[JediNickD] World 4 Level 6: "You didn't even try to stop yourself."

[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 through 22 challenges.  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. 

In World 3, I continue to develop my fitness, getting my body in the best shape of my life, even with the Degenerative Disc Disease, Arthritis, Disc Fissures, and more.  Through physical therapy exercises and karate, I have maintained my core and back muscles to ease the pressure off my spine, but in the end I defeated World 3 by transforming my life into a new form.  With chiropractic care for my spine, hitting the high ranks at karate, starting the new Toastmasters program called Pathways, and working to complete my Novice training at IJRS, World 4 feels like something new everyday. 

 

I just keep on L-I-V-I-N, fight the good (and healthy) fight, and level up my life!

 

Challenge Lesson:  "You didn't even try to stop yourself."     [WARNING!  The Last Jedi SPOILERS below]

 

Quote

 

Luke Skywalker: You went straight to the dark.

 

Rey: That place was trying to show me something.

 

 Luke Skywalker: It offered something you needed. And you didn't even try to stop yourself.

 

 

 

Creating new habits is difficult.  You take your small steps and feel the progress, then a hurdle comes and you are not ready to leap.  You step back to find a way around.  And that is where you get lost.  That is when you fall back into the old habits.  That is when you need to stop yourself and reflect on your progress, revisit how you got there, and rededicate yourself to getting past that hurdle.

 

I'm falling into some of my same old habits all the time.  The worst one is procrastinating.  This week has been challenging.  Coming home from vacation, it is tough to get myself to unpack.  With the weather getting colder, it is tough to get outside and get work done.  Work has been busy, so I have procrastinated my Toastmasters speech writing, my NF challenge posts, and my Jedi training writing, instead resting my brain during my breaks with light reading or a YouTube video.  A lot of the time at home, I just need to put the phone down and do something productive, which doesn't translate at work.  I need my breaks to rest or redirect my brain.  TM, NF, and Jedi training are all fun and challenging activities, but I may be a little burned out on them.  Instead, I am favoring unproductive activities in my breaks. 

 

[SPOILERS Over]

 

 

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 4 Level 6 Challenge:

FITNESS:

• Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 320 min total, 80 weekly. 

  STA +1, DEX +1
   

• Walking: Fortify the Spine - 800 min total, 200 weekly.  Updating to challenge current routine.
  STR +1
   

• Exercise: Lifting and Bodyweight - 320 min total, 80 weekly.  Adding a nightly exercise routine.

  STR +1, STA +1
   

• Flexibility: Stretching and Physical Therapy - 560 min total, 140 weekly. 

  DEX +1, STR +1
   

• Karate: Training and Practice - 920 min total, 230 weekly.  Adding nightly karate practice with family.
  DEX +1, STA +1
   

DIET:

• Weight Control - Track weight. 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 lunch portions for 24 of 28 days.  Track "fasting" after dinner nightly for 24 of 28 days.   
  CON +2
• Keep on cutting out the crap - TBD
  CON +2

 

LIFE:

• Get Stuff Done - Complete 60 Hours of various Chores and Maintenance, with at least 16 hours each week.  Chores and Maintenance are the following areas (goal hours for challenge)
  • Dishes (10)
  • Laundry (8)
  • Cooking/Cleaning/Dusting/Vacuuming/Trash/Other (20)
  • Yard Work (4)
  • Animal Care (32)
  • Home Renovation and Auto Maintenance (8)

          WIS +1, CHA +1

 

INCENTIVES!  Working hard for CASH!  ($331.60 carried over)
 

1. REWARD:  For each week in which I complete 20 or more hours of Chores and Maintenance, I will put aside $10 to spend how I see fit. 
   CONSEQUENCE:  For any week where I complete less than 15 hours, I will give up $10 of saved cash.
    
2. REWARD:  $5 for each Personal Project hour (Epic Nerd Camp, Extra Life, Jedi website, VHS-to-DVD conversion project, etc)
   CONSEQUENCE : Lose $10 for each week without a Personal Project hour.
    
3. REWARD:  $50 for each completed IJRS lesson.  MORE WRITING!  STOP LOSING EASY MONEY!
   CONSEQUENCE: Lose $20 for each week without completing an IJRS lesson. 
    
4. REWARD: $1 for each night of fasting after dinner.  Fruits and veggies allowed in small quantities, but no dessert or snacking.   
   CONSEQUENCE: Lose $5 for each day without fasting.
    
