NEW VIDEO: I Quit MMOs and THIS Happened
AlexTheGrape
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Posts posted by AlexTheGrape
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Hi Ashley!
I just read your relapse thread, and it's great to see you've decided to pull the plug on gaming. Just thought I'd let you know that it's a great long term decision your making, although it'll be harder to start off with. I failed my 90 detox twice until I finally completed it, so it's always possible to quit if you haven't managed it before.
You will likely heard of Joe (Wookieshark) who is one of the oldest members of the community. He has a baby, and he had similar fears to what you described earlier (such as getting frustrated at crying). After quitting gaming he had much more time to spend with his baby and it was really rewarding for them both, so I hope you will be able to cherish your time with your coming baby without video games contesting for your time. If you would like to read about Joe, I believe there's a success story on him on this website, however I'm not sure if his journal is here anymore.
All the best for creating the life you want
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Welcome back Paul! Great to see you journaling again.
We go through ups and downs, but the best thing is that you recognized that something wasn't right, found out what it was, and are now taking action to make your life better. You're doing what you know is best for you, despite it being harder to start off with. If you feel embarrassed or sorry for yourself that you've returned to the community or that you're having difficulty, don't worry, we're here to help.
I'm really glad to see you back here, just tag me in a post if you'd like some help with something.
Best of luck going without video games and TV!
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Here's a few quick posts for the past few busy days:
Post-Detox Day 201
Today I went all-out with studying during the day, and continued to do so in part of my breaks simply because I wanted to get more done. I got some help and feedback from my maths teacher which I'm very happy about, and am glad I'm going to school to study as I can get help if I get stuck. The afternoon was uneventful, just more studying. I certainly reached my 8 x 50 minute studying goal!
Post-Detox Day 202
Today I worked hard for 4 periods at school with revision, and was able to teach somebody a lot who needed help with physics. The afternoon (still during school time) consisted of the school prizegiving ceremony, during which I received the computer science award for my year group. As soon as I got home from school, I had to gear up for work, and was working till late.
Post-Detox Day 203
Today has been mostly filled with driving practice, looking for cars, completing neglected non-study tasks, and restful activities (i.e. reading). It wasn't the most productive day I've had, but I have been working very hard this week so I'm not too worried I let my socks down (figuratively speaking) for a day. I spent some time with my family watching a movie and talking about it, and am glad we could all take the time to sit down together (normally at least one person would be busy with something else).
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Hello!
I want to make sure to do 8 x 50 minute study sessions daily, with exceptions for days in which I don’t have the full amount of time free for studying.
DAILY?!!! HOW CAN YOU ACHIEVE THAT ?!??!
Hello!
If I study at school there's 6 x 50 minutes of school time, and then I want to do an additional 2 x 50 minutes at home. It's proving achievable on Monday-Friday but difficult on the weekends when I can't go to school.
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Left side of the brain is the logic side.
Right side is the creative side.
It is a quote from the 7 habits book!
Thank you for explaining that. I'm actually halfway through that book at the moment, there's a lot of reading for just 7 habits. I've gotten stuck on writing a mission statement for myself, as I tend to want to do my best in everything, and saying that by itself is too general. Have you managed to write yourself a mission statement?
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"Manage with the left, lead with the right"
Thanks! What does this refer to exactly?
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Time flies when you're having fun!
Yup, it sure does! No wonder I couldn't remember that much from the day
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Post-Detox Day 200
Today has been an interesting day as I went to school to see all my year group for the second to last time (the last will be after exams. I got plenty of studying done, and was an otherwise uneventful day.
I’ve now reached 200 days since I finished my detox, which now doesn’t seem all that long ago. I’m glad I’m out of bad habits, and making progress with new, good habits.
Gratitude journal
I am grateful for feedback.
I am grateful for the privilege of going to school.
I am grateful for my shoes.
One amazing thing that happened/I did today
Catching up with friends today was a great time, and everybody was very cheerful.
Workout/run
Yup.
Meditation
Yup.
Visualisation
Nope.
Daily affirmation
Nope.
Reading + taking notes
Yup.
Getting to bed before 9pm
Nope.
Weekly Goal(s)
I want to make sure to do 8 x 50 minute study sessions daily, with exceptions for days in which I don’t have the full amount of time free for studying.
Monthly Goal
My goal for this month will to be to follow through with any commitments I make – whether it be goals, leadership, or anything.
3 Month Goal
My three month goal is to develop my leadership skills enough to confidently coach a sports team or lead another form of community group.
