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To quote the great LL Cool J I been here for years now that you've got that ear worm ... onto the main event! Goal 1 - Avenue of Giants Half-Marathon Keeping up the training and running the race! A minimum of 2 midweek runs plus a long run on the weekend Goal 2 - Reduce Booze 5 drinks per week, minimize the each day drink Goal 3 - Finish and Release RPG content I've beenn working on an ICRPG module called A Port in A Space Storm, and I wanna get it released by end of the challenge Goal 4 - Keep Reading I need to keep reading and expanding my knowledge base Just finished David Edding's The Elenium trilogy and moved on to The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany. This is the list of recommendations I have currently - not sure I'll read all of them but definitely worth look into Black Easter by James Blish The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson Star of the Unborn by Franz Werfel The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle Jean le Flambeur trilogy Imperial Radach trilogy Revenger trilogy Book of the New Son Culture novels by I.M. Banks Eisenhorn Omnibus Ravenor omnibus The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester Random Acts Of Senseless Violence by Jack Womack Stand On Zanzibar by John Brunner Startide Rising (David Brin) Heart of the Comet (David Brin and Gregory Benford) Hyperion (Dan Simmons)

I'd been thinking about doing a challenge to help me in my (suspected) COVID recovery, but hadn't gotten very far on the specifics when I came on here two days ago to see when the next challenge was. Surprise! I went ahead and started a topic to anchor my commitment to doing this one. The last two years have been quite a series of adventures and lessons. And, I have several more big ones planned for the next couple years that I need to get ready for. Expect to see goals beyond simply recovering. I've got hikes and back country travel planned–and plenty of other adventures–as soon as I am able to do so again. Stories, photos, artwork will be sprinkled liberally throughout. This gal has been rediscovering her younger wild nature child self the last couple years! I have also discovered that I have an additional spirit animal as I immerse myself in my sixties. (Ha!) 😄 River Otters at Sequoia Park Zoo, Eureka, California. There will be more pictures of them... Stealthily shot out the door of my rental cottage on the shores of Cordova Bay, British Columbia, Canada, March, 2020 Juvenile Bald Eagle and ravens. So, goals. I got back on the soda and put on weight during the last two years. A sedentary lifestyle of sitting behind a computer for hours on end is not my friend and I've used sugar and caffeine to moderate my moods, energy, and attention span. My programming job is fast-paced and stressful, and there habits are not helping that either,. They are creating a long term form of health debt which, having just recently turned 62, is a really stupid thing to be doing. I want to live to be a healthy, happy, badass old lady, which means I need to reverse course on the stupid ass habits now, and build towards those big items in my bucket list. My health scare the last few months was a much needed wake up call. OBJECTIVES I resolve to use the next five weeks to: 1) Reduce my soda consumption 2) Increase my physical activity 3) Reduce my stress level 4) Create cool stuff GOALS Turning those into specific, measurable goals, each with an associated "WHY" for motivation: 1) Reduce my soda consumption to 25% (or less) of what I am currently drinking, with the end goal of being 100% soda free on or before November 1st, 2020. I'm not even sure how much I'm drinking, but it is a lot, so I need to track it throughout the challenge. Knowing how I am about tracking a bad habit, if I am diligent enough with it, I will eventually reach a tipping point where it's easier to just stop the habit than to keep tracking it. Shadowlion psychology... Make my environment conducive to quitting - have filtered water, ice, green tea, and yerba mate on hand and the ice tea made ahead of time to make substitutions easier. See if I can get D's buy in to purge the fizzy stuff from the house. Or to at least not drink it in front of me. This will help me lose weight and improve my overall health, leading to a faster recovery. I want to be able to hike harder trails sooner so that I can get those Arizona Trail section hikes in! (Hopefully some of the easier ones in Spring 2021.) Why? I want long term health and independence as I age, and to get those long section and thru hikes in before I get too old! 2) Increase my physical activity gradually, and as steadily as possible, given that I am still recovering from COVID-19 and am still quite de-conditioned from it. Increase my daily short walks and/or exercise biking beyond my current walking max of three circumambulations around the backyard or biking max of .5 miles in 30 minutes per day. Increase the variety of my free weight exercises as my costochondritis and joint pain heal. Increase weights, gradually and steadily, as I am able. My goal is to increase either intensity or duration by about 20% per week. Keep a log to help me gauge when I am ready to increase. In keeping with my otter photo above, make it FUN! Why? I want to regain my stamina and ability to do everyday things around the house, to be able to hold up my end of things. Longer term, I want to be able to haul my pack and photo equipment around easily for my hikes and other excursions, and to be able to move back up to the mountains and do my permaculture project, which will require my being in good condition to do physical labor at 7,000 feet elevation. 3) Reduce my stress through meditation and journaling. Keep my current meditation and journal writing, but extend the meditation from 2x a day for 5 minutes each to 2x a day for 10 minutes each. For journaling, keep my 15 minutes in the morning, but add on a 5 to 10 minute daily review and quick plan for the next day session in the evening. Why? The coronavirus (or its evil twin - my tests came back negative, though my symptoms indicated otherwise and my healthcare providers treated it as COVID-19) played havoc with my immune system and triggered off an old autoimmune problem that has been in remission for around 40 years. I am responding well to medication for it and have a good chance of it going back into remission. I do know from past experience that stress is a major factor for both length and duration of an episode, so keeping my stress levels as low as possible will increase the odds of achieving and maintaining remission. 4) Create cool stuff at least 5 times per week for a half an hour (or even more!). Do fun, creative stuff. Stay curious. Play! It doesn't have to be something to hang in a gallery. Sketch, take some photos, play around some digital art tutorials, whatever! If the joints are up to it, play a few minutes of music, too. Why? Life is too short to spend it all working and striving. Creating is good for the mind, the heart, the soul. And, otters - they are the epitome of curious and playful! Bucket List (Ongoing) Arizona Trail section hikes Thru hike the AZT Pacific Crest Trail section hikes Thru hike the PCT Relocate to the Flagstaff, Arizona area Design and build my permaculture paradise in the pines (including my art studio) Draw and paint wildlife and plants, landscapes Learn manual mode on my camera - ha! Take up the mantle of my uncle's woodcarving and art More "Creative Coding" - digital art, VR, games, data visualization Travel - National parks and monuments; wild places, the wilder the better Complete my Permaculture Design course and dual certificates Complete my Octalysis training (game making, gamification, and behavioral design)

