[Jarric]

  2024 Road map

On 1/2/2024 at 5:07 PM, Jarric said:

2024 Road map

 

For the past couple of years, I've been writing my road map at the top of all of my challenges, so that I remember it and refer back to it when I'm setting my goals for the month. At the end of the year I then do a big wrap-up to see how I've progressed, and you can see 2023's wrap up here.

 

I don't really have a big why or a master plan, and I don't have any big overarching goals that I want to complete in 2024. I do have a few areas of my life that I would always like to improve though, and I can handily map those on the D&D stats. After last year's challenges, those stats look like this:

 

Level 20 Wood Elf Ranger

STR: 15  -  CON: 21  -  CHA: 8  -  SAN: 16 -  INT: 17

Alongside each stat I'll have some specific benchmarks, and I might add more as the year goes on. These aren't goals as such, but they are things that I would like to hit and that I can measure progress against.

 

Strength - Exercise

I don't separate STR and DEX as different stats, because it doesn't feel like a useful definition for the kind of stuff I do. STR includes going to my local crossfit-style gym, running, bouldering, taking part in OCRs and any other competitions that I get myself into, and also anything else that might take my fancy during the year like swimming, hiking, who knows?

 

Why am I focusing on this? Because I like being able to do cool stuff, and to me that means lifting heavy, doing gymnastics tricks, or completing the kinds of races that make other people think I'm mad. I also think you can never be too strong, and I want to be mobile and pain-free for a long time to come.

 

Specific benchmarks:

• March edit - rehab my knee, so that I'm no longer in pain when I run. This is a pre-requisite of a lot of the things below.
• Man vs Coast - a 25-mile coastal adventure race in the UK
• I'd like to do some kind of strongman competition, if I can find a good one
• I'm looking at Tribal Clash, which seems to be a cool fitness event if I can get a team together
• March edit - compete in Conquer the Farm, a local crossfit competition that looks cool
• Climb a font 7A March edit - Done! Got my first 7A this month
• Climb a font 6A outside
• Get reliable pistol squats with both legs
• Be able to string together multiple muscle ups (ring and bar)
• Handwalk 12ft (2 mats in my gym)
• Squatmas: 50 reps at 75% bodyweight, unbroken
• Deadliftmas: 50 reps at 100% bodyweight, unbroken
• Squat 1.5 x bodyweight for 5 reps
• Deadlift 2 x bodyweight for 5 reps
• Row 100m in under 16.9 seconds (#oddlyspecific I know - I hit 16.9 in October 2019, and I've equalled it a dozen times but never beaten it)

 

Constitution - Nutrition

This is about the things I put in my body - food, alcohol, and cigarettes being the main ones. I've decided recently that I'm not that fussed about caffeine right now, and whilst I don't want to smoke I'm at a level where I do so rarely and can go months between cigarettes.

 

Why am I focusing on this? Because it's the foundation that everything else is based on. When I eat better and drink less I feel better, I lift stronger, I'm less out of breath, and I'm more alert. Also, I look better - it's vain but I won't apologise for that. I have a more complicated relationship with alcohol, but like food it's all about sensible moderation without needs for excessive restriction.

 

Specific benchmarks:

• Get to <12% body fat (per my home scales), just to see what it's like.

 

Charisma - Creativity

This will probably be primarily focused on drawing, but also on writing D&D content, maybe even picking up my guitar again as I haven't in a while. 

 

Why am I focusing on this?  Because I think being creative is really good for me mentally, and because I think creativity is really worthwhile. In my mind there is something intrinsically valuable in the act of creation, even if it's not something you share or make money from. And because I enjoy it, I feel good seeing some of the stuff I've drawn over the years, or when I pick up the guitar just for fun.

