NEW VIDEO: I Quit MMOs and THIS Happened
Paul A.
-
Posts
487 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by Paul A.
-
-
Haven't really posted an ACTUAL entry in a couple days...
I've had several 'relapses' over the past few days... what I mean by that is that my siblings keep coming to me for help with their stupid mobile games, and since they're the most unreasonable people I know, I've resigned to just helping them. It's super annoying, but it kills my boredom for a few minutes. Another thing I'm forced to deal with is my twelve year old brother, and the only things he does all day is #1: Watch anime, and #2: Play Super Smash Flash 2 on KBHgames (using primarily anime characters, of course). His compulsive anime watching is annoying enough, but it's even more annoying when he's playing on the computer (right now!!), and I have to deal with him saying he'll give me the computer after one more match before I can do what I have to. Irkiness to a new level. This is one reason I used to bother my parents to let me have MY computer back (I got in trouble a while back and lost my computer), because my brother is such a damn hog. There's nothing I can really do about it though, except pester my dad some more
. That'll be fun. -
Got back into programming on Khan Academy SUPER FUN! Thanks so much to @AlexTheGrape and @Cam Adair for the great advice
-
Hehe moved past that now, thanks to Alex's advice I'm thinking of getting back into programming, and I want to start reading more
-
Hi Paul,
I appreciate the enthusiasm and effort you are putting into improving your lifestyle! You have provided a lot of detail in the forum about how you're progressing and how you're struggling, but in terms of finding hobbies for you to fill you time with, it seems to me that the effort stops here. I'll share some experience of my own that will hopefully help you in achieving what you want.
I didn't think that I'd be interested in a lot of things from the 60+ hobby ideas list and many other activities, but when I finally said to myself "ok, I need to try these or else I won't know for sure if I'll enjoy them" I got started and really enjoyed the hobbies I tried out. One of these was learning to play the guitar; I had stopped playing about 5 years ago because I found it boring, but without the need for instant gratification now, I really enjoy singing to my songs and playing the best I can. If you try an activity where you will learn beneficially it is a bonus, I am finding programming in the Python language engaging for my brain and enjoyable as a result as I am challenged to work out puzzles like I would be in gaming.
If you have a think about your previous passions you may well find things you enjoy like I have, both programming and playing the guitar have been things I gave up on practicing because I found them boring whilst I played video games. If you still can't think of any, perhaps try to derive some ideas from activities or things you enjoy or have an interest in. Otherwise there are many lists of hobbies and helpful habits online you can have a look at so you'll never be out of ideas.
Most importantly, if you don't try them and don't attempt to enjoy them, you simply won't find the activities interesting. Something I found that is very true is that we only find something interesting after we've been engaged with the activity. It is described in the quote "When you do the thing, you have the power", being the power and motivation you need, and more simply in the Nike quote "Just do it".
I hope this information will help you and all the best for your recovery!
Thanks for the great advice @AlexTheGrape !
If you put it that way, there are plenty of things I could be doing. I tried programming on khanacademy a while back, it was rather interesting but I would rather spend time gaming, so I quit, but I can restart tomorrow morning (if my dad doesn't make me shovel show, huge buzzard hit my area). I can also start reading some more, I used to read a LOT before games overtook my life. Once again thanks for the advice, I would have liked but I've reached my reputation limit for the day.
-
Hello everyone.
I'm Chris .I'm a student from Greece..Been spending a lot of time in games and on the internet up untill now..I've quit video games for about 2 months now .
I actually started my life turnaround by wanting to get laid funny as it may sound.At first I got into reading self help books on pick up , dating and relationships... but my interests about doing better expanded in multiple other aspects of life.
I decided that I deserve a lot better .Eventually I got into fitness and health as well as better living habits overall.
About 2-3 months ago I decided to quit playing games,asI have spend a ridicolous ammount of time in gaming and I thought there is nothing more I can get out of it.It was kinda hard letting go, but it was a long time due.