As I write this - during Week 5 (barely) - the place I live is getting ready to relax some of its quarantine protocols. The government seems to be confident we are now out of peak (barely? Ish?), and that with the onslaught of Summer and the time when Western expats leave en masse to spend those months in more agreeable climes, things are relaxing a bit. We still have to wear masks outside when not exercising and to enter shops. Temperature checks at the door are still de rigeur, as is checking the tracker app everyone has to have on their phone - if you don’t have it or it’s not clear, no entry is supposed to be allowed to any shopping spaces. I don’t believe they are still doing police stops to check and see if the app has been downloaded, but I don’t actually know since I’ve been in a car twice since this all started. Kids and people over 60 are not allowed in any shopping spaces (as far as I’ve seen). Families of over 2 can now drive in the car together - some beaches and parks are opening (though it’s like 114F; who tf wants to go to the park?). The malls are partially opening - larger stores at 30% capacity, though how they will police that it’s hard to say. Restaurants and cafes are now allowed to offer curbside takeout (not just delivery). Restaurants will start the first openings July 1, with strict capacity rules and without the multitude of buffets that are so popular here. Pools are opening, but I think they are not supposed to be - at least not in my neighborhood. Still no real gatherings (that’s phase 2 for gatherings of under 10 I think and July - probably to coincide with the restaurant openings). Gyms open in August and are already starting to inform Zoom clients of plans. Watercraft are allowed from this week, just not personal watercraft (yachts: yes, SUP: no) - not sure what that will do to neighborhood traffic at the marina. This all means little for my bubble - I’m continuing to stay home, but will go with DH to IKEA this next weekend to grab some house supplies (some way to block off the lower quarter of the balcony so the pups can’t see the pool, a rug to keep bitchy downstairs neighbor appeased, a comfy place to sit on the patio despite the heat, maybe a nice nonstick large pan because I still frickin hate metal bottom pans, and maybe a Dutch oven for a different type of crusty bread. I’ll not be rushing out to dine, though we may try and schedule a date night out. I’ll not be meeting up with friends just yet - but may once the 10-person limit is enacted. Not sure what this means for my Tuesday coffee group; my Wednesday group is pretty much dead as 2 more are moving out of the country the second they get clearance COVID tests, 1 still isn’t back from her quarantine abroad, and 2 usually leave for the Summer - leaving me and 1 other person. So, effectively dead - and that means wine group is, too. Which is kinda fine? I’m also not rushing out to hit the mall alone - I’m enjoying my no Uber/no spend time. When gyms open, which is either phase 2 or probably 3, I’ll be heading back to in-person yoga. I may also go on a supply run to a craft supply store. Maybe. I’ll probably just finally break down and order stuff on Amazon, 2-3 week lead time be damned. Goals Nutrition as always. This challenge cycle finds me utterly tired of the amount of garbage I’ve let creep into my diet in an effort to be gentle to DH and his food ish. I’m sick of the salt, the junk, and the lack of actual nutrition. That stops. No more chip binges, no more fries as the default on weekend meals, no more big pizzas, no more batches and batches of noodles. No more 2 takeout meals in a day. I think I’ve been “fun” and indulgent enough over these last 3 months. Back to mean wife. I’m not to the point I’m ready to track macros, but I do need to bump up my ‘don’t eat like an asshole’ directive. More effort to eat proper veggies, even though I’m currently scared of them. I’ve not been doing terrible on quantity, but more work is needed here. More cognizance of limiting garbage, even on the weekends. Especially on the weekends. Yoga as always. Continuing on with my Monday Zoom class; trying to get off my ass for more actual yoga and less coloring or ACNH meditation. Not assigning judgement here quite yet, because my brain is a stubborn child, but it’s coming. Feeding my creativity - I’d like to pick a non-coloring non-ACNH craft and work toward getting the supplies and starting that this challenge. ACNH is a great creative outlet and it has given my hands a chance to (mostly) rest, but I miss hand sewing, be it seam finishing or needlework. And that’s about it. Another super simple challenge full of shit I’m already doing, but that’s what I have the bandwidth for at the moment. I feel like I’d just entered a space where I could submit to pushing myself before all this happened - and now my energy (and giving a fucks) level is back to square one. And that’s okay. For now. I just don’t want it to stretch another 3 winters. 4, really, if we’re being honest.

Hi everyone! I've returned to the Rangers instead of doing a battle log this time. My challenge will be a bit unstructured compared to the last few. I felt that I needed to change things up a bit. I will post my quests in a bit. My last challenge

Hi there, I am Casbin! I've been with this community on and off, because life you know. Life is still in flux but I want to get back to the way I felt when I was around here. You guys and gals are so inspiring, breathing positivity, trying to help and encouraging that I can't help myself; I just love this place. This will be a partial Challenge and my Respawn point. Time to take things slow and ease back in. And thus are the daily goals (50% for a pass): Nutrition - 1 Proteinshake a day 0.5 extra credit for a second Fitness - Do your PT-exercises, Yoga or some kind of sport every day Life - something creative (knitting, drawing, writing - everything goes) Mind - Keep researching/planning future plans - budgeting, grocerie/meals-plans, hiighschool, alt. admission for ecotrophologie, rehab, etc. Selfcare - close the door and try different things to become more relaxed again This is not exactly the typical Challenge Layout but babysteps towards being a bit more lenient with myself. I'm looking forward to getting in touch with you all. Have a great day and keep hitting away Casbin

Hello everyone! I'm going to do an extended summer challenge in this thread that will run for roughly 7 weeks. This will include prep week, the four week challenge, and the two week summer vacation that the nerd fitness forums have planned. It feels a bit nostalgic for the old days of nerd fitness when we did six week challenges on these forums. I'm a thirty something single woman with a cat named Dragon. There's a lot going on in my life currently in terms of my mental health and recovery, and it can all feel pretty intense and heavy. I've decided to make my next challenged centered on something that I can always use more of in my life... PLAY! I don't intend to have any rigid goals, but will post regularly with my experiences and experiments in several domains of life. More may open up as we go along, but currently I'm thinking about these areas. Annyshay plays with her movement, food, friends, and imagination. Music, gifs, and other shenanigans as well as really intense and/or nerdy discussion is always encouraged and appreciated. Let's play!

