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An odd choice of title for the end of summer/beginning of autumn, but I never was one for good timing. After a few (3-4?) months of not making time for exercise, it's time to get back to it. Being on the other side of 40 also means more creaks, pains, and more time to recover from said creaks and pains. So, in an effort to get more movement into my day and to help address the stiffness that comes with more time on the planet, I'll be keeping this challenge simple: 10 minutes of sun salutations before each working day That's it. That's the entire challenge. However, there will be more to report here: I really miss the iron and feeling strong and capable, so I will likely get back to that at some point, BUT it is NOT part of the challenge. There is no passing or failing regarding number of weightlifting sessions. The ONLY thing for this challenge is yoga before work. There will also likely be some nutrition/cooking attention, BUT it is NOT part of the challenge. There is no passing or failing regarding nutrition or the quality thereof. The ONLY thing for this challenge is yoga before work. There will also likely be some sewing/crafting/projects, BUT it is NOT part of the challenge. There is no passing or failing regarding sewing or crafting progress. The ONLY thing for this challenge is yoga before work. There will also likely be some house maintenance/projects, BUT it is NOT part of the challenge. There is no passing or failing regarding house maintenance. The ONLY thing for this challenge is yoga before work. Hopefully that keeps it clear enough in my head that I can remember what success looks like for this challenge and not drift into something more complex/difficult.

Y’all. I’m back and I didn’t die in yoga school - it was just overwhelming. I’m back to “normal” life - my version, at least, and am now a certified yoga teacher! I’ll update later with a laundry list of shit I need to do to get all that off the ground, but wanted to jump on while I was thinking about it and remembered that @DarK_RaideR pinged me what I thought was a couple days ago, but must have been almost a week? A short thing on the horizon y’all should absolutely yell at me if I don’t post a link for in the next 24 hours: I’m starting off my yoga career by offering a weekly online class! 9am EST / 2pm London / 4pm Doha time on Sundays. It’ll be free - details coming soon. Promise. Along with more details on my whole practice. And, like, my class. Which was amazing.

Hi guys, I have a confession to make: I have a tendency to consume a lot of self-help books and podcasts, but then doing nothing with them. Eating that frog, atomica habits, getting things done, etc., I have read them all at some point in time. I didn't do anything with it mostly because I don't have super concrete goals, and hence I had no idea what to use all those ideas for. I'm pretty happy with my life right now: I just got married to an amazing husband, I have two cats and a good job, plenty of hobbies and my physical health is great. My mental health is up and down as always, but there is not a lot I can do about that (hi autistic brain ). Anyway, I have some vague ideas about what I would like more in life, but nothing concrete. Think of things like "declutter house & design/get new living room", "feel more athletic" and "do stuff back for society/environment". Do I really want to do those? What would it look like if I achieve them? What is most important to me? Anyway, recently I finally stumbled on a self-help book that starts with goal-setting, and the general tone of that goal-setting really clicked to me. It's basically making a 5-year plan with different granularity, where the next month is super concrete and the last years are really vague. I want to try this out, and hence this challenge. There are 7 chapters in getting to a roadmap, and there are 5 weeks in this challenge, so I have slightly more than one chapter per week, which sounds doable. On top of that, I want to make it a habit again to use my bujo in the morning, and to do some yoga every week. I really feel better if I do yoga, even if it is as little as 10 minutes. Things that will happen but not be tracked are KB workouts, strength workouts, hikes, maybe bike rides to work and other fun physical activities .

When I was a kid, I took a personality test (this was in the days before social media...it was printed on a sheet of paper, and you had to write your answers with a pencil). It was one of those tests that asked you to imagine a journey, and to describe the things you saw on it. At one point, the adventurer came to a fork in the road before an impenetrable wood - one path was broad and smooth, and followed a gently flowing river; the other narrow and ascending to trace the edge of a rocky cliff. Which path would you choose? I said, "I go straight ahead, cutting my way into the woods." On the "other side" of the wall of vines and brush, I imagined a thick overhead canopy, but a cool and leaf-strewn floor with puddles of water from recently fallen rain. I bent and took a drink, then plunged ahead. In this phase of life I continue to emerge from years of contemplation in which I tried to move away from a more aggressive nature and make peace with the world as it is. To a certain extent, that has been helpful. But there is a part of me that has been neglected, and the long road to integration requires that I plunge into some difficult terrain from time to time. In this challenge I will continue to reintegrate martial arts practice, further re-wild my diet, and press onward in the way of the peaceful warrior. Body: Fuel - 6 cups of colorful fruits and veggies daily minimum (target 9), plus clean protein and healthy fat for balanced macros and calories. Hydrate - 4 liters of water per day (green tea counts) Strengthen - minimum 2x aerobic run & 2x taekwon-yo (taekwondo with yoga and pilates conditioning) weekly (Target 3 each) Mind: Sleep - to bed by 11, up by 5:30 on weekdays -- we're trying a shorter sleep window as a minimum and counting the fifth cycle as a plus. Happiness Project - prune dead end "wants" (projects I'll never actually do), practice mindful enjoyment when negative self-talk starts Read - non-fiction audiobooks on commute, fiction at night Soul: Home - do something daily to improve the family home, beyond chores (actual do it this time) Meditate - daily in morning or bedtime or both, micro-meditations throughout the day Friendship - stop to listen, ground anxiety, seek connection. No points, just doing my best. Happy hunting!

