sarakingdom Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 "Okay, here are the rules. Word one is, you don't call me 'master' and I don’t name you after some damn insect. It's not my job to discipline you, it's yours. For it is written, 'I can't be having with that kind of thing'." Lu Tze, humble sweeper and most famous operative of the History Monks, is an expert at manipulating time, a master of Déja Fu (the martial art that leaves the victim feeling that they've taken these blows before), and a follower of the way of Mrs. Cosmopolite, his landlady and (unwitting) guru during a youthful pilgrimage to Ankh-Morpork. During this challenge, I will be learning the ways of Lu Tze in manipulating time and following the tenets of Mrs. Cosmopolite. Many of these goals will be very similar to last challenge, but focusing on the time angle, which I had a lot of trouble managing properly last challenge. This is going to look like a lot of goals, but most of them are there or half-there already. Time Wen considered the nature of time and understood that the universe is, instant by instant, recreated anew. Therefore, he understood, there is in truth no past, only a memory of the past. Blink your eyes and the world you see next did not exist when you closed them. Therefore, he said, the only appropriate state of mind is surprise. The only appropriate state of the heart is joy. The sky you see now, you have never seen before. The perfect moment is now. Be glad of it. The ADHD symptom I've been having the most trouble with lately is time-blindness. This is the sort of thing where I don't really have any sense of time passing. There's only now, and indefinitely far in the future. Great for enlightenment, terrible for getting things done. (This is why habit formation is terrible for me.) I read an aikido article recently that said ADHD people don't have a problem with mushin, they have a problem with zanshin - empty mind is easy, keeping the focus on the target is hard. I'll be honest, I have not found any really good fixes for this. Sure, there's schedules and reminders and whatever, but in my experience, those are incredibly ignorable if you don't actually believe that the time they represent is meaningful. There are some things that help, but nothing that works very well. So this is all mostly TBA, but includes roughly these things: Goal: Find a good after-work routine that doesn't result in everything getting dropped and forgotten while I cook and relax. Goal: Find a good weekend routine so I don't lose large chunks of time. This may involve making some external commitments just to start my inner organizer running. Goal: Find and try some strategies for dealing with time-blindness. Meditation “The wise man does not seek enlightenment, he waits for it. So while I was waiting it occurred to me that seeking perplexity might be more fun.” Goal: Focus-based meditation for five to ten minutes a day. Goal: Meditate on the way of Mrs. Cosmopolite for five minutes a day. One Time Task: Stick the koans of Mrs. Cosmopolite into a randomizer to get my daily meditation. Martial Arts "Dojo! What is Rule One?" Even the cowering challenger mumbled along to the chorus: "Do not act incautiously when confronting little bald wrinkly smiling men!’" Goal: Kung Déja Fu conditioning workout, 3x/week (MWF, ideally before work) Goal: Stretching workout of choice on the weekend. One Time Task: Calculate reasonable start times, so I don't run out of time so often. Food and Drink For is it not written, 'Eat it up, it'll make your hair curly'? I've been doing reasonably here, but I do need to work on hydration a lot, and on tightening up my IF a little, especially since I'm being pretty loose on carbs. Goal: Track my IF hours Goal: Track how often I ignore my hydration timer going off Goal: Fill my water bottle as soon as I get up and before I get in the shower (and, er, drink it, of course) Sweeping “I’m a little man and I carry a broom. Everyone has some mess that needs clearing up. What harm is a man with a broom ?” This is pure training. Learn to love doing the boring manual work. Goal: Ten minutes a day on sweeping (or other similar housekeeping task) 11 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
Tanktimus the Encourager Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 Following, for is it not written, "Get out of here you daft buggers!"? 1 Quote Current Challenge "By the Most-Righteous-and-Blessed Beard of Sir Tanktimus the Encourager!" - Jarl Rurik Harrgath Link to comment
