The Summertime Challenge

While Parkour takes up a large part of my life, I also study Marketing and Business, with a focus in technology. I spent a better part of the Winter and Spring looking for summer employment, hopefully doing some sort of Internet Marketing. Due to the economy, however, it's unlikely I'm going to be employed this summer. I'll be out making contacts in the community, but there will be a lot more free time than I anticipated.

At school, we don't watch television. My roommate is actually going to sell his TV, it's been so long since we last used it. But in the summer I'm not around as many people, and often I'll turn the TV on as background noise while making breakfast or something. Often I'll get sucked into whatever I'm watching and end up wasting half the day. I always feel like crap after, but it's just what happens.

So now I'm in a quandary. I'm going to have a lot of free time, but I don't want it to get sucked up by TV. So I've come up with a summer challenge for myself, and I invite all of you to partake as well:

The challenge is essentially "No TV during daylight." No movies, no video games, nothing. Computer use is restricted to email and business uses. Instead, I propose everyone create a list - a long list - of things to do.

This list should comprise of skills to learn, books to read, places to go, and things to do. Mark each one in a category, and then write the skill. Don't limit yourself to Parkour oriented skills - use this summer to make yourself a more rounded person.

An exerpt from my list:

Gymnastics: Consistent 10 second handstand
Gymnastics: Front Lever Progression - Advanced Tuck
Tricking: B-twist
Tricking: Flashkicks
Marketing: Read at least two SEO books
Marketing: Attend at least 3 networking events a month
Juggling (balls): Factory on both sides
Juggling (clubs): Cuts with clubs
Juggling (poi): Five beat weave
Circus: Learn to ride Unicycle
Slacklining: Vertical jump
Slacklining: Horizontal jump at least two feet.
Reading: Read 5 fiction books
Reading: Read 5 non-fiction books.
Anatomy: Learn names of major muscles in the body, how to ID them.
Martial Arts: Find local Kali group and learn basics of Kali.
Martial Arts: Track down Taekwondo instructor, train with him.
Cars: Learn how to change my oil
Cars: Teach sister to parallel park.


Again, this is just an exerpt from my list. I want everyone to make their own list for the summer, print it out, and put it on their refridgerator. When you complete an item, physically cross it off.

Your list doesn't have to be realistic for the time constraints. I doubt I'll get all of this, let alone my entire list, complete in twelve weeks. But at least every day, I'll be able to wake up and know that I have a lot of things I can do instead of watching television.