NicTheRugger is Almost There

[NicTheRugger]

Hey all! I had a really tough time trying to figure out where I belong for this upcoming challenge. I thought long and hard about joining the druids, because I was looking for some peace of mind after coming to a resounding crash at the end of the last challenge. However, I love this guild far too much to want to leave, and as such, thought long and hard about what activities I wanted to do for this challenge. 

 

This particular challenge comes at a rough time in the year for me: Finals! (And, you know, the holidays) Finals are extremely stressful, which means that I need to really step up my game and stay on top of things, which leads to my first challenge:

 

Challenge 1: Adult Better/Be a Better Student

For heaven's sake, I'm 22 years old, living on my own, and need to get it together! Here are the subchallenges for this challenge:

- Clean the house every week, from top to bottom. Having a clean house will make me feel more organized and less distressed by my own chaos.

- Be an efficient study-er. I need to focus on studying, which means I need to be out of the house by 8:30 at the latest every day to get to school to do work.

- Not go over my budget: I'm currently unemployed, which means that I need to limit my spending so I can make it to winter break so I can go back to my job and make some money (Even if it's just a couple hundred dollars). My grocery limit is $55/week (why is healthy food more expensive than junk food?!  ) My "social spending" is limited to $20/week. Obviously, my bills need to be paid, as does my rent (good-bye, money!!!)

 

That's how I feel about my finances, at this point. I don't want to ask my parents for money, because I feel incredibly guilty when I do (they raised me to be independent and to provide for myself, which makes the no-job thing all sorts of painful). That being said, I'll probably have to ask for money for next month's rent.... and maybe January's too 

 

Challenge 2: Begin the day with a sun-salutation, at least five times a week (Monday-Friday, Saturday and Sunday optional). 

I tried doing this almost every day for the bye-weeks, an on the days I have, I've been more productive, and generally feel better about myself.

 

Challenge 3: I'm actually not sure what I want to do for this challenge. I have two options for this: The consecutive burpee challenge, in which I would do sequentially increasing burpees everyday. (Day 1: 1 burpee, Day 2: 2 burpees, Day 3: 3 burpees... Day 42: 42 consecutive, nonstop burpees) OR

Do 10 consecutive full push-ups. Both would be fantastic, but I'm not sure which to do for the challenge. I know that I don't want to do both, because if I'm going to be out of the house by 8:30 every day, then I need to keep my workouts short and precise.  What does anyone else think?

 

I'll figure out points a little later on. 

[Balthazar]

Hey Nic, I have been waiting for you to post up your next challenge so I could recommence the stalking

 

I know you really struggled last challenge, but you have a super hectic schedule so it isn't surprising

 

don't feel too bad about being super organised and budgeting properly, I'm nearly 27 and I'm only just getting a handle on it, and don't make the mistake that so many of my class mates did at uni - they focused that much on getting a part time job that their studies slipped.

 

I'm not much for motivating, but you are awesome. I know you're awesome, you know you're awesome and anybody that has been following you knows your awesome. Life is busy and difficult right now and I know it must feel pretty relentless, but you are made of sterner stuff than this. So it's time to dust off from last challenge and do this thing like we all know you can

[Edigo]

I'd go with burpees, they include squats and pushups.

Following a tight budget is HARD, i feel your pain, i'm in a similar situation.

Good challenge!

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[Trembriele]

Hi! :waves: I can sympathize with the cleaning. I function better with a clean house, but don't particularly enjoy getting it to that state. It helps to not leave things out, if you use it, put it away as soon as you're done. It makes the whole weekly cleaning thing less stressful.

I also vote for burpees. You'll get the arms and the legs in one exercise.

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[NicTheRugger]

Hey Nic, I have been waiting for you to post up your next challenge so I could recommence the stalking

 

I know you really struggled last challenge, but you have a super hectic schedule so it isn't surprising

 

don't feel too bad about being super organised and budgeting properly, I'm nearly 27 and I'm only just getting a handle on it, and don't make the mistake that so many of my class mates did at uni - they focused that much on getting a part time job that their studies slipped.

 

I'm not much for motivating, but you are awesome. I know you're awesome, you know you're awesome and anybody that has been following you knows your awesome. Life is busy and difficult right now and I know it must feel pretty relentless, but you are made of sterner stuff than this. So it's time to dust off from last challenge and do this thing like we all know you can

Thanks, Daniel! That made my morning to read!

 

I have indeed decided to go with the burpees. At some point today or tomorrow, I'll properly redraft my challenge info. 

