GypsyHeart: Over the Mountain Pass

[GypsyHeart]

Hello everybody.

This is my fourth six week challenge, and my first as part of the Druids Guild. I really enjoyed my past challenges, but haven't done one for about a year. I feel like it is time to take up the gauntlet again!

My main goal and motivation is to be healthy and fit so that I can live life according to my priorities. I love travelling, exploring and trying new things. Some of my longer term goals include learning to kite surf, and hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. So I want to be fit and strong enough to be able achieve these things, and also take up any opportunity that may get thrown into the mix.

I am studying medicine at university. My hospital placements start in January, and until then I am in charge of my own time, to study, work and play as I see fit. So another big part of my life right now is planning my days and sticking to a good schedule. I am working hard on this at the moment.

Main Quests:

1. Yoga

> I have recently begun going to a body flow yoga class with friends which I absolutely love. I want to continue going once a week. If I get to an extra yoga class great. If I get to a Pilates class as well even better.

2. Diet

> I tend to eat reasonably healthily, but it is really important for me to eat regular meals on time. Blood sugar problems run in our family, so it is crucial for me to be in a stable routine with meals. I want to start preparing lunch by 1pm and dinner by 7pm each day (except for exceptional circumstances). If I try out new recipes that's great. If I manage to have breakfast I shall be mightily impressed with myself.

3. Sleep

> I have a sleep disorder which means that I really struggle with keeping a good daily rhythm to my sleep. This just means I have to work a little harder to keep it in check, I am not going to let it be the boss of me! I must not nap in the middle of the day. I want to be up at 10am everyday. (If this goes well, I shall make the time earlier bit by bit.) I want to have lights out by 11.30 every day. It would be ideal if I could start my evening routine at 10pm.

Life Quests

1. Article

> I have an article on neuroscience that I need to revise for possible publication. I am struggling with fear based procrastination a lot on it. I will get it finished. End of. It is due at the end of the month.

2. Medical notes

> I need to write up notes on a lot of topics. If I can get to the library three days a week I will be very pleased with myself. I have picked Monday, Wednesday and Friday to do this, but I can be flexible in my timetable.

If I can get the basics of these goals down, my life will be very much on track for exactly where I want it to be. If I can push things a little further, even better.

I am excited to undertake this journey with you all.

[LittleTurtle]

Welcome, GypsyHeart!  I hope you enjoy your stay with the Druids!  Best of luck on your challenge.  I also have a sleep goal.  Perhaps we can help each other stay accountable?  

[green eggs]

Hey Gypsy,

 

Good to catch up with you again Good luck with your quests!

[GingaNinja]

Good luck in Druids Gypsy! You can do it!

[Sunmage]

Welcome here!

 

Have you read Steves article on tranfsorming into an early bird?

I know it sounds horrible at first, but it is well worth it for some

[Bekah]

Good luck

[GypsyHeart]

Thanks for all the encouragement everyone!

Welcome, GypsyHeart! I hope you enjoy your stay with the Druids! Best of luck on your challenge. I also have a sleep goal. Perhaps we can help each other stay accountable?

Thanks Little Turtle. It's great to have accountability for goals so I would love to work on sleep together. I will check in and see how you are doing with your targets.

Hey Gypsy,

Good to catch up with you again Good luck with your quests!

Always a pleasure green eggs

Good luck in Druids Gypsy! You can do it!

Thanks KingLeeroy. It's fun joining a different guild. Really interesting to see how people do things slightly differently.

Welcome here!

Have you read Steves article on tranfsorming into an early bird?

I know it sounds horrible at first, but it is well worth it for some

I have indeed read Steve's article Sunmage. I have read many many things on the topic, and I have to say Steve does an excellent job of summing up the keys points and giving great advice in his characteristic style. I guess we are all Steve fans here

The trouble is of course with my sleep disorder, I am in fact naturally an extreme form of what people think of as a night owl. I am pleased to say that after working on the issue for years (including sleep counselling etc!) I do know what what works for me, it is just a case of putting it into practice after falling out of good habits.

I think that's true of so many things really, often even when we know what we need to do, we still have trouble doing it. I once learnt that the ancient Greeks had a special word for that concept which I thought was brilliant but sadly I have forgotten it now. It has clearly been going on for centuries though so at least we are in good company!