5. REWARD: $1 for each day with a small, healthy lunch. 
   CONSEQUENCE:  Lose $5 for each day without a small, healthy lunch.
    
6. REWARD: $2 for each morning or night of brushing and flossing. 
   CONSEQUENCE:  Lose $2 for each morning or night I forget to floss.  Lose $10 for NOT flossing for the full day. 

 

BONUSES: 

  Life:

• $1 for each hour working on Jedi Training (mentoring, reading/writing, charity, meditation, IJRS lessons). 
• $2 for each hour working on Toastmasters including meetings.
• $2 for healthy grocery shopping or healthy meal prep.
• $2 for each Home Renovation or Auto Maintenance hour.
   

  Workout:

• $5 for each cardio session over 30 min
• $10 for doubling any weekly minimum

 

PUNISHMENT:

• Lose $10 each day with weight above 149.5 lbs. 
• Lose $5 for eating more than 2 slices of pizza in any day.
• Lose $5 for each morning not weighing in.

[WhiteGhost]

How's the challenge going?  

[JediNickD]

On 12/9/2018 at 9:53 AM, WhiteGhost said:

How's the challenge going?  

 

Halfway through the challenge and I haven't posted an update, nor finished my lesson write up.  Shame, shame.  It's been a busy three weeks since the last challenge wrapped.  I considered taking a challenge off, because I knew I could not be present here, but decided to post my goals since I'll be sticking to these habits. 

 

It's been busy for two reasons: Thanksgiving travel followed by Karate Test for Brown II belt.  The test was yesterday, started at noon and ended at 7:30pm.  Of course, I was not the only student testing, so I had downtime during those 7.5 hours watching some very amazing testers including six students going for the next degree in Black, 6 probationary black moving to Black, and 5 Brown III belts moving up to probationary black.  My goal is to test for probationary black next December.

 

For the test, I performed a self-defense spotlight with 4 techniques from my Taeguek 8 kata on 4 different attackers, I demonstrated my kata and belt combinations, I fought a 30-second spar match against a Black belt, and I performed 4 breaks on 8 inch wide boards.  I earned an A+ grade on the test (as I did for Brown I at my August test).  There were two other A+ grades: my wife (moving up to Brown I) and the top new probationary black belt.  To get the A+, you have to have an A on all material, then complete all board break on the first try.  I haven't met a wooden board which I hadn't broken on the first try, but we have plastic break away boards which on one occasion gave me trouble on my side kick.  For the test, I had two side kicks: a turn back side kick and a skip in side kick.  Both I was uneasy about three weeks ago, but by test day, I was confident in my technique and ability.  Those turn back kicks are going to need to show up in my spar matches though as I work towards Brown III which has a lot of turn back work. 

 

What I liked most about the test was watching and cheering on everyone else.  I learned so much from the other testers in how I can make myself better.  It was a life altering event for me.  Personally, I have been intimidated by black belt.  Not earning it or living it, but working beyond it.  Seeing many different black belts of various age, size, shape, and condition perform in many different ways, each with their own technique and skills custom to them, but all from the same toolbox showed me that as I progress to their level I will develop and cultivate a style with techniques and skills custom to me, but using the same toolbox. 

 

The NF challenge is going beyond-great.  With my Warrior Spirit, I will always hold myself to that A+ grade, whether in the dojo, for an NF challenge, or in any other part of life. 

 

Thanks for asking.  I had plans to provide an update after the test, but it is great to have another assassin looking out for me!

[WhiteGhost]

13 hours ago, JediNickD said:

I earned an A+ grade on the test

Woohoo, congratulations!  Glad to hear everything is going well for you  

[JediNickD]

The spotlight for the 4th Degree Black Belt at the test was a 7 minute speech about her experience "leaving" her dojo training to join the Marines.  She was initially distraught over this "leaving", but firmly desired to pursue a career as a Marine.  The owner of the dojo explained to her simply that her training and application of her skills does not stop outside the dojo.  He told her the Marines is a fine place to continue training towards her 4th Degree and continue to apply what she has learned, because there is no tougher, more difficult experience in life than to be one of the few, the proud.  She talked about the training, hardships, and her accomplishments.  She credited her training at the dojo and the tutelage of the dojo owner for her success and excellence as a Marine. 

