[JediNickD] World 3 Level 5: "You Can't Win, Darth"

[JediNickD]

Welcome back for another episode of The Exciting Adventures of JediNickD! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that I joined this site and started my first challenge.. World 1 was my first extended stay.  I took a hiatus from NF and came back with a new direction for my goals where I warped to World 2, which I defeated in a Boss Fight slaying some mighty big goals.  On to World 3 to continue to level up my life!

 

 

Challenge Lesson "You Can't Win, Darth":

In A New Hope, Obi-wan Kenobi encounters and battles Darth Vader in lightsaber combat.  Amid the battle, they trade some banter, the most important being the line from Obi-wan:
 
"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
 
Of course, if you have seen the movies you know what Obi-wan is referring to.  Obi-wan becomes a Force-ghost to help and train Luke Skywalker in ways he could not in his physical form.  Darth Vader has no idea how influential a dead Jedi Master could be, so he strikes Obi-wan down, which happens to be the beginning of the end for Darth Vader and his master, the Emperor. 
 
Turning the focus away from the fictional world to see how this statement could apply to real life, I could think of one area in particular that it relates to: learning through failure and defeat.  In victory, you may feel successful and accomplish the extraordinary, but you will learn very little from success.  There is much to learn from defeat.  In failure, you have mistakes to learn from and experience to build on, but most importantly, you must find the strength and courage to get back up and do it again. Even in the lowest of lows, you can always rise back up.

In The Dark Knight Rises, Alfred tells Bruce Wayne, "Why do we fall, so we can pick ourselves back up."  Bruce recovers from a broken back in a pit, then climbs out to redeem himself as Batman.  He learns from his failure and succeeds in the end.

I like to think of myself telling failure that it can't win, because I can always get back up and try again.  You are only defeated if you cease trying.  In the end of the Original Trilogy of Star Wars, the overall lesson to learn from the series is similar.  The dark side can never conquer the light.  As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr once said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."  And from the animated Disney movie Robin Hood, "Love conquers all!"  Darth Vader has gone completely to the dark side, but it is his love for Padme and eventually his son, which brings him back to redeem himself.  Redemption and rising from failure always starts with love for yourself and a desire to grow.  Vader hated himself for turning on everything to save Padme (from his nightmarish vision of her death), only to let the dark side consume him to the point that he threatened her life (and indirectly killed her).  He finds the love for himself through his son's love for him.  And his heart grew 10 times... ;-) I know I am interpreting a lot here, but read the novelization as it has more details on Vader's thoughts. 

Lastly, a creed from my Karate Budo school teaches the same lesson:

I am not judged by the number of times I fail, but by the number of times I succeed.  And the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times I CAN fail and KEEP ON TRYING.

 

 

My Main Quest and Mission:

My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no boss level in Jedi training, there is only tomorrow.

 

World 3 Level 5 Challenge:

FITNESS:

• Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 500 min total, 120 weekly. 

  DEX +1, STA +2

  
  
• Exercise: Lifting and Bodyweight - 300 min total, 80 weekly. 

  STR +1
   

• Flexibility: Stretching and Physical Therapy - 400 min total, 100 weekly. 

  STR +1, DEX +1
   

• Karate: Training and Practice - 600 min total, 150 weekly. 
  STR +1, DEX +1, STA +1
   

DIET:

• Weight Control - Lose 1 lb by end of challenge. Never weigh more than 156.0 lbs. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 4.  Watch portions and make healthy choices for 24 of 28 days.  Track "fasting" after dinner nightly.  I'm looking to continue to cut down on snacking and desserts after dinner.  I need to ensure I have a calorie deficit or I won't continue to lose weight.
  CON +2
   

LIFE:

• Get Stuff Done - Complete (or dedicate at least one hour to) 200 Tasks or Projects, with at least 50 each week, from any of the following areas (minimum for challenge):
  Toastmasters Communication Practice (4), Toastmasters Leadership Practice (8), Toastmasters Speech and Training Development (8), Mentoring (6), Charity Work (2), Jedi Training (8), Self Preservation (8), Reading (16), Church Work (14), Job Work (10), Business Projects (8), Dishes (18), Laundry (18), Cleaning/Dusting/Vacuuming (18), Other Chores (18), Yard Work (8), Animal Care (16), Home Renovation (4), Auto Maintenance (4), Family Activities (8), Adventuring (6).   
  WIS +2, CHA +2

 

INCENTIVES!  Working hard for CASH!  ($296 carried over)

REWARD 1:  For each week I complete 55 or more tasks, I will put aside $5 to spend how I see fit.
CONSEQUENCE 1:  For any week where I complete less than 50 tasks, I will give up $10 of saved cash.

