So Week 26 was a week and a bit ago, and it marked my 30 and a half birthday and also the half-way mark of my challenge. So I took a bit of time to reflect on where I’ve got to, (and will write about week 27 next week) with some mixed results. But first, a wee update on what Week 26 held.
I started off going on retreat with a good friend, and fellow coach, Saffron. The venue had originally been booked as a retreat for clients, but after a lack on marketing on my part, I took the opportunity to go on retreat myself and focus on something I’d been meaning to do for months (perhaps even over a year) – write an e-book. The reason I’ve delayed it so long is because I find the whole idea rather terrifying and memories of writing essays at university, chained to my desk until 3am in the morning to finish it ahead of the deadline, did not help. As there was no deadline set by someone else, it hadn’t yet happened. So I took the opportunity of a beautiful venue, and good company of someone else who wanted to work on something to write an e-book, called 4 Simple Steps to Solve Your Biggest Problem. You can sign up to receive a copy here: http://www.reachthepeak.co.uk/sign-up.html
We took the opportunity to coach each other on what we were working on, so Saffron counts as one of my free coaching sessions.
While on retreat, another opportunity presented itself – to go feed some lambs! The retreat venue is on a working farm and out of one of the windows, you can see the farmer’s house. I saw him carrying several small fluffy bundles into the house, and the next time I saw him come out of the house, I took the opportunity to ‘get something from my car’ as an excuse to bump into him and ask him. He then said he had a barn full of lambs that needed to be bottle fed, and would I like to help? Yes, yes, I would!
I started off going on retreat with a good friend, and fellow coach, Saffron. The venue had originally been booked as a retreat for clients, but after a lack on marketing on my part, I took the opportunity to go on retreat myself and focus on something I’d been meaning to do for months (perhaps even over a year) – write an e-book. The reason I’ve delayed it so long is because I find the whole idea rather terrifying and memories of writing essays at university, chained to my desk until 3am in the morning to finish it ahead of the deadline, did not help. As there was no deadline set by someone else, it hadn’t yet happened. So I took the opportunity of a beautiful venue, and good company of someone else who wanted to work on something to write an e-book, called 4 Simple Steps to Solve Your Biggest Problem. You can sign up to receive a copy here: http://www.reachthepeak.co.uk/sign-up.html
We took the opportunity to coach each other on what we were working on, so Saffron counts as one of my free coaching sessions.
While on retreat, another opportunity presented itself – to go feed some lambs! The retreat venue is on a working farm and out of one of the windows, you can see the farmer’s house. I saw him carrying several small fluffy bundles into the house, and the next time I saw him come out of the house, I took the opportunity to ‘get something from my car’ as an excuse to bump into him and ask him. He then said he had a barn full of lambs that needed to be bottle fed, and would I like to help? Yes, yes, I would!
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Richard, the farmer, also counts as one of my ‘interesting people’ – he was a school teacher by day, and a sheep farmer the rest of the time, also helping out with his sister’s cows and brother’s pigs. He had 4 extremely well-trained sheep dog and a clear passion for lambs. He normally tried to time lambing seasons with the 2-week Easter holiday, but due to a cock-up (some might say, literally) – his lambs started coming a week early, meaning several long nights picking up hypothermic lambs, his daughters having to take a couple of days off school to cuddle them and keep them warm, while he went in to teach.
I also cooked 2 new recipes for myself and Saffron, again from the Simply Cook flavour pots. We enjoyed a Thai Red Prawn Curry, and a Mapo Sichuan (beef, aubergine and rice) which is a Chinese dish. Both were delicious! I also baked some cupcakes for the retreat (and another batch when I got home to use up the left-over buttercream icing.) Now, this totaled 24 cupcakes…..In the interests of my diet and weight loss, I am tempted to count each individual cupcake as one towards my total of 30 cakes/desserts……slightly cheating I know, but it’s my challenge, my rules! I will continue to bake different cakes/desserts, but that eases the pressure on making 30 different ones! In a random act of kindness (and totally something I’d not normally do) I left 3 cupcakes behind for Matt while I was away.
I also cooked 2 new recipes for myself and Saffron, again from the Simply Cook flavour pots. We enjoyed a Thai Red Prawn Curry, and a Mapo Sichuan (beef, aubergine and rice) which is a Chinese dish. Both were delicious! I also baked some cupcakes for the retreat (and another batch when I got home to use up the left-over buttercream icing.) Now, this totaled 24 cupcakes…..In the interests of my diet and weight loss, I am tempted to count each individual cupcake as one towards my total of 30 cakes/desserts……slightly cheating I know, but it’s my challenge, my rules! I will continue to bake different cakes/desserts, but that eases the pressure on making 30 different ones! In a random act of kindness (and totally something I’d not normally do) I left 3 cupcakes behind for Matt while I was away.
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The day that the retreat ended, given I was already in the highlands, I decided to go and grab a near(ish) Munro, taking my count to 5.
So, at the half way point, here’s a round-up of how I am getting on.
