minutes of using my neck traction device to help with my shoulder/neck issue. PT exercises for my shoulder and neck. 10 minutes of Headspace meditation. 10 minutes in the garden. Normal (non-PT) stretches. Moisturizing my chronically dry feet. Doing my (face) skincare routine. CONNECTING TO CONSEQUENCES: before or after or while I am doing the thing, I will say out loud (whispering is fine) something like, "by doing this, I am helping myself because..." with the appropriate details. I will consciously focus on and visualize the positive impact I am creating and imagine my future self thanking me for taking good care of her. I have no idea if any of this is going to work.

hi my name is flea and after 9.5 years on here i'm still a hot mess. current attempt is to do one thing in at least 3 of 4 categories every day beyond what i normally do. if it works i may tighten up the rules later in the challenge. wish me luck. send cat gifs. 1 - a food thing 2 - a movement thing 3 - a brain thing 4 - a batcave thing

I was on the fence about starting this one now. On the one hand, I do want to add more of a narrative flair to my challenges, complete with characters, a story arc, etc. On the other...well, the idea machine just ain't working right now. I don't want to let my writer's block get in the way of building some healthier behaviors, so I'll start with just my mini projects for now and will build in the narrative stuff later once I have the time to sit down and come up with some better ideas. So here goes: Mini projects: 1. Clear headed: No beer until Saturday the 29th. 2. Reconnaissance: Every day, until Saturday the 29th, go for a walk somewhere. No minimum distance. 3. Lore: Do 1 hour of work reading on Sat the 29th (so it must be done on Sat. The goal is to get me accustomed to doing little bits of weekend work.) 4. Well supplied: Finish organizing garage. (The garage shelves are finished. Now, I just need to put the garage back together and get my things in their new home. Might also use this time to brainstorm some new construction projects.) 5. "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot": Daily minimum 5 minute piano noodling each day until Sat the 29th. I've got an event I'm going to on Sat (nothing major-just a hangout with the bros), so that will be my day to update mini project progress.

I'm here. My life has been in a bit of turmoil personally, but I'm still trying to be my best me. I'm not changing much from the last time. Feeling like it's a good time to set up Stoic practice and that means setting a plan for myself. I will report back on what that looks like.

Deep Space 9; Season 7, Episode 10. Nog has been through battle and seen friends killed and injured and has lost his leg. Serious PTSD. He deals by checking himself into the holosuite with Vic Fontaine full time. Vic finally kicks him out saying “You have to play the cards life deals you “ I have been denying my cards. Saying it’s not so bad, it’s no big deal. But after several visits to the ER and with surgery scheduled next month, I have to accept it and deal with my shitty card. I have a bad heart. Born that way. I always tried to just minimize it but after seeing how the doctors are reacting I can’t deny it anymore. It is a big deal. I’ve had atrial fibrillation and an irregular heartbeat my entire life. (the RVRs, rapid ventricular rate are the scary ones. Feels like my heart is trying to pound its way out of my chest.) I always knew that someday it would get worse. Someday has arrived and it has gotten worse. A whole lot worse. I blame the pandemic and the stress and my fat but that doesn’t matter. The reality is I have a bad heart. I want to exercise more and get to at least my pre pandemic level of fitness but exercise of any kind seems to send me into irregular heartbeat and then to the hospital. (You want to get to the front of the line at the ER? Tell them you have an irregular heartbeat. They’ll whip you back for an EKG and then into a bed. Paperwork? Screw the paperwork!) I have an appointment coming up with the doctor doing the surgery and i need to talk to him about exercising and getting some of my fitness back. I don’t want to. I’m scared that he’ll say that I can’t. I want to pretend that everything is fine and ignore my problems. But my problems won’t let me ignore them. I have to play the cards life dealt me. I have a bad heart. There, I said it. That’s reality. So I can’t exercise but I can eat better and take off some of the weight. And I have been working on that. Sadly eating healthier means cooking and taking time to plan and cook And I am tired a lot of the time (I don’t like these new meds, not doing very well on them). I should be working on my healthyish lunch but I’m tired. Going back to bed for a while.

