Day 57 / 108 Challenge

#57

"I bow to find freedom through wisdom."

I acknowledge being almost a half a day late on this journal, but better published late than never. What I needed to do today was crystal clear. Get to the exam on time, walk out of the building after passing, and enjoy the day. And that was exactly what I did.

I got to spend quality time bonding with my girl, and she got to meet few of my friends for the first time. I was very appreciative of her effort to get to know them and was thoroughly impressed how well they got along.

I also got some pointers on my pet projects that I had been procrastinating for a while. I shall celebrate the accomplishment this weekend, and slowly start focusing on the real estate, to give me peace of mind, so that I can focus on other goals in life I set out for myself later this year.

---

Challenge Log

Requirements
No Snacks No drinks or desserts exceeding weekly limit	A drink with my girl, and a couple more at my friend's birthday party
Water intake (max 2L)	2L
2x Pomodoro flows (read min. 10 pages)	EXAM
Productive activity (write a journal or a blog; create a product)	Journalling
Physical activity (min. 45 minutes)	REST DAY - indoor golf
Wildcard (any 1 of read/produce/exercise above)	(PRODUCE) EXAM

Should've/Would've/Could've

-- Could have drank less variety of alcohol last night at the birthday party, but proud of you on limiting to 3. Need better quality sleep next week.

Drink/Dessert tickets remaining: 0

Day 56 / 108 Challenge

#56

"I bow to know that having a repentant mind is the best mind."

It is a little concerning that I was still feeling the caffeine from the day before, and that I felt like I was operating near my peak capacity at work (and that all I needed was a cup of coffee). However, I am just happy that I am performing near the peak. Regardless of how I got to that level, it is just a good feeling to have.

Carrying on the hype from work, I was able to push further at the gym. Although I hate the act of lifting itself, the after feeling I get is incomparable to anything else. The sense of achievement makes you feel more confident and that you can go through any obstacles in life.

---

Challenge Log

Requirements
No Snacks No drinks or desserts exceeding weekly limit	No snacks
Water intake (max 2L)	2L
2x Pomodoro flows (read min. 10 pages)	Ch. 5~8 review
Productive activity (write a journal or a blog; create a product)	Journalling
Physical activity (min. 45 minutes)	LEG DAY 1. Squat 225/245lb 1x3/3x3 2. Front squat 190lb 4x3 3A. Leg curl 135lb 4x5 3B. Side lat raises 40lb 4x6 4A. Leg extension lvl 12 6-8-8-8 4B. Front shoulder raises 25lb 4x6 5. Hanging leg raises + 30s boat hold 5x10 + 5s hold
Wildcard (any 1 of read/produce/exercise above)	(EXERCISE) 3 hr outdoor walk

Should've/Would've/Could've

-- Had to drink decaf coffee in the afternoon to keep myself going. Let's see if we can stay off of it.

Drink/Dessert tickets remaining: 3

Day 55 / 108 Challenge

#55

"I bow to know that I can find peace by being patient."

Again, not necessarily a bad quality of sleep, but I still felt groggy in the morning. I could not tolerate it anymore, and I gave in to drink a cup of coffee. I am not too sure if it is a good thing or a bad thing, but I began to feel normal again. Perhaps I was so used to being operating at 110% (thanks to caffeine) that I perceived 90% operating as feeling too groggy.

Despite my worry about my future state, I was happy about my ability to complete many tasks at work and to feel powerful during my lifts at the gym. I should just accept the fact that the benefit of drinking coffee outweighs the negatives (up to a certain point) and that I must learn how to utilize it better. I am thinking occasional detoxing to reset my tolerance should do the trick.

"Quenching is most commonly used to harden steel by including a martensite transformation, where the steel must be rapidly cooled..." - Wikipedia

The reason why I bring up quenching is because my father replied to my long hearted appreciating message with that. I was thanking my family for being so supportive of me, especially through the recent one of the most chaotic times in my life. My father described my past month as quenching, and that I must continue to move forward in order to become a stronger person. And I could not agree more. I feel like my current state is equal to austenite, and I must navigate through these challenges I brought on myself to become harder and stronger. Just like how austenite transforms into martensite.

---

Challenge Log

Requirements
No Snacks No drinks or desserts exceeding weekly limit	No snacks
Water intake (max 2L)	2L
2x Pomodoro flows (read min. 10 pages)	Exam prep 1 & 2 review
Productive activity (write a journal or a blog; create a product)	Journalling
Physical activity (min. 45 minutes)	PUSH DAY 1. Bench press 195lb 4x3 2. Close grip bench press 175lb 4x3 3A. 1.5 incline DB press 50lb 4x5 3B. BB curl 50lb 4x8 4A. Dips +50lb 4x6 4B. DB curl 22.5lb 4x6 5. Leg raises + 30s boat hold (30s rest) 4x10
Wildcard (any 1 of read/produce/exercise above)	(PRODUCE) Daily Market Digest

Should've/Would've/Could've

-- Hoping the consequences of coffee is not too bad. Great work today though.

Drink/Dessert tickets remaining: 3