Thrillho Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 "Do unto otters as you would have them do unto you." 2 Quote The cancer was aggressive, but the chemotherapy was aggressive, as well. There was aggression on both sides. Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted March 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Time: 3 points Goal: Find a good after-work routine: 3/5 points Goal: Find a good weekend routine: NA Goal: Find and try some strategies for dealing with time-blindness: NA I'm being pretty reasonable on the after-work thing. I did some batch cooking, a couple of cleaning tasks, did a tiny amount of entertainment during a slow cooking phase, and I'm about to have dinner. Also, I have the timer running now, so I will (presumably) not just keep doing stuff and forget other stuff. I am tired, though. I really just want to get into bed as soon as possible. Like, this would be bedtime if my food were not on its way. Meditation: 10 points Goal: Focus-based meditation for five to ten minutes: 5/5 points Goal: Meditate on the way of Mrs. Cosmopolite: 0/5 points One Time Task: Stick the koans of Mrs. Cosmopolite into a randomizer to get my daily meditation: 5/5 points Today's koan: "Close the door! you weren't born in a barn." I really needed the meditation today. I could honestly use a good long session, I think. Martial Arts: 0 points Goal: Kung Déja Fu conditioning workout: 0/5 Goal: Stretching workout of choice on the weekend: NA One Time Task: Calculate reasonable start times, so I don't run out of time so often: 0/5 It's zero week and I'm tired, so whatevs. Today is for rest. Food and Drink: 9 points Goal: Track my IF hours: 11am-7pm (16/8) Goal: Track how often I ignore my hydration timer going off: 4/5 Goal: Fill my water bottle as soon as I get up and drink it: 5/5 That's a longer IF spread than I ideally like, but whatever. Just tracking. I ate early today, because I was sort of hungry and not feeling well, so recovery food. I'm doing well on the water today. I'm not totally following the reminders, but it is helping, especially with the tracker built into the water reminder. I might hit the actual goal today, which is pretty ambitious for me. (I set my target at four liters, but I consider three liters a pretty good day.) Sweeping: 5 points Goal: Ten minutes a day on sweeping: 5/5 I tidied my bedroom, vaccuumed, batch cooked, and made a dispenser for cloth handkerchiefs. I might fold my clothes. Total Points: 22 points 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
The Shogun Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 YES! Another person tracking water intake! I no longer feel like a noob for going after such a "simple" goal. It sneaks on you the little bastard. 1 Quote One shot, one life. Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted March 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 1 hour ago, The Shogun said: YES! Another person tracking water intake! I no longer feel like a noob for going after such a "simple" goal. It sneaks on you the little bastard. Mine has always been ambitious for me. I just can't drink water quickly, it doesn't go down. But I get dehydrated so easily, so I need to up my intake. Water is hard. 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 March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Mine has always been ambitious for me. I just can't drink water quickly, it doesn't go down. But I get dehydrated so easily, so I need to up my intake. Water is hard. It's like hearing myself. 2 Quote One shot, one life. Link to comment
Teirin Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 The basics are always worth caring about. Drink ALL the water! Would you count herbal teas as well? 1 Quote Behave yourself, badly if necessary. Current Challenge Judo - Shodan My Character Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted March 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 7 minutes ago, Teirin said: The basics are always worth caring about. Drink ALL the water! Would you count herbal teas as well? I do. To be honest, I count everything but alcohol, because none of it's really significantly dehydrating, and I have problems with sheer hydration. (In practice that just means I count my morning coffee on top of all the water and the herbal tea, and the occasional Gatorade.) 2 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 March 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2017 I've decided that this challenge is going to have a total amnesty for missing days. It's not the best way to do a challenge, but I've been having the sorts of weeks where I need that to keep my head in the game. Better to show up and write off the day than not to show up. Is it not written, "Do what you need to do"? (No one knows, but probably it is.) Also, over the past couple of weeks, I've acquired 300 Drumknott points and 100 time-challenge-relevant bonus points. So there's that. 5 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 March 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2017 Time: 3/X/X/X/5 Goal: Find a good after-work routine: 0/5 points Goal: Find a good weekend routine: NA Goal: Find and try some strategies for dealing with time-blindness: 5/5 I made a big step on