Florian

Great goals, SegaCity. Enjoy this transition, you'll have more clearly noticable experiences like those you had after stopping gaming for one week. Just to make sure - NoFap, stop smoking, stop social media clicking are a lot of goals at once. So definitely do them one after the other (not at the same time), as you also mentioned. The 'Slight Edge" was exactly what helped me in my own NoFap challenge two years back. Oh, and if you can, start a little before NYE. For me, it made getting off bad habits something natural, not a "big event" that happened once a year. If you think about it, NYE is just a date like 364 others. Good luck!

Crazy busy today. It's incredible how fast time runs by when you are actively doing something. I realized that for growing a website, even if it is not a lucrative business (yet), it is important to see whatever you do under the aspect of producer, not consumer. All of a sudden I am using Social Media with a purpose - to provide value and not just give comments. Not totally internalized that thought, but it gets better. What am I grateful for today? 1. Getting up early. I enjoy the time in the morning tremendously. The day is fresh and I get to play with it. 2. Enough sleep. That is, of course, also important. 6 - 7 h work for me. Not more, not less. 3. Starting the week on a sunday. The old trick. Working unperturbed in calm and serenity, and while people hate on their monday, I am already in my routine. 4. A great 2015. Looking back, I did not achieve everything I wanted (I am too fat ;-), but I did better in other areas (published paper, started to get my website going). 5. A new year soon. And thus, I can take momentum into the new year. Guys, if you want to make it easy to stick to your NYE resolutions, start them NOW! 6. Having made new friends. From that point of view, it was an awesome year. Game Quitters, meetup.com, and still kept in contact with old friends from High School! 7. Having kept old friends. Yeah, as I just said. Two friends from high school, one of them telling me about another guy from HS who started a drop shipping business designing leather purses for doctors. It is SO easy to start a simple business nowadays. Hard work as always, but simple. 8. My iPad. I love my devices, but one of the investments for the coming year will be a new iPhone and a new iPad. And new iMac. At some point, they outlive their time, which really is a shame... but the Youtube app does not work on my iPad anymore, several other apps stop working on my iPhone, and the twitter and facebook feeds are so slow that I start to wonder whether there is a little troll inside my phone who carves Social Media onto my screen. That must have been what Apple used in the early days. 9. My family. Always having my back. 10. Writing every day. Look at this list. Can you tell I LOVE to write? And none of the explanations you see here are edited. This is all written in one go. What I think, I write down. I rarely edit. That must be the effect of writing 750 - 2,000 words every morning for over a year now, with an unbroken 282 day streak up to today. What would make today great? If I get all my organization done with a realistic plan for the next year, months, weeks, days (with enough time to breathe and not more detailed planning beyond three months). Did I? No, but I got my act cleaned up enough that I can go into the next day in a very relaxed way. Daily affirmation. I can do it with silent determination. Three amazing things that happened today. 1. I realized that I can rely on me waking up on time if I make sure I have at least 6 hours of sleep. 2. I got the manuscript proofs for our paper in Development - it’s cool to see the final version! 3. I never really sweated after calisthenics - so I started again to finish 120 squats/sit-ups/push-ups with the 7 minute workout from the NY Times. Result: sweat. And a sore quad 8 hours after finishing. How could I have made today better? If I had gotten up before 7 am. Tomorrow! Oh, by the way. After I saw ... yes, what did I see? Sometimes I feel like that professor who falls asleep midsentence, trying to figure out his "Y?" See picture. In one aspect, this year was truly amazing. I have never met so many quality people that have challenged me to become better than in this year. Thanks Cam and GameQuitters!

Hey Cam, I think you should totally do a "Quit Games" blog/website. You could do YT videos and maybe even a forum! I think there is a lot of interest around here ;-) As Ed said, it is sometimes hard to predict and unexpected which article people like most. Getting rid of addictions, especially ones that are not talked about in the mainstream - I should have been surprised though if that wasn't doing well. Are you aware that you are the only one talking about video games addiction? nobody else really does it. and you have an inspiring story with it.