I was going to sit this one out, because I don't have anything in particular that I am targeting right now. All of my major goals are in the "keep doing what I'm already doing" category. I'm hitting cals and macros pretty consistently, lifting a la Starting Strength 3x/week, meditating, drinking water, don't currently have any compelling reason to change any of that. But I have some space right now in my life to add a little nonsense, so I am going to stay and play for a bit in Wonderland, just because I can. Two goals. Simple. Ride the Bandersnatch I go to the gym on Mon, Wed, and Fri mornings. Okay, great. What am I doing the other four days of the week? Nuthin'. So keeping this in the realm of the realistic, because I am over 50 and recovery time is a thing, I want to shoot for doing something physical at least 10 minutes a day. Lifting up weighty things is the only thing I've ever been consistent with, so I like to say it's the only thing I like. But there are so many ways to play, and I have time in small chunks through the day to just move about in the world more and differently. Things that will count include but are not limited to: practicing basic Irish step dancing moves learned from YouTube (before I commit to spending money to buy this) hitting big tire with sledgehammer doing all or part of a yoga, pilates, or other video (either YouTube, e.g. Yoga with Adriene, or some of the many DVDs I've bought and not used over the years, like Core Fusion) playing with grandminion (counts if my heart rate elevates >110 as measured by Apple Watch) heavy gardening (there has to be a shovel or some earth-moving tool involved, idly trimming stalks off a rosemary bush won't make the grade) taking a long (at least 1 mile) brisk walk around the campus during my lunch break stopping by the gym after work on the way home to push the Prowler pull-ups stuff: e.g. bar hangs, assisted pulls. I always say I'm going to do this, and I never do it, and I don't know why. Make a Hat I have a million art/craft/writing projects that I could be working on, instead of coming home every night and laying on the sofa and surfing the internet until it's time to make dinner and go to bed. Why don't I? I love making stuff. And Steve's article yesterday about what to do when you're overwhelmed/stuck reminded me that I am always happier when I am creating something (#7). So, goal = spend at least two 30 minute blocks of time per week Making. Maker things that I can do that will count towards this (others may arise): decoupage some of the outlet/switch covers for the Hobbit Hole work on the Alice drawing for HH Work on chalkboard art for church Write/outline/character sketch on any of the myriad novels that live in my head that I never touch outside of November/NaNoWriMo I always do better if I bribe myself have a loot reward planned, so if I can hit 25 out of 28 days of fun, intentional movement, and 7 of 8 Maker-time blocks, I'm buying myself a new pair of Rothys. Ride the Bandersnatch: 0/28 Make a Hat: 0/8

I'm back and ready to nuke! So guys, i joined the rebellion one year ago but i have never managed to complete more than one challenge. I'm here again trying to improve my life, which is pretty depressing and sad, as it pains me to admit. Something quick about me : i'm a 23 years old male that lived the childhood like an hermit, and there i think the majority of my problems are born. I have made a tremendous amount of progress in these years, going from a hermit to someone who is considered to be the crazyhead of my workplace for my entusiasm and good madness. However i seem to be unable to male friends, i don't know why...today i had a crysis thinking of giving up on everything but then i get back to the path again. So, maybe i will even get a friend here at the end hope is the last thing to die These are my current priorities and goals: 1] House of the rising sun : -Waking up at 4:00 am. Currently i wake up at 5am, in my first challenge i managed to reduce my waking time to 4:00am, but then i lost motivation and after a month i gave up...i wanna do this again, i had so much time back then... So the strategy is to reduce my waking time 1 minute a day. Every day i will change my alarm, so for example if today i woke uo at 5 am, tomorrow i will wake up at 4:59 etc 2]Get in shape: Pretty basic. I'm a very big guy, 1.90m x 105kg. I'm pretty athletic but also i have at least 15kg of bodyfat in excess. I'm already going to the gym 6 times per week but i need to improve my nutrition, which is the main cause 3]Eating healty: I get into the habit of cooking 4 healty meals per day but then again i gave up because i wasn't able to wake at 4 am anymore and i didn't had the time to cook. So again, my goal is to cook 4 healty meals every day, protein, legumes and vegetables 4]NO FRUIT You might say "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" Well, i eat at least 8-9 of them when i get hungry for a total of 2-3kg. I need to stop with fruit, relegating it to just one day a week 5]Be creative I sucks at this. This is my biggest problem in life. I simply have no idea of what to do when i aint working. Sure, i know lots of things about books, games, cinema and sciences but i lack life experiences. Due to my loneliness i have never done the things that other guys have done so this is actually a very important point. I don't know where to start...perhaps with an origami? A drawing? I will figure it out This is just a first post, i have very little time during the day and i'm not a native english speaker so for me is pretty challenging to write in english. I have lots of things to improve but now lets start with these Thank you for reading, i'm always looking for friends and people to talk with. I would love to have a "Meal buddie" which shares with me his/her meals to keep ourselves motivated!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, ASSASSINS!! I'm here! I'm ready to kick some ass after a solid end to 2017! (To be honest I had a shit end of 2017, including two funerals and a polar vortex. And I still managed to get my workouts done, read my books, save money...I feel good about it.) I'm about 85% of the way through my yearly goal setting activity. I reduced my areas of attention from six to seven, which feels great. I think I'm ready to start tackling some diet improvements, so one goal is to include at least one diet-related quest in each challenge. An overall theme for the year is letting go, of material possessions, of worry, of obligations--and keeping new things to a minimum. Quest #1: Work out three times per week. I've set a slightly higher goal for 2018 (120 workouts for the year, ~15% more workouts). So, once again we have the old reliable of challenge goals. Quest #2: Journal three times a week about food-related subjects. This can be working through the Nerd Fitness Academy diet modules, or some handouts I have about emotional eating, or something new and intriguing. But I'd like to take the start of the year to just do some thinking about what I eat, what I want to eat, and why. Quest #3: Carrots for days. I will make sure I have carrots & some kind of healthy/protein-y dip (greek yogurt/hummus/guacamole) on hand every work day. Quest #4: Finish kickstarter!! The rewards have lingered too long. Get these out the door by end of the month. Remaining tasks: Proof the books Create & proof the cards Print books Print cards Write handwritten versions Stitch the towel versions* (can go into Feb) Write custom poems* (can go into Feb) Alright, team! I'm ready to slay!

