On second thought...

obligatory journal 187

New Year's Resolution

weekly update #45 (148)

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...

#1 more regular Al-Quran reciting

With the same pace, I was just done with Surah Taha and now moving onto Surah Anbiya'. Ouch, just once. Ooh, just another one as well. And another one. Ouch, no dice. Shoot, where does the dice go? No, seriously! Where is it? Did I really lost it? Maybe it was just pure laziness? Definitely that. Yeah... This is my last chance. I guess this year is an off year for me. There's a second half of the year still left, right? I will get to it... eventually. Eventually... Eventually... Eventually... Eventually... Hm... I wanted to... but I didn't... Actually I did, once, last week! It was for the Aidil Adha but at least I'm actually started to instead of just thinking about it. Now, to build upon it! Nope. Okay, okay. Actually I just pushed myself over the hump by laying it down at the ready right after the Maghrib prayer so I didn't have any more excuse to not do it... and it succeeded from Friday to Sunday last week! I stumbled a bit yesterday but I get back into the stride right away. I just couldn't help myself... somehow all I did was only for the day weekends. Hey, I just missed a day! What?! Oh yeah! No missing day at all! Haha! I got home late after watching Mulan (a solid adaptation) so I had to recite the morning after but beside that, I am perfect! Now I have found my own distinct 'groove' during recital, it has become much more easier! I missed a day unfortunately and I haven't replace it yet. Will do and will try to keep it up! I did and it felt great! Oh... it's been awhile now. Quite some time... quite. Quite. Quite, quite. Quite, quite, quite. Ah. No... Man...

#2 weekly adequate exercises

With the combination of the shutdown and the start of Ramadhan, I need to make the best use of this predicament, and I did for the past couple of days of light exercises. Whether I can keep it up is still up in the air...

With my sleeping patterns back to normal (i.e. sleeping actually at night), now I could jog in the eve of the morning around the neighborhood for a short mile. It's been three straight days now and I want to see if it will keep on going... And I couldn't keep it up with intermittent rest days throughout the week, but I think it's for the best with the morning jogs and weight reps filling up the rest of the days. Man, I miss the feeling of being drenched in sweat! Not keeping up with last week's schedule but I am going down in weights, so that's nice, even if only 0.3.kg. The scale brought down just at the end of the end of Ramadhan but I think it was well worth all the fasting, based on my own hunch. My first time playing basketball again with the others, and I thought my knees were okay, until the night came that is. All those rest still won't work! Actually went into the sea with my basketball buddies just yesterday for a change of pace. My knees hurt for a moment but then I just enjoyed the water with them for over an hour and a half. That was fun! Trying to play every day again but my knee started acting up again... If basketball isn't good for my knees, what about jogging? It's good so far... Having the Mi Band really encourage me to be much more active than before, especially to reach that daily step counts. I couldn't do 8,000 steps just yet so and six has been the next best thing. With now ten days streak under my belt with the combination of basketball and light jog, my muscles felt much more strained than before but the knees didn't buckled as much as before. The key is to keep to your own pace and not exert yourself too far above your daily threshold. Sixteen days. Sixteen days straight streak of over 6,000 daily steps. I'm actually proud of myself. When did I miss a day?! I thought it was always passed six thousand every day! Darn it, had to start over again... anyway, I finally put on a proper basketball shoes last night and the support and the 'springy' feel inside was something else! I just had to buy it right away! It was LeBron branded as well, just like my basketball so that's another plus! I can't wait to put it to good use eventually... after my ankle stopped swelling that is. Yes, it happened again! The same left ankle! At least it was during an actual game... The first night was excruciating as it was swelling and pulsating but the last couple of days had been better. I sprained it again just two days ago! Just my luck... at least we have a scale now (a Tesco electronic one at that) and all those continuous exercise actually did some numbers on my body. That's good to know! Having just one round of basketball is enough to approach the six thousand steps for me. I don't tire myself too much because of my knees (and still recuperating left ankle) and because I'm a shooter instead of a drifter. I shoot from the outside while they are always eager to dribble to the basket despite the traffic. At least I can actually approach them this time around. With basketball being my only thing now, I'm surprised that my knees haven't acting up again. Taking my time is actually the correct approach finally. I can now actually drive through to the basket well enough without feeling pain or discomfort in any way. I'm sweating everyday now which is to my liking. There we discomfort that came back throughout the week but I felt the best currently. A little less playing with the others but I was still as active as ever. Loving it! I missed a day after going to watch Tenet (it was great btw) but the rest of the week was so energetic! I could play a little harder and suffer less and less drawback at night... it really helped to increase my endurance bit by bit day by day. Still feeling good but the occasional sprains and bumps inflicted upon my body on the court could still be felt even after a number of days passed. I guess I need to apply my trusted Tiger Balm once again... There's a lot of rain throughout the week so couldn't be a active as before but I still kept at keeping my steps in everyday. Ahh... finally lost my streak. MY 72 DAYS STREAK! With only a few hundreds, I forgot to put the step in while laughing away watching the recent Running Man show last week. It was quite an entertaining one so I have no regret! I did more running because of the rain so it's a nice change of pace. It's been awhile since I play a round in a game with the others, just practicing my shots and runs all by myself. As long as I got my steps in, I'm good. ... I can't remember that far back though... I know I had less basketball times with the others and more with myself. And then the weather turned for the worse... Sometimes it's a bit better, sometimes it's the opposite. I tried to improvise to cater to the weather to the best of my abilities. What did I did anyway...? Hm... With the end of the year, I had been quite active, actually more active than ever before. Wanted to end the year on a high, trying my best to do so.