Something I tried to take from your advice is to continue having a little something in my teaser videos. Most often an interesting statement (like "today, I am confused"). Maybe I can switch to doing physical props more often. And then close the loop a bit more efficiently in the blog post. Maybe by finding something that characterizes the whole content of the blog post. Food for thought. Thanks again!

What am I grateful for today? 1. Getting up early. Not as early as I wished - 5 am, but still. 2. My space heater. I need warmth. I am kind of surprised that I can still do cold showers, but now I did them every day for almost two years, don't want to break the string. 3. My iPad. Reading books and Netflix - it's kind of a treasure. 4. My computer. A treasure as well. 5. Writing. Every day it starts my morning on the right foot. 6. The post. "Snail mail" is still a good way to send parcels. Unless you send them overseas. $50 for $20 worth of toys... nah. I'll order from Amazon Germany directly. 7. Family and friends. Always there for me. 8. Books. Here is to Martin Luther and Johannes Gutenberg - I think both had a strong impact in taking books out of the hands of a select few. 9. My blog. It is slowly growing, and I am happy that daily writing contributes to that. 10. Being healthy. For the first time, I really enjoy not being sick instead of just accepting that as fact. What would make today great? If I'd find a possibility to get my next blog post out - it touches the stock market which I know next to nothing about. Daily affirmation. I can do it with silent determination. Three amazing things that happened today. 1. I realized that I can rely on me waking up on time if I make sure I have at least 6 hours of sleep. 2. I got the manuscript proofs for our paper in Development - it’s cool to see the final version! 3. I never really sweated after calisthenics - so I started again to finish 120 squats/sit-ups/push-ups with the 7 minute workout from the NY Times. Result: sweat. How could I have made today better? If I had gotten up before 7 am.

Ed, thanks for your kind words and your support! At the moment, I am smashing through 7 - 8 hours per day for a post... don't know whether that's a record. it's certainly very fulfilling. I am getting some traction online - my post about sleep was reposted by @thesleepdoctor on Twitter - his website is sleepdoctor.com. I am not even that happy about the post, but had I allowed that doubt to seep in, I would not have reached others. Hopefully it will help some people.

Thanks! Yes, writing comes easier to me, I feel my biggest advances though are in the videos. I am literally becoming a little more secure and less shy every time. Introducing my blog posts with a little Twitter blurb has felt most helpful to me, because I have to get my message out and make it a little interesting within 15 seconds.

I like this post. The software does not let me click anymore, so I just tell you, Joe. Congrats on your car. From this year with a couple of miles on it! So basically new, you just let somebody else pay the money (in form of deprecation) for driving it first time off the salesman's lot (I think new cars deprecate in value the minute somebody starts driving them). And the rest of the list sounds as if your life is appreciating ten items every day. Thanks for the continuous inspiration.

I can recommend a version of the Händel Keyboard suites played by - Keith Jarrett. Yes. Jazz pianist Keith Jarrett. He plays the lines and melodies very clear and with purpose. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-YWOWEJtaU&index=3&list=PLvQww-umMwAqPXLKYtsrF8RMGuO_2QlAp

Interesting site! Thanks for sharing. How are your modes coming along?

Good that you got your run done! Besides from this advice rhyming, it is important to have something accomplished every day. Maybe you can figure out the three most essential items for the day and then only focus on getting them done. Everything else is bonus. Then, you can also set three goals for the week, three for the month etc. See J.D. Meier 'Getting Results the Agile Way'.

If you like singer-songwriter-folk, I recommend "Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" - I listened to it back in 2002, when I was working for a month in Iowa City. In oCtober. It captured the fall atmosphere perfectly. And it's good songs on there.

