respawning avatar state activated!

[Korranation]

Well I done goofed again. Here I am hyped up to be the best avatar the world has seen yet and stoked about firebending practice when I fizzled out. I disappeared for a few weeks without much notice. During that time I had completely abandoned my challenge and goals. Real life was getting too overwhelming  and my sole focus became focusing on the current problems and dropping any distractions... and that meant dropping off of the forums for a while. 

 

But fear not. I'm back and I'm ready to start again. I've learned some good habits from my past challenges and know that I work best with a structure to guide me. School didn't have as much structure as I wished it could have and I wasn't organized/ prioritized as I should have been. But with the help of Steve's many nerd articles I can overstate where I went wrong and over prepare for the next failure. (Now in a sleep deprived, passive aggressive tone.)

 

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hack you life

 

Happiness

I’m not happy. Change something in your life, or change yourself.

Alright. I'll start meditating again. I tried it for a few weeks. It was nice and relaxing, but my problems were still there and still numerous even after a good zen session. But I'll give it another go.

 

What do I change? Pick one thing and change it. Report back with results.

I started slacking on the MFP thing. I stopped tracking my food and shortly after stopped caring about what I was eating. Even after the notifications that the app sent and reminders that pinged throughout the day I didn't bother. But since I've been gone from the app they've gotten a new update and layout that makes tracking percentages and macros more user friendly. I use to have to pull out a calculator to figure out what it was telling me last time. 

 

I’m overwhelmed. Deep breath. Pick one thing. Change what you are in control of right now.

Cleaning. I like to stress clean. I don't have OCD and I'm not much of a perfectionist. It give me something to do, keeps the body moving, and there are immediate results. It gives me order and structure in my life when nothing else seems to. I'll just keep cleaning the house. No one else in the fam wants to (and they own the place.)

 

Will more money make me happier? Yes, but only up to a certain amount.

Fine, you twisted my arm. I'll go get a job. That will give me a steady income and make me happier, right? I'll be able to pay for the summer semester of college. That's one less thing to stress over. 

 

What’s more important than money? Time. Time to spend time with people you love or doing things you love. You can never get it back.

If I get the job I recently had an interview for I can work with animals all I want. And that's something I love doing. Animals make people better most of the time. So helping customers should be easier than most other retail places. I hope. 

 

More Time

I don’t have enough time to get stuff done. You have poorly managed priorities.

You sure nail it right on the head Steve. It's not about time management , I've got no priorities. Well this summer I'll list a few. It is a top priority for me to get a job, enroll in classes so I can finish college get a degree and wallow in my student debt, and learn another language. I've got an app for that. Have I mentioned how much I love and use apps? I'll be using duolingo to do it. Hopefully I'll understand it by the end of the summer and be speaking before the year ends. 

 

But there’s so much to get done. Do less. Say “no†to more things.

But entertainment such as books, movies, tv shows, youtube, games, webcomics are so difficult to say no to right now. I can say 'no' to the entertainment part of youtube and just watch the news channels I'm subscribed to. I don't watch much tv to begin with, everything is on hiatus, and I'm not a big fan of binge watching I can say 'no' to movies and tv, unless I have spare time so I can watch the few shows I do record. Webcomic aren't that much of a biggy and that waiting time for a new page takes forever, so saying no to that if fine with me. 

 

But I have [obligation]. It’s either a “hell yeah†or a no. Clear your schedule.

I don't have any obligations. So "hell yeah" to getting that job I want, taking summer courses, learning a new langauge, eating healthier, and postponing the open verbal admittance about any problems I've had this year to my folks.

 

But I might offend [somebody] by saying no. That’s on them. Better to not go than go and not want to be there.

I already avoid most social gatherings like the plague. So telling my friends no won't be a problem. But dealing with the fam will. It's difficult to say no to something and avoid the person you live under the same roof as. Hell, it's hard getting any healthy food under this roof too. 

 

But the timing isn’t right. The timing is never perfect. If you wait for the perfect moment, you’ll never do anything. A month from now, you’ll wish you started today.

Are you talking about moving out and getting a place of my own? I don't have the resources to do that. But thanks for bringing that up.

 

Love

Should I ask that person out? Yes.

I wish I should have gotten this advice sooner before the guy I had been getting close to for the past few months gets taken by some random girl that asked him out to the movies. Seriously. My friends don't know who she is or where she came from. They've only seen her on facebook. That and they've all been hoping me and him would get together. I've tried asking out guys I barely knew on dates and they've all ended terribly. It gets tiring looking for someone and getting people who have no common interests in hobbies or self, or are just plain uncompatible. I'm not gonna settle and I'm certainly not going to lower my standards just so I can find someone to ask out. 

 

 

What if he/she says no? Then you’re in the same spot if you did nothing, except now no regret.

I've gotten 'no's before. That's water under the bridge. 

 

 

What if I never find anybody better? What if you find somebody way better?  What if you get hit by a bus tomorrow?

Let me tell you from personal experience, getting hit by any vehicle is not fun. And I don't recommend it.

 

I got dumped. I’m heartbroken. But it’s still ticking, which means there’s hope for you yet.

I'll keep my ticker ticking. It looks like a lot of the motivational stories of the rebels that conquered have the same theme. They got in shape and everything else fell into place. *sigh* I'll stop worrying about my broken hearted sob stories and focus on being healthy. Here's to hoping all goes well. 

 

 

parents decided fitness fate?