 

After the speech, the dojo owner commented on how he is hard on his students, because it prepares you for life being hard.  He wants his students to be tough and resilient, confident and determined, compassionate and respectful, and above all else, he never wants to see any of us intimidated by an obstacle.  This is in essence the Warrior Spirit evident in every martial arts training, military combat training, and competitive sport training.  Never back down from a challenge, seek excellence (not perfection) in everything you do, and have a competitive edge which drives you to be the best, finest human you can be. 

 

"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour -- his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear -- is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."  - Vince Lombardi

 

 

 

 

I always talk to people about how great the instructors at my dojo are molding young minds and hearts into strong, confident kids through positive encouragement and discipline, how they teach self-confidence and self-defense over competition and achievements, and how they value progress over perfection.  I feel that those points are great selling points to anyone interested in checking it out for themselves.  Hearing the speech at the test, I realized that looking at the lives of the black belts who have trained at the dojo is probably an even better way to sell the benefits of martial arts and training at this particular dojo over another one.  It is certainly the right match for me as I have always had the Warrior Spirit in me spilling into different training, learning, and applications.  Maybe, it is more of a retention or motivation selling point than an initial investment selling point.  This is one of the things I struggle with, but I am getting a better understanding through listening to other's experiences and relating it to even other's experiences, instead of just my own.  That's enough babbling for today.

[JediNickD]

I wanted to step away to focus on getting my brain rest and reset for 2019.  Well, work internet access issues forced my hand.  For over a week, I couldn't do anything on the internet or my work PC.  I also lost access to the gym.  I got my access back last Friday, but the challenge is over.  Also, I went on vacation, so catching up my tracker will not be accurate.  I should have kept up offline in a notebook or something.  Totally honesty, I didn't want to keep track.  I just wanted a break from that aspect.  I did well with my habits and kept things on track: running, stretching, karate, Toastmasters speeches, dishes, laundry, etc.  The main difference with this passed challenge and previous one's is that not tracking allowed me to be in the moment and do what I wanted instead of scheduling and planning each week and forcing myself to stick to the plan.  In the end, I might have fell short on particular fitness or chore time goals, but I likely over shot another time goal; however, more importantly, I got stuff done and enjoyed doing it.  Spontaneity is a great way to add joy to a day, even if it is a small thing like deciding to do push ups over pull ups, because it is what I want to do. 

 

The goal of tracking is to understand habits, then form better habits.  Both boxes are checked for each for everything I've been tracking.  It is time to focus on something different.  For karate, time practicing results in improvement, but maybe I should focus on tracking where I want to improve.  Katas?  Combos?  Self-defense?  Sparring?  What details need to be improved?  For chores, I have been tracking time spent doing different chores, but how can I improve these daily/weekly activities?  Animal care is one area where I know I can improve.  Getting it done versus improving the lives of those animals.  None of them are miserable, but do they get out to play?  Do I interact with them?  Do the kids interact with them?

 

Diet is a tricky one.  I hate tracking it, because it is almost an hourly thing, not once a day.  Allowing for cheat days or whatever, is one way around that, but it stifles progress towards building the habit.  This is why I elected to just track successful days.  Criteria for success needs to be clear.  Currently, I am crushing the criteria.  Ramping up the difficulty involves boiling down the criteria to tracking specifically what I want to improve.  If I want to eat healthier lunches, then I can track specifically days I eat veggies in my lunch versus days I eat bread, pasta, potato, or cheese.  Previous criteria was not as strict.  Bread, pasta, potato, and cheese are on the unhealthy list, but if the portion was low and veggies were there, then I counted it a success.  And it is very subjective day-to-day based on how I was feeling.  If I felt fat or if I had gained weight from the previous day, then I was typically stricter on what a successful lunch would be.  I need to eliminate that habit and develop something more concrete. 

 

For 2019 and the rest of World 4, I will be making my goals tighter and more specific, but I will keep the tracking a daily or every other day for my personal convenience and sanity.  This means I will have to change my spreadsheet again, which is sad, because I really like to efficiency of it right now.  Sounds like a challenge!  ;-)

 

Grades for 4-6 coming soon.  Goals for 4-7 and updates to my Epic Quest on deck.

[JediNickD]

World 4 Level 6 Challenge GRADES:

FITNESS:

• Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 320 min total, 80 weekly. 

