sarakingdom Posted September 14, 2015 Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 Session #0: Okay, Three, Two, One, Let's Jam "Howdy, partner!" said the man on the broadcast. He twirled his six-guns. "Could you use 350,000 woolongs?" "Who couldn't!" said the woman, cocking her hat. Out here, people cluster around the hyperscape gates, the way ants cluster around a kid's dropped lollipop, and for the exact same reason. Everyone is scrambling for their next meal. Sometimes it seems like there's only one job for the taking, and everyone's looking for the big score. All you need is a bucket of bolts that can still fly, and enough skill to take down your bounty — as well as the bounty hunter behind you who wants to make the same target. It's not an exclusive club, and growing all the time, attracting everyone from the ex-cops to the crooks, even the minor mobsters on a bad day. And the monks. Hey, even monks need to eat. Maybe I've been out here too long. Maybe I should leave the Sanjuro on the docking satellite and disappear planet-side. Maybe one day, I will. Until then, I need to train. I need an edge. And I need to figure out how to bookend my days, when everything out in space is black, and I talk to my ship for company. Even on a planet with a true rotational day, it isn't hard for the body to to get unstuck. The monasteries all have regular schedules that everyone follows. I don't. I'm just a girl in a rusty old ship these days. But out here, where day and night is a construct created by a shipboard clock, and the winner is the person who's most focused and most calm in the face of danger, I need all the help I can get. The Challenge I did some homework towards the end of the last challenge, and put together a challenge that slots together my fitness goals, my ADHD goals, and reducing physical response to stress, and turns it into a single set of challenge actions. For the most part, they seem to work well together as a linked set of goals, and for the couple of places where they don't, for now compromise is fine. Exercise: I want to build the most-days habit into an every-day habit to make it a little more bulletproof, and do more strength training. ADHD: 15-45 minutes of exercise every morning is supposed to get you at least a few hours of good focus, and meditation. Cortisol: the recommendations are to cap workouts (especially cardio) at 20 minutes, meditate, get enough sleep, use music and humor to reduce stress, have good social interactions. Scheduling, and timing things to make the thing that comes after work better, seems like the core of getting these things done, so this time around, my challenge centers around a new set of morning and evening routines, and pushes my challenge actions into clusters on both ends of the day. Morning RoutineHydrate and warm up my body for 15 minutes. I can't really start cold in the morning like I used to. Aikido exercises are the current plan. (Not really graded, but I need to do these things.)Exercise for 20 minutes or less. (Three days of strength traning, the rest yoga, rowing HIIT, or whatever I feel like. Difficult HIIT and gentle recovery activities both equally encouraged on non-strength days. Both will build the habit, and both have a payoff for one of my goals, so this is some flexibility in the system. Additional flexibility: I'm aiming for 6 days a week as per the ADHD plan, but my lower bound for success is 2-3 days a week, as per the stress reduction plan. Either way, I'm doing one of the plans well.)Meditation for fifteen minutes.Stress Reduction Checklist:Pick musicPick humor podcastPick today's extra social activityEvening RoutineTen minutes of tai chi, when possible, or a little swimming before it gets too cold. (Not required, just a good idea.)Short guided meditation.The really tricky, and yet key, portion: a very early bedtime - in bed by 9 or 10 to get there and start relaxing, asleep by 11. I need more sleep, and I need sleep habits that aren't dependent on how distracted I am by work. 3 Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted September 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 Session #1: High Jack Boogie The hyperspace gate flares to life, and some yahoo hot-rodding in deep space speeds out, setting off collision detector alarms on half the ships docked at the resupply station. I yawn; it's too soon to be awake. But at least I've got the first fresh vegetables I've seen since the last resupply station waiting in the cooler, and there's something on my calendar for the day that's worth it. Still too fuzzy to remember what. Pretty sure it's there. The computer screen flashes a timed reminder for my morning training session. I guess we're doing that first, whether or not I'm awake. One step at a time. I'll worry about it after I drag myself into the toilet, still bleary-eyed. I find I'm looking forward to a few minutes just sitting with my thoughts before checking "Big Shot". Last NightI am exempt from last night, because Sunday. Which is good, because I failed at last night. This morningDid I meditate: Yes. Delayed till start of work, but yes.Did I hydrate: Yes (ish)Did I do my aikido warmup: YesDid I exercise: No. I was running a bit late, so for today, aikido warmups stand in for connecting habit to trigger. ChecklistIs the music picked: YesIs the comedy picked: YesIs the additional social activity picked: Yes Today's meditation was a bit unsatisfying. Jumpy brain, noticeable level of fatigue. But it got done, and that's the important thing. And I'm not actually too unhappy with aikido warmups substituting for working out today. A 45-minute morning routine is a big habit to put in place all at once, so working on the necessary first bits is still a useful start. It might even be more stable to build it up that way. In keeping with the theme, I must now provide a relevant music-geek soundtrack. Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
