Candy Land Escape from Holiday Treats

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Welcome!!  This accountability group is a little different - we're playing a game together in the hopes of getting through the upcoming holiday season with both our waistlines and our good spirits intact.

 

You are welcome to join us!!  This is a cross-guild group, and even Level 1's may join in if you like.

 

The game is modeled on several easy kid's games, such as Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders.  No copyright infringement is intended.  Also, it is NOT a well-designed or carefully constructed game.  I was going to play this by myself, but the idea intrigued other people; so let's give it a whirl.

 

There are no winners or losers.  I hope that everyone gets to the end of the board by the end of the challenge!!  We're here to cheer each other on.  Maybe engage in a little good-natured ribbing.  But I hope to see everyone in the Celebration Square at the end of the challenge!!! 

 

Most of the activities you'll undertake to play the game will be decided by YOU.  I'll share my lists of adventures, rewards, forfeits (ugh!), and challenges, but I really want this game to be customized to your needs and circumstances.  I'm creating some resources that you can download and print out, but those are optional and the game can be played by using dice or rolling random numbers any way that you can (such as using a random number generator on your smart phone).  You will need a Google account in order to access the online board.

 

So, if you are interested, read the (yes, rather long) rules post and add your name to the game board.  We'll start the game when the challenge begins!


 

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Candy Land Escape from Holiday Treats* rules

You move squares by: eating freggies or drinking water (one square per freggie/water), doing a planned workout (one square), sticking to eating plan or food restrictions for the day, and as the result of drawing a card and doing the activity listed.  Players can substitute positive habit activities as needed to plan to move 10 squares per day.  The goal of the game is to get to the end of the “board†before the challenge runs out.  Pick positive actions that you can do daily to help you stay on track or food/drink items that will help you resist temptations!

The board is set up with 10 squares per day for the duration of the challenge: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1R0NAiRbGJzPsgbydjnX_tC0XNnjIx-ira1zJ7RYNrJc/edit?usp=sharing

Special squares are distributed randomly, and I have already done this.  They clump, but then true random sequences have clumps. 

 

YES - you move yourself by advancing your initials to the appropriate square.  I'll make a copy of the board nightly in case of technical problems .....

Adventures - positive fun things to do -  without penalty if you’re not able to do it.  These should be things that get you out of the house and away from the computer! If you do the adventure, take an extra square!!  So, create a list of things that will be adventures FOR YOU during this holiday season.  When you land on a green square, you will choose one of your adventures.  You can keep a numbered list and roll a multi-sided die, use random.org to generate a number for you, or make a set of cards from which you can draw one at random (customizable blanks will be provided).

Fear and Avoidance - http://www.highexistence.com/epic-challenge-30-days-of-fear/ - if you land on one of these squares, you have to do something you fear, have been putting off, or that is new for you.  If you do it, you get to move one square forward.  If you can’t do it that day, move BACK one square and have to do a forfeit (see below).  Create a list of things that you fear, avoid, procrastinate in doing or that are new (and hence scary) FOR YOU during this holiday season.  When you land on a orange square, you will choose one of these tasks.  You can keep a numbered list and roll a multi-sided die, use random.org to generate a number for you, or make a set of cards from which you can draw one at random (customizable blanks will be provided).

Challenges & Roaming Monsters - these squares require two stages.  These squares are things that you know are problems for you and that might come up during this challenge.  When you land on one of these squares look at your list of possible challenges, pick one, and write down your plan to deal with the RL temptation.  When the situation happens - and you follow your plan - then you get to move forward one square and gain a reward.  If you do not follow your plan (or come up with a better one) to beat the monster, you move BACKWARDS one square and do a forfeit (see below).  

Quest - Spread holiday cheer - when you complete one, move forward a square and take a reward!!  Create a list of things that you can do to cheer someone up or do a kind deed.  Help someone less well off than you.  This is kinda a random acts of kindness task.  When you land on a yellow square, it’s time to do a kindness.  But you can do them spontaneously and count each act in order to move forward and collect rewards.

Use random.org, a smartphone app or multi-sided dice to choose from the options you listed within each category. OR you could make cards for each and draw one as in a board game when you land on the associated colored square.  I have created “templates†for cards that you can print onto colored paper or card stock to make your own game cards!! (See next post for resources.)

Additionally, there are rewards and penalties for completing or failing to complete a challenge or quest when it is encountered.  

Rewards - rewarded for completing F&A tasks or beating a monster.  Again, you know what motivates you.  So create a list and choose randomly when you have earned a reward.

Forfeits - as Steve says, never let a slip up become two in a row.  So these tasks should be ways that YOU get back on track when you make a mistake and give into that nummy treat that some diabolical elf waved under your nose.  It could be extra exercise (although be careful since you almost never can really “work off†the calories consumed) or a really focused and healthy NEXT meal or snack.  But you need to do it the same day - as soon as possible.   If you can’t do in the time allotted, you take an EXTRA square backwards.

---

*Thanks to Beaucastle for the name!!!  I have to confess that I don’t even have a copy of Candy Land right now, but that is the spirit of the game …. but with healthy foods and habits instead of sugar plums and gumdrops!!

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Resources

 

You can look at my lists if you need inspiration!!

 

I am creating card blanks.  These are images that you can download and copy into a word processing table or labels template and then print out onto colored card stock.  They have lines for you to use in customizing the card based on your lists of options. 

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Q & A

 

So we advance one square for each of the activities we do, but do we advance at the end of each day or as we go?