 

Here's what I've done so far:

Challenge 1: Adulting

I was out of the house at 8:40. Ten minutes later than I wanted, but since I was on the phone trying to reach the water department (they're saying my payment is late, but my statement clearly says that it's not due until 30 November, so I'm not going to pay a late fee because they messed up!), I think that's an acceptable reason to leave a little late. I was also messing around on my phone this morning, which is bad, and is something I need to work on. I have a lunch packed for today (chicken chili), and I think I'm just going to make (what my mum calls) a "chef's salad" for dinner. Easy, delicious, and healthy. I also put aside the clothes I need to iron today, and will try to do that tonight, since I will need to have nice-looking collared shirts this week and next week. 

 

 

Challenge 2:

This is generally how I feel right now, since it's a Monday morning:

 

Getting out of bed this morning was hard, guys. I just didn't want to. But I did. And I did a sun salutation.

 

Challenge 3: Burpee Mania!

I did 1 burpee today! And then I did a condensed TMNT workout: 3 sets of 10 jumps, 10 plyometric knee-push-ups, 5 negative pull-ups, and 10 overhead squats. It was good, efficient, and I actually feel pretty good about it. 

 

 

I'll commence the stalking tonight.

[GingaNinja]

Good luck Nic, have a great challenge!

[Ciara]

I'm glad you went with the burpees. They suck but they're sooooo good for you. Well done getting up this morning! When the bed monster strikes it's all anyone can do to roll out from under the covers...

[TyrantLizard]

Hello Nic! I followed your level 1 challenge but I skipped the last one. I'm back and it's good to see you still in the assassins  :-)

 

I'll be following your challenge! It sounds like you have a lot on your mind but hopefully with a plan and some support you'll have a successful challenge and a successful run at finals.

 

Oh, and I feel you about morning. This is how I sometimes feel when I wake up:

[Katydid]

Subbed! I'm interested in potentially stealing your ideas for efficient college student workouts xD

[Leimanu]

That's great that you're trying to gain some adult skills now.  It's reallyreallyreally difficult.  And this is what I've learned about money and everyone's first apt, car, house, baby, step out into the world: everyone, absolutely everyone, even the Romneys and Clintons, get $$$ from their parents to help out.  Just show some gratitude and use it well

 

Have you heard of the blog, The Art of Manliness?  It has some fantastic skills and advice and he finds the best old timey photos to go along with his posts.

 

This is one I dip into:

 

Heading out on your Own: 31 Life Skills in 31 Days

 

Do you really live on your own?  I would LOVE to do that but have never had the opportunity, only just a couple months.  And they were AWESOME.

[Leimanu]

My mom keeps trying to get me into this blog to keep the house picked up, tehehehe.  You can do anything for 15 min!

 

FLY Lady

[Balthazar]

here's to a strong day 2!

[NicTheRugger]

Subbed! I'm interested in potentially stealing your ideas for efficient college student workouts xD

Steal away!

 

Hello Nic! I followed your level 1 challenge but I skipped the last one. I'm back and it's good to see you still in the assassins  :-)

 

I'll be following your challenge! It sounds like you have a lot on your mind but hopefully with a plan and some support you'll have a successful challenge and a successful run at finals.

 

Oh, and I feel you about morning. This is how I sometimes feel when I wake up:

Welcome back! Long time no see Hah, I love the clip. definitely reminds me of me (and my sister) morning

 

I'm glad you went with the burpees. They suck but they're sooooo good for you. Well done getting up this morning! When the bed monster strikes it's all anyone can do to roll out from under the covers...

Thanks!

 

Good luck Nic, have a great challenge!

Thanks KL!

 

That's great that you're trying to gain some adult skills now.  It's reallyreallyreally difficult.  And this is what I've learned about money and everyone's first apt, car, house, baby, step out into the world: everyone, absolutely everyone, even the Romneys and Clintons, get $$$ from their parents to help out.  Just show some gratitude and use it well 

 

Have you heard of the blog, The Art of Manliness?  It has some fantastic skills and advice and he finds the best old timey photos to go along with his posts.

 

This is one I dip into:

 

Heading out on your Own: 31 Life Skills in 31 Days

 

Do you really live on your own?  I would LOVE to do that but have never had the opportunity, only just a couple months.  And they were AWESOME.

 

I will definitely be reading this at the soonest of opportunities. It's already opened in another tab, waiting for an opportunity. 

I really do! I rented a small apartment about a half mile from my law school. It's just me, myself, and I... and a few plants. It's really nice to live on my own, but I've been living with people for all of my life (family, roommates, etc) that it's sort of odd, living by myself. I'm not entirely sure how to deal with the silence sometimes, but it's definitely nice that I don't have to worry about upsetting a roommate by waking up at 7 to work out or something. 

 

here's to a strong day 2!

Thanks Dan!

 

Here's the morning report:

(I couldn't resist. This challenge is going to be heavily inundated with Disney-related imagery. I'm not in the least bit apologetic, either)

 

Challenge 1: Adulting

Today, I woke up at 7, was out of the house by 8:10!