I leave for my yoga teacher training in about a week. This course is 200 hours spread over 30 days in Canggu, Bali, Indonesia. I’m excited and anxious. I’ve done just about as much of the pre-reading I can handle - non-fiction self-helpy type books + my brain absolutely do not mesh. I’ve mostly figured out what I’m packing and have most of what I need for that. Visas are done, I’ve booked a hotel for the first 2 days I’m there before class, I’m working on getting airport transport from the hotel, and I think I know what I want to do about a SIM. DH has been briefed about all things I can brief him on - and he more or less has a plan for what he is going to do with the dogs. In the run-up, I still need to: Go to 6 yoga classes Hit the mall for a new notebook and pretty pens - + maybe stickers for my water bottle so it doesn’t get mixed up. Plus my medications, Prep some frozen foods for the pups. Finish setting my last couple recipe blog posts. Continue to work on what I want to work on - right now, that’s informational Instagrammy posts for my new teaching venture, picking a name to go under, etc. Ooh. And I want nice colored pencils so I can color my yoga anatomy book. Not sure exactly what I’m doing challenge-wise, but I’m sure it’ll be packing, prepping, going and doing related.

I'm back after a long hiatus! Things are a lot different for me since the last time I was here (I moved countries twice, became a parent to two cats and a small human etc) and I've been getting back into fitness and a reasonable diet in a fairly consistent way for the last month and a half or so and I'd like it to stick this time. I do have an idea of a weight and size I'd like to be and all that, but this challenge isn't about that so much as it is about making my routine easier to stick to and actually sticking to it. The way I've been things lately is sort of working because my partner and I are currently living with family and I'm unemployed so I'm basically responsible for child care and not much else, which means that I can cram in some good exercise during the small one's nap time. The problem with that is it means that I'm not really getting ready to leave the house until the afternoon (because who wants to shower before a workout and then again after when you can just do it once). So I'd like to move my exercise to the start of the day. This has a number of other benefits, like starting the day with a sense of accomplishment, getting the exercise portion of the day done before anything else can interfere, having the ability to move my exercise outside before it's too hot and perhaps most importantly, freeing up the tiny human's nap time to do something else. It does have the pitfall of having to actually get up. Without further ado, here are my tentative goals: 1. Sleep routine for the small one and me (WIS +3) This is going to be a few sub-goals, but they're all working together. Bedtime for baby: We've been a bit willy-nilly about bedtime, but the small one is 14 months old, which is a reasonable time to get into a more consistent routine. The goal will be an end to screens around the small one at 8 pm (small one doesn't get a screen, but there are screens around), then a 9 pm start to the bed time routine with a goal of a 10 pm sleeping time every night. (/7) Bedtime for me: In bed with the lights out by midnight. This might be more of a challenge early on because my partner has started a new job and has a weird shift pattern, but it would set me up to... (/6) Wake up at the crack of 8 am 7:30 am: assuming me waking up doesn't also wake up the small one, this should give me enough time to get in all my workouts. I may need to shift this a bit earlier, but I will try 8 7:30 and see how it goes. I will give myself one day of extra rest a week, so this should happen six days a week. (/6) 2. Daily Yoga (STR +1, DEX +2) Or nearly-daily. I'd like to aim for six sessions a week. (/6) 3. Calisthenics (STR +2, STA +1) Three sessions of body-weight workouts a week. This will usually be done following a video because otherwise I slack too much. (/3) 4. Aerobics (DEX +1, STA +2) Three sessions of aerobics a week. This is always going to be done following a video to the best of my ability. (/3) 5. Eat my fruits and veggies (CON +3) I'm aiming for at least 5 servings a day every day. I've been doing intermittent fasting (16:8) and have been trying to make sensible choices and it seems to be going well, so I just want to make sure I'm getting those in. (/7) And I apparently forgot that way back when I was last here, I'd been assigning points for these... I will have to review a bit and update with those (and maybe adjust the formatting). I'm not sure I'll keep my old stats or if I'm just re-rolling or what. I will be trialing everything during week 0 and making adjustments if needed. Edit: updated formatting and added stat assignments (missing a +1 somewhere). I'm still not sure if I'll be adding to my previous assignments or re-rolling, but I don't really have to decide that just now. Edit 2: minor tweaks and scoring added.

When does this one end? Late July? From now to then: Continued yoga 5 - 6 days a week Finish my holiday me-made wardrobe bits (sewing a tea length dress, drafting and sewing a circle dress, sewing a crop top, drafting, sewing and ruching another top, fixing a hem). Holiday in Greece & meeting up with our very own @DarK_RaideR Studying? Maybe? Prep for the next big curveball I’ve decided to throw myself …. A 200Hr Yoga Teacher Training course. I’ve got a list of required reading to do before early August, and a few things to grab for the trip. I’m sure I should have more goals or things to keep in mind, but I’ve had squirrel brain all day and am doing well to not spin out.