 

REWARD 2:  $1 for each Business Project hour. 

CONSQUENCE 2: Lose $10 for each week without a Business Project hour.

 

REWARD 3:  $1 for each hour working on Jedi Training lessons.
CONSQUENCE 3: Lose $5 for each week without working on a Jedi Training lesson.

 

REWARD 4: $1 for each night of fasting after dinner.  Fruits and veggies allowed in small quantities, but no dessert or snacking.   

CONSQUENCE 4: Lose $1 for each day without fasting.  Lose $5 for each weekend day without any fasting.  Lose $5 for eating more than 2 slices of pizza in any meal.

 

REWARD 5: $1 for each day with a small, healthy lunch. 

CONSQUENCE:  Lose $1 for each day without a small, healthy lunch.

BONUSES: 

• $5 for each Home Renovation and Auto Maintenance task.
• $5 for 10 or more sprints in one workout.  (once a week only)
• $5 for running more than 3.5 miles in a workout.
• $5 for running below an 8 minute mile.  (once a week only)
• $10 for running below a 7 minute mile.  (once a week only)
• $5 for running 3 miles in less than 30 minutes.  (once a week only)

 

PUNISHMENT:

• Lose $10 each day with weight above 156.0 lbs.  TIME FOR SERIOUS BUSINESS!

[Mr.Six]

I'm always impressed by the level of thought and thoroughness of your challenges.  Following.

[Mikroftt]

Love the intro!  Lots of good thoughts in there!  Very nicely put together challenge.

[WhiteGhost]

Folowing

[JediNickD]

The vacation is over.  Time for work.  No seriously.  I drove home from vacation Sunday and I'm back at work today.  For the challenge, I've got a slow start, and I'll be missing the gym in the morning to take the dog to the vet clinic each morning for kennel.  While my wife and roommate are away, we don't want him crated for 9 hours straight or more.  That means lunch time workouts?  Yes, it does!  I'll be able to get there Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Wednesday, I have a Toastmaster recruitment event at lunch time.  Today, I have a meeting at work. 

 

I'll get to Karate on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, plus Karaoke Thursday night for a bit of fun.  Saturday is Toastmasters training!  I have big presentation for "How to Conduct Productive Meetings".  I'll be preparing it all week.  I'm giving it again at Church for the committees and leaders there on the 23rd.

 

Tuesday night, I have a Toastmasters meeting.  I'll probably prepare a speech.  Maybe, I'll do my Extra-Life promotion video... or maybe something easier to prepare.  I need to do it soon though.

[Mikroftt]

Sounds like a really busy week for you!  Don't burn yourself out the first week of the challenge.   Lunch workouts are the best!  But I do have coworkers and a gym at work to help keep me motivated.

[JediNickD]

4 hours ago, Mikroftt said:

Sounds like a really busy week for you!  Don't burn yourself out the first week of the challenge.   Lunch workouts are the best!  But I do have coworkers and a gym at work to help keep me motivated.

 

Burnout?  I do those after my victory lap.  ;-)  

 

Personally, I prefer working out early in the morning as I always feel energized and accomplished before getting to work.  Also, I am always tight and stiff when I get up, so I need to stretch and loosen up the joints before starting my day.  The gym is always packed at lunch time, so I have to be flexible with what I plan to accomplish this week.  Stretching, physical therapy, karate, and bodyweight exercises doesn't require much equipment so I should be ok. 

