"A Jedi must have the deepest commitment..."

[JediNickD]

Ready are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained. A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph. Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless.

-- Yoda, "The Empire Strikes Back"

Each challenge I set goals which I predominately work on outside of home. Well, let's just say home life needs some extra challenge as well, so this challenge I'll have some goals to meet involving each of my family members.

Next challenge goals are below with my starting points in ():

FITNESS:

• Lift More Weight! +3 STR
  
  • Bench Press Bar = 200 lbs 3 reps (185 lbs)
    
  • Deadlift Bar = 175 lbs 3 reps (160 lbs)
    
  • Squat Bar = 175 lbs 3 reps (160 lbs)
    
  • Standing Curl Bar = 95 lbs 3 reps (75 lbs)
    
  • Do 5000 Crunches, 3000 Dual Leg Lefts, 3000 Oblique Twists, 2000 Side Bends

I had been picking two exercises and making a 30 lb gain. I should be able to do four exercises with 15 lb gains, right? Also, I plan to blast my abs into a six pack. Last ab challenge turned out to be too easy.

*I need to confirm where I am for my Standing Curls before I set a goal, so this well be set on Wednesday.

• Run Faster! +2 DEX | +2 STA
  
  • Shuttle Run** = 9.30 (9.53s)
    
  • Run 18 miles.
    
  • 1500 Box Jumps
    

I need to improve my first two steps in sprinting.

**I need to figure out what kind of Shuttle Run I'm going to do and how to time it, then confirm where I am before I set a goal, so this well be set on Wednesday.

DIETARY:

• 
  
• Eat better! +2 CON
  
  • Eat only meat, nuts, fruit, and vegetables for lunch and snack 15 times. Dips/dressing allowed but must be minimal.
    
  • Drink only 20 Dr Pepper cans.
    

Mainly focusing on my work lunches here to reduce the amount of junk calories and carbs I consume.

LIFE:

• Train the Mind! +3 WIS | +3 CHA
  
  • Make my wife and kids a priority. They trumph everything for the next 6 weeks.
    
    • Find a new activity to do with my wife and do it. (we need something new in our lives)
      
    • Arrange a babysitter and take my wife out on a real date. Something magical. (I need to wow her, because I'm not so good at that with dates)
      
    • Help my 4 year old daughter with her homework. Read books with her. Teach her to read a few words. (she's doing well, but I am not as involved as I should be)
      
    • Teach my 2 year old daughter to count to 10. Teach her the ABC song. (she can count 2 through 6)
      

    [*]Complete two Toastmasters CC Manual Lessons (already have topics choosen)

    [*]Volunteer as Jokemaster (joke ready)

    [*]Volunteer as Toastmaster of the Day

    [*]Volunteer as Table Topics participant thrice.

    [*]Complete IJRS Meditation 101 Lesson 6 and 7 with Exercises

    [*]Complete IJRS Force 101 Lesson 6 and 7 with Exercises

Due to a vacation and work travel, I only have four Toastmasters meetings during the challenge time peroid, so I need to make them count again.

My initial goal when I registered for the Meditation 101 and Force 101 courses was to wrap them up by the end of the year, but that isn't likely as I procrastinated too much with them. I should complete them by the mid-Febuary at this pace.

[cline]

OMG your life goals sound so awesome and so fulfilling!! They also sound like a lot of fun. Really great.

and 1500 box jumps???? wow.....

[Raven]

Great goals ! A lot of work but I'm sure you're going to achieve them perfectly ! ^^

[Jaksavage]

Great goals!! You got this one! Good luck and own this challenge!

[JediNickD]

WEEK 1 GOALS:

FITNESS:

• Lift More Weight!
  
  • Bench Press Bar = 185 lbs 3 reps (185 lbs)
    
  • Deadlift Bar = 160 lbs 3 reps (160 lbs)
    
  • Squat Bar = 160 lbs 3 reps (160 lbs)
    
  • Standing Curl Bar = 85 lbs 3 reps (85 lbs?)
    