Good luck

Thanks Bekah! I will keep you updated on how things go.

[The Swedish Ninja]

Welcome to the druids

[I am Eve]

Hello GypsyHeart and very welcome to the Druids! It sounds nice to have until January for study, work and play but I think that you are doing the right thing trying to structure time to make the best use of it. What year are you in?

 

Your mealplan seems very good, what strategy will you use to implement it? Breakfast is important, I hope you get that into your plan as well   .

Have you already devised a grading system?

 

I am in the same line of work as you and let me congratulate you on finding yoga early. It is a great way to recharge and focus.

 

Let's have a great challenge!

[green eggs]

Hey Gypsy, how's the challenge going for you?

[LittleTurtle]

How's the sleep going?  I've been good with my routine so far this week, but I'm still thinking I need a bit more sleep on work nights, but who wants to go to bed at 8:30 pm?!  Gah!

[I am Eve]

Me, that would be me.......

[GypsyHeart]

Hi everyone, sorry for lack of updates! Here's how I have been doing so far:

Yoga

I have attended my Body Flow yoga class and I did a Pilates class as well. Pilates was good, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the yoga.

Diet

I have had all my meals pretty much on time as planned. Woop! Haven't done any new recipes yet, but I did use an old recipe I really like which I haven't done for ages.

Sleep

This started off well, and I have got up at 9am most days last week. Bedtime has slipped a bit so I have not managed as well the last few days. I am tightening up bedtime so hopefully I can improve this again. I also did take a couple of naps which I will absolutely not do anymore.

Life Quests

I have been focusing on my article to start with. I have been to the library twice and put in 3 and a half hours work. I am now at the really tricky bit so I just have to keep pushing through. I have set myself an absolute deadline of Friday. Getting it done would feel so good and it would be nice to have a relaxing weekend.

[GypsyHeart]

Hello GypsyHeart and very welcome to the Druids! It sounds nice to have until January for study, work and play but I think that you are doing the right thing trying to structure time to make the best use of it. What year are you in?

 

Your mealplan seems very good, what strategy will you use to implement it? Breakfast is important, I hope you get that into your plan as well   .

Have you already devised a grading system?

 

I am in the same line of work as you and let me congratulate you on finding yoga early. It is a great way to recharge and focus.

 

Let's have a great challenge!

 

Hi Eve.

I am in my fifth year of med school (out of six). What do you do?

I am just using mindfulness to stick to having meals on time, which is working really well so far. I also get this thing where if I really need food I actually don't feel like eating at all, so I have to remember to recognise that as a danger signal. I also find eating meals on time really helps to structure my day. I am planning on adding breakfast in, but only once I am getting up earlier, as otherwise I just don't. Get hungry in the morning.

I haven't really decided what I am doing for a grading system yet. I have used them in the past, but I think for me they can be slightly unhelpful sometimes, as it can tie in to my tendency to set goals which are too hard and then be over critical of myself. So in the areas that need more work, I like to think of "achieving success slower than planned", as for me that's a much more helpful way of looking at things.

 

Hey Gypsy, how's the challenge going for you?

Hi greeneggs! The challenge is going fairly well so far. The most difficult area for me is sleep, so I always knew that would be hard. Although I have slipped a little in my timings, as long as I get back into the rights habits straight away it should be fine.

Also if I get this stupid article done it will be a huge achievement for me, so trying to keep up the motivation to keep whittling away on that.

  

How's the sleep going?  I've been good with my routine so far this week, but I'm still thinking I need a bit more sleep on work nights, but who wants to go to bed at 8:30 pm?!  Gah!

Yes I struggle so much with trying to stick to what sounds like an outrageously early bedtime too! I try and think about the time being gained in the morning, rather than lost to sleep, but it is tricky. I try and stick to getting around nine hours as I do seem to need that much most days.

[Heidi]

Welcome to the Druids.

Are you specializing in a particular area of medicine?

How's the article.coming along?

via smoke signals from my Fire

[green eggs]

Good luck on the article: Just keep Setting yourself small, achievable goals towards the final target, and you'll get there.

And congrats on everything else you've achieved so far.

[I am Eve]

 

Hi Eve.

I am in my fifth year of med school (out of six). What do you do?