What went well today:
Written on paper.
What I could have done to make my day better:
I could make sure to have absolutely no internet browsing before getting started with work, to avoid procrastination.
What I will do differently tomorrow:
Written on paper.
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My post for yesterday:
Post-Detox Day 198
Today was another day of studying at home. It was a relatively average day of working, largely due to having some random gaming cravings that prevented me from studying properly halfway through the day. I overcame the ‘source’ by removing my world map from my wall, which was acting as a trigger for me to think about conquest based games I used to play. I completed all of my morning habits, and had a good exercise in the morning too. I assume this helped me get started with work.
Post-Detox Day 199
Today I went to school to study, and it paid off. By using the 6 period structure of a normal school day I was able to get quite a bit done. My brother and I have shared some ideas on what we’re going to do together in the holidays, however I’m keeping a big surprise. Otherwise it was a rather uneventful day.
Gratitude journal
I am grateful for the school library.
I am grateful for Burger King.
I am grateful for having (practically) unlimited water.
One amazing thing that happened/I did today
Doing a 10 minute workout in the afternoon helped a lot with keeping focused on work.
Workout/run
Yep.
Meditation
Yup.
Visualisation
Nope.
Daily affirmation
Nope.
Reading + taking notes
Yup.
Getting to bed before 9pm
9:10, very close.
I’m putting the following two headings on hold as I am currently focusing on preparing for exams, and don’t have the people around to be practicing social skills much practicing leadership.
Daily social goal
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Application of self-development skills
“My self-development focus is on leadership. I’m going to make sure that I put myself ‘out there’ more to practice dealing with the risk of being criticised or embarrassed, as I now know that I ‘play it safe’ too often to be an effective leader in almost any situation.”
Weekly Goal(s)
I want to make sure to do 8 x 50 minute study sessions daily, with exceptions for days in which I don’t have the full amount of time free for studying.
Monthly Goal
My goal for this month will to be to follow through with any commitments I make – whether it be goals, leadership, or anything.
3 Month Goal
My three month goal is to develop my leadership skills enough to confidently coach a sports team or lead another form of community group.
What went well today:
Written on paper.
What I could have done to make my day better:
I could have made sure to do a workout as soon as I got home, as it ended in procrastination when I sat down on my bed.
What I will do differently tomorrow:
Written on paper.
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My post for yesterday:
Post-Detox Day 196
Today I had a look with my dad at some cars as I need one of my own soon. I did plenty of driving, but also worked till late in the evening. It didn’t leave me with much time for homework unfortunately, and I didn’t make the time to have proper exercise either. It was a busy day in general, but I’m glad with what I accomplished in the time.
Post-Detox Day 197
Today has been a study day at home, and I got a ‘good’ amount done (feedback from my brother). I cleaned my room well, but that was out of procrastination more than anything else. I got a good mix of running and workouts done today, however each one was relatively short (10 mins x 3 approx.). I had a late start to the day as I didn’t get to sleep until late, but I’m psyched to get back into proper habits tomorrow onwards.
Gratitude journal
I am grateful for living in the time I am today.
I am grateful for having a chair.
I am grateful for having a very friendly workplace.
One amazing thing that happened/I did today
My desk is now arranged really well for minimal distractions. Getting out for a run was great, although I’m still a little sore from running a half marathon.
Workout/run
Yep.
Meditation
Nope.
Visualisation
Nope.
Daily affirmation
Nope.
Reading + taking notes
Nope. I also need to get on with writing my own mission statement.
Getting to bed before 9pm
Nope.
Daily social goal
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Application of self-development skills
My new self-development focus is on leadership. I’m going to make sure that I put myself ‘out there’ more to practice dealing with the risk of being criticised or embarrassed, as I now know that I ‘play it safe’ too often to be an effective leader in almost any situation.
Weekly Goal(s)
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Monthly Goal
My goal for this month will to be to follow through with any commitments I make – whether it be goals, leadership, or anything.
3 Month Goal
My three month goal is to develop my leadership skills enough to confidently coach a sports team or lead another form of community group.
What went well today:
Written on paper.
What I could have done to make my day better:
Written on paper.
What I will do differently tomorrow:
Written on paper.
Photo Stream
Here’s a photo I took last week when I went for a 10km run.