 

Oh dear. where to start with this one. When it comes to genetics I've got a chance of diabetes, but I'm not gonna let that happen since I don't eat as much sugar as my dad and am getting better at eating healthy. To add another quote:

 

"If you have overweight parents who thought trying to get healthy was a waste of time (“my dad was overweight, so was his, and you will be, tooâ€), or they ate unhealthy foods and never gave it a second thought, it’s challenging to break free of that destiny."

 

It's even harder to break free of it if you're constantly surrounded by it day in and day out. My stepmom even said she hates cooking because it is "too labor intensive, time consuming, messy, and complicated."  She'd rather spend more money on eating out and complain about the quality and quantity of the food and complain about how it upset her stomach, than spend time making something she'd enjoy eating and have enough for second or left overs. And she still has the gall to complain about having financial problems and wishing we would cook more. My dad and I do all the cooking. I can't even cook anything healthy because only likes greasy deep fried foods. It took me weeks to convince her to try spaghetti squash. 

I was the one who got her motivated to try to be healthy. And it worked for a few weeks. She even got an expensive stationary bike (that she has never once touched.) But she just stopped one day. I guess once I fell off the band wagon and stopped talking about being healthy, my dad did too and she followed suit. It's just a hassle to be a parent to your parents. 

 

crush inner demons: skywalker strategy

 

Step 1: Identify the battle first

I have a problem prioritizing. Responsibilities start piling up, I avoid them until it's not possible to anymore, and I have to stick with the repercussion of my delayed actions. Idk what other inner demons I've got right now, but I've probably identified them somewhere in this rambling mess of a post. (to all you rebel reading this: please point them out. I overlook a lot of things. I can't be all seeing by myself.)

 

Step 2: Stay Away Until You’re Ready

There are a ton of things that are too high level for me. Dating is probably one of them. Moving out would be another. Finding a job and having a steady income would be the quest to unlock the side quest 'moving out.' Binge eating after dinner is a problem. I seriously have no idea what is up with that. I have dinner and can be so stuffed I don't want to get up, but in an hour or two I'll be snooping around the pantry or fridge looking for something to graze on. 

 

Step 3: Study the pattern of the boss and memorize it

I feel that there are too many patterns and triggers for me to notice when it comes to a irl boss fight. But I know that's not true. It's poor time management skills and prioritizing that makes things pile up, create a sense of being overwhelmed, and cause me to disassociate with everything. (That's how I dealt with stress growing up. Other kids did drugs, drank, slept, or hurt themselves. I just shut down and waited for the storm to pass.)

The only pattern I can see is my lack of priorities. I'll have to keep them in check everyday so I don't this doesn't happen. 

 

 

struggling to reach a goal: turning it into a boss battle

 

I know that most of these boss battles involves feats of physical strength, but why can't there be mini bosses that don't deal with that? There can be a life quest for a challenge so there's no reason there can't be a mini life-boss for life's problems.  A good mini boss would be "finding a job."

 

Whatever it is, a great boss battle has three specific things:

 

It’s challenging.

Getting a job is tough in today's economy. Enough said. 

 

It has a specific date and time or place.

where ever and when ever the manager of said company wants to hold an interview. 

 

There’s a treasure associated with it. 

If I win I get a job and money. If I don't I can't pay for the summer semester and can't register for fall classes. 

 

 

Let’s start building your boss battle! 

Identify the discipline you want to learn

getting a job in and of itself could be a discipline

 

Get pot committed as quickly as possible

Already am. And time is ticking.

 

Identify your reward for completing the boss battle.

A job, income, and moving on to the next part in my life. 

 

Reverse engineer your training plan.

I need to apply for any and every low level job I can that is in close range to home and campus.

Have the proper info for applying,

set up an interview,

research the company,

learn their mission,

understand their interview process,

appear to be the best possible candidate for the position. 

 

Get started.

 

exercise is the least important part of the equation

 

You can't outrun your fork. My dad tells me this even when he's eating junk food after running for an hour on the treadmill. 

A healthy diet is the main part of the equation. I once was working full time with a full semester of classes. I had such a big schedule that I didn't have time to go out, buy unhealthy snacks, and binge eat. I knew I would be sluggish afterwards and not finish my job or homework. Luckily the campus had a lot of healthy alternatives thanks to a few student organizations. during that semester I had lost 20 lbs. The only problem is the project the company was working on finished the same time the semester ended and put the weight back on shortly after. 

 

potions before boss fights

 

Thankfully Steve had the same idea of food when it came to potions. My biggest boss fight when it comes to being healthy and losing weight is food. With this article, it helps to simplify and identify the problem and tackle it in a fun way. 

 

Stack Your Inventory.

Lunch HP potion: 

It can be difficult going through the day without a proper lunch. Making my own beforehand gives me time to chose the best and healthiest alternative, eat what I want, and not have to worry about grazing until dinner. 

 

Upgraded weapons/ Improved armor:

it wouldn't hurt to get some new kitchen equipment to make preparing meals and cooking easier and quicker. I might have to go dungeon crawling (pantry cleaning) to find the right item. 

 

Use a strategy guide

There are plenty of ideas and recipes online for making a quick healthy meal on a budget. And there's nothing wrong with trying those ideas out to see which ones work. 

 

Hire a mercenary

There are some free cooking lessons on campus that I could try out or just buy the vegan food from the green organization on campus once fall semester falls around. There are a few places that have prepared meals that are 'organic' or 'gluten free'  or 'paleo.' It might cost extra, but it's worth it.

 

If all else fails I'll just have a can of progresso soup. 

 

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TLDR: I've respawned, I've identified my problem, and made a plan to fix current problem and prevent future ones.