the time-blindness strategies today, I hope. Meditation: 10/5/5/5/10 points Goal: Focus-based meditation for five to ten minutes: 5/5 points Goal: Meditate on the way of Mrs. Cosmopolite: 5/5 points Today's koan: "There's a lot goes on we don't get told". I'm going to try to get in a longer meditation session tonight. I really need some longer ones when I can, but it's hard to find a half-hour I know will be free ahead of time. Martial Arts: 0/X/X/X/0 points Goal: Kung Déja Fu conditioning workout: 0/5 Goal: Stretching workout of choice on the weekend: NA One Time Task: Calculate reasonable start times, so I don't run out of time so often: 0/5 Yeah, mostly I've just been trying to get some extra walking in this week, and not always succeeding at that. Mental health reasons. Zero week. I'll try to pull it together. Food and Drink: 9/X/X/X/3 points Goal: Track my IF hours: 11am-4pm (19/5) Goal: Track how often I ignore my hydration timer going off: 3/5 Goal: Fill my water bottle as soon as I get up and drink it: 0/5 I did okay on the water today. I almost met my lower goal, if not my upper goal. Sweeping: 5/X/X/5/3 points Goal: Ten minutes a day on sweeping: 3/5 Did some stuff. Total Points: 16 points 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 March 18, 2017 Report Share Posted March 18, 2017 Oooh. 10 min of sweeping per day is a good goal. Like your koan as well. Quote Behave yourself, badly if necessary. Current Challenge Judo - Shodan My Character Link to comment
Tanktimus the Encourager Posted March 18, 2017 Report Share Posted March 18, 2017 12 hours ago, sarakingdom said: I've decided that this challenge is going to have a total amnesty for missing days. It's not the best way to do a challenge, but I've been having the sorts of weeks where I need that to keep my head in the game. Better to show up and write off the day than not to show up. Is it not written, "Do what you need to do"? (No one knows, but probably it is.) This is indeed a good policy. The best thing about a missing or bad day is that once it's over it can no longer harm you, unless you hang on to it in your mind and let it affect choices in the present. Letting go of it is the best way to move forward. Way to be substitious. For those not Pratchett fans, being superstitious means following things everyone knows isn't true but believes anyway while being substitious means following things everyone knows is true but doesn't actually believe. This is the basis of the wisdom of Mrs. Cosmopolite. 4 Quote Current Challenge "By the Most-Righteous-and-Blessed Beard of Sir Tanktimus the Encourager!" - Jarl Rurik Harrgath Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted March 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2017 Time: 3/X/X/X/5/7 Goal: Find a good after-work routine: NA Goal: Find a good weekend routine: 2/5 Goal: Find and try some strategies for dealing with time-blindness: 5/5 Not so much strides in the weekend routine, so much as that I'm more reliable at timekeeping and task changes this weekend. So I don't yet have a routine that will compensate for my brain being offline. But I'm trying a new app designed by, like, science people. So we'll see. Meditation: 10/5/5/5/10/ points Goal: Focus-based meditation for five to ten minutes: 0/5 points Goal: Meditate on the way of Mrs. Cosmopolite: 5/5 points Today's koan: "You never know what's going to turn up." That was a nice one for today. Some of these have been a little too grumpy for me lately, but this one is pleasantly enlightening. Martial Arts: 0/X/X/X/0/0 points Goal: Kung Déja Fu conditioning workout: 0/5 Goal: Stretching workout of choice on the weekend: 0/5 One Time Task: Calculate reasonable start times, so I don't run out of time so often: 0/5 TBA. Food and Drink: 9/X/X/X/3/1 points Goal: Track my IF hours: 11am-2pm (21/3) Goal: Track how often I ignore my hydration timer going off: 1/5 Goal: Fill my water bottle as soon as I get up and drink it: 0/5 I'm not very well hydrated today. Sweeping: 5/X/X/5/3/5 points Goal: Ten minutes a day on sweeping: 5/5 I did lots of sweeping. (Well, metaphorically, rather than literally.) Only some of it counts - I'm not counting the stuff I do primarily for myself, except on certain days when I'm levelling up or doing something unusual - but there was lots of it. This goal will be interesting, because Lu Tze makes some good points on sweeping and the whole chop-wood-carry-water thing, but, man, I have some emotional reactions to this sort of housework in general, and housework done for other people specifically. So I will learn to appreciate the character-building benefits of humbly sweeping the monastery, and I will learn to appreciate doing labor that isn't commonly respected or seen. And maybe I will travel through time and overthrow something and rescue an artefact and put history back on track. Total Points: TBA points 5 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
