September Challenge - Feedback

[Brutha]

If you want to give feedback to something posted in the September Challenge Goal-thread. Use this thread instead of the goal thread please.

[Akashic_Librarian]

OK I will start... I chose my goals because really I have let myself slip. The university course I want to do requrie an AAB at A-level, so I need to get incredibly good grades at A-level and frankly I am capable, I have evidence to back that claim up as well...but I don't have the shall we say...technique, with which to achieve it...which leads me onto my next goal...to learn to Photoread and to use the Paraliminals CD's.

Finally to go to the gym...my body is a mess...my skin is rubbish and my energy levels, whilst not bad, arn't great either. Plus i Have an excess of fat on my stomach which needs to go, and my upper body strength is pathetic...imagine getting beaten at an arm wrestle, with your dominant arm, against a girl half the size of you...embarassing...

So yeah thats my story...

[The David]

Wow, not many people are into the feedback thread. Or else they're waiting for the end of September. But there is nothing magical about the end of the month. I am very pleased with my success so far.

1. I've beein taking fish oil consistently. It's gotten to be something I think about a lot.

2. I'm taking steps toward overcoming depression. It's gotten a lot better since I came out of the closet and I can focus on schoolwork a little more now. I still think I'm going to try to get on an antidepressant temporarily.

3. Not too good on this one. But that can change. I'll try to meet someone new today.

4. I'm doing well with reading. I'm managing to go into hyperfocus on both The Odyssey And Eckhart Tolle's a New Earth. I still manage to find time for leisure reading, which is a good activity to take my mind off depression.

5. Heh heh heh...jogging. Well, I've been doing it occasionally. I'm really sick right now, so I think I'll just substitute walks.

6. I'm starting to feel just generally better about life. It's just been a crazy semester and things just piled up on me. Also, I've scheduled another appointment with my counsellor and will plead depression instead of ADHD. If my mood is normal, I can force myself to sit still and concentrate.\

I'm learning to see past the ego. I know that sounds new-agey, but the realization was life-changing. Life just makes more sense now, and my self-esteem has gotten higher because I no longer see myself as a social outcast with imperfect grades and bad teeth.

How are all of YOU doing?

[NotesMaeve]

On mine:

1) Go vegan for 30 days.

Not happening. While I can reduce, I still am consuming traces of animal products. This wasn't really the best time to make a major lifestyle change on eating again when I've made so many, eating more vegetables, whole grains, going vegetarian, cutting out so many animal products and drastically cutting sugar.

2) Go running 4 days a week, a little farther each day.

I'm really enjoying this. :-) It's pleasurable.

3) Clean my place for ten minutes each day.

Enjoying this too. I'm warped. I know.

[Akashic_Librarian]

Well I have succesfully ordered the Deluxe Photoreading course, its not arrived yet, and i havn't had chance to go to the gym because...well...because I havn't been at school yet, and thats where my gym is! lol

[Livgivare]

People who want to feedback on my trials can do so in the thread that I've set up for my own. Please tell me what you think!

Love Leelene

[Gambler]

Oooook! Here is my goal!

1. Sleep 8 hours and 45 mins every night mostly!
(Preferably go in bed before 2:30)
2. Play guitar 4 hours daily at least
3. Record tune for "grand pleasure" competition and send it.
4. Buy a camera for my future guitar-web site
5. Finish tab transcriptions for my "future guitar web site" and insert it
6. Learn at least 8 more songs from a repertoire with my band
7. Send a catalog to my guitar-instructional-video customers (update it previously)

First day that I woke up I realized....he, he that I have accidentally set up my alarm clock one hour later, I couldn't believe it. I looked 3 times. Must be something unconsciously...So I decided AGAIN next day.

From that point everything was going fine, and is going fine. For 1. and 2.
Everything is going smoothly. I learned one more tune. I worked a bit on my tune, and I think I will collect 300 $ till the end of the month. That is an average salary in my country, so it is big deal. I noticed that when I oversleep, I don't feel much more energetic then when I sleep 9 hours for example. My first subject in the list must be silly for someone but I used to lay at 3 and get up at 1 or 2, so it is a big step. I feel very enthusiastic about
this 30-day thing, I can't wait October to write my new goals. I feel SOOOO excited.