I'm back for my second challenge! What's changed? Well, I have decided to say farewell to the Rangers and join the Warriors! Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement. I am looking forward to working on this one for the full 4 weeks, as I joined my first one a few days late. THE GOALS: Write weekly blog posts Create a content calendar by 4/25 and post it to the NF thread COMPLETE 4/25! Share links of weekly blog posts on NF thread to keep me accountable Finish setting up website Finish setting up footer, social media threads, related posts, and all miscellaneous template stuff by 5/7/17. Website is www.kaylamaeanderson.com for those of you that are curious. Hit macros 5/7 days/week I downloaded the MyMacros + app to help me track Current Macros are: Protein 122 Carbs 152 Fat 59 Calories 1623 Make macro-friendly snacks over the weekend to have on hand throughout the week Complete morning routine 5/7 days per week M/W/F up at 5:15am T/Th up at 6:15am M/W/F 5:30-7:00 Gym 7:15-7:30 Shake/coffee 7:30-8:15 Journal and Meditation 8:15 Get ready for work T/Th 6:15-6:30 Coffee/Walk Dog 6:30-6:45 Breakfast 6:45-7:15 Journal and meditation 7:15-8:15 Work on blogs/performance pieces

Hi all— This is my first challenge after lurking around Nerdfitness for a few weeks. I joined a gym at the end of January (with the rest of the n00bs.) I started with spin and BODYPUMP classes. I am grateful to these classes for getting me moving and building my confidence, but BODYPUMP needs to be switched out for some good ol' fashioned weight training if I want to see serious results. Working out is now a solid habit, but my creative practice has been slipping. Here's my plan for integrating all of my hard work and using my time more wisely: MAYLAKAE'S 4 WEEK GOALS 1) Set up office by 3/26 MISSION COMPLETE 3/26 I moved last month, and I have a spare bedroom full of miscellaneous boxes I have yet to unpack. This is meant to be my sacred writing space, but it is clearly not that. This whole morning routine thing would get a lot easier if I had a dedicated space that I enjoyed inhabiting where I can focus. 2) Do morning routine for 5 days week of Monday 3/27 Here it is: 5:30am-5:45am Coffee and light breakfast 5:45am-6:15am Journaling and Meditation 6:45am-7:30am Gym (Weight training MWF with HIIT or Cardio alternating) 8:00am-9:00am Shower/Get Ready for Work Updated version. I bit off more than I could chew: 3/30 6:30am-6:45am Tea/light breakfast 6:45-7:00 Walk dog 7:00-7:30 Journaling and Meditation 7:45-8:30 Weight training M/W/F HIIT/Cardio 1-2 days/week/more writing on rest days 4/3-4/7 6:00am-6:15am Tea/light breakfast 6:15-6:30 Walk dog 6:30-7:15 Journaling and Meditation (more time) 7:30-8:15 Weight training M/W/F HIIT/Cardio 1-2 days/week/more writing on rest days 4/10-4/15 5:45am-6:00am Tea/light breakfast 6:00-6:15 Walk dog 6:15-7:15 Journaling and Meditation (more time) 7:30-8:15 Weight training M/W/F HIIT/Cardio 1-2 days/week/more writing on rest days 3) Complete Your Uncle Richard Video by 4/1 Your Uncle Richard? What a creep! This isn't an actual Uncle Richard, but an art project a friend of mine runs in Chicago. My piece goes up 4/3, and I need to get it to the finish line. Check it out if you're into to arty stuff: http://www.yourunclerichard.com/ There was a misunderstanding with scheduling, and I am down for the first week of May. Also this is a project where they will send me a prompt and I will have a few days to respond to it. So no pre-planning, which makes it even more risky for me! Stay tuned in early May for updates and a link to whatever it is I come up with. It's a bummer the week was wrong, but it was good that I had a deadline. I ended up creating a pretty solid piece of work I can't wait to share. :-) Now how to self-impose these kinds of deadlines on myself... 4) 30 minutes of social media/internet surfing per day I waste a lot of time on the internet. Rather than mindlessly scrolling when I feel bored, I should move around, take a walk, and use that time for my writing. If I'm not internetting with intent, I should stay unplugged. UPDATE: This is going well, so I am going to add another element. I obsessively check email on my phone. Can I challenge myself to only check email (outside of work stuff) 3 times a day?

Hello, Assassins! I'm new to the group, but very happy to be here, and excited to get started. I've been around NF before, years ago, but this is my first time with the Assassin guild. I'm making some life changes lately, and I'm needing to change a couple big habits. It's a good opportunity to start a challenge! My life has been very comfortable lately, but I feel the need to switch things up and maybe make some bigger changes... but if I want to ever make big changes, I need to start with some smaller ones first. There are three major things I need to train on over the next 6 months or so.. but let's take it one month at a time, shall we? Fitness: Workout at home - 30 min a day in the morning (Long-Term Goal: Memorize 3 yoga flows and 3 workout routines) The big goal here is to get good at bodyweight and solo training. I want to have an independent fitness practice, something that I can do anywhere, with no equipment needed. Also, I want to get fitter to feel good. Bodyweight and yoga training to the rescue! Now, I have to work on the discipline, and the confidence... I'm great in fitness classes, but on my own? Less so. Diet: Make Food = Save Money ... 18 out of 21 meals per week homemade (or free) (Long-Term Goal: Save Monies by reducing dining out) When I was looking at what I could do to save up money, by far, most of my disposable money goes towards dining out. Food is a HUGE love of mine, and I just adore well-made food. Unfortunately, this also means I have expensive tastes... So, after doing a full financial checkup, I found that the biggest thing I could do to cut down my spending is to make more meals at home with inexpensive (but still super tasty!) ingredients. So far, I'm one week into doing this already, and I've cut my average weekly cost by nearly 70%. It's huge! But now I just have to keep it up, especially because I have a demanding job with fairly long hours... so planning ahead is going to be the key to winning. Life: Practice 30 minutes a day of creative work (Long-Term Goal: Improve creative craft to do fun work. Post new work once a week, minimum.) I have a very creative job already, but there's a lot I want to do to branch out. Making and expressing is very important to me, but a lot of time I feel like my own self-doubt and expectations of myself keep me from really trying. There's a lot that I want to learn, and I want to re-commit to learning how to create things that interest me. It's a long list... but here's what up at the top: Ideas/Focus for Craft: Gestural and Representative Illustration Hand-lettering Color studies Photography Skillshare miscellany Copy/Creative Writing I am planning on cross-posting my progress here and in my Training Log, to keep track of the downtime between challenges. Here's to our goals!