ChrisWithaStick Posted March 19, 2017 Report Share Posted March 19, 2017 Following, because History and Monks! Also, Hi! Quote Human | Plays with Sticks | Monkish Leanings | Rangerish Overtones Occasionally Updated Facebook Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted March 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2017 47 minutes ago, ChrisWithaStick said: Following, because History and Monks! Also, Hi! Good to see you again! I've been wondering when you were coming back. 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 March 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2017 14 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said: This is indeed a good policy. The best thing about a missing or bad day is that once it's over it can no longer harm you, unless you hang on to it in your mind and let it affect choices in the present. Letting go of it is the best way to move forward. Way to be substitious. For those not Pratchett fans, being superstitious means following things everyone knows isn't true but believes anyway while being substitious means following things everyone knows is true but doesn't actually believe. This is the basis of the wisdom of Mrs. Cosmopolite. And that of 71-Hour Ahmed, a fact which would probably discomfit both of them. Being substitious is not easy. Truly, the way of Mrs. Cosmpolite is deceptively difficult. I think I'll be letting go of a lot of days this challenge, but it is what it is. I'll do the best I can with the days I can hang onto, and not sweat the rest. 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
Tanktimus the Encourager Posted March 19, 2017 Report Share Posted March 19, 2017 21 minutes ago, sarakingdom said: I'll do the best I can with the days I can hang onto, and not sweat the rest. Wisdom like that, and you might get some wrinkly old bald man following you around with a notebook. 2 Quote Current Challenge "By the Most-Righteous-and-Blessed Beard of Sir Tanktimus the Encourager!" - Jarl Rurik Harrgath Link to comment
Teirin Posted March 19, 2017 Report Share Posted March 19, 2017 I hear you need some gifs *hugs* 2 Quote Behave yourself, badly if necessary. Current Challenge Judo - Shodan My Character Link to comment
Thrillho Posted March 19, 2017 Report Share Posted March 19, 2017 You can do it! Just don't rush things! 1 Quote The cancer was aggressive, but the chemotherapy was aggressive, as well. There was aggression on both sides. Link to comment
ChrisWithaStick Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 21 hours ago, sarakingdom said: Good to see you again! I've been wondering when you were coming back. I saw history monks, and thought that was a sign. Or a coincidence, at least. Or one of those things that goes on that we don't know about. Are you getting the Koans out of the Thief of Time, or did you find a good collection somewhere? 1 Quote Human | Plays with Sticks | Monkish Leanings | Rangerish Overtones Occasionally Updated Facebook Link to comment
Mistr Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 Excellent goals and a fine start with Zero week! I know what you mean about having Emotions about doing housework for other people. When I lived by myself I had to do everything, like it or not. I may have griped about the things I didn't like, but I grit my teeth and did them. I have trouble with shared housework when I feel like the other people are not carrying their weight. Plus gender expectations about who will take responsibility for what. Having a modern, social-justice focused education does not get rid of cultural conditioning. 4 Quote Level 71 Viking paladin My current challenge Battle log Link to comment
The Shogun Posted March 21, 2017 Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 I'm here to provide the necessary level of gifs and cuteness demanded. https://media.giphy.com/media/SgZtvjwcfq0ww/giphy.gif 1 Quote One shot, one life. Link to comment
Teirin Posted March 21, 2017 Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 Today I bring playing red panda because OMG so cute. Hope you're doing ok. 1 Quote Behave yourself, badly if necessary. Current Challenge Judo - Shodan My Character Link to comment
sarakingdom Posted March 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 On 3/19/2017 at 0:50 PM, Teirin said: I excerpted the cat, because KITTY. On 3/19/2017 at 3:56 PM, Thrillho said: You can do it! Just don't rush things! Best scene. 1 hour ago, The Shogun said: I'm here to provide the necessary level of gifs and cuteness demanded. https://media.giphy.com/media/SgZtvjwcfq0ww/giphy.gif I think you have killed me with cute, for real. 58 minutes ago, Teirin said: That is very Korra. Thanks, guys, I needed that. It's good to have you guys here. 2 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
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