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My post for yesterday:
Post-Detox Day 195
Today has been my final 'normal' day at school, and it was certainly interesting. I have two half days left of school, and I think I'm really ready to move on from school. It was a great day in general, I got some decent work done whilst spending some quality time with friends. I was inspired by the head boy at my school to go for a run to exercise my independence, and I did just that. I ran with my dog, and just kept going. And going. And going. I ended up running to the heart of Auckland city from my house, and back, which was a total of 24km which took me three hours exactly (plus one second lol). It was a journey in itself as I met people along the way running, ran with one of them, and exchanged stories. I was even given a free Powerade drink by a lady I met ran with halfway to the city, so it was a wonderful adventure for a Friday afternoon. There was a large group of people I knew (but haven't seen in a long while) that I didn't say hi to on my way back, and in hindsight I regret that. At least I pushed myself to get to know people that afternoon, and although I didn't jump on every opportunity, I think I did pretty damn well.
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Posts for the past couple of days:
Post-Detox Day 193
Today was a mixed day. I didn’t manage to do much proper exercise (only about 10 minutes), and an email I got today brought to my attention that the small decisions we make on a daily basis reflect how we approach many areas of life. For instance I’ve been doing poorly with exercising daily recently, and that act (or lack thereof) of lousiness might have worked its way into other areas of my life.
Anyhow I made dinner for my family tonight, I’m glad I’m still working on that skill. Despite people playing video games during class today, I easily kept out of it. I know that it is probably harmless at this stage to play an arcade game every now and then, but I don’t want to bring back any nostalgia of my times playing more time consuming games.
Post-Detox Day 194
Today was a very fun day at school where all the final year students (myself included) swapped uniform gender, so it was a very funny day in general. I did my first day at work, which was busy but very exciting. I was exhausted when I got home, but I’m glad things went well.
Again, I didn’t do a workout or run, it was simply a walk today.
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My post for yesterday:
Post-Detox Day 192
Today started off well with a morning run, and it was a very fun day in general. I was filmed in the afternoon, and as a result didn't have much time for studying. It was the last session of filming I need to do, so now I can just wait for it to air!
I had some ideas on how I might approach my career path, but it's something that'll become clear in time.
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I'm having trouble to keep reading my affirmations on a regular basis.
How many have you got?
I have a 8 long affirmations, they almost fill a whole page! No wonder I don't read them often. Perhaps just focusing on one per day could work - if you had 7 but read one to yourself each day of the week, it might work out well.
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Let's make this day an awesome day!
Thanks Robin! It certainly has been an awesome day so far.
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Hi Diogo, welcome!
Keeping a journal here will probably be the most effective tool to help you stay accountable, so keep it up dude
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Post-Detox Day 190
Today has been a pretty average day overall of studying at home. I managed to run 10km for my run today, but I completely skipped my morning success routine in favour of browsing the internet for half an hour and time to rest my eyes (which was not worth it at all!). I got a decent amount of work done, but not ideal.
Post-Detox Day 191
Today has been another average day. I got less work done as I was helping my brother with coding for a few hours, but I know that time has been well spent. I managed a full 40 minute workout as soon as I got up which has been great. I also managed to do all my daily habit building (meditation, visualisation, daily affirmations etc).
Post-Detox Day 192
Today hasn’t been good in comparison to the last few days. I got some work done on the bus but hardly any, and procrastinated in the afternoon for far too long. I didn’t exercise, but as long as I pick up from where I left off tomorrow then I won’t need to worry. I have been kindly reminded by my brother that you need to ‘do the thing and you shall have the power’, my favourite quote I’d say. I need to be making all the right small decisions, as they set the trend and path I’ll be heading when making ‘automatic’ decisions.
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Post-Detox Day 190
Today has been a pretty good day, I got quite a lot done until I got home. I’m finding it increasingly hard to exercise daily as I no longer have any pressure to do so. This was previously in the form of having a physical tests during the year for the Defence Force, but now that I don’t have that goal to work toward, and nobody else I run/workout with, it’s becoming more difficult to sum up the willpower for it.
Gratitude journal
I am grateful for having cats at my place.
I am grateful for ‘magical’ taps that dispense clean water.
I am grateful for having more than one set of clothing.
One amazing thing that happened/I did today
Today I got a lot done in class time and on the bus to/from school. It has paid off!
Workout/run
Nope. I believe I’ve failed my daily goal now.
Meditation
Yup.
Visualisation
Nope. I need to update my slides though, they’re irrelevant at the moment.
Daily affirmations
Nope.
Reading + taking notes
Yup.
Getting to bed before 9pm
Yup.