When the stockings are hung by the fireplace, and the snow is falling, and the mince pies and sherry have been left out for the Hogfather, and everyone is settled in for the end of the year, there is only one question left: have you been naughty or nice? That's it. That's the challenge. Along the way, I'm going to lean into hibernation. A week of meditation retreat, a week of extra sleep, a week of intermittent fasting (and feasting). I'm going to lean into all the martial arts/meditation "soft is better than hard" and "do less" mottos, and treat every under-performance or attention failure as a reason to rest more. I'm going to try to solidify my evening workout and metta meditation before bed. What I'd like to add is consistency with a daily walk, preferably first thing in the morning, and for mindfulness meditation. And I'm going to aim for a lot of holiday cheer. As close to a fatal dose of winter hygge as I can manage. Mandatory hot cocoa. table { --palette-red: #7b0a0a; --palette-cream: #e5d5bb; --palette-tan: #b2a288; --palette-lgreen: #668c6f; --palette-dgreen: #213c18;} table.plan { border: 2px var(--palette-dgreen); Border-top: 50px; Border-bottpm: 50px; background-color: var(--palette-lgreen); Width: 100%; Color: var(--palette-dgreen); } .plan tr:nth-child(even) { Background-color: var(--palette-cream); } .plan tr:nth-child(8n+1) { background: var(--palette-dgreen); color: var(--palette-cream); font-weight: bold; text-align: center; } .plan td:nth-child(4n+1) { Background-color: var(--palette-dgreen); color: var(--palette-cream); font-weight: bold; text-align: right; } .plan td:nth-child(4n-0) { font-weight: bold; text-align: center;background:var(--palette-dgreen); } table.tally { border: 1px solid var(--palette-red); Background-color: var(--palette-tan); Width: 100%; Color: var(--palette-dgreen); } .tally tr:nth-child(even) { Background-color: var(--palette-cream); } .tally tr:nth-child(9n+0) { background: var(--palette-red); color: var(--palette-cream); font-weight: bold; text-align: center; } .tally tr:nth-child(9n+1) { background: var(--palette-red); color: var(--palette-cream); font-weight: bold; text-align: center; } .tally td { } .tally td:nth-child(4n+1) { Background-color: var(--palette-red); color: var(--palette-lgreen); font-weight: bold; text-align: right; } .tally td:nth-child(4n-0) { font-weight: bold; text-align: center;background:#7b0a0a; } Day Plans Hogswatch Cheer 🎄 M28 Winter clothes Digital job Fix Christmas lights Xmas movie Warm socks next to the bed T29 Wrap early gifts Schedule Doctor Who Xmas specials Xmas movie W30 Online zendo hours Get dates for events Redo work schedule Xmas movie Th1 Winter clothes Start all the yule logs Xmas movie F2 Find winter boots Get out lights Xmas movie S3 Garden task 12/5 prep Xmas movie Su4 Seasonal baking Find a timer Restock the hot cocoa stash Xmas movie Plans Hogswatch Cheer 🎁 M5 Date to watch Xmas movie Batch of eggnog week T6 Start meditation week Time scarcity week Xmas movie W7 Th8 F9 Finish project A S10 Su11 Seasonal baking Plans Hogswatch Cheer ⛄ M12 IF week Test morning routines T13 W14 Th15 Date to watch F16 S17 Su18 Seasonal baking Plans Hogswatch Cheer 🎄 M19 T20 W21 Th22 F23 S24 Su25 Hogswatch #1 Plans Hogswatch Cheer 🕯️ M26 Day off T27 Annual review Annual plan W28 Th29 F30 S31 Hogswatch #2 Su1 Tracking template:

I've been reflecting on what does and doesn't work for me as I get back into fitness after 18 months of slothdom, and I think the key to setting manageable and sustainable goals for myself is to be modest in my expectations for myself. I need to build my endurance and stamina up from basically nothing. I need to build a foundation first, so that I can later push myself and see what I'm really capable of while avoiding injury. Goals 1. Do 4x-5x jog-walk intervals each week, aiming to improve in distance by a little each week. 2. Do a yoga sequence after each jogging session (habit stacking!). 3. Drink 16 ounces of water before every meal.

Hi, I'm AuntDinosaur and was last active (on NF and in life) over five years ago, but I'm back as a Druid-in-training rookie. I'm 37, in the midwest US, and most recently a pastry chef, currently unemployed. Not walking to work or working in a kitchen has dropped my activity level to sedentary, and I definitely notice the effects on my body and mood. My physical goals are to move and stretch more, to build strength, stamina, and flexibility. I used to be pretty active in yoga and Pilates, and would like to get back into that. I also purchased GMB Elements last year and want to, you know, actually do it. On your mark. Get set. BAKE! Roll out the mat. Get on the mat and do something. A mix of yoga and pilates, aiming for around 15 minutes per day, but working under Mini Habits rules of committing to 'just one' a day. 5x per week Week One: [X] [X] [X] [] [] Week Two: [] [] [] [] [] Week Three: [] [] [] [] [] Week Four: [] [] [] [] [] Week Five: [] [] [] [] [] Move it. Shape it. Continue GMB Elements program three times per week. 3x per week (MWF) Week One: [X] [X] [] Week Two: [] [] [] Week Three: [] [] [] Week Four: [] [] [] Week Five: [] [] [] The Big Finish* To catch up on my Goodreads challenge and clear out my TBR and SCR (Simultaneous Current Reads) piles, I need to finish five books. These books do not have to be started during the challenge, as I'm halfway through at least three books right now. I would also like to start posting reviews of books** on Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram, and my website. During this challenge, I will write and post five reviews to social media. The five reviews do not have to be of the five books I finished this challenge. Book reviews for my own blog will require me making food and taking pictures, so those are just super-extra-yay points if I do any during this challenge. *Several books on my TBR are romance and I am not sorry for this pun. **Mainly cozy mystery, LGBTQ+ romcoms and culinary romcoms, or something to do with dragons. Finish 5 books. Review 5 books. Book One: Book Two: Book Three: Book Four: Book Five: Review One: Review Two: Review Three: Review Four: Review Five:

"In the Beginning" by David Whyte Sometimes simplicity rises like a blossom of fire from the white silk of your own skin. You were there in the beginning you heard the story, you heard the merciless and tender words telling you where you had to go. Exile is never easy and the journey itself leaves a bitter taste. But then, when you heard that voice, you had to go. You couldn't sit by the fire, you couldn't live so close to the live flame of that compassion you had to go out in the world and make it your own so you could come back with that flame in your voice, saying listen... this warmth, this unbearable light, this fearful love... It is all here, it is all here. For this challenge, I will be recovering, both from an impact injury to my back after running a 15 mile race and to my heart after some changes to the dynamic of our family (no, I'm not getting divorced). I decided to follow the advice I've been given several times when I have felt overwhelmed. Keep it simple... Simple Morning Routine: 0445 wakeup read (scripture, poetry, philosophy, etc.) meditate/pray get grounded (bare feet on the earth) Simple Workout: 20 minutes a day of any activity my body can handle without pain (yoga, walking, stretching, etc.) Simple Nutrition: eat real foods with simple ingredients drink simply: water, tea, coffee, juice (no energy drinks, sodas, store-bought protein drinks, etc.) And that's it. No pressure to "get it right," just the basics. I really need low-stress right now (or is low-impact a better word?). (edited to add the "drink simply" goal)