So I have been trying to sit down write out a "Hi, I am back, the world is still dumb, sorry I disappeared" post for a week and a half. Honestly, I have a word doc with notes and sentences and gifs and stuff on my computer open with these things. But the way I am writing this shows its not going well. I didn't mean to take last challenge off, it just fell off my radar. I was emailing @fleaball and told her I was just out of spoons. But this challenge has come around, my weight is a new high of 315, I am tired, I am stressed, and I feel like I work and come home nad collapse every day. I stopped all walking. I stopped doing boxes, I just kinda existed and I hate it. So I am trying again. Things are still bad at work, its the busy time, great time to reset. I mean I worked 12 hours yesterday and 11 the day before and well, more than that the week before that. So yea, I am back. I am doing boxes. I just need to do something because I really really can't keep doing this. I need my life back. Adding the Gifs I had collected to make a fun Hi, sorry I left post. Ugh, the second gif link is bad. this annoys me. Maybe someone can get it to work. I need to go to work. its almost 6 am. https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/226379337_4383410528346736_5132151508722304137_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=gGYkAQEWJ4UAX9_P2BD&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDjuxZqXChxAZ9OwtVa9z_Fsu4QpYDgXXCZaFV9uEJ9SA&oe=64C8DD5D (This is my life. Someone send spoons or help, or reminders that this is not what life is) That last sentence is really bad and I want to take it out. but at the same time. That is truth for you

ugh. I was doing well. then I noticed I was doing well so I stopped doing that and did the opposite. What a pain in the ass. Up on time AM shower brush tooths skin care Breakfast Morning anti-crazy pills Pack lunch AND remember to take it to work to work on time - I chose Starbucks over punctuality wear make up - I don't feel like it Lunch Afternoon anti crazy pills Leave work at 5 Clean house in preparation for cleaning crew. Cleaning crew is doing an initial deep clean and I don't want them using their time on surface level stuff that I can take care of before they get there. Get ready for bed at 9:30 PM Shower brush tooths again Take practical joke amount of vitamins/supplements Actually go to bed track food and also be in a calorie deficit BMR 2053 Intake Goals: 1700 Total Intake: 2033 (I feel like I am forgetting something here?) Total Outgo, according to FITBIT: 3062 Monday Calories : -1029

Thanks to my patron saint of well-being and accountability (the inimitable @fleaball, who is a good influence even though she took umbrage the last time I said so), I am back and working on building some positive momentum after *gestures vaguely at the previous eight months*. My last challenge did me a lot of good (as so many challenges have done), and then once it was over I stopped paying so much attention to my goals like a dumbass (as I have so often done when confronted with success) and so of course *more vague and disappointed gesturing*. I watched the Dungeons and Dragons movie recently on Netflix, and there's a scene I appreciated where the bard, in trying to swindle his friends into sticking with the mission despite his shit leadership and repeated disasters, says "we must never stop failing, because the minute we do, we've failed." Made me laugh, but it's also true, so it is in that spirit that I am back here yet again. Okay, so what is going on and what do I need to do about it? Something interesting happened since I was last here: in January, I went back to school for an MS in Computer Science, via a program specifically designed for career switchers whose undergrad degree wasn't in CS. I'm currently in the bridge portion of the program, which is basically just a series of prereq courses to make up for what I'm missing before starting the full-on Masters courses. I've been doing well and learning a lot, although to say that a return to studenthood was not a good thing for my self-care and healthy habits would be a hilarious understatement. However! I am me, so it can't be that simple. I periodically have doubts that perhaps I'm making the wrong move and that I won't be able to find a job linked to my technical interests (mostly educational tech and computer-assisted language learning/translation). I miss helping people and feeling like my work has larger purpose, and an old idea I once had about getting a Masters in Counselling Psychology and becoming a therapist has resurfaced. So of course I have researched what would be required for that (roughly the same amount of schooling as my current plan). My people are supportive and have encouraged me to do whatever feels right. But if I'm going to switch, it needs to be ASAP, so I need to decide. But I can't decide. So a big part of the challenge has to be about figuring that out. Preferably before CS classes restart in late August. Thing the first. I would be particularly eager to get perspective from any of you who work in either of these two fields or anything related. Also, I need to get exercise back into my routine. Nothing crazy: I just need to walk and stretch. Thing the second. Finally, I would like to limit fried food to once per week. Thing the third. I should also mention my unease about an upcoming appointment with my endocrinologist. This involves bloodwork for (1) annual testing to make sure my cancer hasn't returned and (2) monitoring my blood glucose/A1C, because my doctor was concerned I was at risk for T2 diabetes. The appointment is on August 4, so fingers crossed. I wish everyone the best of luck with their own challenges ❤️

Yep. I'm still trying to walk. My one goal is drag my sorry a$$ out of bed in the morning and walk. That's it. That's the challenge. We're working to lock down some new stuff with hubby's company so we're busy AF. Business meeting about an event later this year tomorrow and working a takeout for another series of events where their current network vendor has not been doing a good job so we're working our contacts on their next big event and helping some coordination and some other sticks in the fire may catch so fingers crossed 2024 is "the year" to actually get his company off the ground and running.....