The Loft: Creativity Never Dies The Loft has returned! I'm keeping this train going because as the title says...Creativity Never Dies. It sometimes can be fleeting, and blocks happen to the best of artisits, writers, and crafters, but it never really dies! Just needs the right inspiration to pull it out! Hopefully this group can offer this inspiration in order for us Rebels to level up in our skills and passions for our chosen craft! This is a place to share pieces you are proud of (or not but need advice, etc), what inspires your creative juices, as well any tips and tricks you have discovered find may be beneficial to other rebels! This is a fun space where you may find some artistic prompts or topics to discuss on a weekly basis as well! If you are new, feel free to introduce yourself and share the craft of your choice and how you got into it! It could be anything creativity based: painting, sculpting, quilting, music, writing, etc! Just as long as the creative juice flow! Come and join us my fellow Artsy Rebels!! :D.

Welcome to the Loft Hey there everyone! I decided to follow a little thread I had in one of my challenges and create a Accountbilbuddies group for Rebels who have creative based quests on their challenges, who like to craft, write or draw in some of their spare time, or who just really like following along artists, writers, sculptors, and various other awesome crafters! I wanted to have a space for people to also hold each other accountable (well...hold myself accountable) for their creative-based quests. Also, I wanted to make a space so I can share some tips on my preferred creative craft (Digital Art), so if anyone was curious or had questions, here is a place where questions can be asked! If anyone else wanted to share tips they have picked up during their craft, that'll be awesome as well! We're here to level up our life, and for me that also includes my art :D. No matter what level, what skill, what craft, if you're looking for a space to share your work, share you ideas, or just hang out with, the Loft doors are open!

Revenge of The Loft It has been a while! Welcome back to The Loft! A simple a humble space for all those rebels out there who wish to level up their creative side! This group is here to offer inspiration and support for all the writers, musicians, and artists out there. In the past threads I have been blown away with all the interaction, advice and sharing that has gone on and I hope to have that continue this time around. For myself I will admit that life has thrown some curveballs along the way that I have been pleasantly surprised with or completely overwhelmed. I am happy to be back and to bring this group back for some awesome fun times! I'm not sure about doing weekly topics since I have had a hard time tracking and keep those up, but any and all suggestions are welcomed and nothing wrong with a few creative exercises to get those imagination juices flowing :). Anywho, hope to see ya'll around these parts! Let's share some art!

INTRO: When the wheels come off, sometimes the only thing you can do is stop, step back, and rebuild. This is one of those times. I’ve scraped through a couple of challenges lately and just about held it together, but during the last one, things completely fell apart in a perfect storm of mental and physical burnout, bad luck, and family drama. My work life has been increasingly busy and stressful over the last couple of months. I’ve had to deal with a series of nagging injuries and aches around my shoulder, lower back, hip and groin. My mum had two nasty falls in the space of five days, the upshot of which is that she’s had to move into sheltered housing, and my wife is taking a career break in order to look after her, meaning we’re back down to being a one-income family for the foreseeable future. Add to that the challenges which come with having three demanding kids of your own, and you can start to imagine why I’ve been sliding into a dark, dark place of late. Previously, my answer to this would be angry, hate-fuelled workouts to fight my way back. This time, that’s not going to cut it. I don’t have the energy. I need to get myself into a better place, mentally and emotionally. That place, this time around, is the Druids. Here’s the plan. QUEST 1: EXERCISE / STRETCH (Achievable points: +4 DEX) Nothing heavy, nothing scheduled. I tried to force it last time and aggravated the injuries. I’ll limit the exercise to light cardio and a lot of stretching. I’ll get to the gym as often as I’m able to, but there’s no target. My mum’s new house is going to be a lot closer to mine, so I’ll try to walk there when I can, rather than driving. The stretching is going to be key this time. I need to loosen up, for my mental wellbeing, just as much as my physical. QUEST 2: FOOD AND DRINK (Achievable points: +3 CON) In dark times, my default is “Eat all the chocolate.” That needs to stop. Again, this is a simple challenge. For the duration, I’m going to try to stay off the chocolate bars and the energy drinks – I might even try to just curb the Diet Coke as well as the usual Rockstar/Relentless/Monster. QUEST 3: ME TIME / REST AND READ / BE SOCIAL (Achievable points: +4 WIS) This is an all-encompassing “sort my head out” goal. I’ve had the weight of the world on my shoulders lately, and it’s been crushing me. The last couple of months have been a complete blur. I need to intentionally slow the pace down and take some time out for myself. Whether it’s introvert pampering (shut up, it doesn’t make me less manly!), picking up a book, soaking in the bath, or just taking a little break to sit alone in a quiet place to close my eyes, it’ll be whatever it is. Rather conversely, I also need to stop isolating, so I’ll try to be more active here, both in terms of keeping myself accountable with my goals, and in following and encouraging my friends on here again. You guyses are the bestest. QUEST 4: CREATE (Achievable points: +4 CHA) There’s a definite plan for this part. I might decide to share something at the end of each week, or I might leave it until the end of the challenge. This is a distraction I need, and it fits in nicely with the Me Time goal.

Finals are over†! Yea! We've moved into our condo‡! Hurrah! Honestly, I'm a little at a loss of what to do with my life at the moment. Free time? What is this? I've also been using my schoolwork load interfere with my self-care. My sleep schedule's a wreck, I've not been to the gym in a few weeks, and swords in even longer. I've a lot of things I'd like to do with my summer, though I do have a summer course. I want to build an application, I have four ideas running through my head right now, ranging from easy to difficult. I want to draw more. I'd like to learn embroidery. I'd like to practice the ʻukulele more. I'd like to be able to play a goddamned video game. I want to work on that epic poem that's gathering dust. So, onto it: Mind and Body: Physical activity at least five three times a week: Broadsword: Go to sword class at least twice once a week. I need to get back on track there. And I miss grappling something fierce. Bodyweight: Do the /r/bodyweightfitness recommended routine at least twice a week. I'm getting a hell of a lot better with my pull ups, as I've been able to do some practice not at a gym. We have normal lintels in our condo so I've been able to get a doorway bar. I can bust out five getting my clavicles to the handles. Gotta work on that power too, though. Also, does anyone have any pistol squat progression advice? Rapier (optional): The new taster session for the rapier class starts on the 21st, and if I get a monthly sword pass, it is included. Might be fun. Meditation: five minutes a day. Diet: Always the worst bit of my challenge. I'm under 15% bf and if I try to go lower I have to think about food all the frelling time. So just watch it? Life: Creativity: 30 20 minutes of creative endeavor a day three times a week. Drawing, strumming, writing, composing, programming, just something. Programming: 12 pomodori a week? Including design. Start simple and build up? Linear Algebra: I have 92 videos and exercises to go on Khan Academy's Linear Algebra module (not including the alternate coordinate systems). I need to brush up before my Image Processing class in the autumn. So that boils down to 8 videos a week. Let's do this. † Unless I want to clear my database and test everything again… ‡ Though we should probably get everything out of boxes (but we need another dresser), change the doorknobs, hang the art, change the kitchen faucet, &c.