  • Do 800 Crunches, 500 Dual Leg Lefts, 500 Oblique Twists, 500 Side Bends
    

• Run Faster!
  
  • Devise a Shuttle Run and run it 5 times at full speed
    
  • Run 2 miles.
    
  • 100 Box Jumps
    

DIETARY:

• 
  
• Eat better!
  
  • Eat 2 carb-free lunch and snacks.
    
  • Drink only 3 Dr Pepper cans.
    

LIFE:

• Train the Mind!
  
  • Family Priority:
    
    • Scrapbooking might be a decent activity. Check the resources and test the waters.
      
    • Look at schedule and find a date which works. List babysitter options. Come up with date options.
      
    • Help my 4 year old daughter with her homework twice this week. Read her two kids books.
      
    • Work with my 2 year old daughter on counting 1-3 at least twice.
      

    [*]Write first speech for Toastmasters CC Manual Lesson 7: Research Your Topic

    [*]Email VP Education to reserve role as Jokemaster for 11/20

    [*]Scheduled as Toastmaster of the Day for 12/4

    [*]Can't volunteer as Table Topics participant as I'll miss this week's meeting.

    [*]Read IJRS Meditation 101 Lesson 6

    [*]Read IJRS Force 101 Lesson 6

[JediNickD]

One carb-free lunch and snack done. I'm starving still, but I'll make it. More water, please!

[jimmie65]

Great goals! Your life goals are really well-rounded, and I'm intrigued by the IJRS studies.

[JediNickD]

Great goals! Your life goals are really well-rounded, and I'm intrigued by the IJRS studies.

Check out the website: http://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/

At first look, it seems like a cosplaying or roleplaying website, but the members and students at IJRS take their studies and Jedi philosophy (and in some cases religion) very seriously. Feel free to ask me more about it.

[wellthatsnice]

these goals are really great! I really like the dedication to family stuff, being a better family man should always be a priority!

[jimmie65]

Check out the website: http://instituteforjedirealiststudies.org/

At first look, it seems like a cosplaying or roleplaying website, but the members and students at IJRS take their studies and Jedi philosophy (and in some cases religion) very seriously. Feel free to ask me more about it.

Looks interesting, but I'm far too ADHD for Qi Gong and T'ai Chi.

[notcreative]

My kids are the same age as yours. I admire that you are making your family a priority!

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

At first look, it seems like a cosplaying or roleplaying website, but the members and students at IJRS take their studies and Jedi philosophy (and in some cases religion) very seriously. Feel free to ask me more about it.

I'll second that. A great group of people run the place - some were my students long, long ago. I'm working on reorganizing my projects so I can get more active at the Institute again ... so, anyone interested should go check out the classes and the forums.

[JediNickD]

Last night, I taught my 4 year-old the word 'zoo' while reading a mini-book called "Zoo Friends". She's been sick and missed school with a persistent cough from congestion and asthma. We'll have plenty of school work to catch up on this week.

One idea for my wife's date is to take her to the National Harbor. When we pass over the Wilson Bridge and see it with its glowing lights, we always say to eachother that we need to visit it. It is near my parents so a babysitter arrangement could be easily arranged. I'll look it up online to see what events and activities are going on down there.

[deerskin]

I love these goals! I really like that you're focusing long term on the entire challenge, and on your family. Just a note from a wife - we don't usually need "wow" and "spectacular". We usually just want to be the sole focus of your attention for a little bit.

[AJHLegacy23]

Nice! Good luck, man! Keep it up

[JediNickD]

Long work day with travel, so I didn't get home until 9pm. I got a Toastmasters Meeting in with a Table Topics participation though!

[JediNickD]

I love these goals! I really like that you're focusing long term on the entire challenge, and on your family. Just a note from a wife - we don't usually need "wow" and "spectacular". We usually just want to be the sole focus of your attention for a little bit.