So I am out of spoons, but I have been staring at this finished challenge for 2 weeks and I haven't started it. Honestly, I have been looking at the challenge going .. But but but spoons. And last challenge was all about the fact I have no spoons. I didn't even knew where they were physically or emotionally. But I realized, I can't keep living like this. I feel so much older than I really am. I am tired all the time, I am peopled out and I am over the whole damn world. However, I still have to adult, even if I really do believe adulting is all fake it till you make it. Currently, Chaos is winning our battle. Kitchen still has no countertops, and I am hoping they can measure for the damn countertops on Friday. I really don't want to hear we are too far out of level again. Sinus infection from Kitchen Demo won't go away Basement torn up since we are putting the old cabinets that still function down there Work is still a mess. Boss is still grumpy that I am too negative and what not but coworker is in ALL trouble. Kinda hoping something happens there, but if so, then I will be the ONLY PERSON that knows how to do anything, and that is how I didn't use my vacation last year. *Shrug* Mom--- yeah, enough said. She is just leaving tools around again instead of asking for help on things. Agents are stressed cause finals and school and peopling and learning to drive Still can't cook, so how do you eat better? Lets not look at a scale My house is destroyed Anxiety on high setting Depression on highest setting And Seedlings need to start going outside so they can do something to make food. So yea, I am done. But I am finding that my sitting here, waiting for things to change, is not helping. Its making it worse. I just feel trapped and useless, so why try. So going to try starting tomorrow (today had MORE PEOPLE) and I haven't been sleeping. Boxes will be a thing again. I can post if people care. Right now, I just need to do the things that help. Even if it doesn't feel like it right now. And maybe something will change or I can fake it until it changes. Anyone able to kick me until I start doing something. Momentum is hard

Last challenge went pretty well and I'm going to roll on with the same thing. Just keep trying to do things. Next verse, same as the first. Also copy and paste with a few changes. 1. Do the exercise run/walk 3 days per week, minimum 2 miles. Try for more running than walking. continue through GMB floor loco and integral strength. Try to do it outside and despite that people might see me. new this time: once a week weigh in, Tuesday mornings 2. eat the food use the fall back plan for breakfast, savory oats. Try to resist bacon most of the week plan and make ahead lunches. Try to avoid the siren call of chips and munchies avoid the alcohol. just try new this time: add more protein 3. enjoy things got decent knitting needles so it is less challenging now. try to make time read for fun. try to sit still see what life brings. try to be open to what is offered. new this time: finish one sewing pattern, probably linen shorts I also loosely want to explore Stoicism just bit more, so time to hit the library!

I'm going to recycle the goals I've been using the past couple of challenges , with a few tweaks, because they're working well. Goals: 1. Eat slowly to satisfied, with a target goal of losing 2 lbs during the challenge 2. Strength train 3x per week 3. Stretching & balance routine 5x per week 4. Meditate 4x per week 5. Do something creative at least 2x per week

Trying to get annoying basic issues solved to make space for addressing the bigger ones later. 1 - track food no matter how much I hate doing it 2 - spend 2 minutes improving my living space 3 - drink warm water with lemon first thing in the morning 4 - use prescription toothpaste at bedtime

Last challenge I managed to get things done and feel productive. Dare I say I feel a bit like pre-burnout Rookie? I want to keep this progress going while I have the energy. I like the flexibility of being able to choose what I want to do each day so I will continue with that format. I'm not ready to track calories yet so my hope is that by meal planning I will be lessening the amount of takeout we order and thus lowering my calorie intake. I've been unemployed since May 1 and I've been recharging my batteries after being in the same job for 10 years. I've enjoyed the time but I'm worried I'll get rusty and forget my coding (especially the new stuff) if I don't get back to work soon. My brain is fun like that. So I need to get the resume up to date and start applying. I'll be able to really enjoy my time off if I know I have a job lined up. Dailies - Do 3 side quests a day - Brush, floss + pill - Drink 2L water Weeklies - write down meal plan each week - do creative thing - do job related thing Challenge Quests - Abby painting [50%] - Birthday invite for friend [100% ] - Resume updated and reviewed [10%] - Bonus: Apply to at least 1 job Side quest ideas Weekly Progress