It's been sort of a whirlwind lately... And I've felt the need to tame the clutter and focus more narrowly. So, I will be concentrating on the Magician's Path this challenge, Instead of running in circles trying to do ALL THE THINGS! (ALL THE PATHS!) The Four Paths The Four Paths - as used in the epic fantasy novel that I have been writing, lo, these many years - is a system of training used by the members of a mysterious order. The paths are: Warrior Scholar Magician Healer Hmmm, sounds kind of like an RPG... I am continuing to use cards from the Tarot for focus and as visual aids and inspiration for my challenges. (Toga Party!) As established last challenge, I am working with the transforming the Fool's energy into that of the Magician. That overlaps nicely with the system of the Four Paths and thus, my challenge title. I like using the Tarot for my challenge themes so far. It helps me focus and to approach things in a more fun and intuitive way. That works well for me, especially since I simply haven't had the time to do the more imaginative gamified things I've wanted to do. I have come up with a multi-challenge sequence that should address all of the major areas I want to improve over the course of the year. It also provides a good framework for gamification and a storyline if I can make the time for that. We shall see. I am also continuing my years theme of "planting my stake in the ground" - commitment and persistence being qualities that I see as needed in my life right now. My Main Goal is to put more MAGIC and FUN into my life 1. MAINTAIN average sleep amount of 7 hours per night. IMPROVE the quality of my sleep through a wiser bedtime routine 2. AUTOMATE more of my systems: a revised set of daily routines, a system of modular "kits" for my more mobile lifestyle to help me organize the stuff I need to cart around for work, lessons, working out, and traveling. 3. GROW my creativity, making more time for fun in my life, things like juggling, drawing, Digital Storytellers group, fiddle. 45 minutes minimum per day. 4. INCREASE my physical fitness - Continue walking, stretching, working on posture. Move more at work - utilize standing desk, do quick bursts of exercise in small breaks to counteract the effects of so much sitting. Add in more bodyweight strength training and increase walking pace. 5. CONTINUE my cyber security training - 2+ half-day visits to the AZCWR (Arizona Cyber Warfare Range) for training; At least six hours of security study and training exercises the other two weeks. The above are a little vague on specific amounts. I plan is to make a spreadsheet with my current baselines and then just aim for hitting the goal numbers for #1 & #3; establish at the beginning of each week what kit I am going to make for #2, go for ~3% increases in mileage, reps, pace as appropriate for #4. #5 is already fairly specific. A few other goals that I am tracking: I will lose at least three pounds this challenge. I will continue my cleaning habits to keep clutter and home chaos at bay. And of course, cats...

I'm intimidated by the forum change, so this challenge is all about just coming here every day, trying to follow threads, and posting in my own thread.

ShadowLion keeps her stake planted in the ground... Shadow Lion Walks the Circle (Whaddya expect when you've tied your foot to a rope attached to a stake in the ground?) Transforming from the Fool... To the Magician... (This card I chose, rather than drew, to use as a meditation device in the coming weeks.) Last challenge - when I drew The Fool for my theme - was definitely an adventure, full of fresh starts, false starts, exploration, new ideas, taking chances and chasing dreams. A leap of faith. Now, it's time to focus that energy and balance it. To utilize will and discipline to become the Magician, specifically a Technomancer. This continues my year theme of "planting my stake in the ground" - focus, commitment, determination - in a general way. It is also directly linked to what I perceive as a great need to balance out the various "elemental energies" in my life, the very things that the Magician has mastered. I have have been out of balance with too much work and stress lately and need to correct that. From there, I am using the element of chance and drawing cards to guide my "walk around the circle" and determine my challenge goals. I thought it was pretty cool how there are circles in every card I drew, especially Wheel of Fortune, given the challenge title I chose a week ago! I used my Druidcraft Tarot deck to draw from, but used the internet for digital versions. Time is at a premium, these days. VII The Chariot Queen of Cups Oddly enough, I drew all female cards, though the deck is evenly balanced. And I am struggling as to how to fit a couple of these with my challenge goals. Challenge Focus & Schedule This is a transitional challenge, where the Fool begins to transform into the Magician. I want to keep and continue to enhance the positive qualities of the Fool - the creativity, joy, fresh outlook, and positivity - but mitigate some of the more chaotic ones with the discipline and focus of the Magician. I learned a lot from last challenge, where the Fool showed me that I have been over-emphasizing work at the expense of fun and just about everything else in life. I found out just how much I need more balance. It has taken me the first week of the challenge to get my act together enough to get my goals lined out, even with having the zero week this time. I expect to use the remaining 3 weeks, plus the next zero week, as transition time and pick up with a full-fledged Magician challenge in May. My focus will be in balancing out the various activities in my life as I clear some long-standing projects and create a (somewhat) less hectic schedule for myself. I have been over-working, under-playing, and neglecting relationships and personal growth in favor of getting my business off the ground. That only works for a short time and I have pushed it pretty far. This is the month where I get balance back, as symbolized by the circle motif in my challenge title, avatar, and mirrored in the cards. I am applying the cards to the weeks of the challenge: Week 1 is Two of Pentacles - I have been shifting my focus to the things I can control and where I can make a difference, rather than dwelling on those things that stress me out. Making plans as to how to better address the stressors and take concrete action over the next few weeks to make those more manageable. And, I have actually taken up juggling... It's a good break at work, works my hands and eyes and gets me away from the computer with something completely different. Staying foolish. Week 2 is The Chariot - Here is where I get down to earnest on the plans made in Week 1. Schedule changes. Drawing clearer boundaries on time and energy use. Adding new exercises. Dynamic balance. Week 3 is The Wheel of Fortune - Even more balancing and adjustment. More about internal balance, reflection on cycles of life, getting my inner house in order. Week 4 is the Queen of Cups - This is another card of internal adjustment, and of tapping into emotions and the unconscious. I expect that it will start to set the tone of the next challenge. A card with strong associations with nurturing home life, relationships and creativity. Goals 1. Ward Off the EVIL EYE My posture and my eyes are suffering from constantly being under the gaze of the EVIL EYE (being in front of a computer for so many hours of the day). Stretching, using my adjustable/standing desk, breaks, eye yoga are my defenses. The sedentary nature of my work is another concern. Daily stretch/squat/stand sessions and eye yoga. No more than 45 minutes without getting up and walking around or switching to at least 15 minutes of standing work. Eyes - 20 sec breaks every 20 minutes, a longer eye yoga session (5 mins) for every four hours on the computer. Specific checks of my posture, and especially head and neck positions on the same schedule as eyes and do a few quick stretches as needed at the same time. Hand/wrist stretches included, too. Daily (or more frequent) walks of at least 1K, to break up the sitting. 2. Create Sacred Space My minimalism progress from the fall has not held up to the chaos of the last few months. The Fool does not seem to do well with the structure required with home maintenance! Clear the clutter. The 15 minutes a day clutter patrol returns. I also have several short projects of: Rearranging furniture Office spring cleaning Work on a better setup for my drawing area, so I can sit down and do short sessions easily, without taking a bunch of time to set up each time 3. Make Time for Foolishness Last challenge's fun/relaxation/creativity goal helped me see how little time I was myself for play and recreation. It was a struggle most days to carve out 30 minutes for that. I am continuing that goal, but with upgrades this time. More art and writing, less reading and internet in that time. And more time overall. 45 minutes. 4. Sleep I need more sleep and a better sleep schedule. (And a lot of other things that aren't going to make it into this challenge.) I will start with sleep. 6 hours bare minimum, 7 hours goal. Log it, and see how I can make this work better. Once I have that in better shape, I plan to re-introduce lucid dreaming experiments again. 5. Whole Brain Balance I am experimenting with physical activities that will help me increase physical and mental balance in my life. Juggling on breaks at work, non-dominant hand mirror writing, using my non-dominant hand for everyday tasks, bi-lateral strength and agility training to increase muscle symmetry and help with Goal 1. I am using the parts of "Whole Brain Power" by Michael Lavery that make sense to me and ignoring what doesn't. I have a lot of other goals that I wanted to add, but I am restricting myself to the above to establish a stronger base to my balancing. I am leaving room for adjustments and possible additions upon each week's finish, as needed. Let the intuition and the cats (and the circles!) begin...

