Atrytone: Get Stubborn

[NeuroPunkNonsense]

This challenge my focus is consistency. It’s my main sticking point week after week. I’ve also been slacking way off for the past 2-3 weeks which needs to stop. So, I need to get stubborn about it. It’s one of my better traits I think. When I put my mind to doing something, well, it gets done. I need to throw myself into this challenge completely because I haven’t been as committed as I should be. I know this might be a little difficult once I get a job but hopefully I can make this challenge a priority regardless.

 

Fitness

Goal One: Strength

Since I’m no longer making the long drive out to my university (and even if I were I technically don’t have access to the gym anymore) I need to focus on body weight workouts until I get a job and can afford a gym membership again. My aim is to complete two full body workouts each week. I might mix them up but I think that I’ll primarily be doing the Sand Snake workout from darebee.com. It kicked my ass before and I want to get better at it.

 

Complete at least 2 body weight routines/week

• Phenomenal – 10+ body weight workouts
• Great – 9 body weight workouts
• Good – 8 body weight workouts
• Mediocre – 6-7 body weight workouts
• Poor – 3-5 body weight workouts
• Abysmal – 0-2 body weight workouts

   

Goal Two: Flexibility

Last challenge I ended up being pretty keen on including yoga into my workouts but it never ended up happening. This challenge I’d like to incorporate it even just a little. I’m aiming for 1 yoga session per week to balance out my body weight routines. It’s good to work on mobility. I tend to take it for granted that I’m naturally pretty flexible. A little hard work never hurt and this should be good for me. I don’t have any particular routine in mind, I’ll just find something on YouTube probably.

 

Complete at least 1 yoga session/week

• Phenomenal – 7+ yoga sessions
• Great – 5-6 yoga sessions
• Good – 4 yoga sessions
• Mediocre – 3 yoga sessions
• Poor – 1-2 yoga sessions
• Abysmal – 0 yoga sessions

   

Diet

Goal Three: Discipline

I have been cheating extensively on my previously strictly imposed 3 cups of coffee/day limit. I could understand it when I was finishing up the semester. I was stressed and tired and coffee is very comforting (not to mention a much needed stimulant when sleep is a thing that’s not happening). However, school is over now and I’m allowing my dopamine pathways make up my mind for me. I originally cut back on my coffee for health and anxiety purposes and that hasn’t changed. I’m pretty sure just knowing I have to record my coffee-drinking habits will get me back in line in short order though.

 

Drink no more than 3 cups of coffee/day

• Phenomenal – 28 or less total cups of coffee
• Great – 29-83 total cups of coffee
• Good – 84 total cups of coffee
• Mediocre – 85-90 total cups of coffee
• Poor – 91-99 total cups of coffee
• Abysmal – 100+ total cups of coffee

 

Goal Four: Sustenance

I am really bad at having breakfast when I have nothing planned for the day. Once I get a job (assuming it’s a job I start in the mornings) this won’t be as difficult but until then this is an aspect of my health I tend to neglect despite knowing how important breakfast is. I want to make sure that most days I have my breakfast before the afternoon, at which point it isn’t really breakfast anymore. I’ve lost track of the number of days I don’t eat anything until noon or even 1pm. Hopefully cutting back on coffee will help this as well.

 

Have breakfast before 10am at least 5 days/week

• Phenomenal – 28 total days
• Great – 21-27 total days
• Good – 20 total days
• Mediocre – 12-19 total days
• Poor – 6-11 total days
• Abysmal – 0-5 total days

 

Lifestyle

Goal Five: Peace

I’m a bit of a homebody (understatement of the year). I generally like being outdoors once I get there but it’s a matter of getting there for me. So I think getting outside and getting fresh air should be part of my challenge. This was mostly brought on by my dad accusing me of being agoraphobic the other day which, to be honest, i) isn’t true and ii) is a silly reason for this goal. The weather is getting really nice though so if I have to force myself out of the house there isn’t really a much better time for it. Being cooped up inside all day most days probably isn’t very good for my mental health either.