RisenPhoenix Posted September 14, 2015 Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 Note to self. Watch the rest of Cowboy Bebop. Place lots of corgi photos on Sara's thread. Profit? Quote RisenPhoenix, the Entish Aikidoka Challenge: RisenPhoenix Turns to Ash "The essence of koryu [...is] you offer your loyalty to something that you choose to regard as greater than yourself so that you will, someday, be able to offer service to something that truly is transcendent." ~ Ellis Amdur, Old School Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted September 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 Note to self. Watch the rest of Cowboy Bebop.Me too. I realized that I haven't seen it since college, and I didn't finish it. Place lots of corgi photos on Sara's thread. Profit? Seems legit. Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
RisenPhoenix Posted September 14, 2015 Report Share Posted September 14, 2015 Me too. I realized that I haven't seen it since college, and I didn't finish it. I never got around to watching it back in high school. Saw an episode or two, but not the entire series. My neighbor lent me the entire series on DVD, and it's just been sitting there. On my coffee table. Staring. But I've been in a space opera/adventure mood. This reminds me that it fits the bill pretty much perfectly. Quote RisenPhoenix, the Entish Aikidoka Challenge: RisenPhoenix Turns to Ash "The essence of koryu [...is] you offer your loyalty to something that you choose to regard as greater than yourself so that you will, someday, be able to offer service to something that truly is transcendent." ~ Ellis Amdur, Old School Link to comment
Kishi Posted September 15, 2015 Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 Seeing written/themed challenges just makes me happy. I read your stuff and I'm just grinning ear to ear. Can't help it. Anyway, this all looks like it fits together for the most part. I'm sure the rest will iron out in time. I'll be watching you. Quote Work like a farmer, train like an athlete, fight like a soldier. 2 Tim. 2:3-6 BATTLE! Link to comment
Teirin Posted September 15, 2015 Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 Very nice routine setup! You put a lot of research into this and have it setup so it covers everything without eating the whole day. The stress reduction section gives you nice things to look forward to. I have only ever seen a bit of Cowboy Bebop *for shame* Quote Behave yourself, badly if necessary. Current Challenge Judo - Shodan My Character Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted September 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 Seeing written/themed challenges just makes me happy. I read your stuff and I'm just grinning ear to ear. Can't help it. Sometimes you just wanna try something different. With a bit more narrative to it. Very nice routine setup! You put a lot of research into this and have it setup so it covers everything without eating the whole day. The stress reduction section gives you nice things to look forward to. I have only ever seen a bit of Cowboy Bebop *for shame* I realized I haven't seen it all, either! So I'm doing a rewatch this challenge. So is RP. You could join us... Yeah, I wanted to simplify the scheduling. Having things to think about throughout the day, when they're not habits yet, can drain a lot of mental juice away into tracking, and it also was a factor in my updates being late, since I didn't get done till the end of the day, and then I was too busy to post. Setting two things to track and a simpler update is helpful, I think. It'd be great to put more things through the day, and I may learn I need to, as ADHD management, but for now I think I need to minimize the brainpower that gets devoted to making challenge bits happen. 3 Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
Teirin Posted September 15, 2015 Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 That makes perfect sense. Will see, there's a lot I want to watch :-) Quote Behave yourself, badly if necessary. Current Challenge Judo - Shodan My Character Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted September 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 Session #2: A Cup of Coffee The coffeepot sputters and steams as it heats up. The last of the coffee is brewing. Time to resupply the Sanjuro. Which means it's time to leave this backwater satellite and take on a new job. What kind of bounty am I in the mood for? There's always a few petty thieves who got lucky, or tremendously unlucky, on their last big score and ran. There's usually a few easy bounties, but those are often riskier than the hard ones. Galaxy's full of mobsters, legal and otherwise, willing to pay others to do their dirty work and bring in the people they couldn't blackmail anymore. Dragging frightened chemists back to the drug syndicates isn't any way to make a living. On a good day, some angry heiress puts a