[Future Home of AuntDinosaur's Epic Quest]

The early night of winter had settled softly but firmly over our little home on the outskirts of the city, and the daytime sounds of trade and travel outside had given way to the nighttime sounds of raucous celebrations and the smells of food being prepared. My husband Eamon and I had already eaten, cleaned up and put our simple wooden dishes away, and Eamon was settled by the fire, his healing body wrapped in a warm blanket and his mind wrapped up in a book he'd waited weeks to read. I took a deep breath of contentment and let my gaze linger on the small, bright little room we called home: The one big window, the hand-smoothed walls and low ceilings, the little bedroom with our big soft bed squashed inside, the cozy kitchen and eating area connected to the rest of the house by a narrow door. It was a little cramped, yes; but I loved all the touches that we'd added to make it uniquely ours. I settled myself across from Eamon in the wooden chair he'd carved and the padded cushions I'd sewn and stuffed myself. The weather was mild and rainy, and I pulled a light blanket over my knees as I picked up my new, blank journal. With my favorite ink pen, I carefully wrote inside the cover: Sky Elvenword Nobleheart Ranger Field Journal Even though I called it that, though, I knew this journal would be different than past journals I'd kept. There wasn't as much time for hunting and exploration as there used to be, and fewer enemies to fight. Many of the pages would be filled with mundane things like recipes, or tracking my archery practice and weekend hikes. But still, it felt good to be writing again, to be tracking my progress as I learned new things. I sketched out a few ideas for topic headings: Dragon riding. Lessons twice a week, practice twice a week. Cooking. Use veggies from cellar? New grain recipes for winter? Herbs? Creativity / fun! Movement. Hiking, archery, meditation, foraging, sightseeing in the city, etc. Silver Bow practice. Keep those skills sharp! Management. House stuff, money, wife stuff. Being an adult. I doodled a few leaves and vines in the margins before setting the pen down and yawning luxuriously. It was the festival of the new year and Eamon and I got to rest for three days before going back to work. I wanted to start planning some blankets for friends' new babies, dream about a garden, and venture out for a hike in the rain. Closing the soft leather cover, I ran my fingers affectionately over its wrinkles and leaned back to doze. I couldn't wait to see what adventures would fill this journal's pages.

Long-ass background: The Body Rocks FUEL: Stick to intermittent fasting schedule with an 8-hour eating window (10am to 6 pm). Broth or miso is allowed in the evening. Proper hydration (more water) that avoids dehydration (less coffee, less alcohol). Continue the intention to eat plant-based foods until dinner. WORK: Continue the 20x20 from the last challenge past completion. At least 20 workouts, at least 20 minutes each session of: Endurance: 16 of 20 Strength: 11 of 20 Flexibility: 18 of 20 Use endurance sessions to get my 3-mile running pace up to at least 6 mph (in preparation for the fall autumn epic quest). Continue the push-up progression (10 days at 10, 20 days at 20, etc...I'm in the 30 days of 30 now). The Mental Rocks FUEL: Get the sleep routine set: go dark by 11 pm and get out of bed every day no later than 5:45 am. Read fiction at night instead of playing games on the phone. WORK: Finish the final academic quarter of my life. Use pomodoro at work to make steady progress on important but unexciting projects. The Spirit Rocks (fuel and work are one): Take a morning walk: at least 30 minutes in nature (or at least outside). Practice mindfulness three times daily: on the morning walk, in the yoga session, in the moments before sleep. Yoga streaking? Accounting: I'll use the attached table to keep score: 2 points for each workout (first three), and one point for each day I count as successful (within reasonable parameters). I'm aiming for at least 5 points per week in each category. Best wishes to all!

Multiple things have poked me to get back on NF, after a loooong absence. I've had periods in that absence when I was diligent about diet & exercise, and periods when I wasn't. Morning Routine: 5 minutes yoga, completed before 9am. Track how many days completed. Intermittent fasting: Track how much eating outside of 12pm-8pm window. PROJECT: Attempt soundproofing my barbell & plates. These give me something to build on for the next challenge. The morning routine gets me out of bed AND ACTIVE before 9, instead of sitting around staring at my phone. It keeps my workout space clear. Mornings are the best time for me to work out, and weightlifting is the most effective routine for me, but I have been making excuses because my roommate keeps late hours and is sleeping right nearby. I'm not dropping weights, but the plates and bar clanking is relatively loud. If I can reduce this to a more reasonable noise level, that is one fewer excuse available to me. I have done Intermittent Fasting occasionally in the past, and it is a good fit for me. Lunch and dinner, I am inclined to eat reasonably balanced meals. Mornings and evenings, my willpower is low and I am inclined to snack on mediocre to poor food choices. Also, I'm not inclined to do much exciting cooking, and if I am genuinely hungry at meal time, a boring healthy meal looks pretty good. So it paradoxically makes it easier for me to get in a lot of protein and veg, because I haven't filled up on snacks.

