Challenges Day 10

Challenge 1: Cold Shower Therapy

Had a numb face this morning! It was awesome. Only four more days to go with challenge – a pretty satisfying feeling. Too bad all of my other challenges are such a long way from finishing. I think I would like to try and offset them so that about every 3-4 days I am finishing a challenge.

http://impossiblehq.com/cold-shower-therapy-guide

Days Remaining: 4

Challenge 2: Spanish Vocabulary

 

http://www.spanishdict.com/

Days Remaining: 24

Challenge 3: Teeline Shorthand

Started the Second Unit at work today. Didn’t do heaps – going to have to work on my prioritization. I want to get all of my challenges done, but I don’t know if I can keep up 30 days of all of them at the same time without losing the plot.

http://www.ma-radio.gold.ac.uk/shorthand/drills.htm

Days Remaining: 29

Challenge 4: Lumosity Training

Worked through another day of Lumosity training. I think I will play some more games tonight while I add extra work to my Systems Engineering Assignment – I am definitely going to do better with my second assignment.

http://www.lumosity.com/

Days Remaining: 20

Challenge 5: Journal

Wrote up most of this journal this morning before breakfast. Looking to get myself ahead.

 

Days Remaining: 23

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Challenges Day 9

Challenge 1: Cold Shower Therapy

Brrr. Cold this morning – but got through it just like always. Not long to hit the 30 day challenge. I can’t wait until I have achieved it. First time in a long time I have stuck to something that long.

http://impossiblehq.com/cold-shower-therapy-guide

Days Remaining: 5

Challenge 2: Spanish Vocabulary

Bit of a struggle today with the Spanish. Couldn’t get motivated. But I struggled through it. I will look forward to relearning about chores though. I didn’t take much in.

http://www.spanishdict.com/

Days Remaining: 24

Challenge 3: Teeline Shorthand

Smashed out the Unit One Workbook Section. Giving the Unit Two of the Coursework a start. Got through a bit, more to do on Unit Two but I need sleep.

http://www.ma-radio.gold.ac.uk/shorthand/drills.htm

Days Remaining: 29

Challenge 4: Lumosity Training

My memory is definitely starting to improve, I am noticing my performance in the games actually feels faster and smoother. Hopefully it will translate into real world activities.

http://www.lumosity.com/

Days Remaining: 21

Challenge 5: Journal

More struggle town on the journal. Pushing through though! I will achieve all of my goals today!!

Days Remaining: 24

Challenges Day 8

Challenge 1: Cold Shower Therapy

Still working hard at this one. I seem to be finding it not too difficult to maintain the rage. Once I get in the shower I am totally fired up for the day as well. Though as I near the end of the 30 days I am starting to wonder if I might not just keep it up for another 30 days.

http://impossiblehq.com/cold-shower-therapy-guide

Days Remaining: 6

Challenge 2: Spanish Vocabulary

Loving the learning of the Spanish. It is really starting to take hold in my brain. Though it will be a long while yet before I am having decent conversations. Looking forward to reviewing the material from the first course before then beginning on my Lean Spanish: The Fast and Fun Way textbook.

http://www.spanishdict.com/

Days Remaining: 24

Challenge 3: Teeline Shorthand

Books arrived yesterday. Pretty happy! It is going to take me a fairly long time to get the hang of it I think, but I will just continue to persist. It will be such a useful skill going forward. It will essentially give me the ability to have a memory of every meeting, or presentation that I see. My aim is to get to about 100 wpm as I think at this speed I could comfortably record and participate in a conversation. I am also going to practice my typing, by typing straight from the Teeline outlines, as this will help with reading the Teeline and building my typing speed back up again.

http://www.ma-radio.gold.ac.uk/shorthand/drills.htm

Days Remaining: 29

Challenge 4: Lumosity Training

Brain is definitely starting to feel the benefits of the Lumosity training. I am definitely feeling a little sharper and my scores are definitely improving. Looking forward to the end of the month when I will display my graph on here.

http://www.lumosity.com/

Days Remaining: 22

Challenge 5: Journal

Got a little lost on the journal. Missed my weekly review and reflection that I wanted to add. I broke my rule of not missing 2 in a row for any of my challenges, but I just need to pick myself back up, jump on the bike and get back to speed. No wasting time feeling sorry for myself or lamenting my inability to do what I set out. I just need to keep moving forward and trying to get it right. It gets easier and more likely that I will achieve what I set out for each time I set out.

