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I am continuing with my agile self-improvement processes, rather than setting up-front several so-called SMART goals - a system which I think has quite a few weaknesses! The term "agile" is borrowed from software engineering, rather than the exercise idea. I am definitely not physically flexible - but we will work on that... My current status is as follows: STOP: looking at newspapers' websites - CHARISMA - HABIT making strangers' problems my own (particularly, trying to give advice) - CHARISMA - HABIT crossing my legs/hooking one leg over the other - POSTURE - HABIT buying sweets and chocolate - PHYSICAL WELLBEING - HABIT START: doing one gluteus medius strength rep per day - POSTURE - HABIT keeping fresh water in fridge - PHYSICAL WELLBEING - HABIT find & watch youtube video on progressive muscle relaxation by Wednesday 13th - PHYSICAL WELLBEING - TASK KEEP: clearing down to-do list - MAKING SPACE - TASK catching up on sleep - RECHARGE - HABIT noticing tension in shoulders and try to relax them - POSTURE - HABIT correcting posture when pushing pushchair out & about - POSTURE - HABIT correcting posture when doing the washing up - POSTURE - HABIT I have plenty more things lined up on my backlog but I think this is more than enough for now! I have been & continue to check off several Q2 (important but not urgent) tasks for my overall wellbeing/maintenance. I am hopeful to start a tai chi, qi-gong and meditation course this week but am waiting to hear back from the instructor. My pillars continue to be: Charisma, Posture, Physical Wellbeing, Recharge & Making Space (previously Decluttering).

This challenge is about recuperating. I reached my “big†goal that led me to this forum. I ran my 5k, and in a decent time. And I’m very happy I’ve managed to get movement back into my life, because dance is one place a get a lot of joy from. But I’ve been feeling stressed and stretched lately, and I need to reel myself back in. So I’m going with a druid class challenge this time around Quest 1: Movement 3 times a week. Dance should be one of them, or running or yoga. Strength training is good too. Anything to release the happy chemicals!Reward: 3 x week 3 DEX + 2 STA, 2 x week 2 DEX + 1 STA, 1 x week 1 STA Quest 2: Get enough sleep. I know from previous challenges that this is a tough one for me, but I really need to enough sleep consistently. This is the best way to recharge.Reward: 3 x week 3 CON + 2 STA, 2 x week 2 CON + 1 STA, 1 x week 1 CON Quest 3: Experiment with more purposeful mornings. Get out of bed earlier and try doing something besides staring at a screen. This could be going outside, running, reading (with a timer), or just staring at the wall. Just not lying in bed while staring at a wall.Reward: 6-7 x week 3 WIS, 5-4 x week 2 WIS, 3 or less x week 1 WIS Quest 4: Be creative. Write or do a craft once a week. Reward: 2 CHA (Charisma because creativity is a major part of my personality. Also because my CHA stats are sadly lacking)

I'm in a bit of a weird place at the moment. In December I promised myself that 2015 would be different. I would look after myself both mentally and physically. I've not done too badly but I'm in a bit of a slump at the moment. I have taken part in the two 6 week challenges for this year so far and feel that maybe that is not the way I should focus my efforts in terms of how I challenge myself. I've noticed a pattern in the year and half I've been doing challenges...I never really make it past the third or fourth week. And it has taken till now to realise that maybe I should focus more on using a battle log than creating challenges. I have a list of goals I want to achieve this year, but they don't necessarily fit into 6 week stints and I think that prevents me from putting it down as a goal and actually starting to level up. I said I was in a bit of a slump at the moment. I've been feeling just generally run down over the past couple of weeks even though I get the correct amount of sleep and there's nothing major going on at work at the moment. So I've started taking some vitamins (as I hate fruit and only eat veggies in certain meals) and I've noticed a slight difference already. I feel less sleepy all the time, and more focused when I'm at work. The main habit I'm trying to work on at the moment, is meditating. I've read a lot that tells me it's a good way to relax your mind, and I think feeling tired all the time could have something to do with all the chaos in my head, not just those that are work related. Only completed two days in a row at the moment but I'm liking the quiet time it gives me. I'm sick of feeling sorry for myself lately and posting this is the first step for picking myself up and recharging my batteries...again.