 

Specific benchmarks:

• Draw a whole D&D party for any group I run/am in
• Publish some of my own D&D content online
• Complete Inktober this year
• I have Wednesdays off work, so do something creative every Wednesday at least
• Learn a handful of songs that I could play at an open mic night

 

 

Sanity - self-care

This is about keeping my head screwed on straight, and doing the things that keep me level. That includes small things like brushing my teeth and keeping the house tidy, but might be specific self-care habits like journaling, social things like seeing friends, or big projects on the house.  It's recently occurred to me that reading more for pleasure could also be on this list, or on my INT list, and I'll consider that among my potential future goals.

 

Why am I focusing on this? Because it's been a tough couple of years - including losing a couple of friends and my dad being diagnosed with dementia - and I don't like feeling bad. These are things that I can do to feel better in myself, and feeling good is it's own reward. It also allows me to better support my family, and to face challenges as they come. 

 

Specific benchmarks:

• Go away with friends
• Sort out my office - paint, re-wire, and new carpet
• Sort out the outhouse with a new roof and door, and run power down there
• Get a price to replace the porch

 

Intelligence - learning

This includes studying for work, any side-project academic study that I feel like, learning languages, maybe even skill learning if it doesn't fit under STR.

 

Why am I focusing on this?  I  like to learn new things, I find it interesting and rewarding, and it makes me a better person. It also might help my future employment prospects/earning potential, which isn't a big driver for me but it can't hurt.

 

Specific benchmarks:

• Make good progress on my last big professional accreditation
• Continue learning Dutch and French on Duolingo - I should be on an 800+ day streak by the end of 2024
• Converse in French when I go to France for the Olympics this year
• Learn a little bit of coding

 

Edit - I keep forgetting how to score this, so the percentage required to gain a stat point, based on the number of stat points a goal is worth, is:

• 1 stat point: 75%
• 2 stat points: 50%, 83.3%
• 3 stat points: 37.5%, 62.5%, 87.5%
• 4 stat points: 30%, 50%, 70%, 90%
• 5 stat points: 25%, 41.7%, 58.3%, 75%, 91.7%

 

Last challenge results  

On 3/24/2024 at 4:56 PM, Jarric said:

Well, I very much burned out on this challenge towards the end. Actually I think I burned out on life in general, and this challenge was just a casualty of that. Regardless, here's a brief (ish) wrap-up.

 

The muscle

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

In week 5 of the last challenge I was out for a run, and something went in my knee. Since then I haven't been able to run - it's not a 'I probably should be resting this' kind of pain, it's a 'this hurts too much I have to stop now' kind of pain. Had a physio appointment this week and he reckons it's torn cartilage,  with an expected recovery within 6 weeks. That lines up just too perfectly with this challenge cycle, so I'm optimistic that I'll be able to get back to running training after that.

 

In the meantime I have some rehab exercises for my knee, and I'm also supposed to apply heat to aid blood flow as and when I can, and cycle for blood flow as well.

 

Goal: do my kneehab™ exercises every day [+2 STR]

Extra credit: apply heat daily, cycle 4 times per week [+1 STR]

 

Score: 26/35 = 74.3% = +1 STR

Extra credit: heat 9/35 = 25.7%, cycling 11/20 = 55% = no extra credit

 

This is the one goal that started badly and got better, in that I got new physio exercises halfway through the challenge and after that I didn't miss a day. The secret there was that my new exercises are short enough that I can do them during a gym session, so there's really no reason to miss them.

 

Regardless my knee is no better than when I injured it, which is very frustrating and is no doubt contributing to me feeling pretty tired and fed up. I've got another physio appointment next week, and we'll see what they have to say, but I'm going to have to face that the recovery on this will be a lot longer than I initially thought.

 

The decisionist

  Reveal hidden contents

 

I'm still looking to cut weight, with a goal of hitting 11 stone 8lbs (162lbs, or 73.5kg) by the end of this challenge for the Weight Loss PVP, and then probably continuing on for another 8-12 weeks to hit 11 stone (154lbs, or 69.9kg) before I switch to maintenance. Really I want to see what I look like at <12% body fat (if my home scales will permit such a number!). 

 

I give myself a weekly calorie target, then divide it by 8 to give myself 7 daily targets plus a weekly 'buffer' to float across the days as needed. If you hear me talking about using calories from my buffer for a special event or something like that, this is what I'm talking about.