Days Remaining: 25

Challenges Day 5

Challenge 1: Cold Shower Therapy

Got through my cold shower this morning. Used it as a pretty good wake up. Still struggled a little with the wake up. Though not as much as I will tomorrow when I set my alarm for 0530. New bed wake and sleep times are to be 0530h wake and CST which requires a lights out and sleep time of 2300h no later. Hopefully with my new use of the Habit Judo spreadsheet this will become a reality.

http://impossiblehq.com/cold-shower-therapy-guide

Days Remaining: 8

Challenge 2: Spanish Vocabulary

Currently smashing out the Spanish lesson as I write this, just taking a break between the video and flash cards. I am learning about the rooms of the house today, and the lesson is the first in the series that has been almost more Spanish than English so I am pretty excited about that as a lot of it made sense. I think that with a continued effort I will be able to move to the point that I can start to watch Spanish TV shows without subtitles and understand the gist of conversation. At that point you are really learning a language the way it is meant to be learned.

http://www.spanishdict.com/

Days Remaining: 25

Challenge 3: Teeline Shorthand

Waiting….

http://www.ma-radio.gold.ac.uk/shorthand/drills.htm

Days Remaining: 30

Challenge 4: Lumosity Training

Again I did more Lumosity training than required, fitting in extra games during breaks in writing my assignment. I am still behind in how much of my assignment I have done however I am hoping to catch that up tomorrow before I go on a date.

http://www.lumosity.com/

Days Remaining: 25

Challenge 5: Journal

Well I have smashed out writing these blog posts about the challenges. I am going to start writing a proper journal again in my little black book of inspiration that I started several months ago. I may enter some of those into blog posts online however they will tend to be private I think. I also plan to when I hit the end of these 5 challenges start a new challenge for the blog posts that is to post 30 actual blog articles of 500 words or more that are structured and contain useful information. However this is a later goal once my head is in the space for writing – and I will actually edit those posts so that they are less stream of consciousness writing.

Days Remaining: 25

Challenges Day 4

Challenge 1: Cold Shower Therapy

Was a little cold in the shower today, haha. I think I am going to enjoy this challenge all the way to the end. However I think when I reach the point that this challenge needs to reset I will continue to do the challenge but add an extra exercise in the morning. Romanian Dead lifts perhaps? And also require myself to adhere to a strict diet so that I can burn off the fat and have a visible six pack. I think if I can achieve visible once then I will happily let myself slide back a little to a more easily maintained level.

http://impossiblehq.com/cold-shower-therapy-guide

Days Remaining: 9

Challenge 2: Spanish Vocabulary

Revised the numbers and telling the time today. I will definitely love the opportunity to repeat every lesson within this 30 day challenge, I feel like my original goal of conversational Spanish by December may still be achievable.

http://www.spanishdict.com/

Days Remaining: 26

Challenge 3: Teeline Shorthand

Waiting….

http://www.ma-radio.gold.ac.uk/shorthand/drills.htm

Days Remaining: 30

Challenge 4: Lumosity Training

I spent a bit longer on Lumosity tonight, I am starting to feel the benefits definitely. Though I am wondering how it will affect my ability to do whiteboard presentations without notes – which I will be doing on Monday. Should be for the better.

http://www.lumosity.com/

Days Remaining: 26

Challenge 5: Journal

Going a bit crazy, but loving writing in the journal, hating on the assignment I am trying to do. I just made myself a little bit accountable, I am going on a date on Saturday with a girl and have agreed that I will have three quarters of the assignment done before I go and see her – big incentive!

