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So I haven’t given up. I don’t feel I am getting anywhere, but hey, I am still here and last challenge went pretty well. Spoiler has basic background info. So winter is very much here. While it will warm up at the beginning of the challenge, that doesn’t make the things coming up easier, but rather harder. The good news is, my dad is returning to work this week for the first time since his stroke. My birthday is in this challenge and we are in our new normal of what things will be with my parents. The family drama is still here and I am actually kinda of worried about how things will go with my birthday and them. I am being reminded regularly that if I DON’T take care of myself, I could end up unable to care for my family. I see it almost daily in caring for my dad (and it’s not my dad showing me). Add to that, tonight we were talking about old times and Eldest Agent’s friend seemed amazed that A) I was ever small once, B) I was ever young once and C) that I could honestly do some flexibility moves he can’t. All of this being said means I need to get my act together and do my boxes. So much of me wants to do ALL THE THINGS right now and see improvement and see progress. But it isn’t there yet. So I keep trying. This challenge will be similar to the last 2, in the “Do X number of things from a category a day”. This has helped because some days I can do more, but most days I do at least SOMETHING. I increased the number of things I need to do in a couple of categories I added a thing or 2. The plan is: Strength (Do 4 of 9) – To have the physical strength to keep going Balance ball crunches Wall Sit (sec) Side kicks Leg lifts Reverse sit ups sit ups Knee to Elbows Push ups Balance Ball push ups Flexibility (do 6 of 11) – To have the flexibility to bend when the world wants me to break Wrist Extension Stretch Upward dog/Child pose Meditating Groot Lord of the dance Yoga (ankle above head) Butterfly Ballet/toe Touch Sitting Fix/Shoulder stretch Warrior 1 Warrior 3 (Eagle bird thing) Side stretch Forward bend Life and Family (do 10 of 13) – To remember what is important Play with Cats NF time Do something for internship Spend time with Agents Check Seedlings Plan Be in bed by 11:30 Floss in morning Floss before bed Work on one thing off of Part B list Daily One good thing Water a plant Homework time daily Fighting Chaos – Clean these daily (Do 4 of 7) – To prevent some chaos by having things ready to be used Pennisula/Island Table / Half wall Desk Bathroom up Bathroom down Clean off door to basement Clean off Dresser Fighting Chaos – Purge or organize (do 4 of 8) – To finally control some of the physical chaos that contributes to the problem Front room Computer room Basement 3 pages out of recipe binder Clean off nightstands Counter over dishwasher File 1 thing a day Purge 1 thing a day Walking (Do 2 of 4)– To increase my ability to go the distance when needed (stupid format issues) Walk 10500 steps Walk 15 minutes a day 7 hours with 250 steps Walk to Mordor Fuel (Do 8 of 12) – To ensure I have the nutrition and energy to keep going (more dumb format issues) No eating after dinner No stupid sugar Track breakfast Track Second breakfast Track Elevensies < 3 bottles of tea Eat Yogurt Daily Eat Bananas Daily Eat dried Apricots Eat Breakfast Eat Lunch 120 oz of water Overall there is 64 possible points, and to get the correct amount for each goal, I need at least 38 pts a day. I am hoping for more each day. I still feel like accepting that this isn’t working and this is where I am going to be is a thing. But I am here and I am trying and that is all I can do. I may not have much to run on, but I am hoping that continuing where I am, trying to increase what I do will do something. As a result, I am going to believe that this will get me there. That maybe, just maybe I can do this

