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Hi fellow Druids! During the last challenge I made a fundation of three good regulair habits; meditating every day, doing yoga at least three times a week, and writing through stuffs that is going on in my life. I'll keep doing this. However, this challnge I'll be focusing new things. Unstuckifying things that correspond with my work-in-progress plan of 2015: Unicycle: I've got the most awsome boyfriend ever, Mr. Piouscat, and last year he gave me a unicycle. And I've not mastered it yet. No, I downright s*ck at it, because I've not put down the work. This have to change, spring is here and what is more awsome than riding a unicycle? How: getting up on Lalaith (yes, that's her name) every single day (except from when I am house sitting at the end of this challenge), and do what I can. This will earn me three sparklepoints (***) Upside down: This is to some degree a metaphor for doing new things and building habits. The 21th of April will mark the start of this year's Summer holiday (sometimes you just have to love the world of academia), which will mean a lot of time for trying new things and catching up with friends and family. This year has been crazy busy, so I've barely had time for people. On the other hand I want to work with my inversions, yoga-wise. Because they are playful beasts in many ways, and bring new perspectives. I love handstands, headstands, shoulderstands and pretty much anything that turns the world (and it makes me clean the appartment more often, as breathing in piles of dust is slightly overrated). Anyways, my goal is to master Flash Prep (one leg up) by the end of this challenge. This a-symetrical pose is a real challenge for balance, (upper-) body strenght and awareness. AND I think working towards it will help my unicycling. How: Adding (some kind of) inversion to all my yoga sessions. This might be playing with a handstand or simply doing a Dangling (standing forward fold) in a yin sequence. Adding (at least) the flash prep hands to my "formal" three-times a week practice. Working towards 90 sec. side planks on each side. Doing all of these will add three sparke points (***) for each time practiced. Ukulele: starts April 21. The story of my beloved ukulele is pretty much the same as with the unicycle. Seriously, picking it up every day (and make sure it at least stays tuned) does make a big difference. Three sparkle points (***). University: starts April 21. Next year I'll start working on my MA theisis. And I need to re-take a class. This means that even though school is out, doesn't mean it's over. At least 10 min of dedicated work every day will do. This might mean brainstorming, writing emails to professors, banging head against the wall, or pondering about the inner workings of logistic regression. It's all good. Gives three sparkle points (***) Underground: starts April 21. I am a photographer (no, not my day job but never the less a photographer). And I love the darkroom, I love prints, I love printing! Both digital and the more old fashioned way. The darkroom fasilities of the Student Photography Club is under ground;) Goal: Work with printing at least four days a week. Gives three sparke points (***) each for each day. Bonus Any of the things from my past challenge gives one sparke point (*), e.g. meaning that a good yoga session will earn four points (****). For clarification: My goals are pretty open, by any means, and are based around a minimum of requirement rather than reaching some maximum of perfection. This is mainly because of past experiences with goal setting, and by now I know what works (for me) and not:) Right now I do yoga at home, sometimes guided by audio (soundcloud), video (mat2mat or youtube), making my own sequences or freeflow. Styles: strala, forrest and the occational yin I'll do the calculations later for max/min grades etc later:) . All kinds of encouragements, advices, cheering, smilies, likes, hugs and lurking are equally welcome . – Including words (in any language) starting with the letter U (I'll start: underfundig , one of many Norwegian words for stange Good luck everyone!

"The way we choose to see the world creates the world we see" I'm going to be keeping this challenge as simple as I can. I am up against a writing deadline, a birthday party for my soon to be 3 year old, 2 races and 3 stained glass projects all before this is over. I must remember that I have created a world for myself of my choosing. I will no longer let my health suffer because "I am too busy". With that in mind, I present to you, my challenge, in musical form: "Take your time. Think a lot. Why, think of everything you've got" - Cat Stevens - "Father and Son" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q29YR5-t3gg I'm rushing through my meditation recently. I will end that and give it the time and attention it deserves. This will be done more than the 3 days a week I've been averaging. Meditation per week: 7: A 6: B 5: C 4: D 3 or less: F "I can lead a nation with a microphone" - Flobots - "Handlebars" I noticed something last week. I really don't care about my job. I was on the phone with a customer and I really wasn't selling them on my company. I was getting an order. This bothers me a great deal. I once had a passion for sales in that I could show people that what I was talking about is important. That some things are worth the extra money spent. A job done well is better than a job done quickly. Midway through the call, I remembered that I have an amazing voice for sales. Not just the pitch and tone, but I have a way with words that borders on a talent and I am squandering it. I tapped that part of me again and I felt awake for the first time in over a year. It resulted in 2 new projects for my company. If I am to be stuck here, wasting what I know to be my valuable time, then I am going to be great at it. I will put forth effort to do create more than my minimum amount of sales for each week. I will lead this small team to glory! New sales per week over my min: 5 or more: A 4: B 3: C 1 - 2: D 0 - Failure! "Who's to say, I can't do everything? Well, I can try" - Jack Johnson - "Upside Down" I've been slacking on my unicycle practice recently. My son pointed that out to me yesterday and he's right. I've been a huge slacker. I haven't gone more than 10 feet on it. Well, by the end of the six weeks, I'll have had 3-4 parades that have gone by. Too many for me not to have been riding it. Practice, practice, practice. And! I will have to get at least one picture per week posted of me riding it or I'm dinging myself one grade. Practice per week: 4 or more: A 3: B 2: C 1: D 0: Failure! Less fitness in this as there was in the past, but this is what I need right now. As a request for all of you, I ask that you post something here every week. Doesn't have to even be words, but a picture, a gif (Bats) or anything else that has made you smile that week. I'm not saying you can't follow along if you don't, but it's much more fun when people have some skin in the game. Don't worry if it derails the thread at all (Bats) or if it doesn't fit into the current topic. I want to hear from all of you. You all make me want to be better. On Monday, we begin again.

"One of the hardest parts of life is deciding whether to walk away or try harder" I'm going semi-simple with this challenge. Why? Because of my limited amount of brain power at the moment. Which segues nicely into Yoga/Meditation - 4 days minimum per week. I've got a bag full of cats in my brain recently and I need to get the smell of crazy off for a bit. A clear head can go a long way 0/24 Lifting - 3 days per week. I am going to find some lifts that I enjoy and that will increase my strength. Can't be Thor without some good strength. 0/18 Unicycle/Juggling/Stilt Walking - 4 days per week. My parade season won't start till the month after we end this challenge, but that means I need to get the practice going now, or I'll look rather foolish (and not in the good way) on on the streets. Kilt and bagpipes optional. I'm not sure when I will get stilts, but I would like to try them out. And, as a part of this, I need to get at least pictures, if not video of a few practices. We'll see how this goes... 0/24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jCmfKHzafk Side Quest 1: I need to eat less and stop snacking after 8pm. I am going to not finish the kids' food at dinners when they don't eat it all. I will slow down my eating speed and recognize when I am full. This will be hard for me, but it should help me get down to the size 38 pants I want to stay in. Side Quest 2: Find something that I want to do with my life and start doing it. I'm tired of waking up and not being excited for my work day. I will make a significant step in that direction before the 6 weeks are up. This will be either getting enrolled in school, taking an interview that I want, or getting a business plan on paper so I can have my own business. I may or may not come up with more side quests. We'll see how that goes. I now await the beginning of the challenge.