 

Goal: Track food daily [+1 CON]

Extra credit: Less than 18,000 kcal per week [+1 CON]

 

Score: 34/35 = 97.1% = +1 CON

Extra credit = 1/5 weeks under 18,000kcal = no extra credit

 

This is a pretty solid habit that I've stuck to, and I've lost over 4lbs this challenge and 9.5lbs since 1st January. The Weight Loss PvP was also incredibly helpful in keeping me on this. Granted I didn't stick to my calorie targets for most of the challenge, but with my birthday in the middle of the challenge and the general craziness of this month I'm happy with how this went.

 

The cartographer

  Reveal hidden contents

 

I enjoy drawing, and the more I do it the more I enjoy it. Last challenge my goal was to draw 4 times per week, and I found that doing that I fell out of the habit and then kept forgetting to do it. So now the goal is to draw daily, even if it's a tiny little sketch in a notebook somewhere.

 

Things I could draw include some High Rollers fan art (I'm really getting into the new season and am already working on a complicated piece - check out High Rollers D&D if you're into D&D streams and want to get in whilst there's only 10 episodes to catch up on!). I have also been meaning to do my own drawings of the adventuring party I use for these challenges. And finally my in-person TTRPG group are starting a Pathfinder adventure path called Abomination Vaults in a few weeks, although I'm not sure if I'll get introduced to all of the characters early enough to draw them all this challenge cycle, I can at least draw mine. It also doesn't have to be character drawing, I've got a great book on animal drawing that I should really pick up again, and I can jump on whatever else takes my fancy.

 

Goal: Draw every day [+2 CHA]

Extra credit: Share 1+ pictures here every week [+1 CHA]

 

Score: 14/35 = 40% = no stat increase

 

This went well for week 1, and then very much fell off my plan. I was tired and fed up and just didn't feel inspired to draw most of the time. I think I need to find a way to approach this differently, though I also hope that life will get in the way less from the start of next challenge.

 

The translator

  Reveal hidden contents

 

I'm still working on studying both Dutch and French, the former because it's interesting and feels like it's going well, and the latter because I'm going to Paris this year and I'd love to be able to use it well while I'm there. I've changed the scoring slightly on this challenge, to try and get me doing both languages every day but in a slightly different way. It might also get me higher on those pesky leader boards - I really want to win a Duolingo Diamond League one of these days!

 

Goal: Earn my early bird chest and night owl chest every day (i.e. complete at least one lesson before midday, and at least one lesson between 6pm and midnight) [+2 INT]

 

Score: 25/34 = 73.5% = +1 INT

 

Most days I scored 1/2 a point for this, which really defeats the point of the way I set up the challenge. In fact, I didn't miss a day, and I think that's because I want to keep my Duolingo streak going - I'm not sure having this as a challenge goal made a blind bit of difference. Still, practising one language every day is still pretty good.

 

The hoardsperson and the camp maker

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

This is a bit of a mashup, so bear with me. The main goal here is to spend no money. I'm fairly skint at the moment after Christmas and a few big purchases last year, and I'm also being underpaid a little bit right now because apparently my company didn't take enough tax for the past few months. Spending no money doesn't include groceries, fuel, or other necessities, it's really about discretionary spending.

 

It's going to be almost impossible to spend nothing for 5 weeks, so to make up some points I'm also going to add a focus: cleaning and tidying my house. Maybe I'll find some stuff I can avoid buying, or get round to selling stuff, but mostly I just wanted to do this this challenge and this seemed like a way to fit it in. In particular I want to get in a cleaning session on Wednesdays, as I'm a filthy part-timer and don't work Wednesdays. I have a rolling table for what to clean, so I'll get a point for rolling the dice (a D14 annoyingly, unless I reconfigure it to a D12+D3 table) and doing whatever the dice say to do).

