The question I’m asked most often about this challenge is: What do you mean, “Team”? How much do I actually have to interact with other people?
I think people are asking a lot of different things with this question, so here’s what I hope answers it all:
When you join the challenge you have the opportunity to also join a team. The “team” is an online entity. We never have to see each other.
Here’s what I think/know about teams:
1. You don’t have to join a team -- you can play as an individual.
2. You can join a random team where you don’t know anyone (I’m not sure how, but I’m pretty sure there’s a way).
3. You can join a team where you know others and never ever post any reflections (or read anyone else’s), which means the only way anyone will know you’re there is by your stats on the leader-board.
4. You can join and never post, and just read other people’s reflections, like many of us do on Facebook.
5. You can join under an assumed name (which others of us do on Facebook).
6. Or you can just full out play.
Your teammates can see your stats -- how many points you amass each day and your total points to date -- and I think that's it. You can go into your profile and change your privacy settings so no one sees anything. You don't have to post a picture. No one will know you're there.
I was very intimidated by the Team thing the first time. I only knew the team captain and sort of knew one other player and was convinced that person didn’t like me.
I thought that if I didn’t do well (didn’t get points – which collectively go to the “team”) I would be considered Dead Weight (no pun intended) and others would resent me for dragging them down.
As far as I can tell – NO ONE CARES! Not on this team anyway. Maybe on the teams that are formed by fancy LA gyms. Not the teams formed among middle aged women who are just trying to get back into their jeans.
The “reflections” are just that. A sentence or two about how it’s going for you, what you’re learning, what you like/don’t like. There’s a minimum and a maximum character count. (Not “word count,” “character count.” That’s how short they are.)
“I hate this today!” is too short to count. I’ve tried it.
In the past, they've given a couple of bonus points for every 5 reflections you post. I like to write and do not feel that pesky need for privacy that most people do, so this was a very easy way for me to amass points to make up for blowing off stretching or exercise one day.
That’s it. Like most things, it’s not scary after you do it once.
Plus, feeling like we’re all doing it together is the thing that’s going to make it feel fun.
If you're late to the party, here's my first post on the Whole Life Challenge:
My Big Fat Whole Life Challenge Blog Post
NEXT WLC POST
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