Midsummer June 12- July 23: Take Root Yoga, meditation, anti-inflammatory foods, acupuncture, sound healing, love. This Druid challenge I’m focusing on a single element: The Root. Grounded. I made some significant strides with being grounded last challenge, and this challenge I’m looking to focus on that and deepen it. From stillness comes strength. Strong roots that run deep provide the stability to weather the storm. It’s been noted in recent research that deep roots in old forests act as a communication network, allowing the trees to sense what is happening and respond, from restorative rains to rampaging wildfires, and to act accordingly in their own best interests. The Sanskrit word for root is muladhara, and from the root we receive our security and balance, our ability to be in harmony with the world, no matter what might come our way. It is associated with the color red, the slowest of all the hues in the spectrum. It serves as a reminder of our inextricable connection with Mother Earth. Nourish Flower and urban farm shares (including eggs!) and farm fresh vegetables are populating my pantry once again. I love this time of year. There’s a lot going on with needing to wash, prep and store the bounty, and then turn it into the wonderful meals that are waiting. My kidneys in particular are looking forward to this, and to the beets that are surely on their way. I’m looking to deepen my sense of abundance and sit with the miracle that is the power of the earth to produce food. All my needs are met, if I can meet the universe’s gifts. Creative Power, I haven’t felt very powerful over the last few years, and even my creativity has felt diminished. Deepening my sense of boundaries and allowing myself to take up space is essential to having personal power. The foundation of this is a strong and powerful connection with my center and with the ground. The result is an ability to express my boundaries and personal power in a loving and rooted way. Plans: This is summer, and before I was offered the job I had said yes to a whole host of summertime dogsitting. I’m honoring those commitments while also saying no to any future engagements. This is difficult for me, but necessary. I need time in my life for rest, the first part of the word restoration. I cannot be present and available when I’m depleted and scattering my energy all around. Bask : Acupuncture and milk each week help me heal and deepen my glow. I have signed up for restorative yoga sessions on every other Friday that are like a deep meditation session, and I’ll add those where and when I can. Love Visitation is supposed to be expanding, but it isn’t. Encouraging this with firm compassion is going to take some deep calm, deep wisdom, and deep love.

I had plans for this challenge. I am not using them. It's time for a special monk challenge. I need to get in touch with my inner girly monk, and I will be using my blond guru for this. After all, aikido is about elegance, and who is more elegant than Miss Piggy? Miss Piggy's Life Lessons Spirit, Determination, Grit, Confidence, Pursuit of Dreams, Beauty, Being Tough, Kicking Down Barriers with Martial Arts, International Star, Best-selling Author, Diva Kicking Down Barriers: Strength and Mobility I will lift the one I love. I will stretch the one I love. Spirit: Meditation I will meditate. (That's meditation depicted there, right? Pretty sure.) Toughness: Prioritize Sleep and Rest I will sleep well. I will schedule rest breaks timed for better performance. Kicking Down Barriers: Eat Enough I will eat enough for my metabolism to run right. (And maybe try to get some data.) Determination, Grit, and Confidence: Know What I Want I will practice knowing what I want. (This will be partly in a journal, but I also want to practice knowing what I want when I hit roadblocks in the dayor encounter task resistance, so this will evolve.) I will practice rewarding myself for incremental progress on goals to reinforce grit. Diva: Look Fabulous I will incrementally increase my fabulosity. And possibly refuse to age. International Star and Bestselling Author: Art is Important I will make art. I will make things around me beautiful. Diva Bonus: Be a Rockstar I will give myself bonus points for being more rock n' roll. Templates Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Totals Strength: At Least One Exercise Yoga Walk Eat Enough Sleep: Full Lights Out by Midnight Meditate Dopamine Increments Write Schedule of Rest Write Down What I Want (in a Journal) Make Art Make Something Pretty Fabulosity Improvement Bonus: Rock n' Roll Totals While that is a lot, most of it is things I am doing or have been working on, or fun things. It's more about noticing what I do that serves a goal, or opportunities to do something that serves a goal. I am a busy person, being a big international star, so I will just do what I feel like each day, and track it. After all, why should moi do anything she does not feel like, hmmm?

Vetinari sighed, and put down his pen. "Drumknott," he called towards the outer chamber. The clerk entered noiselessly. "Yes, my lord?" he said. The Patrician waved at the papers on his desk. "Take these away. I'm..." He trailed off, and rubbed his goatee distractedly. Drumknott cleared his throat. "Bored, sir?" He gathered up the papers on the desk into a neat sheaf. "One does not get bored of ruling a city like Ankh-Morpork, Drumknott," said Vetinari in a tone that would, in other men, be described as slightly peevish. No one ever described the patrician of Ankh-Morpork as peevish. At least, not if they valued a scorpion-free existence on the outside of the dungeon walls. It was, however, the time of year when a certain... restlessness set in. It was the same every May. One would have to be fairly close to the Patrician to notice this shift in mood, and that was precisely where most people strove not to be. Drumknott noticed. "I have taken the liberty, my lord," said Drumknott. He placed a thin file folder in front of Vetinari, and carefully squared it up. "I thought one of these might amuse." Vetinari opened the folder. He flipped past the first sheet, plucked out the second sheet for further perusal, then the third, flipped past the fourth, and paused on the fifth. "Interesting," he said. "She has been away quite some time, has she not?" "Indeed, sir," said Drumknott. "I understand she will be reporting back to work soon. The Dark Clerks have cleared a desk for her. Do you wish to send down an assignment?" "Oh, I think we should have a very special assignment waiting for Sara Kingdom," said Vetinari. He smiled thinly. A Challynge yn Foure Partes Parte I: Clerking "As a wizard, I must tell you, Havelock, that words have power." "As a politician, I must tell you I already know." I'm reading two books that talk about writing as a mental transformation habit, which I was surprised to find, cuz I've been toying with the idea of "write it down or it didn't happen" as a core principle of thinking through plans and problems - basically, the idea that if you don't make it tangible, you're probably kidding yourself on how clearly and well you really thought it through - and writing as a way of finding out what you're not aware you think, the act of recording as a necessary part of the thinking process itself. The first is inspired by Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way", but brings in more research-based stuff, and the second is one of the researchy books it's based on. So I will be hauling out the notebooks and doing a lot of writing. There will be some basic journalling to clear my head and figure out what I'm interested in these days. There will be weekly (and possibly daily) planning and review writing on sets of questions and stuff, to make myself do the job clearly and fully, and bypass the lack of focus going on. There may even be an experiment with expressive writing as a way of processing and clearing the head of various bits of negative flotsam and jetsam it stalls out on, or has to keep handling. (Doesn't sound like a barrel of laughs, but the science is good.) Basically, a lot of writing. A ton of writing. Parte II: Monking "Time has stopped for everyone but you," said Sweeper patiently. "Actually, that sentence is wrong in every particular, but it’s quite a useful lie." Lately, I've been managing to sleep purely by doing very deliberate physical and mental stillness meditations in bed. It's ridiculously hard. This is not normal for me, at least in recent years, so it's a big sign that my meditation habit needs to come back in a big way. If my brain is buzzing that hard when I'm trying to sleep, it's probably jangling that hard all the time, and that can't be helping anything. So I'm gonna learn how to stop time and get some stillness back with meditation. Parte III: Patrolling Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles. This part is simple. Walking. I will patrol my city. Parte IV: Assassining The Assassin moved quietly from roof to roof until he was well away from the excitement around the Watch House. His movements could be called catlike, except that he did not stop to spray urine up against things. Strength and mobility training, for scaling rooftops and things. The strength training will start with a continuation of the previous challenge's isometric stuff: horse stance (static squat), planks, ITWY exercises, and some bridge. When my schedule gets wrangled into shape, I will try to get some daily yoga before bed, but it's not gonna be a week 1 kinda goal. It was a Guild of Assassins, after all. Black was what you wore. The night was black and so were you. And black had such style, and an Assassin without style, everyone agreed, was just a highly paid arrogant thug. Pure bonus material, but I think some wearing of black and stylishness should get points. A lot of aikido teachers will tell you to focus on elegance, and putting the focus on the process rather than the goal tends to improve the efficacy. I've noticed this with writing, too; a focus on elegant handwriting tends to slow down and smooth the jangly bits in the brain and the content becomes better. Ye Planne The plan is not to jump into doing all of this at once, because I'm currently at very low capacity for getting things done and adding things to my list, but to step up how much I'm doing during the challenge. Some goals aren't even on my list for the initial week or two, and the rest, for the first couple of weeks, I'll be fine with hitting them half the days. Doing something half the days is better than zero of the days, and I'm going to need some time to try to find a good schedule time for them. Wrangling my schedule, especially when it comes to sleep, is turning out to be a big obstacle, so I'm starting by doing just what helps get that stabilized better. Template: Week 0 Day 1 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Meditation Journal Written Plans & Reviews Emotive Writing Exercise Walking Strength Yoga Assassin Style Bonus

