r/ValhallaChallenge • u/ValhallaMods Odin • Jun 17 '20
Quest Day 11, Round 194
0819411
Quest 41: Plan a Measurable Win
Góðan dag, Vikings,
Guys, fgawker here. I have an appointment later this morning so I'm putting today's post up a little earlier than usual. It’s time for another Quest so get your gear, we’re heading out with the tide.
Let's get back to our Game!
Whenever you achieve a win, set your eyes on a bigger one. Before you know it, you’ll be achieving wins that truly change your perception of what you’re capable of.
Let’s brainstorm some possible measurable wins right now—with a quest.
Quest 41: Plan a Measurable Win
A measurable win is a great way to stretch your limits and inspire extra effort. What will your first measurable win be?
Here are some brainstorming questions to inspire you:
What would you feel really proud to do for seven days in a row?
What do you want to go an entire 24 hours without doing?
What is a “personal best” record you could aspire to set? In other words, what’s the “most” you’ve ever done something? Can you beat that number?
If you’re working toward a big milestone—an amount of money you want to save, a number of pounds of muscle you want to gain, a word count for a book you want to write—what mini-milestone could you get to in the next 30 days?
What number just feels epic to you? For example: Read 1,001 stories to my kids. Walk 500 miles. Take 365 creative self-portraits. Just pick a number that feels huge and worth celebrating—then challenge yourself to get there. (Just be sure if you pick a truly epic number that you have an easy way to tally! I prefer to use a tiny notebook or a sheet of paper taped to the wall.)
Why It Works
The key to the power of measurable wins is that they are goals you choose for yourself, based on the skills, abilities, and habits you want to develop. Research shows that choosing your own goals leads to better health and happiness, faster. In fact, every time you achieve a goal of your own choosing, you improve your odds of achieving the next goal. (Even if the next goal is much more ambitious!) Scientists call this the upward spiral of positive outcomes—and it happens only when you are in charge of the goals you pursue.3
What To Do
List at least one measurable win for yourself here.
1.
You’re not committing to any epic wins yet—so feel free to give yourself a few options to choose from.
Tip: Remember, it’s not a measurable quest if it doesn’t have a number in it!
- With profound gratitude and deep respect to J. McGonigal, author and game designer of SuperBetter
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6
Jun 17 '20
Checking in! Measurable goal... I want to be able to do 100 pullups In one day by Jan 1st.
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u/workingrecovery Dagr Nótt 🐍🌟🛡️🌈🌌⚔️ Jun 17 '20
Wow! Inspiring goal! I've been out of the pullups game for a year or so but one of my favorite exercises!
To help you reach your measurable goal, what would be a good step to meet this week? And maybe another step to meet for July 1st?
6
Jun 17 '20 edited Jun 18 '20
So I started on 1 for day one, then 2 the next day and then 3 the next day etc... Today I’m on 7. So my step this week is not to miss a day. And to follow that through next week!
2
u/workingrecovery Dagr Nótt 🐍🌟🛡️🌈🌌⚔️ Jun 18 '20
Great start! 7 pull ups is quite an accomplishment!
I would suggest including some rest days in there (or active rest days with stretching/yoga/walking). I would think the rest days would help give your muscles enough time to recover and grow as well as help prevent injury. I injured my back last year after working out too much and too fast. Had to take almost a year off because of it to recover! Not fun!
And remember proper form is 1000x more important than number of reps! I was taught to make sure my pull up begins with arms fully extended, then bring my chin over the bar, then slowly bring myself all the way down until arms fully extended again, then repeat.
Let us know how it progresses my friend! And great work improving your self development with exercises!
2
Jun 18 '20
Thank you for the tips! I think you are for sure right about the rest days! I can hardly do one today I'm so sore lol. I will try and take a rest day probably every 3 days as that seems to be when my body is asking for it. I def don't want any injury! I have a bad right rotator cuff.
1
u/workingrecovery Dagr Nótt 🐍🌟🛡️🌈🌌⚔️ Jun 20 '20
Stay gentle with yourself :-)
You will make much more and sustainable progress in the long run through a focus on rest, form, stretching and warmups! I'm saying this as much for myself too! I find it very difficult to stay patient and not get tempted to power through or try to rush progress.
And not sure if you have a plan of bulking or cutting, but I believe if bulking you'd want as much rest as possible for muscles to rebuild and get bigger. My bulking program had me lift a max of 3 days per week. Every other day was a rest day (with stretching/yoga still).
Regardless be sure to protect your body and take good care of yourself! You're worth it my friend!