Not the best title for a challenge, but honestly, I haven’t given up yet. This is not going to be a fun gif challenge, but more a “I just need to keep trying but I really like the idea of giving up” challenge. Spoiler has the basic background, but basically, I am just trying to remember that trying is worth something. The big thing that isn’t in that spoiler was my dad had a small stroke the Monday after Thanksgiving, and that changed everything. He’s doing better now, but we still have a long road to get from where we are to where he wants to be and when things return to whatever normal will be. There is so much going on here with family drama, its draining. Especially since him being down has really shown how bad off some of my family let themselves get. I don’t ever want to not be able to care for those I love. However, I need to get back on track. I need to eat better and cut out the dumb sugar, I need to get moving again and work on keeping the chaos under control. So I am going to try. The one thing that went really well last challenge (thank goodness) was the “Do x number from a category a day.” In the light of all we faced, it let me still do SOMETHING and gave me a feeling of control when I really didn’t have any. That being said, I don’t think I am at a point where I can go back to doing it all, but I do want to make it just a bit harder. So the plan, is to increase the number of things I need to do in each category to get my box. See below for the plan Strength (Do 2) – because I need to be strong right now § Balance ball crunches § Wall sit § Side kicks § Leg lifts § Reverse sit ups § Sit ups § Knee to elbows § Push ups § Balance ball push ups Flexibility (Do 4) – Because I have proven, these help § Wrist Extension stretch § Upward Dog/Child pose § Meditating Groot § Butterfly § Ballet/Toe Touch § Sitting fix/Shoulder Stretch § Warrior 1 § Warrior 3 (bird thing) § Side stretch § Forward bend Life and Family (DO 7) – These keep me able to either take care of things or are taking care of people § Take down holiday decorations (we have more Christmases, but I just don’t care this year, I do a bit a day) § NF time (being here keeps me honest § Spend time with Agents § Work on Garden planning/starting (Seeds need inventoried and started, number of trays ect) § Plan § Be in bed by 11:30 § Floss in morning § Floss before bed § Work on one thing off Part B list (as much as I wish that would go away) § One good thing each day § Water a plant § Homework time daily (Before classes start, it will be clean up/prep next semester time, book and supply info) Fight Chaos – Clean Daily (Do 2) - Because when things are clean, it’s easier to do stuff § Peninsula/Island § Table/Half wall § Desk § Bathroom up § Bathroom down § Clean off door to basement § Clean off Dresser Fight Chaos – Purge/Organize (Do 2) - This will help pair down what’s here for more stuff (or more one spots to clean) § Front room § Computer room § Basement § Nightstands § Counter over dishwasher § File 1 thing a day § Purge one thing a day Walking (Do 1) - This didn’t change, since there are so few goals. Hope is to really hit more like 2 a day, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on me § 10,500 steps a day § Walk 15 minutes a day (outside or treadmill) § Walk to Mordor (update files) Fuel (do 6) – Another key, eating what I need to eat, and not what I don’t and maybe even track it § No eating after dinner § No stupid sugar § Track Breakfast § Track second breakfast § Track elevensies § Less than 3 bottles of tea (gets expensive and cuts back water intake) § Eat Yogurt daily § Eat Bananas daily § Eat Dried apricots daily § Eat Breakfast § Eat Lunch § Drink 120 Oz of Water a day Here is to hoping this gives me some hope. I am tired and part of me feels like I should accept it will never happen, especially with as much as life hates me and those I care about. The other thing telling me I am wasting my time here is looking at those around me, and seeing how bad they let themselves get. Maybe I will end up like them, no matter what I do. But I want to see progress to get somewhere so bad. Here is to admitting Motivation is gone, hope is not far behind, but well I just keep trying to go forward. Mostly because, I know that all the mess behind me isn't where I want to be.

Well I'll start it off with today even though I did better yesterday Work in progress that I will update later further along in the day. No breakfast Lunch: A slice of extra cheese pizza, some leftover steak, and ~half a can of LeSueur sweet peas /w less sodium 500mL bottle of water x3 Dinner: Will be making paleo spaghetti for the first time. (I bought some regular spaghetti noodles in case I don't like the squash). Posted picture of spaghetti have 5 bowls leftover! Was quite yummy!