Back to another ‘I won’t be home for most of this Cycle’ challenge. It’s back to hotel life for a few weeks, and a movement shift is in order. I’m still looking to see if there are any good looking daytime yoga classes anywhere near where I’ll be, but thus far - nada. It looks like people are sliding from Ramadan timings to Summer Hours. Boo. That’s fine. I’ve got some inversion homework from one of my teachers, another that has moved to the UK has posted a host of YouTube flows, and I’ll have access to a fairly decent gym if I remember correctly. My big challenge is going to be doing what I need to do motivation-wise to ensure I get a good workout in (i.e. forcing myself to get ready out of order by wearing contacts + workout clothes to breakfast and showering after the gym), and not eating anything too crazy. Or at least not too many crazy meals. Alcohol won’t be an issue. Movement Get something done each day. A trip to the hotel gym, a yoga class out in town, a flow in my hotel room, a mall walk - something. Nutrition Simple breakfasts - most likely back to my egg/spinach/mushroom combo; if I remember correctly, this hotel has soy milk for coffee but that’s it on the dairy-free front. I *think* they also do eggs. At least scrambled. Don’t go too crazy at dinner - watch my hunger cues if I’m getting any that day, otherwise aim for 80% of my plate. Err on the side of veggies when possible. Other I’m bringing a big crochet project and my iPad for drawing, so should be good there. I had intended on bringing a sewing project as well, but didn’t have *quite* enough fusible fleece to complete 1 bag. Boo. I got everything I have cut though. I think that’s mostly it while we are gone. I need to do some scrapbook stuff finding/scrap filling once I get another book - it looks like my Smash Book journals may have been discontinued (at least on Amazon), so I need to find an alternative. I also want to continue working to step up my wardrobe game a bit and may look for some more “fun” pieces while we are gone. I got a super cute but plain orange sun dress while in Paris (I was excited to see a Uniqlo) and a really pretty silk scarf from the Van Gogh Museum I can use to zhuzh up an otherwise basic outfit. Hopefully I can still get away with the jeans I bought right before we left for at least most of the trip - I’ll mostly be living in lounge wear, but we will be hitting the mall pretty much every night. Should be enough a/c so I don’t melt completely. It’s only in the low 90s. I think that’s it for this challenge. The last week or so will be spent rebuilding my yoga schedule, snuggling the pups, and re-acquainting myself with the current grocery stock.

Beltane May 1 - June 11: Bloom Where You’re Planted Yoga, meditation, anti-inflammatory foods, gardening, composting (with worms!!), love. Welcome to a truly Druidic Challenge. Grounded. Like an errant teenager or an injured pilot, like the third prong on the electrical plug, this challenge I am grounded, or looking to get that way. Me, being me, I’m taking this as literally as I take everything else, and I’m looking to dirt and roots to help me out. Even my yoga sessions are on the ground, and meditation is definitely that way. Nourish Flower and urban farm shares (including eggs!) start this week. Nearby farm vegetable delivery starts May 17. I need to make sure I have the fridge and tools prepared and waiting. Eating farm-to-table is a mindset more than an activity, and having the right structure in place makes all the difference. Weekly vegetable delivery means weekly cooking. Last year was a wash with me having no motivation or energy. Truly, it was a sad year on the cooking front. Looking forward to this year in the kitchen. Vermicomposting, the nerdiest druid thing to happen in the dirt. I’m super excited about this. I’ve wanted to do indoor vermicomposting for years, and am finally making this happen. I have the composter ready to be assembled, and lots of thoughts about worms. The composter isn’t large, but every square inch matters in this small apartment, so I’ll need to figure out where it will live and how collecting vegetable scraps and tea leaves will fit into the workflow. Plants! Vivian wants to plant roses and lavender in containers on the rooftop terrace, and I want to have fresh herbs again, especially rosemary and basil, and possibly sunflowers. Look for green thumb reports. Bask I’m kicking the challenge off with a session of sound bowl healing, one of my favorite activities. A second session is scheduled for the first week of June as well. The weather is warming up and there’s a couple free yoga sessions each week with an instructor I really like, so I’m adding those to the calendar, in pencil as my energy level allows. Acupuncture and milk each week help me keep my glow. I have two passes for a salt float (similar to a sensory deprivation tank, but larger) that are like a deep meditation session, and I’ll add those where and when I can. Love I get to see Vivian every other Saturday, still, and we are supposed to start adding in time on the following Sundays, as well as video chats on the Friday before. I’m looking forward to that. Academic Housekeeping: I need to finish up the semester projects and send them off. I’ve been dragging my feet and will have them done and turned in by the end of zero week.