Good Luck with your goals!

[javamannen2]

Oops... I slipped (chastity is hard )
Now I'm more determined than ever though.
My 30-day trial will be restarted tomorrow.
Good luck with your trials everyone! Keep it up!

[The David]

The fish oil thing is going well, and the depression is getting better. Right now I would call it a near-constant state of extreme discouragement. I have a counseling appointment tomorrow.

I haven't met many new people lately, but I have a good group of friends right now.

My concentration is a little better. I've been able to read, at least. I've been slipping on the jogging bit, though.

Good luck to everyone

-David

[Livgivare]

I've done extremely well from my own perspecitve. First thing to get up in the morning at 8 was hard at the beginning but now is going more and more smoother, seeing results each day that goes by. I love it makes me feel like what ever might be in future for me, can be made beacuse I do not have to get up one day really early and the next sleep in. So this habit will be used and made regular after the trial and the extra days. I've even learned to copy with the inner voice telling me that I am tired and bed is good. And I am much more in tune with time and such. I even got hunger back.

The second one is a success even more, even if I had one day with very little read, and one day with just half the time. But I havn't dropped out yet and I know I will keep this habit too.

The trouble for me is the restlessness feeling I get over the days when I do nothing. I want to do something but I don't since I know my past and that has always been me, irresponsible for work and get things done really regulary. I even hated starting and endings of jobs so it is hard.

I've thought up some future trials (look at MySpace.com - Leelene - 25 - Female - Sundsvall, All - www.myspace.com/livgivare for the tasks) and I know that what I need now is something that is timeconsuming and fun. So I will take up 30 minutes of exersize and probobly add 15 minutes of reflection when it comes to studying. That makes up for a good solid 2.15 minutes of real work each day and I will also try to get some other trials going, but since I can't make up my mind on that second thing to do next month (since 15 minutes more on studying isn't that much) I know I can do one more thing.

Love Leelene

[NotesMaeve]

Update:

1) Go vegan for 30 days.

Not happening. We know. FAIL! Just wasn't ready.

2) Go running 4 days a week, a little farther each day.

I really like this. I think this was a good goal and it becomes less and less hard.

3) Clean my place for ten minutes each day.

It's really not that bad. Kind of odd. I fell into the habit and it's great. This evening I plan on dusting a little. Weird.

[Livgivare]

My worse enemy is restlessness, I feel so energized each day by just doing the regular scedule of rising each day at the same time and going to bed at the same time that I get ants in my legs (we say that in Sweden) So a few days I've been taking walks and cleaning up in the appartment, just to let go of energy.

Studying, is hard...but I manage it well, since even if I've had two days where I failed a bit, I guess that my overall work is really good. I feel like I have to do it, and I feel bad if I don't do it and best of all, I've done some great reading.

For the first time in my life, I feel happier and more stabilized then ever, even if I get angry I can get it better under control and even if I feel odd at days I do feel proud of what I've acomplish in such a few weeks. I even look forward for my next 30 days trial and have started a tiny bit with it even now (by feeling if I can get it into the day without feeling stress).

Love Leelene

[The David]

1. I have kept my fish oil goal perfectly. I've also included real fish in my diet.

2. Depression is getting better, since I identified it as obsession rather than classic depression. There are times when the obsession takes over, but it can just as easily be reversed if I recognize it and do what I need to do. When it happens, I have no motivation and occasionally feel like doing something drastic, but doing my best to ignore it and work towards my goals anyway makes the voices shut up.

3. Meeting people...eh, not really happening. But I don't know if that's really a bad thing. I have a very good group of friends right now, and I'm getting more involved in some organizations, and there are people there I can meet.

4. I finished the Odyssey. I actually read the last six books of it on the day of the quiz. I usually freak out when there's time pressure like that, but I went into complete-self-confidence-mode, like my counselor commanded me to do everyday, and the possibility of doing poorly in the class did not scare me as much.

5. I've been jogging a little. I could definitely do better on this one.

6. I am definitely enjoying life today. I got 'The Now Habit', by Neil Fiore, at the library and have implemented the 'Unschedule' into my life, which has made me feel immensely more satisfied with my personal life, and that kind of satisfaction inevitably pours into schoolwork as well.

I'd give myself an A- this week.