 

Spend at least 2 hours/week outside

• Phenomenal – 13+ hours total
• Great – 9-12 hours total
• Good – 8 hours total
• Mediocre – 6-7 hours total
• Poor – 3-5 hours total
• Abysmal – 0-2 hours total

 

Goal Six: Sanitation

I really, really, really, need to clean my room. I’ve been trying to do this for too many challenges now. So I’m going to break it down into stuff to do each week. Grading is on a pass/fail.

 

Week 1

• Wash dirty clothes
• Fold and put away clean clothes
• Wash clothes for donation and drop them off at the SOS
• Throw out any garbage in the trash bin and on the floor
• Put away any items on the floor that belong elsewhere
• Gather up all textbooks for packing

 

Week 2

• Do laundry
• Wash all bedding
• Wash curtains
• Pack yarn
• Clean and organize items on dresser
• Begin cleaning and organizing small book shelf

   

Week 3

• Pack yarn
• Clean and organize items on dresser
• Clean and organize small book shelf
• Clean and organize at least 2/3 shelves of big book shelf

 

Week 4

• Clean and organize big book shelf
• Do laundry
• Throw out trash
• Pick up stuff from floor

 

 

 

 

 

  

[Thom Stépan]

I am here for the awesome.

Woden uses ravens, I use an iphone.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following. Great challenge you have set up.

[Maggie-Miau]

Yay! Following

 

I feel you at a spiritual level on that breakfast one. It's just so easy to skip out but can sometimes make a huge difference.

[NeuroPunkNonsense]

6 hours ago, Thom Ulfhedinn said:

I am here for the awesome.

Woden uses ravens, I use an iphone.

Thanks, hopefully awesomeness will be the outcome this cycle.

 

5 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Following. Great challenge you have set up.

Thank you.

 

4 hours ago, MiaulinTheCat said:

Yay! Following

 

I feel you at a spiritual level on that breakfast one. It's just so easy to skip out but can sometimes make a huge difference.

Haha right? I love food and eating but I'm painfully lazy. Also I think coffee is a hunger suppressant? I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere once.

[skinNbones]

Hi Atrytone , I'll be following along this time , for some bodyweight greatness.

Tom: Well... the television said that's the right thing to do.

[DJtrippyT]

I too am here for the awesome!  And wishing you much luck with the job search.

[Maggie-Miau]

10 hours ago, Atrytone said:

 Haha right? I love food and eating but I'm painfully lazy. Also I think coffee is a hunger suppressant? I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere once.

 

*Googles* Huh. That's actually rather interesting. Maybe your coffee-reduction goal will wind up helping your breakfast goal, then. :3 If not, is there a certain timetable on which you like to drink your coffee? Because maybe eating breakfast first and then later having the coffee would help?

[NeuroPunkNonsense]

12 hours ago, skinNbones said:

Hi Atrytone , I'll be following along this time , for some bodyweight greatness.

Tom: Well... the television said that's the right thing to do.

Thank you, I'm happy to have you.

 

8 hours ago, DJtrippyT said:

I too am here for the awesome!  And wishing you much luck with the job search.

Uh oh. I should have made sure to keep expectations low. Thank you. The economy is a bitch but I want to try and get a good job despite that.

 

6 hours ago, MiaulinTheCat said:

 

*Googles* Huh. That's actually rather interesting. Maybe your coffee-reduction goal will wind up helping your breakfast goal, then. :3 If not, is there a certain timetable on which you like to drink your coffee? Because maybe eating breakfast first and then later having the coffee would help?

I am unable to function without at least one cup of coffee when I get up. Addiction is a bitch (moreso for the withdrawal fueled headaches that last all day if I don't get my fix in time). After my first cup though I might make the second cup conditional on breakfast. That would be a strong motivator!

[Thom Stépan]

Make breakfast as you brew your second cup.

Woden uses ravens, I use an iphone.

[Thom Stépan]

Oh and I know how awesome you are, you will do well, I have faith in you.

Woden uses ravens, I use an iphone.

[NeuroPunkNonsense]

2 hours ago, Thom Ulfhedinn said:

Make breakfast as you brew your second cup.

Woden uses ravens, I use an iphone.

