Hello comrades and welcome to the fourth improvement megathread of November! 
As usual, some discussion ideas:
- Do you want to share something you've done in the previous week? Everything counts, nothing is too small.
- Do you have any goals or plans for next week?
- Do you have any streaks? For example, "sober for one day." Feel free to post your streak every day in this thread.
- If you don't have a continuous streak, did you manage to abstain from something for a day or more?
- Did you come across some useful information or resource that might help others?
Poster caption: Study the Soviet Union, to advance to the world level of science
Xuexi Sulian, xiang shijie kexue shuizhun jinjun
学习苏联, 向世界科学水准进军
Good luck with your goals! 
Technique:
[ ] RLRLL 65-70 Rhythm Scale, 8 trips 16ths 5 min x2
[ ] KRKR 60-65 Be able to count and lead with foot 5min x2
Brush Groove:
[ ] 10 @ 15bpm
[ ] 10 @ 15bpm ted reed
Groove:
[ ] 15bpm w only cymbal 5mins
[ ] 15bpm w Ted Reed Syncopation Book pg 38 15mins
[ ] 15bpm 2 feel ted reed 10mins
[ ] 275 playalong x2
[ ] 295 playalong x2
Transcription:
[ ] Philly Joe Jones - Wynton Kelly - Pot Luck Get one more chorus
Active Listening:
[ ] Suggested Albums
Tune Learning:
[ ] Skylark
I dont have a lot of energy lately. Been going to bed early alot
First self-improvement post. I'm feeling rough and defeated lately.
After what I'll call a sabbatical, I have to go job searching again. Thankfully, I still have a few more months before I run out of money. But, after looking for jobs for just one month, I feel so burnt out and demotivated.
I regret quitting my old job, even though I know I had to quit for my own sanity.
On a positive note, I haven't given up yet.
- I keep applying to jobs for about an hour a day
- I scheduled to do Door Dash this week, to not hemorrhage money as quickly
- I do some dog training on the side, and have 2 good clients a week
- I've been a bit more mindful and restful
- I've been drawing almost every day
- I finally cut off a toxic family member for good
- I've been cooking more
My biggest hurdles are PTSD and stress. I'm so fucking tired and scared all the time. I also struggle to eat enough protein, but I'm minding that as much as I can bear. I just constantly fear that I can't do it, I feel like I'm just ready to collapse. Maybe I am burnt out, instead of trying harder, I think I just need to stop, or at the very least reduce stimulation.
Great first post comrade, keep us updated!
My biggest hurdles are PTSD and stress. I'm so fucking tired and scared all the time.
I also deal with a lot of stress and found that meditation helps. I use a free meditation app called Insight Timer which has thousands of guided meditations for every topic. Here is one of my favourites.
I also struggle to eat enough protein, but I'm minding that as much as I can bear.
I recently found out that there are protein puddings which have 22g protein per serving, which is a super easy way to hit your targets. I'm eating mostly plant based so it's hard to get protein, peanut butter is doing a lot of heavy lifting there. Also I put hemp protein powder in my morning oatmeal.
Maybe I am burnt out, instead of trying harder, I think I just need to stop, or at the very least reduce stimulation.
That's a great point, we are conditioned to think that the solution to every problem is to push harder. The prevailing sentiment is that if you haven't accomplished something, it must mean that you haven't tried hard enough. But the issues that we are facing are systemic which means they cannot be solved by individual action, no matter how hard you push. So it's important to give yourself a break sometimes.
Thanks for the reply, I'll check out that app. I had Headspace on a student subscription for a while. I've found just having "quiet time" is enough for me, sitting or making a meal. I may check out Buddhism more seriously rather than doing "McMindfulness".
I'll check out the protein puddings too. I got some Vegan protein powder, but I sometimes use jerky if there's no other way my body will eat protein. Trying out TVP, having some success.
I am now confident I'm burnt out (have been for over a decade). It's so hard to take it slow with a looming deadline of "You'll be homeless in 5 months". On the other hand, I've been through cycle after cycle of burnout, and I'm so done.
I'm taking things at my own pace more, and I know when I've "run out of spoons", at least for today.
<3
It's been 162 days since I declared that I gave a shit again. I've lost 36 pounds total though the weight loss has started to slow down in the last month as I've been less motivated for a variety of reasons. It was nice to see the scale still going down though. Still have like 80-100 to go. My room hasn't completely degraded for a while as well, clutter is managed. If only I could apply a bit of my work self to my home self where at work I'm just super particular about stuff being clean and neat while my living space is just kinda cluttered.
- hit my steps goal all days but one
- ate real food maybe 1 or 2 days
- went to bed basically on time but have neither energy nor reason to get up in the morning
- 2 porn sessions
- did less laundry than I’d like but there still not a Pile
- watched a shitty movie with some pals
- not properly managing my anxiety about my crush potentially moving away
- brain fog worsening
That sucks to hear about your crush moving away. I'd say it's okay to be upset about it for a while.
roll call
@SeventyTwoTrillion@hexbear.net
@TraschcanOfIdeology@hexbear.net
@LGOrcStreetSamurai@hexbear.net
@Tomorrow_Farewell@hexbear.net
If anybody else wants to be added to the roll call, just let me know
For real @moonlake you mad cool for keep this weekly update in motion. Great work.
Thank you comrade
I'm glad that people are still checking in regularly
I bought a pair of dumbbells and I’ve been working out consistently. Getting sore in all the little stabilizer muscles I didn’t know I had.
That's awesome, how heavy are the dumbbells? What routine are you doing? I would like to get into dumbbells but don't know where to start. I never did any weightlifting, only cardio and some basic bodyweight exercises.
Mine are 20 lbs. I've mainly been using them for overhead tricep extensions, military presses, and bicep curls, and as floor handles for pushups. For the first two, make sure to not splay your elbows out to the sides, it can hurt your rotator cuffs. Keep your elbows aimed forward. This kinda also goes for pushups, don't open your arms out to 90 degrees from your torso, keep your elbows closer to your body. For all these exercises, focus on your mind-body connection, keep an activated core and try to feel your whole body, down through your hips to your feet.
gymrat shit, weight loss
Hit the gym everyday since I got a new membership for at least two hours
Down five pounds already and my squat is getting better (still not back to 2020 level when I was last going regularly but hey, I'm making re-newbie gainz quick)
Got a pre-workout and creatine yesterday, got a protein powder I like recently
Already seeing a lot more time to my legs and core
Tummy getting slimmer
Down a couple belt notches and can tuck the end of it into the right hip belt loop so it doesn't flop in the front now for the first time I can remember since pre pandemic
Hell yeah dude
Cold weather is here and I'm starting to lose a bit of motivation. At least to visit the gym. I've kept working out at home, although I don't usually workout for as long as I do in the gym. I'm debating whether or not to put my membership on pause for the next few months.
Still trying to piece together something resembling a social life. A friend recently contacted me and I tried inviting her out since she was implying she wanted to hang out. So far I've gotten no response. I'm also going to try and set up a second date with my crush since work got in the way a couple weeks ago.
This week I got turbo sick, which ended my streak of running every week for 5 weeks in a row. It's a bummer, but at least my covid test was negative.
On a more positive note, I finally finished reading How Not to Die. It's an all-time banger. It is the only book on nutrition you will ever need. It's dense with useful and actionable info and yet easily readable. It's the best book about veganism because it's all about the plant based diet but doesn't mention veganism almost at all. I've become the type of guy who eats raw broccoli on the regular