I know that I've been yo-yo-ing here on challenges a lot lately, but I think I figured it all out. I stretched myself a bit too thin, trying to take on too many things at once. So, I'm here to start from the very beginning, with what I know works best for me . Because in the end, all that matters is what works for me. And so here it is: I'm going to start my official Kamen Rider Training. Yeah, I know it's pretty obnoxious and childish, but it can get me really excited and motivated (read: HYPED). Part of my goals for the year include being much more authentic, even over here on the forums. So, that includes more honesty, more asking for help when it's needed, and MORE KAMEN RIDER! For the month of January, here are my simple starting goals: 1. Eat ONE CUP of vegetables DAILY. Kamen Riders know what best fuels them to fight for justice and humanity. For me, that means more vegetables. This sounds quite manageable to me. 2. Eliminate 1/4 of all treats. This basically means that I can still have treats when I'm craving them, but I toss 1/4 of whatever it is before I eat it. This has worked wonders for me in the past to successfully stop eating something (when I remember it), and I think treats (which means desserts of the refined sugar variety) isn't too big or broad of a category to overwhelm me. It's still a bit on the broad side, and I might still have trouble remembering, so I'm not going to upgrade to 1/2 for the full month. 3. Attend capoeira class a MINIMUM of TWO times each week AND spend a MINIMUM of TWO MINUTES correcting leg and hip muscle imbalance. Kamen Riders know how to fight, and they certainly know how to KICK. I have a tendency to not go to class when I don't feel like it (or when I lose sight of commitments, lose sight of my value, that kind of thing), so I'm slowly transitioning myself to the default of "JUST GO" when that happens. I know that I always feel better afterwards. And with the kicking comes hip and leg health, so I'll be stretching (using Focused Flexibility) and doing some PT exercises to correct muscle imbalances in the legs and hips. Getting up and doing them is hard, so I'll start with just two minutes each day and go from there. 4. Journal daily. Kamen Riders never forget their purpose, or when they do, a friend beats them up fights them until they remember. Knowing that small, progressive steps IS the best thing for me, I was inspired by Staci's sticker tactic and my own love of journals and journaling that I decided to combine the two. Instead of stretching myself out and having more than one place where I'm tracking my stuff, I'm going to put these hardcover journals I collected to use for tracking EVERYTHING, keeping it all in one spot. This should allow me a chance to be reflective and keep me present to everything I want to be changing and why. It'll also give me a place to brainstorm and keep notes as to how things are going so that I can better evaluate what I'm doing. I'll spend some time every day journaling; food tracking, logging training sessions, breaking big goals down into smaller steps, and just reflecting on my thoughts and feelings for the day, even if it's just for a minute or so every day. We're just getting started here. I'd have more of it finished (and this thread up sooner), but there's SO MUCH STUFF TO DO around the house that I've been spending a good deal of time getting that stuff managed this weekend. Become a more responsible adult is on the list of things to accomplish this year. Well, there it is, the new beginning of my journey. I didn't mean to be THAT long winded about everything, but hey, I'm being authentic and refuse to edit it. Let's Henshin!

This will be the second time that I've re-spawned here. I'm not really upset about it. In fact, I'm quite excited. There's almost no better feeling that a fresh, clean start. I've struggled for the past six to seven years to get this right, but I've finally come to truly realize and accept that "right" and "perfect" don't matter, only what works for me. I have a tendency to do too many things at once, big or small. I stretch myself too thin, keeping up with so many places where I've set goals. I forget what those goals are very easily. I lose sight of my commitments, and therefore forget myself and my value. It's hard to make changes when you can't remember what you're changing and why. I'm here not to let go of all that, those things that I've learned do not work for me. My past threads are just that, like old tactics and beliefs, things better left in the past. I'm starting from the ground up, here and now, with what I know works best for me. Slow, steady, and simple. So, Let's Henshin!

This will be the first time (I recall) not taking a break during Week Zero. I'm rolling with the same basic habits that I was working on last challenge (and practically forgot to keep tracking). I've added a few more ways to gain bonus points, but they're not really required. Just some things I would like to work on once the basics get easier. Eat Well: Continue brown bagging lunches on work days. Bonus points for eating at home on the weekends and in the mornings. Sleep Well: Be in bed by 10:30pm. Bonus points for staying up after alarm in the mornings. Move Daily: Continue to attend regular Mon & Wed classes consistently. Bonus points for any extra training. Love Daily: Track all food and drinks (including water). Bonus points for any time spent on the KonMari list. EDIT: Goals edited for a bit more simplicity and focus. Also, it's kinda dumb, in my opinion, to focus on getting up at a specific time when you don't go to bed at a specific time first, to make sure you get enough sleep.

Lets start with Today. I had an omelette for lunch, egg and onion. It was delicious.I emptied my email inbox (over 900!!).I replied to an email that I've been meaning to do for 3 months.I downloaded all of the stuff that I will need for the rest of my course, assuming I havent failed.I posted on here.I soaked my new piercings.I was on time to work.I had a pretty good day. Small steps. Just keep swimming and breathing and we'll be fine.

