Skipoon's first Challenge - Will this clouded mind find the Path towards Light ?

[Skipoon]

Clouds. Everywhere.

Clouded reason, clouded will, clouded strength, clouded judgement, clouded hope... clouded Faith.

Oh, I know why.

The last son of a family of Heroes. A cherished soul, kept safe and respected, just born at the right place at the right time. No need to rush, no need to sweat, no need to fight. But in a family of fighters, when you don't fight, you end up believing you are worth less than them, you lack something, you will never be that brave - and it's your own fault as they even have the strength to accept you the way you are. You are the only one who doesn't.

That's how you pass alongside your own potential without even trying to reach for it. You just don't see it, and you don't even want to try as you know you are not worth much, and won't succeed.

That's how you build selflessness over the fear of looking at yourself.

Until you are tired of it. Or, to be more accurate, until time and life forces the fighters of your family to stop fighting. Then, in the name of their fights, you can only start looking at yourself and wonder what you can do to keep up the fight, to keep the flame burning, for them if not for you.

And that's when you realize it.

The clouds.

The clouds that made you believe you were no fighter. 

They are your own doing.

Nobody put them there. No hiding under circumstances nor inheritance when you know you are part of the luckiest people on this planet.

You have to face it : you made the clouds. 

And here comes the scary thought... If you made them... Only you can blow them away...

 

As a lvl 0 Adventurer, today I face the facts. I need to act. There is no more hiding. Today I start to fight. I fight against my own limits. I fight to remove the clouds over my self-judgement. I fight to explore a power I never acknowledged.

Today, I'm a Rebel.

 

*round of applause*

(just in case nobody reads this )

 

So, to start on this path...

Figured out I would join you guys for this 6WC !

I thought about it a bit, and if my goals are pretty clear, my geographic situation makes accountability a bit problematic... But thanks to the internet, I am not rebelling on my own !

 

So !

 

My Main Quest.

 

As said in this dramatic introduction, but put more simply, I need to lvl up because I need to prove myself I can lvl up. That sounds dull but this quest is a quest for internal strength, a quest for willpower, a quest for faith in my own capacity to change. I'm not the Enemy : the clouds are.

To have a more precise image : I need to find the Crystal of Internal Light, as once placed around my neck, it will dissipate the Clouds of Uncertainty that have been obscuring my mind since teenagehood. Let's say it is a Rite everyone from my People has to go through in order to reach the state of an Enlightened Soul, a necessary step to be considered wise enough to earn your Adult title (usually "Somethingwise"), and get social responsibilities (speaking your opinion, exploring your own ideas, reaching for more political positions...). So this is the Chapter One of my main Quest (I passed the Tutorial already).

I'll earn my Adult Title once this 6WC completed, and will then continue on the Path towards Light. Once the clouds dissipated, i'll need to learn how to embrace the Light - but that will be the next Chapter, if I'm worthy of this one.

 

My 3 SMART Goals.

 

This is going to be a long journey... I'll encounter many temptations on my path, but for the Crystal of Internal Light to activate once around my neck, my body needs to be freed from excess, unbalance and unawareness.

-> I'll follow a lvl 7 NerdFitness Diet for the entire 6 weeks, allowing only "social meals" to be (slightly) out of bounds.

Today, i'm at the 6th level. It won't be too much effort, but it has to last. I'll register it in my food log.

In the end, if I succeed, i'll reward myself with limitless bread and cheese and cakes.

Just kidding. I'll give a lvl to every passed day (related to the NerdFitness Diet), calculate the average for each week, and get a global downgrade for each week lower than 6,6, so it goes from A to F.

I'll fail if I get lower than B, or if any week is under 4. No shiny Crystal, i'll try again on another 6WC.

Were I to prevail, I would earn 1/3 of a point of Wisdom for each week over or equal to 6.6, + 1/2 of this amount in Constitution and Stamina (for a maximum of 4 points total).

 

On this journey, there will be many obstacles my body will have to face. Running, jumping, pulling, pushing, crouching...

-> I'll Strength-train 3 times a week, following my Recruit Workout Plan. It is detailed, it is solid, and it suits me.

For each successful week, one point. Less than 4 points (less than C), Fail ! Start again.

If successful, for each point earned, 1/3 point in Strength, 1/6 in Dexterity, 1/6 in Stamina (for a maximum of 4 points total).

 

Long the Journey will be. And my feet will play their part but, more than distance, it is regularity that matters. After all, this is just Chapter One...

-> I'll walk at least 84 km, registered in my "Walk to Mordor" sheet.

1k/day (my morning walk for 6 days a week) + 8k on a week end hike.

If I want an A, I go over 90k. B is 80's, C 70's, and if I get under 65, i'm done. I don't reach the Crystal.

My reward : With an A, I earn 1,2 points in Stamina, 0,3 points in Dexterity, 0,3 points in Constitution. Extra 0.2 points in Wisdom if I stay over 14k every week of the Challenge. 2/3 of all these points if I get a B, 1/3 if I get a C. None if I get a D+... (2 points maximum in total, so 10 total if I succeed in my Challenge !)

 

My Life Quest

 

Charisma. Such a hard skill to rise, and to monitor.

Along my journey, I need to work on opening myself to others, and not behind a professional mask. My thoughts will need to be shared, without fear of judgement. And without the barrier of my own judgement (that's actually what matters the most for this first chapter).

But i'll go step by step. Speaking is a faster version of writing, right ? So before working on orally sharing my thoughts, I should train on sharing what I write. Which I don't. Except now. A lot. Oh well...

So as you now know, I can write a lot... mostly unimportant things, as it is the less risky.