Sounds great. What is an "Usagi Drop"? It's a short Japanese anime series I'm watching. It's a beautiful comedy/drama/slice-of-life story. Interesting! I realized that they have synchronized one of the cartoons I was watching as a kid into english: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA_v8jXziJ4

Day 24 I am struggling quite a bit where I don't think I want to struggle. I have a HUGE pile of notes, multiple projects and then I am fighting to tame Trello using two books: "Getting Things Done" by David Allen and "Getting Results the Agile Way" by J.D. Meyer. So I am making progress step by step organizing my work. That is a project in and of itself. I just hope once I have it installed my schedule is robust enough to buffer spontaneous changes. So I am continuously adding one new blog post per day, which works: drafting it as part of my "free writing" routine in the morning, ca. 1 hour - when my mind is fresh and I am really only writing for myself - then I edit it in the late afternoon/evening, record the corresponding youtube video (ca. 20 - 30 minute long), plus one quick video for Facebook and Twitter (10 - 15 seconds) to promote my blog post and publish slightly later. Yesterday's example is here. Actually, I am two days ahead with my blog post schedule. I edit the blog post I drafted two days ago, so even if I don't have time in the morning to draft a new post, I will still be able to produce one post per day in the evening. Right now, after one blog post per day, I have now slightly over 500 unique visitors since the beginning of november. That is significant - a "unique visitor" is a user that visits the website more than once - because now I can actually join Udemy's affiliate program. Besides the possibility to earn money (Udemy pays 40% commission, which is that much more compared to Amazon's 4 - 7%) - the even bigger take home message for me is this: if companies are willing to partner with you at that number, then 500 unique visitors is probably a first small benchmark where you can say: yes, the website is on a good track. I love writing for it, and I already have two more ideas for satellite websites. And one booklet draft 70 - 80% done, so I can soon offer my first product! Free. So there is a lot going on, and there is not a single day going by where I don't want to work. I am even getting some feedback on my blog posts here and there. Let's not forget though why I have been so successful so fast - it's all thanks to a website called manosphere.com. I went to a meetup with Matt Forney October 2014 - one of the bloggers that I was following - and there I met the guy who runs manosphere.com. Incredibly generous person, and he put my blog on his feed. Now I am receiving 80% or so of my traffic - targeted! - from that site. That's great, but I think it's also important to acknowledge all the positive factors that contribute to your own business. Building your business nowadays still means going into the trenches. And then, there is amazing help along the way. Last, but not least, the GameQuitters community has actually helped me to work towards my purpose. That's another reason why I am having a very successful month. A big thank you from me to all of you!!! What am I grateful for today? 1.Getting up early. 5 am used to be early for me. I am now getting up at 4 am. When I see that I am already having done stuff at 5 am, that’s even better. 2. Painfree teeth. We often don't acknowledge our body when all works fine. But we wish it was better when there is a hole in our teeth, for example. So let's just be happy when everything works! 3. Youtube. It's awesome that we can share our own content so easily with the world. 4. My vision board. I am going through it every morning and name every single picture. Lately, I am assembling a YouTube playlist with small 3 minute clips about each point. To (a) have something to watch - and avoid aimless internet surfing - when I need a short break from my normal work and (b) to make it easier to really visualize my goals. It sounds funny, but in 10 years, I want to retire, and while it may be nice to be able to own a Lamborghini, I think the most important part really is sitting inside one (even if I only rent it for one day) and starting the motor. That - right there - will be the moment I retire. Even if it is "only" on $2,000/month. Likewise, being able to do 4 reps of deadlifting 400 lbs will also be such a moment. I am trying to really define these moments to make my vision as specific as possible. 5. Paper being accepted! Yes, it is finally in. 3 years in the making. 6. Living in the US. I am so happy that I am living this dream every day. It was something I wanted since I was 19 years old, and I got it. 7. Books. You can learn so much. And you can let your own phantasy play. I think Michael Ende's "Momo" or "The Neverending Story" are two books that are definitely worth a read - beautiful story-telling, and they are all about the importance of time (Momo) and creating your own world (The Neverending Story). For kids upwards of 6 - 8 years, and I still reread them at the age of almost 40. 8. Writing every day. That is my own form of meditation in the morning. 9. My iPad. The new library. Very Star Trek, actually. I was always fascinated with the fact they had (a) electronic books and (b) a worldwide/universe-wide database. And what else are eBooks and the Internet? I can even imagine some form of "beaming". You send the blueprints of some objects to people, and maybe in 50 years, when everyone has a 3D printer, they can be directly printed. 10. Inspiring people. Successful, generous, living a life of abundance - the internet has also made it so easy to connect to so many inspiring mentors. I mean, look at this community. We are all spread around the globe, and we come together here as if those borders and distances aren't there! What would make today great? If I get everything done that I planned plus having some time to really appreciate this day. Daily affirmation. I will take on this day and finish it as happy as I feel right now in the morning. Three amazing things that happened today. 1. I was getting up at 4:20 am and shortly thereafter up, running and happy. 2. I wrote down a list with people that have had a major influence on my life, and I realize how much my parents actually mean to me. 3. Somebody on another forum I follow mentioned how the hustle itself is most fulfilling, not the success itself. That was quite an astonishing revelation. We always have this notion of results being side effects of progress, but this was the first time somebody actually mentioned that he likes the progress more than the success itself. How could I have made today better? It's hard to answer this question, because honestly, I have taught myself to enjoy every day no matter how it went. So if there is not a major catastrophe, I am fine with the day as it is. I continuously try to learn, so it's not even that I think "this did not go well, let's try that instead". The only thing I hope is that I do not become too complacent, because obviously, I am not at the end of my journey. Volunteering at a soup kitchen. It was a bit difficult to get an appointment for me, at least in Jersey City. The soup kitchens apparently want you to apply to an organization that will give you an orientation etc. - seems a bit over the top. Are the days gone even here where you could simply walk into a shelter - or call them - and just be put to work? That's what I imagined. In any case, I eMailed the organization and asked them to put me on. Let's see what comes out of that.

