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

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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.