 

Goal: Spend no money every day, clean regularly, for a total of 35 points this challenge (1/day) [+2 SAN]

Extra Credit: As above, but a total of 42 points (no spending any day, plus weekly cleaning) - change [+2 SAN] above to [+3 SAN]

 

Score: 19/35 = 54% = +1 SAN

 

I very much stopped caring about this goal towards the end of the challenge, partly because it became clear that I was going to make it through without running out of money, and partly because I started buying little things like bottles of coke at lunchtime to, I don't know, make myself feel better I guess? Buying stuff for me can definitely be a crutch when feeling tired and stressed. Quite frankly I'm amazed I scraped one stat point.

 

I did make my D12+D3 table though, and I like it. Not sure when I'll actually use it at this rate though!

 

The face

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Last challenge I did really well at cleaning my teeth every day, I think because I made a rule that I had to stand on one leg whilst I did it. Brains are weird, but if it works then why not?

 

Goal: brush teeth twice daily, whilst standing on one leg [+1 SAN]

 

Score: 17/35 = 48.6% = no stat increase

 

I stopped doing this in the last couple of weeks of the challenge, and that's definitely stress and tiredness.

 

Overall not the highest scoring challenge in the world, but I did some things. Week zero, where I've had a lot less to focus on and less demands on my time outside of work, has been really helpful, so I think I'll be running a stripped-back challenge for the next cycle.

 

The brevity thing kind of worked too, until even logging on to the forums felt like too much mental load that is. I'll try to remember that I can keep my updates concise next time.

 

Downtime

 

Last challenge I burned out and bailed pretty hard, mainly because work was mega busy and life in general felt really tough. And then when I got to the end of the challenge, and I was no longer sitting on the sofa of an evening thinking 'I still need to tick off 4 of my 6 goals', I felt like a huge weight had been lifted. So, this challenge cycle, I'm doing less.

 

I've deliberately posted this thread late, because on Monday and Tuesday this week work was mad busy (as I knew it would be). From today I've got 8 days off, so this seems like a better time to actually commit to showing up to the forums.

 

 

With the obligatory gif out of the way, let's get into this shall we?

 

Only two party members for this challenge, who are using their downtime between adventures in the time-honoured fashion of either making stuff or training. They are:

 

The cartographer

 

Goal: Draw every day [+3 CHA]

 

This is the thing I did worst at last challenge, so it's getting special attention. I've still not cracked a regular drawing habit, so if anyone has any tips on getting to that or any idea where I can get more inspiration/accountability then please let me know. Ultimately I just want to get a pen or pencil in my hand for a few minutes every day.

 

Things I could draw (just so that I don't get stuck on the thinking about what to do stage, this gives me an easy list of options):

• High Rollers fan art
• My current Pathfinder party
• My players' D&D characters
• The adventuring party I use for these challenges
• Animal drawing exercises from the drawing book I have
• Calligraphy practice from the calligraphy book WW bought me
• Draw along with the Sketching Hour on CNE Games Twitch.
• Stuff in the Quentin Blake drawing book I've only just remembered I have
• I found a cool April character drawing challenge online (under the spoiler below)
• Whatever else takes my fancy

 

Spoiler

 

 

The muscle

 

Goal: do my kneehab™ exercises every day [+2 STR]

 

I buggered up my knee 8 weeks ago whilst out on a run, and it's pretty much no better now than it was then. I've been really good at sticking to the physio exercises for the last 3 weeks, because I'm doing them as part of my morning workouts and making them a priority, so I just need to continue with that.

 

I saw the physio today and he basically said this just needs more time, so I'm focussing what I can control (kneehab) and hoping the rest will take care of itself.

 

Other stuff

I'll also be doing a lot of the usual stuff, I just won't be tracking it as part of this challenge to take some pressure off. That includes:

• I've signed up for the latest weight loss PvP, so I'll still be tracking calories daily and seeing if I can lose 11lbs in the next 12 weeks
• I'll be keeping my Duolingo streak alive (at 562 days currently) studying French and Dutch. I've also started playing with Lingopie for French.
• I'll be making an effort not to spend money most days, to build up some savings and stop frivolous spending
• I'll be going to the gym 4 times per week and climbing twice per week as ever, and I'm going to try and cement in the 3 times per week cycling in lieu of running
• Maybe clean the damn house occasionally?  At least enough for the boiler service and the new internet installation.

