[Darth Yoga]

Last challenge ended with two big events, where I pretty much gave up on all the challenge goals. Even tracking them. 🙄

 

This time, I will try JUST. ONE. THING.

 

Yoga, every day. 

 

Ideally in the morning, before breakfast, but only hard goal is to do it every day.

 

5pt if before 9am.

4pt before 10am.

3pt before 12am.

2pt before 2pm.

1pt if at any time.

 

+5pt if before breakfast.

 

[Darth Yoga]

RESULTS TALLY.

WEEK 1: 4/4 days! 10pt on two days. Avg 6pt/day.

WEEK 2: 7/7 days! 10pt on 6 days. Avg 9.7.

WEEK 3: 7/7 days! 10pt on 6 days. Avg 9.3.

WEEK 4: 7/7 days! 10pt on 6 days. Avg 9.8/5.

WEEK 5: 7/7 days! 10pt on 4 days . Avg 8.7/5

[Kishi]

I honestly think the "Do 1 Thing" format is the best way. Because you don't know how the one thing is going to interact with and change all the other everything you got going on, and there' s no telling what'll shake out how.

 

I hope you have fun with the yoga! Any particular problem areas or focus for you this go 'round?

[Darth Yoga]

On 9/14/2022 at 5:28 PM, Kishi said:

I honestly think the "Do 1 Thing" format is the best way. Because you don't know how the one thing is going to interact with and change all the other everything you got going on, and there' s no telling what'll shake out how.

 

I hope you have fun with the yoga! Any particular problem areas or focus for you this go 'round?

 

I was reading some stuff from Precision Nutrition, saying how much more successful their clients are, statistically, with learning ONE habit at a time. I don't recall the numbers, but something like 40% less successful with two habits, and 80% less successful with three.

 

They also said to cut yourself some slack on existing habits while focusing on the new one, then after a month or two, when the new habit feels solid, work on bringing the old habits back up to your previous standard.

 

The yoga practice is really easy, a 5 minute thing. It is just a matter of doing it.

 

Largely I am currently struggling with depression and sleep issues, but that has been most of my life. I've got strategies and treatment that largely keep both under control, but not entirely.

 

Plus autumn is always crazy busy for us. Events nearly every weekend, and most of our biggest gigs of the year. All in a row. My social skills are so exhausted. I feel like I have been buying on credit for the past three weeks, and I'm not going to be able to pay it off until June.

 

So the yoga routine is a nice little thing that I have zero excuses not to do, no matter where I am or what else is going on.

[Darth Yoga]

UPDATE: Week 1

 

4/4 days. I got a late start on this challenge, but doing good so far.

 

It is really just a matter of remembering it. Establishing the habit. That is why "before breakfast" is my extra credit. The fewer things I do before the yoga, the more I move towards establishing the habit of doing it first thing in the morning.

 

Not quite ready for FIRST thing in the morning, but I can easily do before breakfast unless I forget.

 

The 1pt day was like 11pm. Actually got out of bed when I realized I'd forgotten.

[Kishi]

5 hours ago, Darth Yoga said:

The 1pt day was like 11pm. Actually got out of bed when I realized I'd forgotten.

 

Wow. That is some dedication. If I go to bed and realize I forgot to meditate, I'll just take 5 breaths and call it even. Your response is way more impressive. :D

[Darth Yoga]

16 hours ago, Kishi said:

 

Wow. That is some dedication. If I go to bed and realize I forgot to meditate, I'll just take 5 breaths and call it even. Your response is way more impressive.

 

That is why I do these challenges. I'm really stubborn and competitive when I've got some public short-term goal. It isn't sustainable, but it helps reinforce the habit during the challenge, and shows me that I actually CAN do the thing, no excuses. Then, outside the challenge, I can honestly face that I just don't actually want the long term goal badly enough to do the thing.

 

 

[Darth Yoga]

UPDATE: All good! 9.7 with a goal of 5.

 

I've been getting up early, but making this a "before breakfast" thing really helps.

[Kishi]

Awesome! Congratulations!

[Darth Yoga]

UPDATE! Great week! 9.3/5.

 

This really is an easy goal if I focus on it. But I go months without doing it anyway, so it is worthwhile.

 

Next challenge I'll likely add some modest number of chinups each day... I'm tempted to do a diet goal, eating more veggies or something, but honestly I already fuss too much about what I eat. My diet is not that bad right now, and I am so sedentary. It is the low hanging fruit. Besides, I'll be way more happy about getting back some of the upper body muscle mass I've lost, and exercising generally encourages me to eat better anyway.

 

[Darth Yoga]

WEEK 4: 7/7 days! 9.8/5.

 

One day of dallying in my room past 9am, but consistently it is the first thing I do after leaving my bedroom and hitting the bathroom. I do screw around in my room for a while most days, but generally wake early enough that I still get it done before 9am.

[Kishi]

On 10/9/2022 at 10:10 AM, Darth Yoga said:

WEEK 4: 7/7 days! 9.8/5.

 

One day of dallying in my room past 9am, but consistently it is the first thing I do after leaving my bedroom and hitting the bathroom. I do screw around in my room for a while most days, but generally wake early enough that I still get it done before 9am.

 

Oh, good, glad to know I'm not the only one who eases into the morning. Way to get it done!

[Darth Yoga]

This has gone really well.

 

Next challenge will be pullups, multiple short sets throughout the day. Following "Posey's Pullup Progressions", which I have done in the past. She advises 3-5 short sessions a day, 3-5 days a week.

 

Current max set is 6, so that is training sets of 2 reps, with total volume of 40-70/day, 120-210/week. I'll probably do them as pyramids, 1 rep, 2 reps, 1 rep, with short pauses between. Easier to get the volume in that way. Do three of those, 4-5x/ day and I am good.

 

5 days a week is reasonable for me. I am likely to do a few easy sets on the off days.

 

I've got a pullup bar in my room and another downstairs, and a session is max 5 minutes, so this is doable. I've done high volume pullup training before, and I like it.

 

Week 0 will be doing a couple of pullups 3x/day.

[Darth Yoga]

FINAL REPORT.

WEEK 5: 7/7 days! 10pt on 4 days . Avg 8.7/5

 

 

I've just started teaching a course on basic income tax preparation, so I have been waking up early and spending hours going over notes and slides.

 

Thursday I was just like "Fuck it. I'm having breakfast NOW." but I did my practice before 9am.

 

 

Next challenge, scoring will just be the number of pullups done per day, tentatively with a goal of 40. I'll set the goal at the end of wk 0. I'll track the asana practice, but just a "yes I did" / no I didn't" with no other criteria.

 

I think the best setup is to cycle between improving a meditative practice, improving physical fitness, and improving nutrition. Try to keep the other habits going in the background, but reduce the standards so I can focus on the next thing. I have really struggled to make ANYTHING habitual, so I am trying to really grind in each habit.

 

This was a good one.