Thanks for the advice. For our last "date", we went to Mission Beach in San Diego to walk on the beach. We had planned to follow that up with Point Loma, but never got there, because she got bored of the walk pretty quick. We ended up at Sea World, which had her really excited, similar to when we first started dating. I want to reproduce that feeling.

[jimmie65]

Thanks for the advice. For our last "date", we went to Mission Beach in San Diego to walk on the beach. We had planned to follow that up with Point Loma, but never got there, because she got bored of the walk pretty quick. We ended up at Sea World, which had her really excited, similar to when we first started dating. I want to reproduce that feeling.

This is such a great goal. Too late for me to add it to my challenge, but I'm going to start setting up romantic dates with my wife.

[JediNickD]

*Updated my Standing Curl Bar goal to reflect starting point of 75 lbs.

**Couldn't do a Shuttle Run in the gym this morning as it was occupied. Friday should be good. I'll be using the Basketball Court lines. I think the side of a free throw line to the side line will be my distance (down and back twice), which is 31 or 33 feet depending on how big the paint is. 31 x 4 = 124' ~ 41 yards. This should be perfect for measuring my accelleration versus my straight line speed, which I had been doing with the dashes. A shorter shuttle run would measure my agility, which I'd like to do next challenge.

[JediNickD]

MID-WEEK 1 UPDATE:

FITNESS:

• Lift More Weight!
  
  • Bench Press Bar = 185 lbs 3 reps
    
  • Deadlift Bar = 160 lbs 10 reps
    
  • Squat Bar = 160 lbs 10 reps
    
  • Standing Curl Bar = 75 lbs 10 reps (set goal for 90 lbs)
    
  • Do 500 Crunches, 250 Dual Leg Lefts, 100 Oblique Twists, 350 Side Bends
    

• Run Faster!
  
  • 124 foot shuttle run between basketball court sideline and far-side paint side line. Self timed at 9.53s. Ran 4 times.
    
  • Scheduled to run well more than two miles when I referee soccer on Saturday. I have 3 games with 40 minute halves.
    
  • 50 Box Jumps
    

DIETARY:

• 
  
• Eat better!
  
  • Ate 1 carb-free lunch and snack.
    
  • Drank only 1 Dr Pepper can.
    

LIFE:

• Train the Mind!
  
  • Family Priority:
    
    • Scrapbooking might be a decent activity. Still need to check the resources and test the waters.
      
    • Still need to look at schedule and find a date which works. I have one idea for a date and babysitter. I need to expand the list.
      
    • Haven't had a chance to help my 4 year old daughter with her homework yet. Read her one kids book.
      
    • Still need to work with my 2 year old daughter on counting 1-3. We did colors yesterday and she did very well.
      

    [*]Progress made on research for first speech for Toastmasters CC Manual Lesson 7: Research Your Topic. Scheduled speech for 11/27. Second for 12/4 (speech written, just needs revising).

    [*]Reserved role as Jokemaster for 11/20.

    [*]Scheduled as Toastmaster of the Day for 12/11.

    [*]Volunteered as Table Topics participant this week as I was able to make the meeting.

    [*]Need to read IJRS Meditation 101 Lesson 6.

    [*]Reviewed IJRS Force 101 Lesson 6. Looks like a lot of reading, plus there is a journal entry in the begining which I need to do first.

[jimmie65]

Nice work!

[JediNickD]

Helped my 4 year-old with her homework last night.

Added 5 lbs to my Standing Curl Bar this morning.

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Good job - it's hard to fit everything in!!

[JediNickD]

Worked on Toastmasters speech. Got the research and outline done, plus I have the Opening and Lead written.

Ate Tuna Fish Lettuce wraps for lunch with baby carrots and an apple for snack. Starving!

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

I did Toastmasters after college - LOVE the program! What's the topic for the speech?