[JediNickD]

The week has gone well with workouts, except I had to move my at-home karate practice to Saturday morning due to a safety drill at work around lunch time yesterday which stole my workout time.  Karate class last night was pretty awesome.  I practiced elbows while grappling an opponent.  It is all about feeling and applying pressure to move your opponent off balance to maneuver for a strike or just distract them enough to one side, then strike with the other.  Control was important to not actually strike my partner, but I did come close twice feeling some beard hair on my elbow. 

 

I've been killing my Life Goal with the family out of town again.  So much animal care.  Mowed the lawn last night after fixing it on Tuesday.  Also, found a couple wasp nests and took care of them.  Lots of dishes, some laundry, and cleaning.  Picked up wood for building a bedroom in the basement.  Studied and prepared my training presentation for Saturday.  Arranged Mold Doctors to clean up the crawlspace of the house we are selling, ensured the tenant was moving out this weekend, and setup a plan for her back payments.  I have a few more arrangements to make for the house sale for trash removal and a new meter reader.  Should be done tonight with the realtor's help.

 

The only real hiccup is not getting to the gym in the morning for a weight on the scale I have been using since January 2014. 

 

 

[JediNickD]

153.0 lbs this morning.  Finally, got on the scale and WOW! 

 

For my tasks, I've been crushing being home alone again, so much animal care (17 tasks).  I spent a lot of time getting my "How to Conduct Productive Meetings" presentation prepared (6 tasks), which I delivered on Saturday.  I titled it "Prepare to be Amazed" with a focus on the preparation aspect of meetings.  I opened with a clip from Spaceballs where Col. Sandurz is preparing, but Dark Helmet interrupts saying, "Preparing, you are always preparing!  Just Go!"  It was a lot of fun.

[JediNickD]

152.8 lbs (NEW LOW!), ran 2.6 miles in 30 min with elevation.  Gotta train for the Quarry Run!

 

Almost skipped dinner last night.  At 7pm, I decided I might struggle sleeping so I had 6 spoons of Afghan chickpeas and rice I had left over.  There wasn't much but that's all I needed.  I was plenty distracted from eating while I did a lot of setting up of electronics.  First, I ordered and installed Sling TV.  It has a 30 second delay, but I was watching football in HD.  Their Cloud DVR is pretty sucky for Live TV pause, rewind, and playback, but it will record shows to watch later and has some shows On Demand, which is nice.  I rewired the stereo, cleaning out a lot of dust and animal hair, fixing a speaker wire that was a little loose, and removing the DirecTV to put the cable modem in its place, then I setup the second WiFi router (I buy a nice WiFi router since I wasn't expecting the modem to have WiFi as I didn't order one, but they gave me one anyway).  Everything was working fine until 8:15, then the internet went out.  Still out this morning.  No issues with the provider.  They can see and reset my modem, so it should be fine.  Hopefully, it is all back up when I get home today.  Then, I can test out the Chromecast in the basement with Sling TV and watch some Netflix while I fold and put away laundry.  If not, then I'll put the modem back in the bedroom where it was installed and move the second WiFi router to the living room. 

 

I ordered a digital HD antenna for the broadcast networks.  I'm trying to figure out the best way to DVR broadcast TV (which I could also account for sucky Sling Cloud DVR for Live TV with the right solution).  The Xbox One has a DVR, which I believe I'd wire my broadcast receiver output into, but I didn't purchase a huge HDD for it, so space would be fairly limited.  I have an old Windows XP Media Center tuner and remote I can install on my bedroom PC, but does Windows 10 have an interface and DVR app for it?  Maybe I just get a couple external DVRs... hmm.  The bills will get cheaper, but the User Interface for DirecTV will be missed.  It is a great service and I feel has been worth every penny, but we need to spend those pennies on higher priorities.  In fact, we are saving 10,000 pennies!   

 

Also, I cancelled the Verizon DSL, to find out it would only save me $10.  Their phone service by itself is $65.  I setup new phone service with my new internet provider to be installed in September.  In order for me to do Live Streaming and for our household to Netflix, play games online, stream music, etc., we needed to upgrade the internet.  For cost, the phone gets a change too.  New internet and phone will be $56 for the first year, $80 for the next, which is the same we were paying for the crappier Verizon service.

