Tag: Health

Personal Project, Willpower

The Willpower Instinct Project – Week 4

Geoff W

McGonigal, Kelly - The Willpower Instinct

Oh, shocker, I’m back to struggling again. I definitely think that the project I selected was too broad. It’s not too late to change, it but I know it’s the big one that I need to work towards all the time: getting healthy. I have, made major steps this week which is great, but I’m still wondering where I am on this project. I’m still enjoying the meditation portion from Week 1 and will keep with it at 10 minutes for now.

This week, as part of Chapter 4: License to Sin, McGonigal asked to do a lot of reflection, like in the past few chapters and it definitely hit home a bit more this week than in the past. So clearly, the incremental steps are working. The Under the Microscope section really hit home for me this week. I definitely congratulate myself for making instrumental steps but I don’t hold myself accountable; I put things off to tomorrow and let myself eat unhealthy and be lazy because I’ll make it up later; I eat more of something when it’s fat-free or low-fat, or I know I’ll be going to the gym later; And thankfully, I do know that the real-me wants to get healthier and that I HAVE to learn how to control my unhealthy urges and laziness!

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30x30, Personal Project

30 x 30: #4 – Go Trampolining

Geoff W

2014 03-29 Trampolining Ticket SkyZone2014 03-29 Trampolining At SkyZoneOne down, twenty-nine to go! I added this to my 30 x 30 list because my friends have gone multiple times and I’ve never been able to coordinate it so I could go 🙁 I honestly assumed this wouldn’t happen for a while, but my roommates, Matt and Mike, randomly decided to get a group together and I was shockingly available so we went! Our friends Alex, Patrick and Tom went with us and it was so much fun and, honestly, hilarious. 🙂

Think about, it how seriously can you take your friends when you’re surrounded by teenagers and you’re jumping on giant trampolines playing dodgeball or flying into a foam pit? You can’t! And that’s what was so great about it. At one point I thought Matt and Mike were doing some weird Street Fighter thing and then I realized Matt was trying to show Mike how to do a belly flop. I still like the idea of trampoline Street Fighter, but I’m not going to lie at one point we were jumping up and down doing poses and ridiculous contortions with our bodies like ballerinas and supermodels and it just made it that much funnier. We did everything except for the basketball dunk shots and you can see one of the venues (not the one we went to) that shows the foam pit, dodge ball and general court.

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Personal Project, Willpower

The Willpower Instinct Project – Week 3

Geoff W

McGonigal, Kelly - The Willpower InstinctThings are FINALLY starting to pick up in the project and the book. I’m starting to see how my decisions (or unknown decisions) happen and when I miss them!

This week McGonigal asked readers to do two things and to think about a third. The first was to eat healthy snacks instead of junk food and to pick one thing to do different from our usual routine and do it. All while thinking about our “want power”; what it is that we ultimately want out of what we’re doing and to think about that when we struggle to accomplish our goal.

Well, not-shockingly, I failed miserably on the healthy snacks. It’s not an excuse, but phonathon started this past week and I started three 50-hour weeks and needless to say didn’t stick to my plan. I did eat mostly healthy food for lunch and dinner, but snacks I definitely did not do. I distinctly remember thinking a couple of times, oh I should get nuts or something from the vending machine and instead got chips. Fail, but I’ll keep working on it.

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30x30, Personal Project

30 Before 30 (30 x 30)

Geoff W

Keep Calm 30On December 21, 2014, I turn 30 years old. As funny as it is, I’m not really nervous or scared of the big three-oh, honestly, I’m just ready for it. I did, however, enjoy the image to the right so included it. I’m sure my parents (and aunts, uncles and grandparents) are more nervous than I am, but hey that’s what they’re for! (I’ll link to the list here so you don’t have to read the ENTIRE post if you don’t want to.)

A few months ago I started seeing 30 before 30 lists everywhere. I didn’t put much thought into them until friends started turning 30 recently and then I wondered what would be on mine. So I decided with the last nine months of my 20s there were a few things that I want to do and this list developed. A couple of friends made suggestions and a lot on the list will require friends to complete. I’ve divided my 30 to-dos into five categories: physical, relaxing, reading and writing, cultural and miscellaneous.

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Personal Project, Willpower

The Willpower Instinct Project – Week 2

Geoff W

McGonigal, Kelly - The Willpower InstinctWhat a surprise, only two weeks in and I’m already starting to lose the willpower to follow through with this project (and no the irony is not lost on me). I’m not sure if I’m struggling already because the first two weeks require passive activities or if dragging out the process of reading one book chapter-by-chapter over ten weeks is starting to get to me. Perhaps this is just the time of the year it is, but regardless, I hope it picks up after this week!

In Chapter Two: Your Body Was Born to Resist Cheesecake McGonigal asks her readers to do two things: 1) spend five minutes doing breathing exercises, reducing your breaths down to approximately three-to-four a minute (10 seconds breathing in; 10 seconds breathing out); and 2) spend five minutes practicing relaxation, so allowing your body to completely relax and not move, I guess this is different from the meditation in Week 2. On top of these two activities she recommends getting five minutes of outdoor time every day (easy peasy) and getting a good night’s sleep.

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