 

I actually started tracking my goals from Monday, even though I wasn't posting the challenge until today, so time to hit the ground (metaphorically) running.

[Jarric]

Monday - W1D1

Monday was a good day. I did some work on a group shot of out Pathfinder party in the evening, and kneehab was done at Crossfit in the morning.

 

Crossfit was good - I managed a 100ft farmers' walk at 169kg (372lbs) which I'm pretty happy with. Not sure if it's a PB, but it's bloody heavy at the very least. Also got a set of 5 weighted chinups at bodyweight + 20kg.

[Jarric]

Tuesday - W1D2

Yesterday was a good day. I drew a bad Captain Tusktooth face on a pizza box at half 11 in the evening, because I wanted to tick off this goal. Kneehab was done prior to a morning bike ride.

 

The bike ride was the fastest I've done this route. Really hoping for some noob gainz here as I suck at cycling.

 

Work was busy, but I left at 4pm to go to a charity quiz run by a supplier. It was almost a 3-hour drive there and a 2-hour drive back, though thankfully I got a lift. Had a big curry at the event and some beers, so calories were high, but I've still got about half my calorie buffer left for Easter eggs on Sunday. Got in very late, drew on the pizza box, did Duolingo and went to bed.

[Sovalis]

Yay for pizza box art! 

 

Here to follow and support. Good to see you, Jarric!

[sarakingdom]

[Ranger Hal]

2 hours ago, Jarric said:

Captain Tusktooth

It makes me so happy that I know who this is!

[sylph]

Here for less.

[DarK_RaideR]

Hello there, friend! Will be keeping up with your updates and cheering you on yet again.

[Artemis Prime]

4 hours ago, Jarric said:

I drew a bad Captain Tusktooth face on a pizza box at half 11

Jester approves.

 

[Sea-to-sky]

Here to cheer. 

[Jarric]

20 hours ago, Sovalis said:

Yay for pizza box art! 

 

Here to follow and support. Good to see you, Jarric!

 

Thanks! Good to have you here Sov!

 

20 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

 

 

18 hours ago, Ranger Hal said:

It makes me so happy that I know who this is!

 

I'm happy you know it too! (Less happy that I forgot how to draw it  )

 

18 hours ago, sylph said:

Here for less.

 

 

(I don't know what that gif's from, but I now really want to.)

 

18 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

Hello there, friend! Will be keeping up with your updates and cheering you on yet again.

 

Thanks man! Good to have you here.

 

16 hours ago, Artemis Prime said:

Jester approves.

 

 

I just tried to search for a gif of what Jester likes drawing even more than Captain Tusktooth. Honestly, I should really think before I type out my internet searches

 

 

16 hours ago, Sea-to-sky said:

Here to cheer. 

 

[Jarric]

Wednesday - W1D3

Yesterday was a good day. By the time I'd had dinner I was falling asleep on the sofa, so I didn't art before bed, but I did do my kneehab at Crossfit.

 

Crossfit was box squats - they felt pretty solid at 95kg (209lbs) x 3 x 5, despite feeling knackered from the late night on Tuesday. Then we had hamstring curls, natural leg extensions, and box step ups - all very hard on the legs!

 

Spent the morning reading Winter's Gifts by Ben Aaronovich (thanks @sarakingdom for alerting me that I'd missed this one!), then had physio in the afternoon that I talked about in my challenge intro. Then off to climbing, home for dinner, and an exhausted, early night.

[sarakingdom]

9 minutes ago, Jarric said:

Spent the morning reading Winter's Gifts by Ben Aaronovich (thanks @sarakingdom for alerting me that I'd missed this one!)

 

My library system doesn't have it as a book! Maybe just a matter of time, they have most of the others. I may have to relisten, though, despite the reader making me want to painful things with a spoon.

 

(The next novella is coming out this September, by the way. Title not announced, but subject announced.)