 

Unless FIOS comes to the neighborhood and can match the pricing, I'm saying goodbye to Verizon forever.  Except, I still have my email address, which was on my parent's Verizon account, but is actually maintained by AOL now.  I have 6 other email addresses, so I may get rid of it at some point considering it is mostly junk mail and account management, which I could move to another address. 

 

Cord-cutting is a lot of work, but once it is all setup, I think we'll be happy with it.  Though, now, my wife is considering other services like DirecTV Now and Hulu which are both more expensive than Sling with slightly different channel coverage and packages... Sling is free until next Monday, so she has until then to comparison shop. 

[JediNickD]

DirecTV is cancelled after 3 calls ending with their system being down and can't process right now and the final one with 45 minutes on the phone, and 30 of those minutes on hold.  Oh what fun.  And the Internet Modem is being flaky, but the provider won't be able to service until Sept 5th when they come out to install the phone service.  Suck.  I'm going to call them every time it goes out.  Maybe they will compensate the loss of service.  For $10, I should have held on to the Verizon DSL service until the phone service was cancelled.  Maybe I'll call them back.  Evaluating Sling TV is difficult without internet service :-/

 

152.8 lbs this morning.  It is not a fluke.  Three days in a row at or below 153.  It has been easy to "not eat" without the wife and kids to also feed, but this started by getting through a vacation without dropping my new habits.  In fact, the vacation allowed me to double down on the habits as the people I visited don't center activities around food.  It was a nice change.  This weekend is the last trip for a while, as I'll head down to my in-laws for a 5 birthday celebration including my turning 7 year old daughter.  Food goals will be on my mind the entire trip.  The cake is a lie.

 

Yesterday, work didn't let me eat anything yesterday except a bagel (thank you, Charlie!) and a nut-bar, with 4 long meetings and a tasker requiring immediate completion, so that was helpful too.

 

 

[JediNickD]

Two great karate classes which just emphasized how much more I need to practice on my own.  I need to make a few things daily or at least every other day outside of class: run through all forms and combos, recite all creeds, and work on balance.  I've only being doing karate class for 10 months so there is definitely more experience to gain, but I stumble over a some basics, which if I drilled more, then that'd be intuitive.  I disappoint myself more than anything with those stumbles. 

 

Karaoke last night was a blast pushing the limits of my confidence.  I started with 2 easy ones, Tom Petty "Free Fallin'" and Metallica "Enter Sandman", then I sang 2 songs which are pretty tough, Gin Blossoms "Hey Jealousy" and Sum41 "Fat Lip".  I knew I'd mess up "Fat Lip" because it is so fast and I don't know all the words, but I know it well enough to rock it. 

 

154.6 lbs this morning.  Stretch, Physical Therapy, and Bodyweight Exercises.

 

 

[JediNickD]

I'm presenting "How to conduct productive meetings" at the church tonight.  I'm a little nervous about it, but I'm gearing the training to the audience, so it'll be a lot more fluid than the training I gave at the Toastmasters Training event.  I guess it is the uncertainty of what is going to happen.

 

My Program Office director came to me Friday asking about doing Toastmasters / Public Speaking training for new hires, which I am super excited about conducting.  I presented him the idea of Speechcraft and he wants to do it.  I'm getting myself prepped for it.  He thinks it'll be 20 students which would be fantastic.  I'm hopeful I can turn them on to the Toastmaster clubs and become members. 

 

 

 

 

[JediNickD]

152.4 lbs, still doing well with my weight and diet despite back issues influencing my workouts this week.  It seems worse when I lay down for bed, but taking meds either make me too drowsy or give me weird dreams.  I'm going to try a knee brace tonight as the knee and hip seem to be the concentration of the pain.  I should probably try a pillow between my legs again, but I could never maintain the position.

 

[JediNickD]

World 3 Level 5 Challenge GRADES:

FITNESS:

• Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 500 min total, 120 weekly. 

  DEX +1, STA +2  A - 505 min, weekly met

• Exercise: Lifting and Bodyweight - 300 min total, 80 weekly. 

  STR +1  A - 330 min, weekly met

• Flexibility: Stretching and Physical Therapy - 400 min total, 100 weekly. 