I didn't end up eating the chili yesterday, because I had been eating chili for the past week, and I just couldn't do it anymore. So I dipped into my "social spending" fund. It turns out that I had an extra five dollars left over from last week, so I used $3.75 of that for a lunch. Tomato soup, and pita with hummus. Not the healthiest of meals, but I was going to cry if I had to eat chili five days in a row. I'll have it for lunch today, and I have a piece of haddock hanging out in my fridge, soaking in milk to get rid of that gross fishy taste.

In other adulting news, I scrubbed my sink yesterday (suggestion taken from the FLYLady blog, posted by Leimanu, above) before I went to bed, and I ironed some shirts. I also cleaned my coffee table, when I realized that I was at the point where I just could not concentrate on my schoolwork anymore for the night. 

 

Challenge 2: Greet the Sun

Ommmmm. Sun salutation-- check!

 

Challenge 3: Discipline myself

2 burpees! No other workout because yesterday was a body-weight day, and I have a yoga session today. I'm really disappointed that this is the last school-sponsored one, since this means I won't have free yoga classes for the rest of the year. 

[NicTheRugger]

The Restructured Challenge Set-Up: I'm almost there

 

I'm not going to lie. I'm a huge fan of Disney movies. I grew up with Disney and Star Wars. And Harry Potter. I decided to draw upon some of my favorite Disney characters as my inspiration for this challenge.. 

 

Main Goal for the Challenge: Make sure I'm healthy, prepared, and focused when finals roll around, and they're almost here, which means that I'm almost there at the end of the semester. And mentally prepare myself for the holidays, since that's always a major source of stress and binge eating.

 

Challenge 1: Adulting (or Be Like Tiana)

Tiana is an amazing inspiration because even though she's very young, she's extremely responsible and is willing to work hard to pursue her dreams!  She had a lot of challenges to overcome, but she did, by reminding herself that she was "almost there."While I'm not planning on opening a restaurant, I'm planning on improving myself so that I'm more responsible and better at "adulting."

Ways to "adult" better

 

And sing while I'm cleaning... obviously)

 

1) Leave the house at 8:30, Monday-Friday, whether it's to go to school or to quickly run errands (dropping off mail at the post office, grocery store, etc)

2) Try to clean the house top to bottom once a week (vacuum, sweep, wash the bathroom, etc)

3) Try to keep to a budget of $55/week for groceries, and $20/week of extraneous, non-necessary spending. This is going to be the big one for me. Grocery money will not roll over into the next week, but "social spending" or non-necessary spending will. If I don't use it this week, it will roll over to next week. 

 

A: 2 Wis, 2 Cha.

 

Challenge 2: Be Wise Like Rafiki (Or, Greet the Sun)

Rafiki is the wise sage character in the Disney universe. And he's pretty cool. While I haven't seen him doing yoga, I could imagine him doing it. To be wise like Rafiki, I'm going to greet the day with a sun salutation, Monday-Friday.

A: 2 Dex, 2 Con.

 

 

Challenge 3: Be a Warrior Like Mulan (Or, Discipline Myself)

Mulan didn't just become the hero of China by snapping her fingers. She had to train to do it! In order to train myself to be as disciplined and strong as Mulan, I will do burpees in sequentially increasing amounts on a day-by-day basis. (Day 1= 1 burpee, Day 2= 2 burpees, etc.)

 

Points: 2 Sta, 1 Str.

[Balthazar]

nicely reworked

[Leimanu]

 It's really nice to live on my own, but I've been living with people for all of my life (family, roommates, etc) that it's sort of odd, living by myself. I'm not entirely sure how to deal with the silence sometimes, but it's definitely nice that I don't have to worry about upsetting a roommate by waking up at 7 to work out or something. 

 

 

In other adulting news, I scrubbed my sink yesterday (suggestion taken from the FLYLady blog, posted by Leimanu, above) before I went to bed, and I ironed some shirts. I also cleaned my coffee table, when I realized that I was at the point where I just could not concentrate on my schoolwork anymore for the night. 

 

I was just thinking this morning why I like living on my own.  I always rent a room, so I'm in someone else's space, so their decor, their kitchen, their time, their stuff.  I'm a homebody, and I can tell that bugs people that I can be around ALL the time.  Also, when I'm healthy I cook a bit, and I always get comments: "never met anyone who cooks as much as you" / "you're really healthy" - I swear, people see you eat one vegetable, they think you're healthy.  Even though I"m overweight.  Also, sometimes when you cook vegetables, they stink, and people don't like smells of someone else.  Always have to to dishes....ugh, I just stressed myself out just thinking about it.