Either way is fine.  Note that you will probably hit more special squares if you advance your marker multiple times during the day, however. 

 

Also, what are the time limits for doing the special square activities?

• Adventures - no time limit.  Do them when you have the opportunity.
• Avoidance - TRY to do some part of the task the day you draw the card.  The point is to short-circuit procrastination, after all.
• Challenges, monsters, and boss monsters - right then!!  These are your emergency coping strategies.
• Quest - no time limit, but try to do it the day the card is drawn.
• Rewards - whenever you can.  But no stress!!!
• Forfeits - the day drawn, if possible.  These are to enforce the "never two in a row" rule of the Rebellion.  Use these to get back on track right away!!!

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Celebration Square

 

When you finish the board, your name goes here!!  I'll have to see about putting it up in lights .....

[Elastigirl]

What a fun way to conquer the Holiday Sugar Attacks! I'm in!

[shaar]

Oh wow, this is so well thought-out and planned... and FUN!  Any extra butt-kicking around the holidays is always a plus - I'm in!!

[blkhole24601]

This sounds like fun! I really shouldn't be in three groups but this seems too awesome to pass up, so I'm in, too!

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Welcome, all!!!  Last night, I realized that - in the US - we've now traded political ads on TV with food ads.  I'm not sure which is worse, but I am really glad that we don't have an IHOP in our city ... those ads are a demonic work of art. 

[Shello]

Oh this is Genius!   I'm an super interested but not for sure yet if I am committing.  Maybe I'll work on some lists and then decide... 

[blkhole24601]

I made my lists! Right now I have ten per category and such but as I think of more then I'll add them in. Can't wait to get this challenge started!

[shaar]

I'm going to sit down with a cup of tea tomorrow (or ... maybe tonight?) and get my lists going!  I love making lists (is that weird?) and the topics are awesome and are really going to make me think Especially the crap I've been putting off.  AUGH.

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

I love lists too --- and random selection somehow makes it easier to do the "put off til forever" items. 

[sterre]

Looks like fun. I'll give it a try (though I might be making up my lists tomorrow).

[sterre]

Oh, I thought of questions already.

So we advance one square for each of the activities we do, but do we advance at the end of each day or as we go? Also, what are the time limits for doing the special square activities?

 

My current interpretation is that we move at the end of the day, but I feel like some of the special tasks might take more than one day to schedule and execute. So maybe, like a week to accomplish the task?

[shaar]

My lists are almost done!!  Is is silly that I'm having the hardest time with the 'adventures' column??  I think it's because I want to make sure I can do my adventure that day, and that's where I'm getting held up... work days are hard because I get out at 5:30 and it's already almost dark (and chilly)!  I need to make sure it's stuff I can fit into my schedule.

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Oh, I thought of questions already.

So we advance one square for each of the activities we do, but do we advance at the end of each day or as we go? Also, what are the time limits for doing the special square activities?

 

My current interpretation is that we move at the end of the day, but I feel like some of the special tasks might take more than one day to schedule and execute. So maybe, like a week to accomplish the task?

 

I think you can move either during the day or at the end of the day.  If you move multiple times during the day, you have more opportunities for stopping on colored, special squares!!! 

 

The Adventures have no time limit; I think you can save them and the Quest cards up until you can do them on the weekend (most likely).   Winter's tough for most of us in the northern hemisphere. 

 

Really, the two cards where you should TRY to do them they day they are drawn are the Forfeit and the Avoidance cards - and those two make sense.  You need to "get right back on the wagon" when you indulge in a treat or come up short against a temptation .... and your forfeit activities hopefully do that in a quick way.  The Avoidance cards .... well, you're trying not to procrastinate, right?  So there's a sense of just get SOMETHING done today toward those pesky chores and not continue avoiding them.  Would it work to say you need to do a Forfeit that day and the Avoidance by the next weekend?

[shaar]

The Adventures have no time limit; I think you can save them and the Quest cards up until you can do them on the weekend (most likely). Winter's tough for most of us in the northern hemisphere.

Really, the two cards where you should TRY to do them they day they are drawn are the Forfeit and the Avoidance cards - and those two make sense. You need to "get right back on the wagon" when you indulge in a treat or come up short against a temptation .... and your forfeit activities hopefully do that in a quick way. The Avoidance cards .... well, you're trying not to procrastinate, right? So there's a sense of just get SOMETHING done today toward those pesky chores and not continue avoiding them. Would it work to say you need to do a Forfeit that day and the Avoidance by the next weekend?

I like this a lot, I can complete my weekly adventures from Friday through Sunday! Woo hoo!

I think the avoidance time limit is good too... can't keep procrastinating on the things you're trying to get done. XD That cleared up a lot of questions!

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

So, either "chunk" forfeits and avoidance tasks into something that can be done in a day, or give yourself credit when you do part of it.  Today, I didn't do ALL of my filing or putting up artwork .... but I got a good start on it!!

[Elastigirl]

Haven't had a chance to work on my lists yet. Tomorrow it should happen

[sterre]

Well, I made my lists for advancing squares and have partial lists for everything else (which I left at home so I can't work on them at work, of course...). I figure knowing when to advance is the most important part to get started though and the rest can be made up as I land on things. 

[Balthazar]

I've been waiting for this since you announced it a while back, time to get listing

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

[SkiBlue]

Making my lists now. This will be fun!

[sterre]

So hopefully I did that right. I did 9/10 of my movement activities today so I move 9 spaces and put an "s" for "sterre" in the 9th space on the board.

 

And that's all I do because 9 is blank.