The Ultimate Black Belt Challenge is some strenuous requirements:
50,000 push-ups
50,000 sit-ups
1,000 miles via running/walking/biking/swimming
1,000 kata repetitions
1,000 Acts of Kindness
15 minutes of daily meditation
10 short films
10 books focused on personal development or martial arts
3 Personal Goals
1 weekly online journal
1 Community Service Project
Wow oh wow! Crazy as those are, I am going to join the challenge. This is my public commitment to complete the challenge in the next 13 months by breaking the lofty goals into daily portions. Small things can become great big, giant black belt challenges! There are a few requirements I am nervous about.
Foremost are the film clips. I am camera shy and not yet inspired to film. Maybe the mood will strike? I have been brainstorming. There are a few ideas circulating. Hopefully more to come. Now to borrow a video camera…
Another sticky point will be the weekly journals. I keep a karate journal already and have posted several online when a topic seemed relevantly inspired, but as a weekly online journal? It makes me wonder what you, “the public,” want to read about. What do y’all want to hear about?
The last couple days I have been plotting the routes I normally walk. I walk about half the required amount regularly. A test of the 3 miles was a bigger stretch than I thought, especially in wet winter weather. I’ve called friends and family in the neighborhood searching for a regular walking buddy and accountability. So far I have a Friday and Sunday buddy! I’m looking forward to it in a jittery, anxious, happy-to-spend-time-with-friends kind of way.
I like to end on a positive note so I saved my excitement for the end. I am most excited about the personal goals:
1. reach and maintain ideal body weight
2. minimize my life
3. use compassion with my loved ones the same way I use it with children and strangers
Number 1 is rather obvious. Number 2 is about breaking the family tradition of being a pack rat and finishing my own honey-do list in the process. Its not going to be as easy as it sounds! The challenge will be to maintain the decluttered lifestyle after the cleaning overhaul. Number 3 will be tricky as well. Compassion is so much easier with children or strangers. I am shorter, less forgiving with the ones I love. So goal number 3 is as much about patience as it is about compassion. Good thing I have 13 months…
So here is a hearty farewell to bad habits and a first step towards the person I want to become!