[Jarric]

1 hour ago, sarakingdom said:

 

My library system doesn't have it as a book! Maybe just a matter of time, they have most of the others. I may have to relisten, though, despite the reader making me want to painful things with a spoon.

 

(The next novella is coming out this September, by the way. Title not announced, but subject announced.)

 

I went to look up the new one to see the subject, and it looks like the title's been announced too: benaaronovitch.com/wp-assets/uploads/2024/03/MOS-cover-reveal-FINAL.mp4?_=1 (I don't know why that video won't embed, but still, it's there!)

[sarakingdom]

1 hour ago, Jarric said:

I went to look up the new one to see the subject, and it looks like the title's been announced too

 

"Into this man’s blameless life would come Thomas Nightingale like a carelessly thrown brick in the glassware section of Lillywhites." I mean, I'm sold based on that.

[Mad Hatter]

On 3/27/2024 at 4:06 PM, Jarric said:

This is the thing I did worst at last challenge, so it's getting special attention. I've still not cracked a regular drawing habit, so if anyone has any tips on getting to that or any idea where I can get more inspiration/accountability then please let me know. Ultimately I just want to get a pen or pencil in my hand for a few minutes every day.

Beats me, but I hope someone else will answer! The only time I've managed it's through brute force, but that didn't form a habit. I suspect somewhere in the answer there's a bit of letting go of expectation and pressure. And something about creative work best done with a lighter, more playful mindset. But it can be challenging to switch to that when most of the day is in work/to-do mode. This question has been nagging me because I feel like there's parallels with the movement stuff I'm doing but I can't quite crack it.

 

On 3/27/2024 at 4:15 PM, Jarric said:

Crossfit was good - I managed a 100ft farmers' walk at 169kg (372lbs) which I'm pretty happy with. Not sure if it's a PB, but it's bloody heavy at the very least. Also got a set of 5 weighted chinups at bodyweight + 20kg.

STRONK!

[Sea-to-sky]

On 3/27/2024 at 3:06 PM, Jarric said:

This is the thing I did worst at last challenge, so it's getting special attention. I've still not cracked a regular drawing habit, so if anyone has any tips on getting to that or any idea where I can get more inspiration/accountability then please let me know

Cant garantee it will work, but i would suggest getting a small sketchbook and pencil and just carrying them around with you. Then when you stop or have a cuppa or whatever, you can pull them out instead of the phone. 
less screen surfing, more sketching time. 
hypothetically a win win

[sarakingdom]

Body doubling. Which is to say, peer pressure. Find a drawing buddy to meet either in person or online to draw together. Or join an accountability group that discusses sketchbooks once a week so you need to have work to show them.

[Mad Hatter]

1 hour ago, sarakingdom said:

Or join an accountability group that discusses sketchbooks once a week so you need to have work to show them.

That might backfire - when I was doing a taught drawing course with weekly homework I mostly ended up panicking in the last minute. It was great and got me drawing, but perhaps not the most positive habit forming. 😄

 

Body doubling could be fun though, wonder if we could create an NF group?

[sarakingdom]

12 minutes ago, Mad Hatter said:

Body doubling could be fun though, wonder if we could create an NF group?

 

Time zones are always the killer, but otherwise doable.

 

There's also Focusmate, if that works. They give three free body doubling sessions a week, and aren't too expensive beyond that (though I see their price has gone up in the past year).

[Mad Hatter]

12 minutes ago, sarakingdom said:

There's also Focusmate, if that works. They give three free body doubling sessions a week, and aren't too expensive beyond that (though I see their price has gone up in the past year).

Oh interesting. Have you tried it?

[sarakingdom]

3 minutes ago, Mad Hatter said:

Oh interesting. Have you tried it?

 

No, although I made an account to try it. One day I'll get around to it.

[Mad Hatter]

2 minutes ago, sarakingdom said:

No, although I made an account to try it. One day I'll get around to it.

Do you need a body double to try the body doubling?  