Make 30 recipes - 11
Make 30 soups - 8
Climb 30 new munros – 5
Read 30 books - 6
Visit 30 restaurants/cafes - 16
Do 30 acts of kindness - 9
Reconnect with 30 old friends - 12
Create a playlist of 30 favourite songs - 0
Drink 30 different alcoholic drinks - 27
See 30 new films - 19
Lose 30lbs - 11
Try 30 different hairstyles/hairdos - 16
Write 30 letters/postcards - 11
Learn to say hello/thankyou in 30 languages – 0 (well, I just need to record them)
Say yes to 30 opportunities - 22
Meet 30 new ‘interesting’ people - 20
Bake 30 cakes/desserts – 28 (including 24 cupcakes!)
Give 30 coaching freebies - 10
Do 30 different sports/exercise/classes - 20
Ski 30 ski-runs - 0
Attend 30 networking events/meetings - 18
Colour in 30 pictures - 9
Add 30 new bands/artists/albums to my iPod - 0
Write 30 blog posts - 17
Weekly or One-Off Challenges
Play piano for 30 minutes a week – Hmmmm – have only done this once in 26 weeks!
Go for a 30 minutes walk at least once a week – Yes, every week except post-surgery recovery
Earn 30k – still some way to go on this one!
Cycle 30 miles – not yet
Walk 30 miles in a day – not yet
Put 30p per day in a jar and treat myself – Hmmm – jar is currently empty – I have some catching up to do with paying in – it should be £54.60 by now.
So, I’m at or over half way on some challenges: Restaurants, films, alcoholic drinks, networking events, exercises, blog posts, hairstyles, opportunities and new people. I basically need to get Cooking, Colouring, Climbing and Coaching.
As you can see, I’ve made no progress on skiing 30 ski runs as I didn’t get around to skiing holiday this year, and given its now summer, I’m unlikely to. So, I’ve decided to change that challenge item to spending 30 nights under canvass/outside/snow-holing. Given 2 nights over new year, and 2 nights in a snow hole for my winter ML, that puts me at 4. And I can add ‘Camping’ to the list of things I need to do above. Cooking, Colouring, Climbing, Coaching and Camping.
If anyone fancies joining me for a 30 mile walk or bike ride, give me a shout! For the walk, I’m thinking of something flat and easy to follow, either walking from Edinburgh to Falkirk (plus a bit) along the canal, or walking the length of the Water of Leith and back (plus a bit.) Any other suggestions of where to go?
So, at the half way point, here’s a round-up of how I am getting on.
Make 30 recipes - 11
Make 30 soups - 8
Climb 30 new munros – 5
Read 30 books - 6
Visit 30 restaurants/cafes - 16
Do 30 acts of kindness - 9
Reconnect with 30 old friends - 12
Create a playlist of 30 favourite songs - 0
Drink 30 different alcoholic drinks - 27
See 30 new films - 19
Lose 30lbs - 11
Try 30 different hairstyles/hairdos - 16
Write 30 letters/postcards - 11
Learn to say hello/thankyou in 30 languages – 0 (well, I just need to record them)
Say yes to 30 opportunities - 22
Meet 30 new ‘interesting’ people - 20
Bake 30 cakes/desserts – 28 (including 24 cupcakes!)
Give 30 coaching freebies - 10
Do 30 different sports/exercise/classes - 20
Ski 30 ski-runs - 0
Attend 30 networking events/meetings - 18
Colour in 30 pictures - 9
Add 30 new bands/artists/albums to my iPod - 0
Write 30 blog posts - 17
Weekly or One-Off Challenges
Play piano for 30 minutes a week – Hmmmm – have only done this once in 26 weeks!
Go for a 30 minutes walk at least once a week – Yes, every week except post-surgery recovery
Earn 30k – still some way to go on this one!
Cycle 30 miles – not yet
Walk 30 miles in a day – not yet
Put 30p per day in a jar and treat myself – Hmmm – jar is currently empty – I have some catching up to do with paying in – it should be £54.60 by now.
So, I’m at or over half way on some challenges: Restaurants, films, alcoholic drinks, networking events, exercises, blog posts, hairstyles, opportunities and new people. I basically need to get Cooking, Colouring, Climbing and Coaching.
As you can see, I’ve made no progress on skiing 30 ski runs as I didn’t get around to skiing holiday this year, and given its now summer, I’m unlikely to. So, I’ve decided to change that challenge item to spending 30 nights under canvass/outside/snow-holing. Given 2 nights over new year, and 2 nights in a snow hole for my winter ML, that puts me at 4. And I can add ‘Camping’ to the list of things I need to do above. Cooking, Colouring, Climbing, Coaching and Camping.
If anyone fancies joining me for a 30 mile walk or bike ride, give me a shout! For the walk, I’m thinking of something flat and easy to follow, either walking from Edinburgh to Falkirk (plus a bit) along the canal, or walking the length of the Water of Leith and back (plus a bit.) Any other suggestions of where to go?
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