#3 more regularized Funko POP designs

From twenty to eighteen and now back up to twenty two... and now twenty three!!! Ooh, almost there... twenty five is quite the achievement for me. Okay, now I'm done! THIRTY, BABY!!! I want to stop but I guess I can't... even four less is so much already. From twenty six to to twenty six. I'm just happy being able to take a breather once in awhile. Well, I'm back to it, baby! Ooh, thirty again. Nice! How about that... THIRTY SIX!!! WOO!!! Thirty is good enough. Two less but I'm just happy I got out four pieces daily consistently. I guess twenty eight is the magic number for now... The turnaround is a little faster this time around because I didn't keep much sketches back-catalog as before. With all the trouble I had to endure between Ramadhan and Syawal, twenty is good considering. Less is more... right? I just don't want to rush anymore... Getting better and that's enough for me! I guess it's an off week for me. From eight to fifteen. Trying to bounce back! Ooff, a bit off but still good nonetheless! Well, I am consistent at least! Wait for it... Consistency is the key by the looks of it! Ooh, just one off but that last day spurt saves it! Two less but I was so preoccupied that I'm just happy I got something out. Wait for it... from ten to seventeen! I just tried to do at least a couple everyday and I'm back in the groove! Whoo!!! Ahh... a slow week but a decent effort. I took a break from the two narratives so here's my result! (Almost) Double last week's effort! Not as much but it is commendable since I took the whole weekend off... SIX MORE!!! Without any No internet at all last weekend really helped me to focus. Only two less surprisingly but the level of quality is really at the other end of the spectrum comparatively. From fifteen to four. That CYOA really took a toll on me! PLUS SEVEN! Just one short! I'm surprised really! From ten, to... TWENTY TWO!!! YE-YEAH!!! Since I'm behind, let's just look at the dates strictly... okay, from twenty to three. Scratch that, it's actually eleven! How about that?! I don't know how I misread the calendar... From eleven to eight. Good enough... I'll say it's about the same amount. Man, the calendar is throwing me for a loop again! Well... at least I'm going up from eight to twelve! Oof, cut down by half... Now back up, from six to ten! Three less but more than two weeks ago!

#4 pray full for the whole year

I actually done a whole week's worth. Hooray! Another full week into the docket! Okay! Another one, woo! Thrice now! I finally stumbled a bit but I'm proud of myself so let's get right back up! Not perfect but definitely improving! I think it was perfect last week, so that's good! Here's to another week! And another! Ooh... stumbled yet again for the last couple of days, but hopefully I will be better next! Ooff, again off the cliff... Slowly climbing back up... Finally a full week without incident! Actually prayed during the allocated time these times around... well, Subuh would always alluded me throughout my current irregular sleeping pattern. Oof, when you stumbled once it was hard not to keep tripping up again and again. Finally a full week once again! Now to build on top of it! Oof, one day off but I know I could be better! Again a full week! Thank God! And another! And another! And another... but I need to stop bundling them all together instead of just doing each prayer at is predetermined time. I keep doing it... how do I change this? Maybe I couldn't change it at all... it would take time so I need to be patient. It is hard but I will keep on trying. Keep on trying... and trying... Ah, two days down just like that. Darn it... Finally, a full week! Thank God! ... I've been good for a few weeks now, I think. Still going strong but couldn't keep up the kada' though... Hadn't drop any for awhile now! I'm proud of myself. I've been so good! So good! So, so good!

#5 giving back to the community

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#6 going out of my comfort zone

From five to six to seven to.. eleven! That was unprecedented... and now it was down to eight but that's okay. I might need to resort to actually colour some of them in soon... now it's only three?! Ouch! Wait, is it only one? That can't be! Okay, okay. It is five, two better than before. Another two added to the tally! Wow, another two! Okay, slowed down a little with seven but with three coloured included, I'm happy as a clam! One less but half-half is still good in my book! WOW! Thirteen, baby! Heck yeah! That's my personal best! Only five but my mother overshadowed everything else. Another five but under another different set of circumstances. One less but I hope I will bounce back after this. Nope, just one! Well, none at all... how about that! And again! And again... And... Actually, there were two! Wait for it... here we go! Just one but at least there's one every week now! Wait, should I include the narrative one as well? Consistent! Wait for it... From one to three! Hooray!!! Consistency! Not so much but it's at least something! One better! Heyo! ... And no more! How about that? Two! Okay, back to zero... Okay, back up with three! Uuu, one short but a decent effort. Two up to four! Down to nil... and now four! From four sketches to one full-coloured one. I'll take it! And now we transition to five concepts! A couple less but good enough! The same amount, but it's better than nothing! Wow, two better!

I hope with my attempt to keep myself accountable, this would motivate you to do same!

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Well, that's all folks! Thank you for your time and please do come back for my future posts! :-)