Whew! That last challenge was a real doozy, but I made it! I am now officially graduated from my MA program 🥳 and just got back into town late last night (the ceremony was several states away from home since it was an online program). It's the last two-ish weeks of the classes I teach and my doctor cleared me to do gentle workouts (with a few "extra" restrictions since we're getting ready to do IVF). I'm finally over that mountain I've been slowly climbing for a long time now - in the case of the MA, 3 years! - and have found myself wondering...what now? What do I do with all this time I've suddenly "found"? What goes in those sections of my daily journal entry anymore? What happens next after the big goal has been achieved? This is something I've often found myself struggling with after big events like this, so I'm not wildly surprised. Still, there is a little bit to finish off here but I've found the best way for me to move forward when I feel like this is to relax a little bit but think up some new goals to set or I end up becoming one of those people who putter around doing nothing and then wonder how in the world they wasted an entire day/week/month/summer, so it's time to start dreaming up the next steps! Quest One: Fitness Okay so here are the rules according to my doctors: 1) start very slow and add time/frequency only if my body is responding well 2) walking or light jogging is okay except during egg retrieval week - no sprints or hard pacing (I believe walking is okay during egg retrieval week but not jogging, I will double check that) 3) No quick changes of body position, especially twisting - slow changes are okay as long as I don't feel any pain 4) Yoga is okay, but no inversion stuff (which could be a challenge, but I hate downward dog anyway so at least there's that?) 5) Be careful of my heart rate - try to keep it under 160, but it's running fast right now anyway, so I have to be extra cautious here 6) Try my best not to work out for more than 30 minutes at a time So with all of that said, my goal is to start with workouts 1x a week that are less than 30 minutes. I'm going to focus on walking and careful yoga with some light jogging - think like C25K but an extra slow, short version. Quest Two: Nutrition I'm still trying to gain weight, as well as improve my nutrient stores in preparation for pregnancy. I got this app called Sidekick that has a bunch of recipe "packs" that are supposed to allow for variety in healthy meals while minimizing food waste. My goal is going to be to cook recipes, probably from this app, 1x or 2x a week that still focus on protein while also including foods (mainly produce) I don't usually eat. This might be a single ingredient or a whole bunch, but the idea is that I get a wider variety of nutrients if I eat a wider variety of foods. Also I love to cook but haven't had time or energy during the last year or so of grad school crunch, so this is a way to get me back into a hobby I enjoy while also meeting a health goal! My weigh-in this morning was at 131.8 but I'm pretty sure that's only because I spent the last 5 days eating mostly takeout and sitting on my butt driving for hours on end. Quest Three: School Well, just because I graduated doesn't mean I'm done! I have the school that I teach in, but I also already have my eye on the next graduate program I want to do - my MA in Romance Languages (which will end up being dual degrees in Spanish and French). I promised my husband I'd take at least a year off before applying to the new program, but some prep in the meanwhile will help me a LOT once I get in! Goals for work: 1) send in dual-credit form to get that process started (I'm trying to get a local university to offer dual credit to my advanced students) 2) finish French 1, Unit 7 curriculum so that's prepped and ready to go in August 3) make the list of realia for my co-worker's son to try to gather for my French classes during his short trip to Paris this summer Goals for the second grad program: 1) find and read a French or Spanish chapter book - I own several of these, I just have to find them and pick one Quest Four: Personal Because if I don't make it a quest, I will get too obsessed with work or random social media nonsense to take up all my time. Either way, goals for my home and family tend to get pushed off, so this is the perfect time to bring them closer to the forefront! Goals: 1) work on my son's quilt - finish through row 15 (I'm currently barely beginning row 12) 2) reach out to a realtor so we can start looking at houses in the neighborhoods we want to move to sometime in the next two years 3) declutter the master bedroom/closet partly for home showing purposes but also because it's a mess. This includes my closet, the floor in front of the closet, the overflowing hamper (which will require a good amount of laundry!), the top of the chest at the foot of our bed (though I can start putting things into said chest, as it's currently empty), and weirdly enough the lamp next to my closet, which has some shelves built into it which tend to collect random hats, scarves, etc. This is not nearly enough to make the house ready to show, but it's a good start especially because I would love to paint our bedroom in June!

After years away from this place, i am back. This used to work so well for me years ago, i feel like it will again this time. I have a lot going on... New job since january. That i adore! And now we are missing some staff so it's a bit hard and stressfull. Time management is important and it's not my strenght. I just finished my 5 year cegep classes last week in building mechanics. Still waiting for my last exam grade to celebrate. Graduation ceremony is may 21st. I want to steadily build my doterra business. Very slowly, but consistently. As a side huslte, to gain more leadership. The goal is not to replace my job sonce i love it. Just to build something i love that uses other strenghts i have. I have 2 boys, 12&7 and an awesome partner i don't want to neglect. And this week i am starting an online 200h yoga teacher training until august. This has been a dream of mine for years. And it will take a lot more time and commitment than i initially expected. But i am all in. So, balancing all that, with my level of energy and my chronic illness (cystic fibrosis) is the current challenge. My main quest: - do all my treatments daily in the morning - sleep enough (~8h) - move a little every day: yoga for YTT in the morning; walk during lunch - meditate daily to unwind and destress (being mindfull, do some cardiac coherence breath between quotes at work, mindfull knitting a project at night) - date night weekly, quality couple time - spend quality time daily with the kids, 100% present. Doesn't have to be long. Side quests : - ytt: do all required reading, practices and study for the week - make lunches, no take out - 2 contacts/follow ups a day with doterra, caring for existing clients