Daily social goal
“Tomorrow I actually need to cut down on the amount I’m texting, so I’m going to make sure I only text people during my breaks between periods and study periods in the afternoon.”
Done! It worked wonders for getting work done on the bus.
Application of self-development skills
My self-development focus is on leadership. I’m going to make sure that I put myself ‘out there’ more to practice dealing with the risk of being criticised or embarrassed, as I now know that I ‘play it safe’ too often to be an effective leader in almost any situation.
Weekly Goal(s)
My goal for this week is to do at least 20 minutes of exercise both in the morning and as soon as I get home from school to help me keep focused whilst studying.
Monthly Goal
My goal for this month will to be to follow through with any commitments I make – whether it be goals, leadership, or anything.
3 Month Goal
My three month goal is to develop my leadership skills enough to confidently coach a sports team or lead another form of community group.
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Post-Detox Day 189
I’ve only just realised, but on the 6th of October I reached an amazing milestone – a whole year being part of the Game Quitters community! It also represents a whole year of me standing up for what I believe in and stepping up to the challenge to become who I want to be. I have failed a few times, but I made it out of the 90 day detox on my third attempt having not touched a game for those 90 days, and my life has been all the better because of it.
Today I’ve had a massive turnaround in terms of sleep, as I have felt up to working and wasn’t sleepy. This shows that getting to bed before 9pm has worked its magic. Unfortunately I didn’t get as much work done in the afternoon as I’d have liked, and as a result I’m going to make a few changes tomorrow.
Gratitude journal
I am grateful for the USB fan on my desk.
I am grateful for chocolate.
I am grateful for having teachers who are generous with their time.
One amazing thing that happened/I did today
Today I got a decent amount of sleep, and it’s made my day all the better, especially during school time. I could genuinely enjoy a clear sky and look up more often, I wasn’t bogged down by fatigue like yesterday.
Workout/run
It was a pathetically quick one this morning, so I’ll need to step it up tomorrow.
Meditation
Yup.
Visualisation
Nope. I need to update my slides though, they’re irrelevant at the moment.
Daily affirmations
Nope.
Reading + taking notes
Yup.
Getting to bed before 9pm
Yup.
Daily social goal
“making sure to talk in terms of other people’s interests if I need to convince them of something.”
This one is harder to do than it sounds, but I may just need to keep it in mind rather than making it a goal. Tomorrow I actually need to cut down on the amount I’m texting, so I’m going to make sure I only text people during my breaks between periods and study periods in the afternoon.
Application of self-development skills
My self-development focus is on leadership. I’m going to make sure that I put myself ‘out there’ more to practice dealing with the risk of being criticised or embarrassed, as I now know that I ‘play it safe’ too often to be an effective leader in almost any situation.
Weekly Goal(s)
My goal for this week is to do at least 20 minutes of exercise both in the morning and as soon as I get home from school to help me keep focused whilst studying.
Monthly Goal
My goal for this month will to be to follow through with any commitments I make – whether it be goals, leadership, or anything.
3 Month Goal
My three month goal is to develop my leadership skills enough to confidently coach a sports team or lead another form of community group.
Enough for tonight, I want to get a good sleep again!
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I don't know much about the New Zealand military or the Navy in general, but I'm wondering if you could join the Navy Reserve as an enlisted sailor. And then later transfer to become an officer.
Hi Ed, thanks for the suggestion. I know people who have transferred to becoming officers from other Navy roles, but joining the Reserve would be a good idea to keep in the organisation throughout university. Thanks again, I'll have a look into that!
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Post-Detox Day 188
Today I’ve felt pretty tired, but I got in a morning run and did a quick workout in the afternoon. It’s been a ‘normal’ day at school, but a good one nonetheless.
Gratitude journal
I am grateful for pens.
I am grateful for the wicked dinner I had tonight.
I am grateful for having a loving family.
One amazing thing that happened/I did today
Today I learned of an interesting concept in Christian Education class, that rich people must give away their riches to become good people. I want to do the same with my money in a more helpful way, and I have a couple of plans on how I’ll go about it later on in life.
Workout/run
Yup.
Meditation
Nope.
Visualisation
Nope.
Daily affirmations
Nope.
Reading + taking notes
Yup.
Getting to bed before 9pm
Yup.
Daily social goal
“making sure to talk in terms of other people’s interests if I need to convince them of something.”
I actually forgot about this goal as I forgot to write it in my notepad! I’ll give it another go, and write it down this time.
