Inara says relax, just do it

[inara]

Hello, I'm back and sooo ready for this challenge!

For the past weeks (months?) I've been overstressed and overworked due to work deadlines - and as a consequence I've been MIA from the forums and, well, from life. I have slept too little, eaten poorly, missed acro classes and neglected just about every aspect of my well-being. This is not the rebel way of life! From now on I'm going to prioritize myself and what makes me happy. As such I want to have a relaxed challenge this time, with focus on having fun and enjoying every bit of it.

Diet & Fitness

• Eat all the tasty things
  The plan is eat mindfully, to listen to my taste buds and not my brain's silly cravings. Sure, one cookie can be very tasty. But is the second really that good? Food experiments and making a mess in the kitchen is highly encouraged. Point system will follow, once I figure it out. CON+3, WIS +2
  
• Play upside down!
  Inversion practice 3x/week, could be handstand training, yoga with focus on arm balances or finally get over my fear of headstands. Points awarded for completed session, with a bonus WIS point for a consistent headstand. STR +3, WIS +1
  
• Streeeetch
  By doing intense stretching 3x/week, I have tiny hopes to get the (front) splits this challenge. But I also find intense stretching kind of emotionally cleansing for lack of better words. Even when it hurts. Or maybe because it hurts. Points awarded for each completed session. DEX +3
  

Life

Don't live for the weekends!

Leave work early on Wednesdays and Fridays for some luxury me-time. I can do anything as long as it's nurturing for soul. For example I could go and make something, read a book, or see an exhibition.

I know this may not sound like an actual challenge but I actually struggle with this. I'm sure any programmers out there know the feeling where you just want to do one more little thing before you leave, and that thing is never as little as you expected. Well, this kind of thinking keeps me stuck at work and and every weekend I find myself wondering what time thief stole my week. I think I'll take my time back now, thank you very much. CHA +3

May this be the best challenge yet and good luck to all of you!

[PitBull_Liz]

Kudos on the goals! Especially love eating all the tasty things, LOL.

On a side note, my dog's name is Inara, so I was startled to see this thread. I couldn't figure when she'd had time to hop on my computer and join Nerd Fitness! LOL

[Elastigirl]

Yay, I'm glad you returned! I think your life goal is fantastic. Having time for yourself is very important

[Siferiax]

Excellent goals. Especially your life goal! I build programs at work (drag & drop), but in my free time I do code websites sometimes... so I totally understand the time suck of programming haha!

Good luck smashing this challenge!

[inara]

On a side note, my dog's name is Inara, so I was startled to see this thread. I couldn't figure when she'd had time to hop on my computer and join Nerd Fitness! LOL

Haha, maybe your dog has hidden super powers?

Fellow Firefly fan I presume? (ooh one alliteration point won for me )

Yay, I'm glad you returned! I think your life goal is fantastic. Having time for yourself is very important

Thanks Elastigirl!! And this time I'm not going anywhere

[tinkerer]

Hello, I'm back and sooo ready for this challenge!

As such I want to have a relaxed challenge this time, with focus on having fun and enjoying every bit of it.

Hooray! Really glad that you came back! It looks like having some fun with the challenge is a theme for a lot of us. You have some really solid, fun, goals!

[PitBull_Liz]

Haha, maybe your dog has hidden super powers?

Fellow Firefly fan I presume? (ooh one alliteration point won for me )

Oh god I hope she doesn't have super powers! LOL I shudder to think what they would be! And yep, loved Inara on Firefly. I also name my animals after gods/goddesses and Inara happens to be the Hittite Protector Goddess of Wild Animals (except for dragons) so it worked perfectly that I could use that name for my own "companion" (of a different sort, of course!).

[Sea Level]

Hello my fellow swing dancer. Glad you're back!

I like the inversion goal! I had some fun with the hand balancing last challenge, but have never really hit the headstand. I'll be eager to see the cool stuff you can do!