RESPAWN!!! Wow, y'all spiffied up while I was gone. Keeping this challenge pretty loose, so hopefully I can actually complete a challenge without falling off the face of the earth again. Quest #1: Getting Strong, Yo (me doing the OHP) Starting Strength 3x per week Reset my Starting Strength program on Friday, so I have baseline work set numbers to start from. Squat: 55lbs OHP: 20lbs Bench: 25lbs Deadlift: 55lbs Starting Measurements: Weight: 140.4lbs Fat %: 28.5 Bust: 36.75" Waist: 34.25" Hips: 37.5" Rewards: +5 STR Rogue Fitness sweatshirt I've had my eye on for the nights when the garage is a little chilly for working out Quest #2: Pretending to be an adult This quest involves choosing to do some adulting every day. Examples: fold some of the 4-5 loads of clean laundry kicking around, pull weeds, clear clutter off the kitchen table so we have a place to eat dinner all together... Basically any type of activity that doesn't fall into watching stupid YouTube videos or the next quest. Rewards: +3 WIS Either a new porcelain travel mug to replace the one I broke or a new lunch box/bag to replace the one that's wearing out on me Quest #3: Do something creative every day Things that fall into this category: - Art journal - Learning my new tablet & digital program combo - Practicing the ear training exercises my vocal coach assigned - Learning the song my coach & I are working on (is there a way to embed the youtubes in the new forum set up?) Rewards: +2 CHA I'm thinking maybe some artist grade watercolor supplies (Arches paper & tube paints maybe)

The journey continues as ShadowLion decides to keep her theme the same and her stake planted in the ground. Shadow Lion Keeps on Shufflin' She decides to draw again... (And gets a very interesting result.) The Fool In the Single-Card Draw position A card in this position illuminates the present moment or the question at hand. Meaning: This first Major Arcana card is an excellent illustration of someone who is following their bliss. This card often materializes in a reading when the querent is trying something new and completely different. They may be just beginning their spiritual journey or are exploring a new magickal tradition or path. Perhaps they are taking on a brand-new job or are considering an innovative business opportunity. The Fool encourages us to dare, be more open minded, and enjoy the ride. Do not let yourself be dragged down by worries. The Fool laughingly persuades you to trust and take a chance, and not fret too much about the future—instead, just enjoy the trip and take things one day at a time. This card is all about the proverbial leap of faith. Sure, it is possible that you might make a mistake or fall down, but hey! You can always get right back up, brush yourself off, and try again. Sometimes that is the best way to learn—by daring to do. At the end of the day, the Fool encourages you to be open to new prospects and ideas. Live on the edge; think outside of the box. Be confident and bold! There is a big, wide, magickal world out there...go explore it! Keywords: Follow your bliss. Adventure, fresh starts, exploration, a journey. New ideas; take a chance and chase your dreams. The beginning of a spiritual quest; exploring a new magickal path or tradition. A leap of faith. (Who knew there was an X-Men Tarot?) Cue Twilight Zone Theme Song... I have had some big challenges the last week and a half and spent considerable time considering how to best move forward. I have asked myself some tough questions and looked at what needs to change. I've been taking all of that into meditation on a regular basis and the image I kept getting was of "The Fool" card in the Tarot. I kept dismissing it as not relevant, too simplistic, etc. I really wanted to keep doing the "Queen of Swords/Strength/Justice" thing, as that is familiar and I can do that pretty well. (Maybe too well?) I decided Monday that, yes, I was going to do a challenge this time, and yes, I was going to continue my theme from last challenge, but I wasn't sure whether I was going to focus on one card for the challenge, one per week, or one per day. Tonight, when I finally made the time to write up my post, I decided to just draw one card for this challenge's theme. (I hadn't drawn any cards since the start of last challenge when I constructed the last one's theme.) I focused my mind on "What do I most need to focus on this challenge?" And quite against the odds, I drew the same card that had been popping into my meditation for days, the one I had been avoiding for days: This may be a rather interesting challenge... I haven't fully processed the implications of what just happened - and how I should respond to it - beyond acknowledging that there are some very powerful forces at work in my life and I need to pay attention. For now, I am reposting the same goals that I had last challenge. I expect to make changes, but am not sure yet exactly what. I have no idea how all this will fit in with the standard challenge format. I just know that I am here and I am still shufflin'! 1. Move Forward Increase my total walking distance by 3 to 5 % each week over the course of the challenge. Starting distance is 12.5 miles per week. 2. Find Equilibrium Squat for of 5 mins per day, every day of the challenge. Stand for a minimum 10 minutes of every hour I work at GP. 3. Rebuild My Strength There are many types of strength I could choose to work on - physical, mental, emotional, social, soul (intuition, imagination), and spiritual. I am choosing soul and spirit as being the most in need of restoration I will take a minimum of 30 minutes every single day of the challenge to tend to my spiritual and soul needs through meditation, relaxation, play, creativity and/or spending time out-of-doors. 4. CodeWarrior Learn - Complete the Git and DevOps courses I am taking. Practice - Participate in at least one exercise through the AZCWR (Arizona Cyber Warfare Range). Let the intuition (and the cats!) begin...