Miguel, the Christmas lights look really nice! I do miss German Christmas markets with mulled wine... ;-)

Sounds great. What is an "Usagi Drop"?

So sorry for the longer absence here. I am not gone, I'll post more soon. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Yeah, well... they are gone now.

Day 23 What am I grateful for today? 1. Starting the week on a sunday. A great little trick. You can relax on a saturday and then getting into "work mode" a day before the rest of the world. Much more relaxed. 2. Black Tea. Since a long time, I drank some of it yesterday. 3. Coffee. Always there. I'm excited for a new delivery coming soon. 4. Warm apartment. Did I mention I do like the warmth? 5. To get back up after you made a mistake. Yeah... more on that below. 6. Family and friends. It's great to have them be there for you, but also for you to be there for them. 7. Internet. Th se l t rs wo d no a l b th re wi ut t. 8. Learning more about Social Media. Great platforms - going far beyond simple status updates. 9. My iPad. A whole library in there. 10. Special screwdrivers. Most appliances nowadays have one or two non-standard screws, so you don't try to repair the stuff yourself. OR: you get the right screwdrivers. What would make today great? If I am able to forgive myself for yesterday’s failure and move on stronger than before. Daily affirmation. You may not have the codeword to the treasure chamber, but in contrast to the past, you only need to open the mountain, not build the chamber. Three amazing things that happened today. 1. I got an Amazon delivery on a Sunday for my favorite chocolate-flavored protein shake. Yesterday ordered, arriving today. No extra fees thanks to Amazon Prime. It still boggles my mind a bit. 2. I reconnected with an old friend as part of my 5 random acts of kindness. Here is what happened. I looked for three facebook friends to pay a compliment to, and one of them was someone who I am already regularly in contact with. Thanks to my compliment though, he told me some things he would have never shared otherwise. You never know people until you allow them the possibility to open up. Sometimes they think they don't want to bother you. 3. Somebody vented his angriness to the world and I was not even bothered. How could I have made today better? I am happy with the day as it was. TIFU - Today I Fucked Up. Or maybe yesterday. YIFU. There is a whole Subreddit with hilarious stories. Well... I am part of NoNothingNovember, and yesterday I failed my goals. Goal #1: No snacks - My diet over the past weeks had literally no carbs. I think maybe a few, but below 50 per day. My energy level was completely down. I felt if I would continue to avoid carbs like before I would not be able to get anything productive done. Of course I ate some chocolate sticks. Of course I still had some at home... Only afterwards I realized I had a kitchen table stacked with apples! Stupid, I could have eaten those and not been failing on my NNN goals. Sigh. That's what I mean by "not having snacks at home". Oh well, what's done is done. Goal #2: Getting up between 5 and 7 am - 7:15 am. Not cool. Maybe failing on that goal was what enabled me to become weak for the other goals as well. So the moral of the story: #1: Don't have snacks at home. - And keep a diet that is still realistic. Last year's NNN, I would allow myself to eat oatmeal with honey, blackberries and apples. That worked out better. But this year I was just too desperate to lose body fat. I was too impatient. #2: Go to bed on time so you can wake up early enough. #3: Set realistic goals. Similar to what I said under #1 above for the diet - if you make the goal you barely fulfill every day, then it is too ambitious. You never want to have a goal that can be derailed by one factor alone. If I was to say: publish three blog posts per day, then just one hour doing something else would put that goal into jeopardy. Rather chose to do something that still leaves breathing room for doing something else. Five random acts of kindness. #1 - Send three friends on facebook a sincere compliment. That was relatively easy. Yet there was something unexpected coming from it, see above (three amazing things, 2.). #2 - I sent the mother of a good friend of mine flowers. We are always getting together with other friends in her house. This year I could not be there... so I just wanted to thank her for always hosting us. #3 - Smile to people on the street. Did that when I was on my way to the supermarket. #4 - Picked up the litter close to one of the trashcans at the store. There is more trash than you think laying around, you just have to open your eyes. #5 - Decided to not bother about an angry rant (see above under "Three amazing things 3.)