[Fear]

Hey Inara!

Love the name! (I'm a brown coat...

Your life goal is something I can relate to ALL to well! With coding as part of my duties at work (Python, Perl, and Ruby primarily) I can definitely relate to having that "one more thing". I'm VERY happy to see that you're setting aside some "You" time. It's so important to have a Work/Life balance. Far too often we tend to let it lean too far towards work and forget to take time out for ourselves.

Also, as someone who is actively pursuing handstands as part of his conditioning for parkour, I LOVE the inversion goal!

Stay Positive! I'm sure you'll be attaining your goals!

Fortune Find You!

~Fear

[rabbit]

These are great goals. Fellow browncoat here as well, good luck!

[inara]

Hooray! Really glad that you came back! It looks like having some fun with the challenge is a theme for a lot of us. You have some really solid, fun, goals!

Yay, it's awesome to be back - and thanks for trying to resurrect me from the dead last challenge. I really appreciated it even though unfortunately I saw your PM way too late. But now let's have some fun

Oh god I hope she doesn't have super powers! LOL I shudder to think what they would be! And yep, loved Inara on Firefly. I also name my animals after gods/goddesses and Inara happens to be the Hittite Protector Goddess of Wild Animals (except for dragons) so it worked perfectly that I could use that name for my own "companion" (of a different sort, of course!).

Learn something new every day!

Hello my fellow swing dancer. Glad you're back!

I like the inversion goal! I had some fun with the hand balancing last challenge, but have never really hit the headstand. I'll be eager to see the cool stuff you can do!

Thanks! I won't be able to do anything near as cool as you though, well at least not yet But I'm becoming seriously addicted to handbalancing, I LOVE being upside down in weird poses!

Hey Inara!

Love the name! (I'm a brown coat...

Your life goal is something I can relate to ALL to well! With coding as part of my duties at work (Python, Perl, and Ruby primarily) I can definitely relate to having that "one more thing". I'm VERY happy to see that you're setting aside some "You" time. It's so important to have a Work/Life balance. Far too often we tend to let it lean too far towards work and forget to take time out for ourselves.

Also, as someone who is actively pursuing handstands as part of his conditioning for parkour, I LOVE the inversion goal!

Stay Positive! I'm sure you'll be attaining your goals!

Fortune Find You!

~Fear

Thanks Fear! You're right, it's so important to find the right balance in life. For me the past months have been manic, but the worst part is that it was entirely self inflicted. (One of the managers actually said that we are all like overachieving school girls and that it's our own fault we're stressed ) So it's nice to take a small step back and reprioritize what's important in life.

Like handstands, yay for handstands!

These are great goals. Fellow browncoat here as well, good luck!

Thanks loads rabbit! And big welcome!

[inara]

Day 1

I didn't own Monday. But I did try, really!

I started doing some hip-opening yoga, but couldn't quite get into the swing of things and stopped after 30 min.

Then I played a bit on my hands, but it wasn't really training. I just did some random handstands every few minutes while halfheartedly watching a TV show.

I also started a cooking experiment, smoked mackerel and sweet potato fish cakes. But then I couldn't figure out the "missing ingredient". And then I couldn't decide whether to bake them or fry them (I've never made fish cakes before). So I ended up eating the filling in mash form, oops.

And then of course I spend ages trying to decide what my challenge goals would be...

Day 1 was weird.

Day 2

90 min handstand class, that's one point for being upside down a lot

Also, for my first goal I've started tracking what I eat. Mindful is good, but analytic is better. WIS +2 for tracking all 6 weeks, unless I decide I'm wise enough as it is and it's no longer necessary. CON +3 for eating real food 90% of the time. To judge the success of the second part of the goal I will simply categorize and sum up all the meals in my spreadsheet. (Yay spreadsheet!)

[tinkerer]

Some days are like that...looks like you made up for it with day two though!

[tinkerer]

Were you able to take some time for yourself yesterday afternoon?