I had no idea I would relate to Gnomes in such a way until I read NF's 15 common mistakes article. I do this all the time, with everything...step 1. collect all the info on subject! step 2. ??? Step 3. Magically Be a better Parent, person, more fit, smaller, whatever. I've never quite made it to step 3. So, it's time to gather the best underpants, and wear them! I will be a Gnome no more, but the Satyr I was meant to be! (Never knew I could be a Satyr either until another NF page said I could. Satyrs don't know what to do with underpants either, but I imagine some have quite a collection. So, it's makes a silly sort of sense.) With such a history of not really finishing, I thought I should keep my first challenge a small, gnome-like building block. It shall be... Make Strength Training a Habit. As opposed to making a strength training habit. I'm not a nun. I don't think I even know any. Do you think weight-lifting nuns would need a workout habit? I mean the outfit, not...what ?...oh, sorry. yeah, back to the point. There are three specific things I can do to make strength training a habit by the end of this challenge: 1. Make and FOLLOW a schedule for 3 Bodyweight Training routines a week. A particularly boxy pair of Boxers (embroidered with WW) puts a lot of weight in setting good routines. Sunday = Playground Routine at playground with family. Tues and Thurs = NF Beginners Bodyweight routine (done at gym after work). 2. Prepare "Equipment" the Night Before. (This tighty-whitey came from an NF article.) Change of clothes, shoes, H2O bottle all together in an "Adventure Pack" (I just made that up. Maybe I'll go with it. That's so much cooler than "Gym Bag".) And maybe some rope. I hate setting out from Rivendell thinking, "I should've packed a bit of rope." 3. Take Stretching Seriously. I feel the most self conscious when I stretch. I mean, really. Some of those poses- nobody wants to see that! So I kinda half-ass it, go real fast, or skip it altogether. If I'm interpreting these thongs correctly, a good, thorough stretch is critical to a solid workout routine, so I need to get past my embarrassment and just stretch. After all, if I'm interpreting thongs, what the hell do I have to be embarrassed about?! And as for a leveling-up life challenge? I going with spending a minimum of 20 minutes, every day, studying my Equinology materials. (I'm working on being a horse masseuse. AKA Equine Massage Therapist. Yes, it's thing. Sorry, it has nothing to do with underpants.) I've already done a Playground Routine yesterday, and it was fun! My pre-schooler followed me around some and kept saying "I want to exercise too!". I also discovered my husband has a competitive streak- he did the same routine while I played with our son! Even the dog was with us. A really great Sunday morning with the fam. I'm very much looking forward to next Sunday to do it again. I'll be checking in again soon. Thanks, d'har

Hello my name is Theatresara and I am a workaholic. This fact has driven the better part of my past year, especially the past few months. I've lost track of how to take care of myself, how to say no to work, and what it means to actually have a relationship with the people in my life except for the ones I work with day in and out. Because of all of this, it's back to basics for me. I need to not obsess over going paleo or working out all the time or anything like that. Right now, it's all about the small steps to build habits that'll stick with me, even when I'm working 100 hours/week. Theoretically, my life has currently taken a turn that will help with all of this My spring is a lot lighter than my fall and winter was (in fact, by the time the challenge starts, I may only be working one job! I can't remember the last time that happened) and I'm once again gearing up to run around a mountain portraying a frontier woman and a Shawnee maiden for four months (which requires a high level of fitness). MAIN QUEST: To build small habits that will last past the end of the challenge to make a better me Goal 1: Eat salads three times a week. My eating habits need to improve drastically. Lack of money lately has driven me to a very carb-heavy diet and I need to change that, but slowly. By eating three salads a week, I'll start to change my diet without a drastic, hard to maintain goal that costs a lot of money. I also will not judge myself for what I eat for my other meals. Feeling bad about food only leads to giving up and eating poorly. Goal 2: Stretch every day. This has been a goal before and I quickly fall out of practice. I have a ton of back and shoulder pain and stretching helps so much. Plus, if I do it in the morning, it's a good way to start my day positively. Goal 3: Some sort of cardio three times a week. I need to start getting back in Tecumseh! shape because that show involves a lot of running in rehearsals, onstage, and backstage. As there is currently quite a bit of snow on the ground and forecasters say there may be more coming, I'm not going to specify running, or even a certain length of time. What's important is that I start moving and start building up my endurance. If that means dancing around a room for 15 minutes, great. If that means taking advantage of a nice day and going for a long run or hike, even better. However, sex, while technically cardio, doesn't count (and yes, I need to clarify for myself because I'm that good at justifying things to make them count for my goals) Life Goal: Read everyday. I love reading. It's been one of my favorite activities for as long as I can remember. Lately, the tv (yay olympics!) and computer have taken over my life and, while I'm not going to stop either, I need a bit of a break from electronics. So, I'm going to commit to reading every night. I'm rereading A Song of Ice and Fire, have Shakespeare's Star Wars next on my list, and have several books relating to Tecumseh that I want to read or reread before I leave in May, so this particular goal should be super easy. As a bonus goal, I'm going to attempt to participate in all physical mini challenges. I see no reason why I shouldn't be able to, so if you don't see me chiming in, someone let me know about all the awesome things Assassins around me are doing!

