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The ‘75 Hard’ Challenge

Discussion in 'Keep Fit & Maintain Shape' started by Gauri03, Jun 3, 2021.

  1. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    My last update was nearly two weeks ago. While I don’t have a precise record of my goals for the duration, I’ve been doing ok. Happy Navratri to those who celebrate! I’m fasting for all 9 days as I do yearly. Today is day 5 of eating one meal a day with no grains or lentils. Not dreaming of food yet! : )

    9/30/2022

    * H20: 2 liters done
    * Workout: 40 minutes walk
    * Meditation: 10 minutes done
    * IF: 20+ hours, OMAD
    * Music practice: 40 minutes
     
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  2. Gauri03

    Gauri03 Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    @NOW I'm a little late to respond. Won’t repeat the excellent advice you’ve already received. Much of your frustration is the unavoidable outcome of being in the stage of life you’re in, vis-à-vis family and career. As time passes things will undoubtedly get easier. You hold yourself up to impossible standards, no wonder it is wearing you down. I would suggest that instead of working out ways to fit more into your already packed day, try doing less. Before doing something ask whether you should be doing it at all.

    I remember posting something uncannily similar 5-6 years back and receiving a lot of great advice. Most of it boiled down to reserving my time and attention for the absolutely essential and eliminating the rest. I was trying to be everything—super mommy at home, superstar at work, read a lot, run a lot, and half a dozen other things. Looking back, my life became much simpler once I gave up my perfectionism. These days anything that someone else can do for a price is outsourced without a second thought. I enjoy cooking for my family but I cannot spare the time. I have a cooking aunty who prepares meals, and cleans up after herself. The food is oilier than I'd make and tastes a little different from what we're used to but I'd pay twice what I do for the time and energy she saves me. I pay for a mommy's helper who comes on the weekends to wash and fold laundry. She even helps with sundry stuff like putting up Halloween decorations or cleaning the garage. I use a cleaning service who not only clean the house but change the sheets, sort the recycling etc. I spend liberally on grocery and other delivery services. Our quality of life as a family has gone up dramatically since I made these changes. The way I see it my kids need my attention more than they need home cooking.

    This is just as true for the office as it is for the home. You have to be strategic about the meetings you choose to attend. If your work requires you to attend meetings from 7am to 7pm, then I am positive at least some of those meetings need to be reconsidered. Identify a couple of promising direct reports. Let them handle a meeting or two. This is part of being a good manager. You will be giving them ownership of their slice of the pie, preparing them for a management track, while relieving yourself of the need to be everywhere. Learning to delegate strategically does require frequent reassessment and interventions initially, but you will benefit immensely from mastering it.

    Of your self-improvement goals, I'd say lay all but one to rest for the short term. You work out three times a week despite everything. That's commendable! From your list I'd pick sleep as the most impactful goal. There is a direct correlation between the number of hours I sleep, and my sense of well-being and productivity the following day. I need 7+ hours and that means making bedtime a priority. Dirty kitchens and unanswered emails are not worth sacrificing a precious hour of sleep. Set a bedtime alarm and make it sacrosanct. Believe me it will change more than all the other things on your list put together. When you feel ready, add another simple goal. Take it one habit at a time, one day at a time. In this phase of life time flies. Before you know it you will be looking to join book clubs and hiking clubs like the rest of us with teenagers who have AirPods super-glued to their ears.
     
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  3. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Friday, September 30, 2022 - 36th day

    Walking - 1 hour
    IF - 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.
    Water - 2 liters
    Reading - 30 minutes
    After yes and no for volunteering due to hurricane Ian, finally, the volunteer coordinator allowed me to volunteer on Friday. It is so heartening to know that there are no COVID patients.
     
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  4. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    @Gauri03,

    I was so happy to read this response from you. Most of the time, we stop at the stage of problem identification as we misunderstand what we can easily outsource to others as an important thing for us to do. Our lives are hit with waves of demands at our time and we believe if we don't capture those wonderful moments, we may lose that. Actually, quality time with the family and quality time in strategizing our career path are invaluable as otherwise it will be equilvalent of running a marathon without strategizing our goal. You have nicely captured all of them in your excellent articulation here.

    Life is an experiment and we learn new things every day. Sometimes, time solves things and othertimes, space we create for ourselves solves it. Quality of life is often misunderstood to be a superhero by doing everything ourselves. Actual quality of life is how we manage our time, relationships and professional career. Therefore, filling more than what we can chew actually detoriarates the quality of life.

    If everyone around us are satisfied but if we don't have a sense of fulfillment, it is a wasted effort. Similarly, if we have a great sense of fulfillment with noone around satisfied, it is also futile exercise. The balance in life to achieve sense of fulfillment and to keep people around us happy is an art and science. Using our experience to strike a balance is what is the purpose of life.
     
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  5. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Saturday, October 1, 2022 - 37th day

    Walk - 13,000 steps with no formal walking
    IF - 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.
    Water - 2 liters
    Reading - 30 minutes
     
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  6. Rihana

    Rihana Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    09/28 Wednesday Day 14

    CBT Course - 30 mins.
    Sorting Stuff - 30 mins
    Writing - 20 mins
    Exercise - stretches
    Tea or Coffee - less than 2

    09/29 Thursday Day 15

    CBT Course - 45 mins
    Sorting Stuff - 30 mins (partly down a few internet rabbit holes about password creation formulas)
    Writing - 20 mins
    Exercise - 70 mins 4.1 miles (fully due to wanting to update it here LOL)
    Tea or Coffee - less than 2

    09/30 Friday Day 16

    CBT Course - 30 mins (half went in decorating my new binder like a school kid)
    Sorting Stuff - 30 mins
    Writing - 30 mins (This is getting harder to do, needs some reorg so each day's task is pre-decided)
    Exercise - Stretches
    Tea or Coffee - less than 2 (1.9 is less than 2)

    Weekend (October 1, 2) was a washout. Like employees of a newly unionized Starbucks, all four habits decided to be absent at the same time. I can blame everyone and everything, but, I know, I could have done both days. Oh well. Monday October 3 will be a new day and a new week. On the bright side, finally started a long-awaited reread of Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.
     
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  7. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Sunday, October 2nd, 2022 - 38th day

    Walking - No formal walking due to weekend - 8,428 steps
    IF - 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.
    Water - 2 liters
    Reading - 30 minutes
     
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  8. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Monday, October 3rd, 2022 - 39th day

    Walking - 1 hour
    IF - 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.
    Water - 2.5 liters
    Reading - 30 minutes
     
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  9. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Tuesday, October 4, 2022 - 40th day

    Walking - 1 hour
    IF - 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.
    Water - 2 liters
    Reading - 30 minutes

    My surgical procedure is delayed from October 12th to December 14th and hence I will be able to complete all 75 days of posting here, with divine grace.
     
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  10. Srama

    Srama Finest Post Winner

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    Dear V sir,

    Thank you for holding the fort here with your regular updates. While Gauri has been fasting, I am afraid I have been busy overeating :) Even then, I have to admit that I am able to hold on to my 16 hour IF period. Shloka recital has been going well over an hour everyday. Water intake has been good as well. The two areas that have taken a beating are exercise a little bit and writing. Hope to be back on track soon with updates.
     
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