  STR +1, DEX +1  A - 510 min, weekly met

• Karate: Training and Practice - 600 min total, 150 weekly. 
  STR +1, DEX +1, STA +1  A - 645 min, weekly met

DIET:

• Weight Control - Lose 1 lb by end of challenge. Never weigh more than 156.0 lbs. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 4.  Watch portions and make healthy choices for 24 of 28 days.  Track "fasting" after dinner nightly.  I'm looking to continue to cut down on snacking and desserts after dinner.  I need to ensure I have a calorie deficit or I won't continue to lose weight.
  CON +2  A - Started at 155.4 lbs from last challenge, but didn't get a weight for more than 2 weeks (August 4th - 21st), so that was bad, but when I did, I had already lost 2.4 lbs!  Down to 152.4 at the end of the challenge.  That's 0.6 lbs lost between Week 2 and end of challenge, with 2.4 lbs since last challenge.  A total of 3 lbs!  I did get above my 156.0 max once, but the punishment incentive helped keep me on track and recover.  The after dinner fasting is working, but I lost money with the new consequence denomination (increasing again next challenge).  I'm hoping to turn it over to intermittent fasting next year, but I'm going experiment through the rest of this year with just missing a meal every now and then.  It certainly helps that I am minimizing calories throughout the day, then again after dinner.

LIFE:

• Get Stuff Done - Complete (or dedicate at least one hour to) 200 Tasks or Projects, with at least 50 each week, from any of the following areas (minimum for challenge):
  Toastmasters Communication Practice (4), Toastmasters Leadership Practice (8), Toastmasters Speech and Training Development (8), Mentoring (6), Charity Work (2), Jedi Training (8), Self Preservation (8), Reading (16), Church Work (14), Job Work (10), Business Projects (8), Dishes (18), Laundry (18), Cleaning/Dusting/Vacuuming (18), Other Chores (18), Yard Work (8), Animal Care (16), Home Renovation (4), Auto Maintenance (4), Family Activities (8), Adventuring (6).   
  WIS +2, CHA +2  A - 251 tasks, weekly met (an irregular 76 in week one due to taking care of animals by myself all week and my Toastmasters training)

 

INCENTIVES!  Working hard for CASH!  ($296 carried over)

REWARD 1:  For each week I complete 55 or more tasks, I will put aside $5 to spend how I see fit.  $20
CONSEQUENCE 1:  For any week where I complete less than 50 tasks, I will give up $10 of saved cash.

 

REWARD 2:  $1 for each Business Project hour.  $3

CONSQUENCE 2: Lose $10 for each week without a Business Project hour.  -$10

 

REWARD 3:  $1 for each hour working on Jedi Training lessons.  $6
CONSQUENCE 3: Lose $5 for each week without working on a Jedi Training lesson.

 

REWARD 4: $1 for each night of fasting after dinner.  Fruits and veggies allowed in small quantities, but no dessert or snacking.   -$4

CONSQUENCE 4: Lose $1 for each day without fasting.  Lose $5 for each weekend day without any fasting.  Lose $5 for eating more than 2 slices of pizza in any meal.

 

REWARD 5: $1 for each day with a small, healthy lunch. $24

CONSQUENCE:  Lose $1 for each day without a small, healthy lunch.

BONUSES: 

• $5 for each Home Renovation and Auto Maintenance task.  $90  (15 and 3)  Lots of work around the house with the new internet and phone, and ditching DirecTV.
• $5 for 10 or more sprints in one workout.  (once a week only) 
• $5 for running more than 3.5 miles in a workout.
• $5 for running below an 8 minute mile.  (once a week only)
• $10 for running below a 7 minute mile.  (once a week only)
• $5 for running 3 miles in less than 30 minutes.  (once a week only)

Well my running was sub-par.  Next challenge I need to train for a 5k Quarry Run.

 

PUNISHMENT:

• Lose $10 each day with weight above 156.0 lbs.  TIME FOR SERIOUS BUSINESS!  -$10

Final carry-over $183 after spending, which I did a lot of.  Next challenge their is Comic Con, so I'll probably spend most the rest. ;-)