 

Hahahahaha, I can't believe you did the sink thing!  Doesn't it shine?  It actually does feel good to see a shiny sink!  I do this when I stay at other people's houses.  I know it won't stay that way, but it's a nice thing to do.

 

The Restructured Challenge Set-Up: I'm almost there

 

Main Goal for the Challenge: Make sure I'm healthy, prepared, and focused when finals roll around, and they're almost here, which means that I'm almost there at the end of the semester. And mentally prepare myself for the holidays, since that's always a major source of stress and binge eating.

 

Challenge 1: Adulting (or Be Like Tiana)

 

 

 

 

Challenge 2: Be Wise Like Rafiki (Or, Greet the Sun)

 

 

 

Challenge 3: Be a Warrior Like Mulan (Or, Discipline Myself)

Mulan didn't just become the hero of China by snapping her fingers. She had to train to do it! In order to train myself to be as disciplined and strong as Mulan, I will do burpees in sequentially increasing amounts on a day-by-day basis. (Day 1= 1 burpee, Day 2= 2 burpees, etc.)

 

Points: 2 Sta, 1 Str.

 

Wow, the way your wrote this with your motivations behind it, it reads like a NerdFitness article!

 

Good luck with law school!!  Good idea to work on discipline now.  When I was looking into possibly doing grad school, someone told me that it's not the super-smart who get the degrees, but those who can manage their time to do all the readings and write the dissertation.  I'm sure law school has the same pressures.

[jaex]

Great start!  Keep it up.

 

Also, I'm looking forward to seeing how challenge 1 goes when the exams are emminent.  Mwahahahahahaha...er, I mean I'm totally supportive and take no pleasure from law student dealing with the same hell I and other law students of days past dealt with.  But if you have a plan and a routine you'll do fine.  I unfortunately did not and lived in several pig sties during hard exam times.

[Katydid]

Yay, Disney! You have no idea how excited I am about this.

[Ciara]

I like it. I also like Disney. Yes, this is good.

[Balthazar]

time for day 3, let's go, let's go, let's go

[NicTheRugger]

Great start!  Keep it up.

 

Also, I'm looking forward to seeing how challenge 1 goes when the exams are emminent.  Mwahahahahahaha...er, I mean I'm totally supportive and take no pleasure from law student dealing with the same hell I and other law students of days past dealt with.  But if you have a plan and a routine you'll do fine.  I unfortunately did not and lived in several pig sties during hard exam times.

Cruel =P I set up challenge 1 specifically to help combat exam time. I figure if I can pick up a routine in 4 weeks, then I can keep it going for the last two weeks, which is finals period. 

 

Yay, Disney! You have no idea how excited I am about this.

All the Disney!!

 

I like it. I also like Disney. Yes, this is good.

Haha, this made me giggle. More Disney to come!

 

time for day 3, let's go, let's go, let's go

Up and ready, Cap'n!

[NicTheRugger]

Gooooooooooood morning, Rebellion!

 

Yes, I know this isn't Disney, but I couldn't help myself. This is one of my favorite movies, and it was also the first thought that popped into my head this morning. I'm also about as amped up as Adrian Cronauer in the morning. So, good morning!

 

Challenge 1: Adulting

I ate fish last night. And will again tonight. For me, this is about as adult as I get. I don't eat fish very often, as I don't really like it, but last night I cooked myself some haddock, and will cook some more tonight!

I was out of the house today at 8:33, went to the water department and figured out what was going on with that mysterious piece of paper I found on my door. Apparently I'm not overdue (Thank goodness!), but the tenant who lived in the apartment before me didn't pay her last bill. But, not my fault, so I'm feeling good about that. 

I'm going to take anywhere from 1.50-6.75 out of my weekly budget for lunch today, since I didn't have any leftovers for lunch today, and I didn't really want a sandwich for lunch. 

 

Challenge 2: Greet the Sun

You know those moments where you know that you know how to do something, but you completely blank? Yeah, I did that during sun salutation this morning. So I felt kind of like this....

I had to actually go and check how to do it! I felt a little silly, but... meh. It was early. 

 

Challenge 3: Burpee Mania!

Three!

 

Now imagine that those are my legs. After burpees I did:

40 high knees

3x10 dynamic incline push ups

3x10 negatives

3x10 overhead squats

 

My knee didn't like the floor today, so I went with incline rather than knee push-ups. 

[Balthazar]

great update, you're really kicking ass on this challenge

[jaex]

Awesome job!  And glad you sorted out the water bill issue.  Loving the gifs

[Katydid]

Bills are a super confusing part of adulting...I'm glad this one turned out not to be a problem!  I also know that feeling when you're doing something by muscle memory and suddenly it's just gone...it was the bane of my every piano concert as a child.