[Addict]

Cut out all grains (bread, pasta, rice) as part of the transition into a Paleolithic diet on my blog. I expect this to be quite difficult.
Hard, but not that hard. I went to a talk given by Google today and they had free pizza. I really was going to indulge, but luckily they ran out right before I got to the table. I've done pretty well, only have have like a some donuts and a couple of beers so far. I've used this opportunity to start posting grain free recipes on my website (mostly just photos of my meals).

Start going to the gym five days a week.
I'm going about 3 days a week. It's hard when the people you go with won't go anymore than that.

Finish or at least make significant progress on my Facebook application.
It is certainly coming along.

Check email and google adwords, adsense, and analytics only once a day.
I was doing this for a while, but I will get really bored and start checking it. I have multiple things going on, but I'm always drawn to the instant gratification of reading email/stats. I know that I need to kill this habit. I think I need to do something relaxing or fun everyday. As of now, it seems like surfing the internet is my only outlet and this is a bad habit. Anyone have tips on this?

[aabukar]

1. Work on Tummy Exercises for 10 minutes , three times in the week .

I didnt accomplish this goal ... i didnt try even once to do so... i guess i was not ready to work physically yet

2. Let Ramadan be a month of prayers , get closer to God. (it will starts on mid of september so this goal will continue on next month challenge).

I am doing good in this one... i am doing my best, i think i will accomplish this goal in Gods well.

3. Go one time shopping this month … all by myself.

Didnt go yet ... planning to do so on Next Sunday

4. Apply my research paper modifications, submit the paper.

Wont be able to sumbit... didnt finish the changes yet, strill work in progress

5. Leave work on time every day. At work just work.

doing great on this one

6. Get closer to myself, my fiancee and my family.

I've done good on this one as well... i feel closer to them i spend more time with my family and show my caring more to my friends... however, next month i need to concentrate more on non-relationships goals as i didnt accomplish a lot in this month regarding it.

[javamannen2]

OK, so my 30-day trial for september has failed. The main problem areas are #1 (celibacy) and #3 (work on my music, which I keep procrastinating on).
Since I have designed my trial as a "package deal", if I fail once on point #1 or #2 (vegetarianism) I have to start all over again with the whole trial. Vegetarianism is not really a problem, but celibacy is. I could have made separate independent sub-challenges instead, but I wanted to try to get all these areas to work synergistically for an extended period of time, i.e. 30 days. I've had 2 previous succesful 30-day trials where I gained control over my sleeping habits, physical exercise, meditation routine, and work (composition 4 h/day was one of the goals for my last successful challenge). But when I fail on the celibacy I often let myself slip on some or all of the other routines too for a couple of days, partly because I know I'll have to "reset the counter" for the next attempt anyway.

But I still want to try to get this to work without splitting it up into sub-trials. So I have to make sure that the weakest area (celibacy) doesn't fail. I'll do this by not allowing myself to slide down a slippery slope like I've done on my previous attempts. How? By stipulating in the trial rules that if I masturbate or have sex I fail the whole trial, even if I don't "come". That way, I can't tell myself, "just a little more, you can stop anywhere along the way", until I reach the point of no return. No, I will then have to make a conscious decision to throw it all away when I'm still in a "sane" state of mind where I'm able to choose rationally (and then I will hopefully choose not to go ahead and f*** it all up).

Today it is sunday 30th. I will use this day for meditation, fasting, journaling, tidying up my physical and virtual workplace, and planning. Tomorrow is monday 1st, the start of a new week and a new month. I'll try to get a good start on the new and improved 30-day Trial III.

[Catlover]