Thanks for the kind words, Alex. I do believe bad luck can affect all of us, yet there is more than that that has to come together in people that are homeless. For example, the lack of a good support network. I'll have to dig deeper into it, my spontaneous guess is just that if you or me lost all material possessions right now, we'd not be homeless for long, because we can count on our network of friends to help us crash on their couch and get a new job. Likewise, many people are mentally homeless, but have money to never lack food and shelter. If those people lose their money, however - they'd be in big danger to end up on the street permanently. Read "The Top Five Regrets of the Dying". There is a story of a young man who is confined to a nursing home after a major accident and literally dies of boredom because he gave in to the drab and grey environment without any mental stimulation. Take your energy away, your resourcefulness vanishes because your motivation is gone, you shut out friends and then die alone. Doesn't really matter if you have a roof over your head or not. I imagine homelessness does not happen immediately, but the steps to do it gradually are very easy to do if we are not careful. Then again, those are just my impressions from talking to one homeless person. It gives us a warning lesson though.

His branding course $11 today. You might know some of his content already, still a good investment IMO.

Nerds will rule the world! We are consistent and rarely let go.

Hey Travis, maybe you can branch out slowly. You could go on Linkedin (or on meetup.com) and contact people that work in the San Diego area to meet up, maybe even over Skype. If they are in your business space, maybe you can offer to do something for them or give some advice? Then, gradually, you might ease into a different branch of your career. If you don't want to do a drastic career jump, small steps might work. And who knows? You just need one person who offers you a job that makes as much sense as your current one, and then the transfer is easy(er than you think). At the very least, you make new friends.

Quick notice: udemy.com has a lot of courses on sale during these days. I just purchased courses on 3D printing, web design and submarine mechanics (!) for just $10 or $11 each.

I'm sorry for your loss, Joe. It sounds to me you had a great relation with your grandma, so what remains is the memory of all the good times you shared. I lost my grandma almost 10 years ago. We had a great connection, and I missed her. After a while, I realized that everything I shared with her had now become an important part to my life and personality. I wish you strength on this part of your journey. Always remember one little thing every day that you can still be thankful for, no matter how your day went.