  STA +1, DEX +1  A = 580 min, weekly met
   

• Walking: Fortify the Spine - 800 min total, 200 weekly.  Updating to challenge current routine.
  STR +1  A = 1320 min, weekly met
   

• Exercise: Lifting and Bodyweight - 320 min total, 80 weekly.  Adding a nightly exercise routine.

  STR +1, STA +1  A = 340 min, weekly met
   

• Flexibility: Stretching and Physical Therapy - 560 min total, 140 weekly. 

  DEX +1, STR +1  A = 560 min, weekly met
   

• Karate: Training and Practice - 920 min total, 230 weekly.  Adding nightly karate practice with family.
  DEX +1, STA +1  A = 1520 min, weekly met

DIET:

• Weight Control - Track weight. 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 lunch portions for 24 of 28 days.  Track "fasting" after dinner nightly for 24 of 28 days.   
  CON +2  A = Perfect Score.  So many fruits and veggies.  Apples, zucchini and cabbage.
• Keep on cutting out the crap
  CON +2  A = Cut down on cheese, potatoes, bread, and desserts. 

 

LIFE:

• Get Stuff Done - Complete 60 Hours of various Chores and Maintenance, with at least 16 hours each week.  Chores and Maintenance are the following areas (goal hours for challenge)
  • Dishes (10) 14.7
  • Laundry (8)  9.25
  • Cooking/Cleaning/Dusting/Vacuuming/Trash/Other (20)  34
  • Yard Work (4)  5
  • Animal Care (32)  19.5
  • Home Renovation and Auto Maintenance (8)  7.5

          WIS +1, CHA +1  A = 89.9 hours, weekly met
 

 

INCENTIVES!  Working hard for CASH!  ($331.60 carried over)  New Carry Over $486.20

1. REWARD:  For each week in which I complete 20 or more hours of Chores and Maintenance, I will put aside $10 to spend how I see fit. 
   CONSEQUENCE:  For any week where I complete less than 15 hours, I will give up $10 of saved cash.
    
2. REWARD:  $5 for each Personal Project hour (Epic Nerd Camp, Extra Life, Jedi website, VHS-to-DVD conversion project, etc)
   CONSEQUENCE : Lose $10 for each week without a Personal Project hour.
    
3. REWARD:  $50 for each completed IJRS lesson.  MORE WRITING!  STOP LOSING EASY MONEY!
   CONSEQUENCE: Lose $20 for each week without completing an IJRS lesson. 
    
4. REWARD: $1 for each night of fasting after dinner.  Fruits and veggies allowed in small quantities, but no dessert or snacking.   
   CONSEQUENCE: Lose $5 for each day without fasting.
    
5. REWARD: $1 for each day with a small, healthy lunch. 
   CONSEQUENCE:  Lose $5 for each day without a small, healthy lunch.
    
6. REWARD: $2 for each morning or night of brushing and flossing. 
   CONSEQUENCE:  Lose $2 for each morning or night I forget to floss.  Lose $10 for NOT flossing for the full day. 

 

BONUSES: 

  Life:

• $1 for each hour working on Jedi Training (mentoring, reading/writing, charity, meditation, IJRS lessons). 
• $2 for each hour working on Toastmasters including meetings.
• $2 for healthy grocery shopping or healthy meal prep.
• $2 for each Home Renovation or Auto Maintenance hour.
   

  Workout:

• $5 for each cardio session over 30 min
• $10 for doubling any weekly minimum

 

PUNISHMENT:

• Lose $10 each day with weight above 149.5 lbs. 
• Lose $5 for eating more than 2 slices of pizza in any day.
• Lose $5 for each morning not weighing in.

[JediNickD]

I COMPLETED MY IJRS WARRIOR 101 LESSON!!!  This is big because I've been working on it for 16 months. 

[WhiteGhost]

21 hours ago, JediNickD said:

Spontaneity is a great way to add joy to a day, even if it is a small thing like deciding to do push ups over pull ups, because it is what I want to do. 

This is something that I have learned as well.  If I am too rigid in my programming, I will opt to skip it when something come up that I am just don't want to do.  Having the option to vary things around helps me to stick with the overall program, even if it deviates from the theoretical optimum.

 

18 hours ago, JediNickD said:

I COMPLETED MY IJRS WARRIOR 101 LESSON!!!  This is big because I've been working on it for 16 months. 

WOOOT!  Congratulations, that is a long time to stick with it!  Very well done