Application of self-development skills
My self-development focus is on leadership. I’m going to make sure that I put myself ‘out there’ more to practice dealing with the risk of being criticised or embarrassed, as I now know that I ‘play it safe’ too often to be an effective leader in almost any situation.
Weekly Goal(s)
My goal for this week is to do at least 20 minutes of exercise both in the morning and as soon as I get home from school to help me keep focused whilst studying.
Monthly Goal
My goal for this month will to be to follow through with any commitments I make – whether it be goals, leadership, or anything.
3 Month Goal
My three month goal is to develop my leadership skills enough to confidently coach a sports team or lead another form of community group.
That's it for today, I want to get to bed before 9pm again, and hopefully get back some sleep.
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Part-time job is awesome. Good job taking action on that. It will pay off (literally) in the long run.
Thanks Cam, you're absolutely right! Not only will it pay itself off in dollars, it'll help me learn valuable skills.
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Post-Detox Day 186
Today was the first day of the term back at school, and it seems I’m becoming a school celebrity already! All the teachers were told of the filming that is going to occur tomorrow, and I’ve received some friendly interest in my role being filmed. I got in a small workout this morning, it wasn’t as long as I planned. I got a decent amount of work done, but it could have been better.
Post-Detox Day 187
Today has been the big day! The TV crew were filming my brother and myself in class, at morning tea, me fencing, and him with his games development club and the exhibition he’s put on. It was a unique experience having special attention today, and is something awesome to have done at school.
Gratitude journal
I am grateful for spring coming around.
I am grateful for the attention I’ve received recently and today.
I am grateful for an extension for computer science work.
One amazing thing that happened/I did today
Having a filmed chat with friends during morning tea was a unique experience, mainly because of how strange it was to be the centre of attention and how it changed the status quo. The quad that would normally be full of people got packed on the sides out of the way of the camera’s view, and people came to simply watch the filming taking place.
Workout/run
Nope.
Meditation
Yup.
Visualisation
Nope.
Daily affirmations
Nope.
Reading + taking notes
Yup.
Getting to bed before 9pm
Nope.
Daily social goal
Yesterday’s social goal was to acquaint myself with 10 people, and I did that well. I’m going to need to focus my efforts on academics now, but I’ll set the goal of making sure to talk in terms of other people’s interests if I need to convince them of something.
Application of self-development skills
My self-development focus is on leadership. I’m going to make sure that I put myself ‘out there’ more to practice dealing with the risk of being criticised or embarrassed, as I now know that I ‘play it safe’ too often to be an effective leader in almost any situation.
Weekly Goal(s)
The last goals were: “For the remainder of the week, I’m going to make sure to get all my daily habits done in the morning. Reward: Playing guitar for an hour (I’m going to leave it strictly as a reward so that I can enjoy it more)” and “I’m also going to keep myself accountable for doing 80% or more of the work I’ve set myself daily (I keep this pretty consistent).”
I managed to get most of my daily habits done, although some of them weren’t in the morning. I have actually been able to complete 80% of the work I set for myself, which was a good accomplishment.
My goal for this week is to do at least 20 minutes of exercise both in the morning and as soon as I get home from school to help me keep focused whilst studying.
Monthly Goal
My goal for this month will to be to follow through with any commitments I make – whether it be goals, leadership, or anything.
3 Month Goal
My three month goal is to develop my leadership skills enough to confidently coach a sports team or lead another form of community group.
Photo Stream
Here's a video diary on why I like running. Enjoy!
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Super quick update for today and yesterday:
Post-Detox Day 186
Today has been a full on day that involved exercise, studying in the library, a job interview, and a party. I am pretty sure I achieved all my goals, although I don't think I exercised to my normal standard. I managed to meditate, visualise, and do my daily affirmations which I haven't been making time for recently.
Post-Detox Day 187
Today I had another job interview, and I'll now be working in a restaurant! With a part time job I can now afford to start driving places. I had a 45 minute run which was really refreshing, did all my daily habits, and got a good amount of work done.
Paul's NEW Journal
in Daily Journals
Posted
Hi again. I was thinking it might be a good idea to continue your old journal if you wish to be able to look at what you've done in the past. I kept my journal running through both relapses I had, and having the record of what happened in my past relapses helped me to prevent it happening again, and helping me to deter cravings (by seeing the phases I went through). It'd also let yourself and others see what types of things you did in the past for reference. This was just a thought of mine, but I'd be interested to hear what you think.