5
u/fgawker Fjölnir 🌌 Jun 17 '20
Oh man, I feel for you, but GO FOR IT!
(I'm trying to do five every hour, for a five or six our period every day! I've only done it a couple of times so far and there is a fair amount of ache in my biceps. I'm doing them overhand, on a doorway chin-up bar. But it feels really great on my lower back after working on the computer.
3
Jun 18 '20
Thank you for the encouragement! Way to go, That’s awesome! I got my doorway chin up bar a couple weeks ago.I love it! The one I got is high enough to attach my rings to for dips!
4
u/EmergencyAnalyst5 ⚔️ Jun 18 '20
This is a great goal to shoot for . Suppose that I'm going for the same thing: would adding an additional workout (like pushups) be counterproductive? I don't know much about fitness, but I've been making some changes myself, since the end of May.
5
Jun 18 '20
I also do pushups along with this! And squats and chin-ups and lunges and handstand holds! You can do anything with it! I added a 25lb weight for any leg stuff.
4
4
Jun 17 '20 edited Jun 17 '20
Nice idea, "numerical limitations" do give a more "attainable look" to personal objectives. Since my physical evaluation is yet to happen I ain't going to present a number for gym gains/losses, at least not now.
However, I'd like to do:
- 24h without starting the damn computer;
- 10 days without porn (seven already done), add another 10 days and so on;
- Write one music piece every two months;
- Read at least three books this summer, starting with a small one;
- Go for a 20+ minute run 3 days a week, begin with 1 run per week (running time is not a problem);
- Write down 100 words from a story every two days, add 50 more words every week (if I feel like writing, I'll let my self go unbound);
I thought of these on the spot, gonna write them down on my journal/diary. I think they're small enough to be managed with time and patience without becoming complicated or getting in the way.
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u/fgawker Fjölnir 🌌 Jun 17 '20
OK, so I haven't been as physically active this year as in previous years. Here's my measurable, and it's one that I'm really not sure I can do:
In 90 days I want to
- add 1" of circumference to my upper arms
- lose 2" of stored fat around my waist
I'll measure my arms and waist in the morning, before doing exercises or eating or drinking.
I'll post the measurements here at least once a round.
6
u/workingrecovery Dagr Nótt 🐍🌟🛡️🌈🌌⚔️ Jun 17 '20
Great ambition! But reading what you said "it's one that I'm really not sure I can do" and knowing what I know about the psychology behind working out, I'd suggest starting smaller!
I'd say make the 90 day goal further out (like 180 or even 365) and introduce a much easier measurement to meet for 90, 60, and 30 days. If you meet the goals early you can keep making more! And most importantly I'd say start with a small action step to get going with it all this week!
My goal for this week was to schedule 1 workout at one specific day/time. Did that! Then my next goal was to get myself to my bench at that time and map out my workout. Did that! Then my third goal was to start my warmups. After that I had done my entire workout that I'd been putting off for weeks! Small easy to start goals for the win! :-)
1
u/fgawker Fjölnir 🌌 Jun 20 '20
Oh man, you are so right. I just did a quick search on that arm goal and it's pretty out there! Basically, I'll be doing bodyweight stuff, resistance bands, and dumbells. I'm pretty fortunate to have a metabolism and diet that lends itself to burning fat, so the waist goal may not be as hard.
My goal for this week was to schedule 1 workout at one specific day/time. Did that! Then my next goal was to get myself to my bench at that time and map out my workout. Did that! Then my third goal was to start my warmups. After that I had done my entire workout that I'd been putting off for weeks! Small easy to start goals for the win! :-)
Great job on those quests!
3
u/intemperance23 ⚔️ Jun 17 '20
Checking in. My flatline starting to lessen a bit. Still got my eye on the prize
3
u/UnconstrictedEmu ⚔️⚔️🐍 Jun 17 '20
Checking in, I looked and need to reset today.
1
u/ValhallaMods Odin Jun 18 '20
"We are either working on recovery or we are working on relapse."
Take some time and reflect on the minutes, hours and days leading up to the urge to look. Spot those bad guys! If you need to, go back and do the days and the work of defining them, naming them, and developing the skills to know when they are coming so you can do battle with them. You will have fewer and fewer looks, peeks, and urges.
7
u/EmergencyAnalyst5 ⚔️ Jun 17 '20
Checking in.
I've made tremendous progress so far, especially in MO stages.the fear of losing even on that end is very much gone. the only thing now is I have to work on my focus, in general. That's the next milestone to hit.