Days Remaining: 26

Challenges Day 3

Challenge 1: Cold Shower Therapy

Got up straight as my alarm went, smashed through the push-ups and sit-ups. Slowed for the squats, but then nearly cried with the lack of water pressure in my shower. I can handle the cold, but no pressure? Come on! My collection of dashes representing my cold showers is starting to look decent, I am excited when the other challenges catch up.

http://impossiblehq.com/cold-shower-therapy-guide

Days Remaining: 10

Challenge 2: Spanish Vocabulary

Numbers and telling the time today. I am starting to definitely feel more comfortable with the Spanish language. I definitely feel that 15 minutes every day is much more valuable than big chunks of time every few weeks.

http://www.spanishdict.com/

Days Remaining: 28

Challenge 3: Teeline Shorthand

Waiting….

http://www.ma-radio.gold.ac.uk/shorthand/drills.htm

Days Remaining: 30

Challenge 4: Lumosity Training

I am starting to see the numbers improve. Hopefully I will see the impact at work as well. Going to be quizzed with the whiteboard on Monday morning so it will be interesting, especially since I haven’t done any real engineering in 18 months.

http://www.lumosity.com/

Days Remaining: 28

Challenge 5: Journal

Hardest bit of the challenges was writing the journal/blog post entry today. I was so close to bed and the last thing I wanted to do was write about how I felt today. Urgh. Oh well done for the day, see you tomorrow.

Days Remaining: 28

Challenges Day 2

Challenge 1: Cold Shower Therapy

Wasn’t even close to a struggle here today. I really am flogging this, but I am going to add in that I need to jump out of bed immediately my alarm goes off to get the benefit out of this. Aiming for a all of my workout, shower and to be dressed by 0630 every morning for the rest of this challenge – just to toughen it up a little.

http://impossiblehq.com/cold-shower-therapy-guide

Days Remaining: 11

Challenge 2: Spanish Vocabulary

Moving through Spanish at a fairly high speed. Learning how to tell people where you would go to do particular activities today. When I do my next run through of all of the lessons I will attempt to write this paragraph in Spanish to make it more difficult.

http://www.spanishdict.com/

Days Remaining: 28

Challenge 3: Teeline Shorthand

Still waiting. Used some of this time to work on my Masters study.

http://www.ma-radio.gold.ac.uk/shorthand/drills.htm

Days Remaining: 30

Challenge 4: Lumosity Training

Another session of Lumosity training complete. The statistics are starting to show that I am improving already (I did a few days before starting this challenge). I would really like to bring myself into the top 10% of every category. I am not sure if this is possible but I will definitely be trying.

http://www.lumosity.com/

Days Remaining: 28

Challenge 5: Journal

I really enjoyed today, especially recording how each of the challenges is going. It doesn’t take much to spend a tiny amount of time both doing the challenges and coming up with a quick spiel about how they are going and how they feel. I don’t know if anyone else would ever want to read it, however it is out there and they are welcome to. If anyone does read it I would love to hear some comments. Perhaps by the end of my challenge I will actually be writing articles that I feel actually have some semblance of logic and may merit and actual readership.

Days Remaining: 28

Challenges Day 1

Challenge 1: Cold Shower Therapy

Got up, smashed out my push-ups, sit-ups and squats no problem. Jumped into the shower for the full 5 minutes of freezing and loved it. This is barely even a challenge anymore, I might have to do a couple of days of 10 minute cold showers to build up the challenge. Accordingly I will be focusing on achieving the other challenges a little more, just maintaining this one.

http://impossiblehq.com/cold-shower-therapy-guide

Days Remaining: 12

Challenge 2: Spanish Vocabulary

One more lesson on Spanish Dict complete. I think that I will repeat all of the lessons in 1. I should be able to do each lesson twice within the 30 day challenge which should cement the vocabulary in my head. I will also be trying to ‘think’ in Spanish a little during each day.