So i'll begin to write about more tricky subjects. I'll share my thoughts over real-life questions. Not to enlighten people, no, but to train opening myself and my thoughts to the world. I'll start a blog. No one will have to read it, and nobody certainly will. But It's a step. It'll be there. I'll feed it. And actually learn how does wordpress work in the process, which can always be useful.

And in case you are wondering (and still reading), don't worry, you won't need to pretend nor find excuses for not going on this blog, as it'll be written in French (*sigh of relief*).

Oh, and i'm giving myself one point of Charisma if I do it. I know it won't really change my capacity to talk to people, but the effort is essential, and sharing my thoughts with the World (even if the World doesn't give a crap) is what matters here.

 

My Motivation

 

Really ? You want me to keep writing ? (If you said No I don't care, haha !)

Well, it should be pretty obvious after all of this. Clear the clouds. Finally level up the way I look at myself, take care of myself and respect myself. It has clouded my actions all my life, and certainly has had some impacts on people I love (and have loved), and the efforts I put in my work.

By succeeding in these Quests, i'll prove myself that I have my own destiny in hand, that my potential is real, and I just need to explore it.

The Crystal will clear the clouds and allow me to look at myself with new eyes, therefore looking at the future with new eyes.

And i'll earn my name. 

I'll be a Fighter from a family of Fighters.

I'll be a Rebel in an active Rebellion.

I'll be Depwise, which doesn't mean anything to you, but means so much to me.

I'll finally earn this name.

 

 

 

So that's it. Accountability. Like my (future) blog, I don't care if nobody reads it : it is out in the World, it exists, it is the Journal I write my quests in. My first one. And the fact that it is shared with other people facing the same kind of challenges gives it even more weight. 

Let's do it guys ! Let's level up for good ! Let's live the epic life we've always dreamed of !

For the sake of ourselves, for our place in this World, for our loved ones -

For the Rebellion !!!

 

-Skipoon-

[Toshimi]

I too have been on a quest to prove I can. It may take a few challenges to find what works for you, but don't let it get you down. It feels amazing when you finally reach that "I really can do this" place. 

 

Cant wait to see how the rest of your challenge goes!

[trawlerman]

To clear skies!

[Skipoon]

I'm actually really excited And the feeling that i'm not doing it alone really gives a boost ! 

 

Thanks for the encouragement, we'll see how it goes and I sure will write about my progress. Sharing makes this adventure feel more real ! 

 

Good luck to all the Challengers !

To clear skies indeed !

[saturnreturn]

Hey Skipoon! How's your first week been going so far?

[Skipoon]

It is actually going well, thanks for asking ! 

That's part of why I am glad to be here.

I did my strength training session earlier, and thought "somewhere in the world, another rebel is pushing his/her ass like I do for his/her 6WC". Even if you guys are pretty far, I don't feel alone on this journey. And it does help

 

I'm working on a way to grade each day with a nerdfitness diet lvl (anyone knows if someone already built this kind of tool ?), and according to my first results, i'm a good step further than my goal... I'm actually closer to lvl 9 than lvl 7 on the 3 past days ! I just need to clarify things about fruits...

 

Hope it's going well for the other Challengers !

[Blaidd]

That's a really good way to think about it.  Together, but far apart.  That's what this community is about. 

 

You might notice that someone has added a tag to your post.  This is not to box you into a corner but rather because your goals or lifestyle have links to the guild you've been tagged and we'd like to bring you to the attention of one of their guild ambassadors. These ambassadors will be able to offer you advice, encouragement and support on your goals.  You don't even have to wait around for them to come introduce themselves to you, you are more than welcome to pop into the Adventurers' board and introduce yourself to the guildies there. I am also around to answer any questions that you might have so do not hesitate to PM me.

 

Good Luck with your challenge

AB xx

[Skipoon]

Just to continue with accountability, and because I'm kind of happy with how the first week of my first Challenge went : know that I exploded my objectives !

I know, the first week is certainly the easiest, but as it actually gives me faith in my ability to succeed, the next weeks should not be that tricky. An as you all are watching over my results (or so I tell myself, which helps even if it is hopefully not all of you...), I have to keep doing well !!

 

To be short and precise, results of this first week :

 

Goal 1 : over 6,6 of a Nerdfitness diet (each day getting a grade based on my food log, then I get an average of the 7 days)

= 7,4 over 6,6 ! (if you want to know, I did 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 5 and 5 (bread on the week end, we had some really good cheese to taste... And the bread was home made !)

Goal 2 : 3 sessions of my Beginner Bodyweight strength training workout

= 3 over 3 ! (I can feel muscles I didn't know existed !)

Goal 3 : Walk 14k per week (1k each morning and 8k on the week end)

= 25 over 14 ! Boom ! Walked way more than my goal, pretty much everyday. Let's keep it that way !

 

So, more than 100%... seems like a good start

Let's do even better next week !

 

Hope the other Challengers are doing well too !

[Toshimi]

Just seeing how things are going?

[Skipoon]

Oh Dear...

In on word : failed

But really enlightening !

I thought after reading many advice on the forum I would be able to design a first Challenge that would not be too optimistic - I even felt it was too easy when I wrote it.

Ooops !

Just forgot to give enough weight to motivation fluctuations, and I did not anticipate some work-related stuff that just blew this non-consolidated motivation.

My optimism brought me to build a Challenge that was not life-proof, and when I faced more difficulties than expected, that required more time and energy than I calculated, I lost track. 

Not feeling guilty though, as I am just out of this work-rush that started in October and left me completely exhausted. Worth it ! 

But now is the time to focus again on this path I chose for myself. And i'll use the experience of my unsuccessful first Challenge to solidify my approach, and design more realistic and resilient objectives. A 4 Weeks Challenge is coming. Let's try it out !