bounty on the sleazy boyfriend who jilted her. Easy money, and no pangs of conscience. The steel deck is cold. Heaters have been running on low all night, and there are holes in my socks. Guess I'll sit down with my cup of coffee and start the resupply list. Item 1: new socks. Last NightDid I do some relaxing movement? NoDid I meditate? YesWas I in bed on time? Almost! If not, how late was I? I ran about an hour late, which, believe me, is a big improvement over the past few days. This morningDid I meditate: YesDid I hydrate: Yes (ish)Did I do my aikido warmup: YesDid I exercise: No. I was running a bit late, so for today, aikido warmups stand in for connecting habit to trigger. ChecklistIs the music picked: YesIs the comedy picked: YesIs the additional social activity picked: No, still need to think about this one. Score: 2 pass, 0 fail Got a lot of sleep last night, and I almost got on schedule. (Still ran late this morning, because I needed the sleep.) I was definitely more awake for my aikido warmup this morning. Yesterday I wasn't even awake enough to remember all of it. I am on an actual sock resupply mission, too. I'm really hard on socks. My feet chew up socks and spit them out. I need a massive quantity of fresh socks. I think an even split between bulk cheap cotton socks, and sports socks with toes. Sports socks last better, and toes are 1) fun, 2) good for keeping feet and toes dry, and 3) turn my barefoot sandals into multi-season shoes. I really wish they came in packs of 7 and 14 instead of 6 and 12, though. Not that I'm micromanaging my sock rotation or anything. (Okay, I am. I'm micromanaging my sock rotation.)A Cup of Coffee by DJ Okawari 1 Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
Kishi Posted September 15, 2015 Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 Well, one of the nice things about barefooting everywhere is that I don't have a sock problem. But that's just me. Glad to hear the sleep is doing better, though. Improvement totally counts. Quote Work like a farmer, train like an athlete, fight like a soldier. 2 Tim. 2:3-6 BATTLE! Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted September 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 Well, one of the nice things about barefooting everywhere is that I don't have a sock problem. But that's just me. I dig barefoot, but there are usually socks involved. Keeps my feet clean, and I've always had pretty strong involuntary goosebump-and-chills responses to certain sorts of textures touching my feet, even as a little kid. A good pair of socks makes a pleasant foot-wrapper. 1 Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
Lou_be_Lou Posted September 15, 2015 Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 Sock micromanagement for the win! Cheering you on - great start to your challenge! Quote NF challenges: March 2018 , 12 , 11 , 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Link to comment
Cheechoe Posted September 15, 2015 Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 So far so good! So organized with your challenges! Tai chi before bed seem like it's be really beneficial to actually GETTING to sleep. I think i need a night routine... you know....thats NOT looking at my clock and seeing how much longer I have to actually sleep -____- YEAH FOR TWO AWESOME DAYS!!! Quote Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted September 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 Sock micromanagement for the win! Lately I've just been wanting to wear identical things every day. The same pair of socks. The same black leggings. The same black dress. I do not want to expend the mental effort to think about what to wear. One of each clearly marked for each day. Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted September 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 Tai chi before bed seem like it's be really beneficial to actually GETTING to sleep. I think i need a night routine... you know....thats NOT looking at my clock and seeing how much longer I have to actually sleep -____- Yeah, I think the tai chi (or swimming) will be good before bed. The swimming I know is. For me, I can even do a (shortish) real workout before bed and it helps. I think my muscles relax more when they've been put through their paces a bit. Once I've got a habit of ten or fifteen minutes of movement before bed, and some idea of how my workouts and my stress levels play, I'm thinking about a short real workout before bed, because, really, the harder my workout is before bed, the better I sleep. Sleep seems like it's probably a keystone habit for me. It's the hardest one for me to keep in line, and it's the one that almost everything else relies on. Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted September 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2015 ETA: And to give this post actual content, swimming was done. Cold. But worth it. Now sleep. Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Session #3: Surf Rock Wednesday Last NightDid I do some relaxing movement? Yes. In fact, I got in a full swimming workout, so yesterday had a real workout on top of the habit-formation place-holder.Did I meditate? Yes.Was I in bed on time? No.If not, how late was I? An hour. This morningDid I meditate: Yes, but during my commute.Did I hydrate: Yes (ish)Did I do my aikido warmup: NoDid I exercise: Yes, but after my commute. ChecklistIs the music picked: YesIs the comedy picked: NoIs the additional social activity picked: Yes Score: 2 pass, 0 fail I'm not putting today on the pass/fail block, because my commute overrode my morning routine and last night was sort of mediocre from an evening routine point of view, but I did the things. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJx31oOqo8wThe Rising Guitar by Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