http://www.spanishdict.com/

Days Remaining: 29

Challenge 3: Teeline Shorthand

Still waiting for the Teeline books to arrive in Peterborough so that Mum can bring them down. I will study them at that point. I think it is good that my challenges will become staggered as this will allow me to introduce new ones. I am aiming to have five challenges per week going, but one finishing each week and a new one beginning.

http://www.ma-radio.gold.ac.uk/shorthand/drills.htm

Days Remaining: 30

Challenge 4: Lumosity Training

Another session of Lumosity training complete. There isn’t much to write about these sessions except that I anticipate being able to feel a difference in mental aptitude at the end of 30 days.

http://www.lumosity.com/

Days Remaining: 29

Challenge 5: Journal

Well the evidence of this challenge is the above blog post. Work was killer today, all inductions and went forever. Hopefully it will be a little bit less hectic as the week progresses. I am also looking forward to getting the study all over and done, with the first assignment due next Monday and the last due in October.

Days Remaining: 29

Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life.

How many times have we all heard that line? Well guess what today for me it is. I woke up late and I am going to binge on pizza and do not much today because it is 40 degrees outside and I completely don’t care. I am going to lay on the couch and play Assassins Creed and feel good about it all. The reason for this? Because I am still going to do my workout today – later when it isn’t so hot and when I have I will have completed 2 weeks of doing it regularly without outside influences helping me. I still have a long way to go with all of my ideas – but I can see everything working, although I would like to see some more results on the scales – I am aiming for a visible 6 pack by Christmas and so far that almost seems a pipedream.

The quote posted above was the original draft text for this post – inspiring isn’t it. When I logged on today with the intention of getting my blog off the ground I’m not sure what I was expecting but it definitely wasn’t that. More evidence of my sensational ability to begin a project and then fail to see it through until completion.

I am just about to begin a series of personal challenges in the hope that it will build up my ability to see a challenge through to the end. These challenges will be 30 days in length each and some of them will overlap.

Challenge 1: Cold Shower Therapy

I read about this on a blog 16 days ago and have managed to take 16 cold showers since then. I begin with a quick workout of 50 pushups, 50 situps and 50 squats then take a 5 minute cold shower. Brrr. It isn’t that difficult to achieve but my gosh is it a solid way to jump start the day.

http://impossiblehq.com/cold-shower-therapy-guide

Days Remaining: 13

Challenge 2: Spanish Vocabulary

I want to build up my Spanish ability and the best way to achieve this is through consistent practice. So I am aiming to spend 15 minutes a day or more practicing Spanish for the next 30 days.

http://www.spanishdict.com/

Days Remaining: 30

Challenge 3: Teeline Shorthand

I want to be able to write in shorthand because I believe that it will allow me to become better at my job, by being able to take better notes during meetings, lectures and briefs. So I will spend 30 days doing 15 minutes of practice or more because again consistency builds skill.

http://www.ma-radio.gold.ac.uk/shorthand/drills.htm

Days Remaining: 30

Challenge 4: Lumosity Training

I want to try and train my brain to be the best it possibly can be and over the next 30 days, using Lumosity this should be possible. I was lucky enough to get a six month free full membership so I plan to utilise this to the fullest and see if it is worth purchasing.

http://www.lumosity.com/

Days Remaining: 30

Challenge 5: Journal

The last and probably most difficult of these challenges is that I wish to journal my progress through all of the challenges. Recording the journey should have the benefit of both forcing me to achieve each of the challenges every day and build the habit of consistent of writing a consistent journal which I have been trying for several years to get started on. I am looking at a journal of personal development rather than a record of daily activity, so it will be interesting to see how it develops.

http://wordpress.com/

Days Remaining: 30

A side note on the original post is that while I may not have the six pack that I was planning or dreaming about I have managed to improve my fitness significantly with a regular weight lifting routine that I will write about at some point in my journal.