The Drama Begins!

[PlusUltra]

...I say drama but I'm fairly certain it's mine, not anything that all of you haven't been through already.

 

I've been looking into NerdFitness for some time, even reading the book. But it's the constant reference to community and the powerful effects that that has had on the success of others that has finally drawn me in. I'm going to dive into the RH event, but thought that I would be well served to introduce myself here before diving in there. Settle in to learn how a bodohead joins the rebellion.

 

I'm PlusUltra (an aspirational title waaaay more than an actual title). I'm coming up on the mid-century milestone near the end of the year, and as I do at decade marks, I'm going to make a big attempt at physical, mental, and emotional change. To be fair, the last half decade has been pretty good in the mental and emotional change as I've finally been able to make some of the growth and changes in career and social interactions that I've been striving for for years now. But the physical part has escaped me. The slim, man that I was in my forties and even at forty-five has grown back almost to the mistakes of my thirties. This will not stand (seriously, it's starting to get hard -- old knees), and I'm hoping that being accountable will help push me over the edge -- err, give me the help that I need to make this respawn the best that it can be.

 

I'm significantly over healthy limits in size, and my level of physical activity, which was low at all points of my life leading up to now, would make a sloth roll its eyes. I need to move it, and dare I say move it. I need to overcome my lassitude and strive again.

 

Now is not the time for complacency!

 

Now is not the time for a lack of action!

 

Now is not the time for continuing to sit on your hindquarters!

 

Now, adventure beckons, and the true state of the hero that is PlusUltra lies beneath and beyond!

 

I look forward to striving with you all.

[Guzzi]

Hi @PlusUltra!

 

Have you had a good look around the forum yet?  It's a big place and it can be a bit overwhelming until you get used to it but it's definitely worth sticking around. The sense of community you mentioned is like no other online community I've ever come across. 

 

We are just finishing up the current 4 Week Challenge, the next one starts on the 12th, and that is the real "heart" of this community. If you would like to join in the next challenge then why not take a look at some of the threads in the Challenge sub-forum to get a feel for how it works.  You'll see that everyone supports each other even when they have completely different goals. 

 

Theres also a social forum called The Pub and I'm sure you would fit in with all the miscreants who hang about in there. **cough** like me **cough, cough**   Don't be put off by the length of the Random thread either. It really is what it says on the tin, anything and everything that doesn't belong in a thread of its own gets posted there. Just jump in a join/start a conversation.  

[PlusUltra]

Thanks, @Guzzi!

 

I've been touring around the place (one might say lurking) and really liked what I see. I'm looking forward to diving in!

 

Thanks for all the advice, especially about the 4 week challenge!

[Guzzi]

The challenges are a really useful tool, they help to cement things into new, better habits. There's a great page with all the info about it here.  I just wrote out some advice for someone else about doing a challenge but my phone goes weird if I try to copy and paste so I'll post a screenshot of it instead.  

[Guzzi]

 

Apologies if that has gone to ridiculous size or anything like that. It looks fine on my phone but who knows what it will be like on a laptop or tablet, lol

[PlusUltra]

Wow, that's super-helpful, even in screenshot form! ;-) It took a little time for my head to figure out that it was a step one, step two, step three system rather than a grading system of A-, B-, and C-, but that's the way that my head goes, and it shows that the guidance is really needed!

 

I really appreciate the point of view that motivating action with positive tracking is much better than negative tracking of the "failed to complete" variety. Feels like an encouraging acknowledgement that keeping going is hard and making sure that you keep going by contextualizing events through a better story.

 

Small, easy goals are great advice too, and I can see the value in them. I have had difficulty in the past setting those correctly, since I look at what I want to achieve and lack full information about how to set those goals appropriately. That's one of the biggest reasons I thought to join, so that I might be able to take advantage of the people who have already been over the mountains that I'm seeking to climb and get insights on the best paths. I really need that help! Still my mountain to move over, but the understanding of how to summit it and the encouragement is possible is what I'm hoping that I can find -- and that I might be able to provide for someone else's mountain.

 

Thanks!

 

 

[Guzzi]

Ugh!  Yeah, it's so hard to set small goals when you first start, especially when it feels like you have such a huge way to go and just want to have done it already(!!!)  It feels pointless and counterintuitive but it works, I promise.  

 

Do you think you will join in this challenge?  I can help you with the format and setting goals if you want...?