Because my family drinks so much coffee (excluding my brother but he doesn't live at home anymore so I guess it doesn't matter) we make a pot of coffee at a time. It fills somewhere between 6-8 cups so unfortunately this won't work. It's a good suggestion though for anyone who makes coffee one cup at a time.

 

1 hour ago, Thom Ulfhedinn said:

Oh and I know how awesome you are, you will do well, I have faith in you.

Woden uses ravens, I use an iphone.

Thank you. I think I could use that right now, I'm struggling a little to have faith in myself.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

13 hours ago, Atrytone said:

Because my family drinks so much coffee (excluding my brother but he doesn't live at home anymore so I guess it doesn't matter) we make a pot of coffee at a time. It fills somewhere between 6-8 cups so unfortunately this won't work. It's a good suggestion though for anyone who makes coffee one cup at a time.

 

Thank you. I think I could use that right now, I'm struggling a little to have faith in myself.

I have faith in you too. The first step is to believe that we have faith in you. Then tell yourself, "I believe in me." In fact write it down, on paper, at least once per day. Eventually you will start to believe it.

[NeuroPunkNonsense]

1 hour ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

I have faith in you too. The first step is to believe that we have faith in you. Then tell yourself, "I believe in me." In fact write it down, on paper, at least once per day. Eventually you will start to believe it.

Thank you. I'll be better once I get a job I think. I hate that I keep harping on feeling "lost" or whatever now that I'm graduating but I've defined myself as a student for so long it's going to take something like work to ground me again. I'll try that though, it can't hurt right? It's a variation on how I forced myself to stop hating myself back when I was a kid. Positive self-talk. Definitely not as easy as people make it out to be.

[Maggie-Miau]

*Waves pom poms* You've got this, mellon nin! The coffee, the breakfast, and there's a job waiting for you somewhere as well. Patience, trust, and never giving up.

[NeuroPunkNonsense]

48 minutes ago, MiaulinTheCat said:

*Waves pom poms* You've got this, mellon nin! The coffee, the breakfast, and there's a job waiting for you somewhere as well. Patience, trust, and never giving up.

Thank you. I feel like I just lost some nerd-cred though because I had to look up "mellon nin"

[Yasha92]

Can you put a note on the coffee pot 'breakfast?' Then every time you go in for a cup you'll be reminded that you eat breakfast now. If that would make your family think you're crazy (and you're not down for that) maybe some other kind of reminder, like a spoon on top of the pot or something...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NeuroPunkNonsense]

14 minutes ago, Yasha92 said:

Can you put a note on the coffee pot 'breakfast?' Then every time you go in for a cup you'll be reminded that you eat breakfast now. If that would make your family think you're crazy (and you're not down for that) maybe some other kind of reminder, like a spoon on top of the pot or something...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My family already knows I'm crazy; so no worries on that front. That's a good idea, I'll give it a go if I'm struggling to remember this first week.

[NeuroPunkNonsense]

I've had breakfast and only 3 cups of coffee so far today. It's always easier in the beginning before my willpower starts fraying but hopefully this will be a habit before too long.

[skinNbones]

Well done. Hopefully your coffee addiction will wane with your willpower, so you'll be able to keep it in check.

Tom: Well... the television said that's the right thing to do.

[NeuroPunkNonsense]

5 hours ago, skinNbones said:

Well done. Hopefully your coffee addiction will wane with your willpower, so you'll be able to keep it in check.

Tom: Well... the television said that's the right thing to do.

Thanks, I almost broke down and had another cup when I realized my mom left a full carafe behind when she went to work. I didn't though. I hope you're right.

 

But for now:

Willpower - 1; Caffeine Addiction - 0

[Maggie-Miau]

*Vigorous shaking of pom poms* excellent!

 

 

[skinNbones]

Well done.

Don't fall in to the trap of worrying it 'will go to waste'. If you eat or drink something you shouldn't, or don't need , it's still been wasted.

"They know we're in here now!"

[DJtrippyT]

On 5/7/2016 at 11:56 AM, Atrytone said:

Thank you. I feel like I just lost some nerd-cred though because I had to look up "mellon nin"

 

I did too, if it's any consolation

[NeuroPunkNonsense]

13 minutes ago, DJtrippyT said:

 

I did too, if it's any consolation

It is, actually.