[Jarric]

On 3/28/2024 at 4:35 PM, sarakingdom said:

 

"Into this man’s blameless life would come Thomas Nightingale like a carelessly thrown brick in the glassware section of Lillywhites." I mean, I'm sold based on that.

 

I love that - the man can certainly turn a phrase. My favourite line from today was today "The British had made if clear they didn't want to see them again on pain of sarcasm."

 

On a related note, I finished Winter's Gifts this evening. Very much enjoyed it, and also with the limited amount of reading that I do I thoroughly appreciate novellas (novellae?).

 

10 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

Beats me, but I hope someone else will answer! The only time I've managed it's through brute force, but that didn't form a habit. I suspect somewhere in the answer there's a bit of letting go of expectation and pressure. And something about creative work best done with a lighter, more playful mindset. But it can be challenging to switch to that when most of the day is in work/to-do mode. This question has been nagging me because I feel like there's parallels with the movement stuff I'm doing but I can't quite crack it.

 

I think the movement stuff I do fine with because I have a lot of accountability. I book my Crossfit classes, I plan to meet friends at bouldering. I was doing fine with running on my own thought, but I did have a definite scheduled time for running rather than just trying to fit it in. Maybe I just need a set block of time that I can use automatically every day?

 

10 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

STRONK!

 

Thank you 😊

 

6 hours ago, Sea-to-sky said:

Cant garantee it will work, but i would suggest getting a small sketchbook and pencil and just carrying them around with you. Then when you stop or have a cuppa or whatever, you can pull them out instead of the phone. 
less screen surfing, more sketching time. 
hypothetically a win win

 

That's a good shout. I talked myself out of buying a pocket notebook the other day on the basis that I didn't really need yet more art supplies, but maybe I should reassess that...

 

3 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

Body doubling. Which is to say, peer pressure. Find a drawing buddy to meet either in person or online to draw together. Or join an accountability group that discusses sketchbooks once a week so you need to have work to show them.

 

Yeah, I really like that. I'm not sure where to find that group yet, but I think it would help.

 

2 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

That might backfire - when I was doing a taught drawing course with weekly homework I mostly ended up panicking in the last minute. It was great and got me drawing, but perhaps not the most positive habit forming. 😄

 

Body doubling could be fun though, wonder if we could create an NF group?

 

We could definitely create an NF group. I'm not sure how we'd structure it though. A weekly drawing prompt? An actual set time drawing together (either drawing separately but at the same time, or together with digital drawing tools?). I'm open to ideas.

 

1 hour ago, sarakingdom said:

 

Time zones are always the killer, but otherwise doable.

 

There's also Focusmate, if that works. They give three free body doubling sessions a week, and aren't too expensive beyond that (though I see their price has gone up in the past year).

 

I've just looked that up - it's a really interesting concept. I quite like that idea, thanks for sharing.

[Jarric]

Thursday - W1D4

Yesterday was a good day. I did some drawing after lunch, drawing along with The Sketching Hour. The prompt was flowery dragon parrot:

 

 

Not great; the body angle's weird and it's not a very dynamic pose, but it was a nice chilled session anyway.

 

Kneehab was done at Crossfit.

 

Crossfit was good. Deadlifts felt horribly heavy, so I went pretty light, and then we had a chilled 'for quality' workout of ring muscle ups, power cleans, and wall balls. I got 8 muscle ups over the course of the session and felt like I had more in the tank; really pleased with how far these have come on in the last few months.

 

Spent the morning reading, then drawing after lunch, and then loaded up Deus Ex: Human Revolution for the first time in many years. I own it on PC and console, and the last time I played it on PC was when it came out in 2011. Don't know when I picked it up on console but I didn't get much further through it then. Anyway, I'm enjoying it so far - I loved Deus Ex and didn't hate DX: Invisible War, and I'd like to finish this one so I can give Mankind Divided a go.

 

In the evening we started watching the latest series of Taskmaster. I was exhausted again by the time that ended - not sure what's happening with my energy levels recently, so that's something to keep an eye on. Might just be the calorie deficit.