Take fish oil and calcium supplements daily. About 75% compliance with the fish oil. I'm not sure why it's so difficult for me to develop these habits except that I don't like taking mega pills and I have to take these in the evening .
Talk to 2 people a day about my business. NOT happening. I think this was somebody else's goal (network marketing company) and not mine. I did not think about the fact that I don't even talk to 2 people a day period except at work and that is not a place to talk about my business. I have been giving this a lot of thought and although I have tried to go outside my comfort zone by talking to people, talking about any network marketing products seems to give people license to treat you badly. Also, network marketing sort of infers that you have a network to market to--DUH!--which I do not.
Work on mechanics of blog. Some progress here, buying domain name and getting blogging software, but had decided to devote more time this month to the network marketing with the goal of having the blog up by January.
10,000 steps per day, 5 days per week. Pretty good on this one. I have really enjoyed being able to accumulate the steps now that I have figured out how much walking that it takes (a lot!). I don't have time every day though since it's about 5 miles or 1.5 to 2.0 hours. But I think that every attempt at doing this and several successes is a good thing.
3 300 calorie meals, 2 200 calorie snacks. Not so good--it's pretty hard to stick to 300 calories at dinner, and I haven't made that much attempt to do so. There have been several events this month at which I allowed myself to overeat.

[Zukin]

I learned all the processes in "Ask and It Is Given" and made $1200 in 2 days, which may be attributable to the Law of Attraction.

Ask and It Is Given: 30 Days to Success

[The David]

September in review:

1. Goal to take fish oil daily: 10/10. I was literally bombarded with omega-3s since taking supplements and eating salmon frequently. This was an easy goal to reach.

2. Goal to recover from depression: 8/10. I still have a ways to go on this one. I've been going to counseling occasionally, monitoring self-talk, and trying to stay physically well.

3. Goal to meet new people: 4/10. I'll be re-taking this one next month.

4. Goal to read The Odyssey: 10/10. I read it, and did well on most of the reading quizzes.

5. Goal to jog daily: 5/10. Getting more exercise is the most important step in my personal development right now.

6. Goal to enjoy life more: 6/10. Still working on this one.

Overall: 71.6 C-

I will be looking forward to the October Challenge.

[NotesMaeve]

1) Go vegan for 30 days.

Fail. Oh well.

2) Go running 4 days a week, a little farther each day.

AWESOME. Enjoyed this. Dunno that I'll keep increasing the distance, but I will keep running.

3) Clean my place for ten minutes each day.

This one is just habit now.

[Addict]

Cut out all grains (bread, pasta, rice) as part of the transition into a Paleolithic diet on my blog. I expect this to be quite difficult.
There were definitely a hand full of cheat days, but I did well overall. My main problem was beer, which I had on several occasions (hard to resist when others are buying). I can say that I cut bread, pasta, rice, pretty much all the staple foods, out of 99% of my meals.

Start going to the gym five days a week.
I went 3-4 times a week usually and I also ran a bit. I think I might focus on running for October.

Finish or at least make significant progress on my Facebook application.
I made progress, but not as much as I wanted. This is probably my number one priority right now. I wish I knew why I was having trouble focusing on it.

Check email and google adwords, adsense, and analytics only once a day.
This worked most of the time. There were certain days when I just couldn't resist (when stumbleupon sent me 1500 visitors). What really helped is finding something fun to do as a replacement for this mindless procrastination. This is a good habit to keep, so I'm going to continue it. I'm wondering if I should limit it even more to maybe once or twice a week. Has anyone tried this?

Well, I'm glad I set up these goals. None of them worked 100%, but I know I can do better in October. So yea... it's already October; where's the thread?

[The David]

I made an October thread.

[Gambler]

1. Sleep 8 hours and 45 mins every night mostly!

Done, it wasn't easy but...

(Preferably go in bed before 2:30)

2. Play guitar 4 hours daily at least

Done, now I will rest for 3 days, becasue I haven't had single day off

3. Record tune for "grand pleasure" competition and send it.

Done!

4. Buy a camera for my future guitar-web site

Still need a few bucks.

5. Finish tab transcriptions for my "future guitar web site" and insert it

Not done!

6. Learn at least 8 more songs from a repertoire with my band

Not done!

7. Send a catalog to my guitar-instructional-video customers (update it previously)

I will do this today!

Overall, I think I done it well, although I noticed that my procrastination is changing shape. I am taking brakes every 1-2 hours, and I am working whole day till 2 am. I take a break to surf internet, to drink coffee with someone, to go to town, to....So it's a kind of procrastination, although I managed to play my guitar for 3 hours in a row, when I' am in the flow (Wow, look at the rhyme )

I will try next month to work (play guitar, compose, design website) for at least 2 hours in a row.

I feel grate about this 30-day chalange, because I proved to myself tat I am
not the lazy bum as I thought. This CAN be different!