I am just using mindfulness to stick to having meals on time, which is working really well so far. I also get this thing where if I really need food I actually don't feel like eating at all, so I have to remember to recognise that as a danger signal. I also find eating meals on time really helps to structure my day. I am planning on adding breakfast in, but only once I am getting up earlier, as otherwise I just don't. Get hungry in the morning.

I haven't really decided what I am doing for a grading system yet. I have used them in the past, but I think for me they can be slightly unhelpful sometimes, as it can tie in to my tendency to set goals which are too hard and then be over critical of myself. So in the areas that need more work, I like to think of "achieving success slower than planned", as for me that's a much more helpful way of looking at things.

 

 

 

I am an anesthesiologist but working in intensive care since quite a few years - and I enjoy it immensely! 

It looks like you have a great plan for managing your meals if mindfulness works for you.

 

I do recommend grading (but realize as I write this that I have forgotten to add it to my own challenge this time). It gives a good way to measure and personally I almost always realize that I have done better than I thought.....

[GypsyHeart]

Hello! Here's how the past week went for me.

Yoga

Went to yoga as planned. We did a slightly different routine so new moves to learn.

Diet

This is going well. I tried a new version of a recipe. Today I even had breakfast!

Sleep

This is starting to get back on track again. I did take a nap but got straight back into my routine again. My challenge is not to get into bed if I feel stressed during the day.

Life Quests

Still focusing on the article. Have put in 11 and a half hours work now. Going to work on it all day Wednesday and fingers crossed I will have it done then.

Overall I am quite pleased with how things are going so far. My main problem is when I do have time in the day when I don't need to work, I'm not very good at getting started on things I enjoy, I laze around and waste this 'free time' instead. I'm not really sure what to do about that.

Anyone got any pointers?

[green eggs]

"Overall I am quite pleased with how things are going so far. My main problem is when I do have time in the day when I don't need to work, I'm not very good at getting started on things I enjoy, I laze around and waste this 'free time' instead. I'm not really sure what to do about that."

Hey

Sounds like things are going well, especially the sleep. As to getting started on stuff you enjoy, here are a couple of ideas:

- Make it easy: put the guitar on a stand so you don't have to take it out the case. Or keep your craft things on a table ready to start (I don't know what your specific hobbies are... ). If I have to unpack my guitar, start the computer or get out my yoga mat, I won't start. So they permanently clutter my living space

- Pomodoro method: set a timer for ten minutes and promise yourself you can stop when the timer goes off. Chances are you'll keep going.

- Call up a buddy and do stuff together. If they don't have time now, make a date for later that you have to prepare for. This works for me for singing - I get together with a pianist friend every couple if weeks, and it guilts me into practicing/learning new stuff.

Good luck!

[Sunmage]

Put something on the couch and in front of the computer.

 

So you have to do something before wasting time. 

Often this is already enough.

Green eggs gave yu some great hints, too.

 

If combinations of both don't work, Steve also wrote a great blogpost about habit forming and changing the place you live in

[GypsyHeart]

Thanks greeneggs and Sunmage these are great suggestions!

I am going to clear desk space so I can have things ready to go and try the timer method too. Why is it called the pomodoro method?

The hardest time for me to get going is always after lunch so it's partly getting out of that slump too. I always just want to nap!

[green eggs]

It's called the pomodoro method because the guy who "invented" it (or at least publicised it widely) used a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato

Sounds like your bed is the place to dump a big pile of whatever it is you want to get done

How's the sleep coming on?

[GypsyHeart]

Oh no I am feeling rubbish as I have had the worst sleep day ever I keep trying so hard why can't I just get it right! I had set aside today to work on my article and hopefully finish it but I just ruined the day by sleeping and doing nothing.

Why can't I just get myself to do things right!!! Some days I really hate life. Grrrr.

[green eggs]

Hey Gypsy, you know, some days are just like that. Beating up on yourself for it won't help. Probably there wool have been a need on some level for your day to run as it did. And tomorrow is a totally new day...

[GypsyHeart]

Thanks greeneggs. I do feel better today. Already had a driving lesson and done food shopping. Going to have lunch and then head out to the library at 2 to work on my article.

Missed yoga yesterday but hopefully will go to a class on Friday instead.