It’s my least favorite month of the year again - Ramadan. Fingers crossed that having 2 years in lockdown during Ramadan will reset the tendency for every business to completely flip their schedules - or shut completely - for the entire month. I think at least yoga will keep a normal-ish schedule this year since the clientele is now majority Western. Still no food or beverage allowed during daylight hours outside, no alcohol and no live music (ever) either. Which is a bummer, since the two big outdoor venues finally got their shit together just in time to close for a month and reopen for maaaaaybe 2 weeks before closing down for the season (until November). Rumor has it the Ministry canceled at least a chunk of the live gigs this weekend in early prep for Ramadan (no idea why other than passive aggressiveness - there have been other ‘knickers in a twist’ things going on in town. I have a feeling this year is going to see all sorts of Westernification pushback in advance of the World Cup and the concessions that will need to be made there. Boo. At least I won’t have to deal much with external negativity, since I a: no longer talk to the group that loved nothing more than to whine about Ramadan daily, and b: aren’t forcing myself to be social through coffee groups with randos. #hermitlife has its perks - all the drama will be of my own making. I will be bummed to miss my weekly post-yoga matcha with those friends. Maybe we can still sit & chat in the outdoor seating of the cafe without being chased off by security. One of these years, I’ll get on the ball and do a month long ashram type deal - that’s a fairly popular thing to do here (use Ramadan as an excuse to do a hard reset), and having a month to work on growth would definitely be a nice thing. Hmmmm …. Maybe I should cobble something together…. DH will be gone for most of this challenge. We’ll also be going on a fun vacation at the end of this cycle - going to visit our friends that moved from here & had a baby + check out Paris for a few days. So that should be fun. I’ve got 90% of the Paris trip planned as well as I want to plan it (Google maps with points of interest/shops/restaurants flagged & a couple tours booked in - + tattoo appointments for the both of us). I’m planning zero things for Amsterdam, since the friend has already got that handled. She’s slightly excited. So. This challenge will be mostly just me, living that temporarily #singleladies life. This sounds like the perfect time to try and force the bulb of growth. Which may end badly; or may get some shit started. Let’s roll those dice and see. PLANNING Nutrition: It’s getting hot so I want “girl spa” food. DH also won’t be home, so shrimp & fruit it is. Maybe. Or maybe ill do vegetarian-lite? I’m in a slightly better place closet-wise, though everything i just pulled to try on of course smells lightly of mildew, since none of it saw the light of day through last mold season… eew. I’ll need to do another mass closet send off to have things cleaned. Should also do a full try on at the same time. I may just segregate out what I don’t fit in if i still cant bear to toss it. Movement: Yoga, yoga, yoga. Maybe extra yoga on top of my 5 classes? Bulbs: Business stuff in case that launches (website, logo, social media, Etsy), Skillshare to learn new things, new craft projects, I’m feeling the yen to draw again. Maybe do something else with home decor. I’m not quite sure what else ill get up to this cycle. We shall see. More tattoo planning to be sure at the least.

I'm actually really pleased with how things went last month, so I'm going to keep going with a few modifications. -Yoga will go from 5 days per week back up to 6. I definitely notice a difference if I go two days in a row without doing anything. Crow practice will still be on Mondays. -Maintaining good posture will be expanded to proper TMJ care. I've being seeing a physical therapist who gave me stretches and advice to do at various times throughout the week and I have to admit I haven't been amazing at keeping up the routine. So...getting more diligent with that. I'm going to program reminders into my calendar so that I really can't forget. So, in summery: -Yoga 6/7 days. Mondays are for crow practice. -Maintaining a proper TMJ routine. -Coming in at/under my MFP targets -Only enjoying restaurants/take out if I am with other people. To be honest, the last week has been incredibly off. It always is whenever family comes to visit, so I need to get back into my normal routine. Let's do it.

This new challenge is all about exploring the habits I’ve been working on since I respawned here back in November. A little poking, a little prodding, and not being afraid to see what happens when I shake up the habits I have to make something new. Habits I’m bringing over from last challenge: 🌟Only eat take out or at a restaurant if I am with other people or involved in some kind of social event. This wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, and I feel so great knowing I can go into a kitchen without blowing something up. New habits to form and challenges to take on: 🌟 I’ll be keeping up with my yoga practice, going at least five days per week. However, Mondays will be dedicated to learning crow pose. I’ve found some videos that will hopefully help me on this journey. Even if I don’t fully accomplish the pose, I at least want to start to learn something new and grow from there. 🌟 Posture. I have terrible posture and with my TMJ problems getting worse, I think my body could benefit from me caring a bit more about how I sit. If there’s one thing I’ve discovered as I get help dealing with my uncooperative jaw, it’s that everything is connected in so many subtle ways. It’s been so interesting to see how the neck/back/spine has been impacting my jaw, and I want to see more progress there. Plus, maybe it will give me a confidence boost, and I won’t say no to that. 🌟 Meet my My Fitness Pal calorie targets…most of the time, and continuing to track no matter what. I don’t want to be unreasonable, because that sounds like the quickest way to failing and ending up back where I started. I have some good food habits and some bad ones, and I want to eat better over all and lose weight, but I also want to learn what works while not totally removing the enjoyment from my life. Grabbing pizza and a drink on the weekend with friends is not off limits. The goal it to simply keep track, and not overdo it with the mindless snacking/stress eating/boredom-work-from-home-cupboard-adventures on a daily basis.