Cheechoe Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Yeah, I think the tai chi (or swimming) will be good before bed. The swimming I know is. For me, I can even do a (shortish) real workout before bed and it helps. I think my muscles relax more when they've been put through their paces a bit. Once I've got a habit of ten or fifteen minutes of movement before bed, and some idea of how my workouts and my stress levels play, I'm thinking about a short real workout before bed, because, really, the harder my workout is before bed, the better I sleep. Sleep seems like it's probably a keystone habit for me. It's the hardest one for me to keep in line, and it's the one that almost everything else relies on. Do you have a pool in your backyard? Quote Link to comment
The Shogun Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 We have very similar bookending rituals! You know what always gets me to sleep? Audiobooks. I avoid the brightness of my screen and listen until I can't follow the thread of the story, that's my cue for sleep. Also, wake up at the same time EVERY DAY, no matter what. Your body will eventually get used to it and fall asleep at the same time. It did for me. Now I wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning sharp, before my alarm sounds... like a freaking ninja. Lemme know what works for you. 1 Quote One shot, one life. Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Do you have a pool in your backyard? Real close by, and permission to use. I have been known to swim at stupidly midnightish times. Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 We have very similar bookending rituals! You know what always gets me to sleep? Audiobooks. I avoid the brightness of my screen and listen until I can't follow the thread of the story, that's my cue for sleep. Also, wake up at the same time EVERY DAY, no matter what. Your body will eventually get used to it and fall asleep at the same time. It did for me. Now I wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning sharp, before my alarm sounds... like a freaking ninja. Ha! For me, it's podcasts. Although I tend to do a little Twitter first. It's sort of my only Twitter time. But then it's podcasts or audio dramas. Alas, I don't think a regular morning wakeup time necessarily translates into a regular evening sleep time, for me. Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
The Shogun Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 Ha! For me, it's podcasts. Although I tend to do a little Twitter first. It's sort of my only Twitter time. But then it's podcasts or audio dramas. Podcasts are part of my morning routine. I enjoy silence in the mornings, but from time to time, listening to podcasts while I do some push-ups feels like the old-fashioned radio alarm that I never knew but I suffer from golden age syndrome. What podcasts do you usually listen to? I'm currently listening to The 5 Am MiracleThis is your LifePhilosophize This!The College Info Geek PodcastsThe Primal Endurance PodcastHarder to Kill RadioListen Money Matters!And Faculty of Horror because I'm a huge horror nerd. Quote One shot, one life. Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted September 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 What podcasts do you usually listen to? A bunch of NPR and Nerdist podcasts, mostly. It goes in phases. Some weeks I want the science, some weeks I want the straight-up entertainment. Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted September 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2015 Session #4 & #5: Guitar Boogie Double Feature Last Last Night Did I do some relaxing movement? No. Did I meditate? Yes. Was I in bed on time? No. If not, how late was I? An hour. Last morning Did I meditate: No. Did I hydrate: Yes (ish) Did I do my aikido warmup: Yes Did I exercise: No. Aikido warmup placeholder. Checklist Is the music picked: Yes Is the comedy picked: Yes Is the additional social activity picked: Yes Last Night Did I do some relaxing movement? No. Did I meditate? No. Was I in bed on time? No. If not, how late was I? Two hours. This morning Did I meditate: About to do that. Did I hydrate: Yes (ish) Did I do my aikido warmup: Yes Did I exercise: No. Checklist Is the music picked: Yes Is the comedy picked: Yes Is the additional social activity picked: Not yet. Score: 3 pass, 1 fail The thing I'm mostly noticing now is how impatient I am in the morning. Having to slow down and do all that extra crap is really annoying. But I also really need the stretching. Added hip opening stretches to my aikido warmup, because I need them. What is the solution to "I am annoyed by my new habit"? Guitar Boogie by The Japanese Sandmen 1 Quote I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet, and just run forever. Current Challenge: #24 - Mrs. Cosmopolite Challenge Past: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11a & #11b, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23 Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.