Resolutionary challenge

Bittersweet.

That's how the fall/winter months are for me. I love the fall foliage, Thanksgiving, Christmas, snow days, and skiing, but when the days are so short, life feels a bit more difficult than when the days are long.

Which is why I was so happy to participate in Heather Staker's 2008 Resolutionary Challenge. Resolutionary not only helped me shed a few pounds, it also helped head off my winter blues. Because Heather doesn't have the bandwidth to run this year's Challenge (her 4th child is imminent), and because I wanted to lose a few more pounds and to once again bid the blues good-bye, she's kindly agreed to let me helm the 2009 Resolutionary Challenge in her stead.

Source: Wikipedia

The ground rules are:

1. Start date is Monday, January 12; we'll go for 12 weeks, and end on April 5.

2. Contribute $20 into the Resolutionary Challenge Fund by January 12.

3. A maximum of 10 points can be earned daily, 70 points weekly, 840 over 12 weeks.

4. Beginning January 12, record your points in an online spreadsheet to be circulated by Jan 12.

5. There are two categories of winners:

• The three participants with the most points. 80% of the cash in the Challenge Fund will be divided among the three resolutionaries with the most points. For example, if there is $500 in the kitty, $400 will be allocated amongst the three players with the most points.
• All participants with more than 505 points, or 60% of the available points. Because the Resolutionary Challenge is partly about getting the most points, but mostly about process, any person who gets an average of 6 points or better per day, will have won, and will be eligible for a random giveaway which will be funded by the remaining 20% in the Challenge Fund.

6. Points are earned for the following activities:

• Sleep 7 hrs/per night (Naps can take up the slack)
  
• Drink 64 oz. water
  
• Exercise 30 minutes
• Be ready to present myself to the world by 11am
• Eat 3 servings of fruit/2 servings of vegetables
  
• Savor up to (1) small treat/per day
  
• Take 15 minutes just for me (e.g. read a book  for fun, for meditation, contemplation of the divine, take a walk, watch a TV show)
  
• Finish eating by 9pm
  
• Pay an unsolicited compliment (This is the Wild Card for Week One)
• Say the below "Atta Girl" out loud.

I do what I do each day because of who I am.  Because the good that I do is often difficult to recognize, and to name, it is sometimes hard for others, and even for me, to value my contribution.  As such, there is a grace and elegance to what I do and who I am which is, in fact, changing the world.

Are you ready to be a resolutionary?

If you are, click on this PayPal button and pay the entry fee; it's going to show up as $25 ($20 + $5 for shipping). Because I couldn't fix the glitch, and everyone to date has put in $25 it just makes the pot bigger!  If you don't want to open a PayPal account, let me know -- we'll figure out an alternative arrangement.  In the meantime, here's the button:

Thirteen days until kick off..

Comments

[Whitney]

I have gotten a few comments from friends and family. Bring them 'on now -- so that I can tweak, if and when appropriate, between now and January 5.

1. A few have suggested 15 min of scripture/meditation/contemplating the beautiful or divine.

One possibility would be to do this as part of your 15 minutes just for you - a means of re-energizing, focusing on our relationship with our God. If that still isn't working, let me know, and we'll look at making this a wild card one week.

2. The "Atta Girl" got a few comments. I want as one friend said for us to "enjoy the process of creating our selves".

However, another friend wrote "having one's self-worth be completely self-referential can be really self-defeating when that self-worth is battered." Sometimes reaffirming or validating one's status within the web of existence can be very helpful." She's right; I'll adjust.

Thanks you friends!

[Lisle]

I'm in!

[Emily]

I'm in too! :) hope the holidays were wonderful for you guys!

[Rebecca]

Just what I need. Count me in....and Thanks!!!

[Stacey P]

Count me in!

[Amy Jo]

I'm so glad you're back! I'm determining my participatory commitment - so I'll get back to you on this - but Happy New Years!

[Allison]

I'm in, this might be just what I need to get me back on track!

[Jenny]

Wow. What a great program! And a fab blog, too... I'm glad I found you! And I'm going to give the RC a try... I'll have to print it out and hang it on my mirror, or I might get overwhelmed by the forgetting. It's good stuff. Thanks.

[Macy]

I'm in. I have two weddings this spring/summer...this may be a good kickstart!

[Laura]

Love this Whitney, thank you for the invite!
I'm IN!

[Rebecca]

I came to this very round-about... but I'm in!!! Thanks!

[Margaret Sieiro Garcia]

Whitney - I'm in!

Not sure if this counts as part of "15 minutes for yourself" but for those of us singles that find running to Whole Foods for lunch and dinner instead of cooking a meal from a recipe (Microwave Mac & Cheez, although lovely, does not count) and sitting down and enjoying it - that is something I find I need to do more. To make the time to care more about the fuel I'm putting in the machine that is me.

[Allison Raddon]

Is there a wild card for week 2?