So I'm gonna try and make this a bit simpler. I think I will be better off focusing on a couple of things and doing them well, really making them habits, and then evaluating how I did at the end of the challenge and going from there. This is basically me telling myself to SIMPLIFY MY CHALLENGES I've been re-watching Avatar: The Last Airbender (and also The Legend of Korra). Mostly, I've been listening to Uncle Iroh. So this challenge is about connecting/listening to my inner Iroh and using the wisdom I've earned. I'm asking myself the things that add the most value to my life and making those my focus for the moment. Inspiration and Gratitude will still happen but they're not Challenge Goals for the time being. The Spirit World: Daily Meditation Fun fact: I found this gif on google....from one of Korranation's old challenges This can be as little as one minute. As long as I do it, it counts. Something is better than nothing Avatar Training: Daily Movement This really really helps my mood. So a little bit every day is better than nothing for me. This is ALL about the mood regulation for me Tea Time: Daily Creativity This has been a quest the past couple challenges and it's really starting to become a habit, at least with writing. I'd like to do more guitar and drawing too, but I've been pretty good about doing at least one creative thing...probably 85% of February. And that's awesome. Sokka's Schedule: 2 Hour Blocks Gonna keep working on this cause when I do it, it really helps my day 5x per week Order of The White Lotus: Reach out to 1 Friend per Week I haven't been reaching out to my friends as much IRL so my goal is to contact one friend from school a week And that's it!

Shadow Lion Shuffles the Cards... and Decides to Stack the Deck (for success) I have been on a strange and unexpected journey this past weekend as I pondered what to do for my challenge. I found myself wandering down paths I have not traveled in some time, and I realized that my life feels wildly out of balance. I am in need of the Queen of Swords decisiveness and discipline, while also bringing my inner and outer worlds into better alignment through intuition and quiet contemplation. This challenge is a continuation of the last one in many ways - of my year theme of planting my stake in the ground - but it also promises to add some new twists to that. I feel that in many ways I have come full circle (or perhaps it is a spiral?), back to face the very things that once led me away from software development. Now, however, I have the opportunity to deal with those in a different, healthier way, and I can enlist a wealth of life experience from the intervening years to become the ruler of my own well-being. In keeping with the lessons of challenges past - surprise, surprise - I need to further simplify and focus. My year theme of planting my stake in the ground continues. Commitment, discipline, perseverance. This past weekend I took stock of where I was and it wasn't pretty. Depression was creeping in around the edges; I felt exhausted physically, mentally, spiritually. I just wanted to sit down and cry. I'd been working so hard and such long hours that I was totally drained, battling a cold, and wondering how I was going to dredge up the energy to put a challenge together - something that I normally find very enjoyable. I tried to think up some grand idea (always a good plan, right?) and came up with nothing. Then I remembered the conversation on last challenge's thread with Xena about tarot cards. I had planned to save that for later in the year, but I needed an idea... Hmmm. Maybe the answers to my other dilemmas were similarly staring me in the face? It has been many years since I really surveyed what was out there in terms of decks. Between Google, Pinterest, and other sites, I was amazed at all the new decks there are. Traditional tarot, non-tarot "oracle" decks ranging from fairies to vikings to manga to angels, pop culture influenced decks...you name it. I spent several hours marveling at the artwork and imagination behind it all and getting inspired to do a very unusual challenge. Harry Potter... LOTR... (LOL! It's Rurik Harrgarth!) So, I decided to take the hint from the Universe and draw a card using the cosmic code of random electrons and got... And laughed. The lady and the lion, 8, and a sideways 8 - infinity... That is my card. Has been for years. My totem, my number. I drew several more cards, too, which will be revealed over the course of this challenge. Suffice to say, they painted a very interesting picture of what I need to do to resolve my dilemmas and reach my goals. They may look similar on the surface, but make no mistake, things are very, very different now. 1. Move Forward Increase my total walking distance by 3 to 5 % each week over the course of the challenge. Starting distance is 12.35 miles per week. 2. Find Equilibrium Squat for of 5 mins per day, every day of the challenge. Stand for a minimum 10 minutes of every hour I work at GP. 3. Rebuild My Strength There are many types of strength I could choose to work on - physical, mental, emotional, social, soul (intuition, imagination), and spiritual. I am choosing soul and spirit as being the most in need of restoration I will take a minimum of 30 minutes every single day of the challenge to tend to my spiritual and soul needs through meditation, relaxation, play, creativity and/or spending time out-of-doors. 4. CodeWarrior Learn - Complete the Git and DevOps courses I am taking. Practice - Participate in at least one exercise through the AZCWR (Arizona Cyber Warfare Range). Learn, Practice, Share - Participate in a "Mob Programming" workshop Let the intuition (and the cats!) begin...

Last month I did pretty good with my goals, except for my life goal which I completely failed at. That goal was to make a leather bag for my mom, and I didn't get one thing done on it. In fact, I have a general sense that I want to make a bag with a floral design on it, and that's it. No further ideas. I'm low on creativity. I also found last month that the things that threw me off track basically add up to getting distracted and taking things personally. So this month, I turn inward to nurture my creativity, center myself, and try to be less easily distracted. My goals for this month: Sleep: By the end of the challenge, I want to be going to bed before midnight on every work night. Yoga: Do yoga 3 times a week. Meditation: EDITED TO ADD Daily. Life goal - Creativity: EDITED TO ADD Time set aside for leatherwork at least once a week, and time set aside for other creative activity (free-drawing, sketching, etc.) once a week. I just started the advanced leather carving class, so that should actually make it easy to fulfill the first of those. For now, I'm really tired, and going to bed pretty soon. I had considered doing yoga today, but at this point I feel like "I wonder if laying down in bed counts as Corpse Pose."