Sometimes, a hero is a hero because they choose something that makes them so. They're self-assured, confident, sure of themselves. People look up to heroes, they shine. They have an inner light. I was a hero once. I lost my way. I Lost that light, that spark, that confidence. I got injured. While it's not quite taking an arrow to the knee, my knee problems have always given me trouble since they started after the injury, sapped my confidence. My will. It's time I started getting that back. it's time I started gaining confidence and control of my life, so I can be that hero again. "There is a prison in a more ancient part of the world, a pit where men are thrown to suffer and die. But sometimes a man rises from the darkness." On Diet: At work: I'm a shameless snacker at work. There are quiet periods sometimes at work, during which I get bored. Heck, I even snack sometimes during busy periods, using the age old excuse of "I need the energy". It's an old habit, one I've tried and failed to break before. Last attempt was a year ago. Challenge: During work-hours, limit myself to a maximum of 2 snacks a day. Attempting to bring in healthier snacks to nom on is a sub-goal of this goal, but not a requirement for reaching it. Reward: +2 WIS Outside of work: I enjoy cooking a good meal, of enjoying every last part of it. Of using bread to soak up leftover gravy and sauce, scraping the bowl for that last bit of ice-cream, Hoovering everything off the plate so you can't even tell it needs washing sometimes. My grandmother, before she passed several years ago, said a gem that I've recently thought about: "If you leave something on your plate, You'll slowly reduce your portion sizes, you don't feel the need for as big a meal." Challenge: Listen to my grandmother's advice. (Put weight on that line how you will, even laugh.) Every meal, leave a bite worth of each group of things on the plate. Groups can include (but aren't limited to): Sides (Leave a couple of chips, leave a forkful of vegetables), Main part of Meal (Don't eat the whole steak, leave a bit behind), Sauces/Gravys (Stop hoovering the plate). Reward: +1 WIS, +1 CHA On Exercise: I've been really bad about maintaining exercise habits, since my injury. Every time I've tried, it's almost always come down to numbers: How many reps can you do, what weight, how far, how long. And then people comparing themselves, like it's some sort of competition between people. I've never aimed to win. I've always aimed to do *my* best. The numbers, such competition, it grates against me, so I start pulling back. So I'm not going to compete with physical fitness. I'm going to sidestep and move forward in the outside lane. Challenge: Once a day, three times a week, usually before bed ('cause that's usually the time I do physical exercise), Complete a set of "as many a I can in one set" reps of both Pushups and Situps. I won't keep count, I'll just keep going until I can't with each one. Reward: +1 STR, +1 CON On Socialising: A hero is seen by the world as a hero, they are among the crowd. When this challenge ends, I'll be on holiday. Travelling from tis wonderful land down under (I'm an Aussie) To the United States to visit friends, and als hang out at a great social event for a great community I'm also involved with. Usually, I'm quiet and nervous around new people. I'll be meeting a whole SMACKLOAD of new people on this trip. So I'm challenging myself to be more friendly rather than trying to retreat. Challenge: When meeting people on my trip abroad, stand, be friendly, be open, talk instead of falling quiet and listening. Open myself up, accept more people. Don't close myself off because it's new and unusual. Reward: +2 CHA

Hello! No one was in the top spot for this team so I snagged it...because I think it will help me be more accountable. I'm more likely to do things for other people than myself. Here is my initial thread: I'm getting ready to search for the listed members, but if you see this first please add your thread to it so we can see what our challenges are. I would have to say that my first small step is remembering to do this 'getting healthy' thing. I have created many bad habits over the years that have become true habits...and I forget that I want to change them, usually after I've eaten some pizza or gone to a buffet. I can't wait to get to know you all! Kit