Anyway ,I found Cam's channel like a week ago and I have to admit I was really surprised to find people with the same mindset.I find the youtube videos really helpfull and they provide knowledge that there is indeed life at the end of the tunnel, and reassurance that other people go through the same struggle of trying to fill the void after quitting games.
I'm convinced that the decision I made to quit gaming and turn my life around and set higher goals and standards ,is the right decision for me.
I'm grateful I found about people like Cam and this community even though I'm a newbie here.
That's about it
Cheers everyone
Hi Chris!
I (somewhat) get where you're coming from, when I was 12 I wanted nothing more than to have it with a girl, which I couldn't do for a variety of reasons (7th grade was a rough year for me). As for your reason for quitting, I totally understand. Personally, I quit because my schoolwork was suffering, and because I felt that quitting could help me overcome a severe laziness issue I have (still working on that
), but also because I thought that there were better things I could be doing. It's actually a lot harder for me because I'm only 13, constantly surrounded by games (3 younger siblings, super annoying), and I'm always at home (I'm stuck, you could say, parents are always so busy and I don't have a lot of friends), but I figure once I'm older and I don't have a gaming issue I can do great things. Anyways, just wanted to share and to say welcome (even though I think you joined before me ) -
Hi Paul,
Yes, we have to move past that and find something we are good at. Not being good at gaming isn't important! It has saddened me a lot though, and I couldn't really find things I was good at (like sports, playing an instrument, etc ...). But I think it's all the same, it takes practice to get better, but with a method. Gaming was the same. Just playing another game without focusing on getting better didn't work of course.
Sorry @Django that I didn't get around to responding sooner, I haven't visited the Introductions subforum in ages.
Thanks for the words of wisdom, they are much appreciated. I can relate, I've struggled to assert myself that there is something I am good at (whether it be a certain game, or a sport, or even spelling, I've won two school bees consecutively), but in order to be good at something you have to put work into improving, something I will try to do in the future.
-
If you liked games because of the mission aspect, what you want to do is create a goal or project. What is a mission you can create for yourself in your life right now? What goals have you had? What dreams have you always wanted to accomplish? Those are all good places to start.
Honestly, I don't know. I've never been very ambitious, I just need something to pass the time. I think it has something to do with laziness, extreme laziness. It's an issue I have to overcome.
-
So bored... It hurts
I've already looked on Cam's over 60 hobby ideas in the resting section, but I can't find anything of interest. I've tried thinking about what I enjoy in a hobby, but I still can't think of anything. I'm stuck at home for the next few days someone please help a fellow out
-
Wow nice work!! I don't think I could ever be that good
:( -
Thanks for the advice Cam. I did some thinking, and while I drew up blanks on the poetry thing, it got me thinking about why I enjoyed games, something I haven't put much thought into before. I enjoyed the escapism aspect; it allowed me to enter a totally different world, but at the same time, I also enjoyed games that were played a certain way, or to put it differently, had rules. I am not a creative person, so I didn't enjoy games like Minecraft that allowed you to do whatever; there is no correct way to play. I enjoyed games like wizard101 that had "missions" that you accomplished a certain way. I think those things I valued in gaming are things I can apply when finding a hobby, which I really need because unlike EVERYONE else on the forum who are older and have things to be doing, I find myself with a lot more free time on my hands, and I don't know how to spend it.
-
January 21, 2016
So I had a minor relapse this week. Every other sibling of mine plays, and my five year old brother and there year old sister are always asking for help. The thing is they are the biggest crybabies EVER, they will cry over the stupidest things. So because I didn't want to hear any annoying crying, I decided to help them. My sister I "helped" for about five seconds, but my brother I tried to beat the level for about five minutes before giving up. Not much of a relapse, but a relapse is a relapse. Say that five times fast
Besides that, I am still hung up on a hobby. Turns out I don't enjoy poetry as much as I thought, so I need something else to spend my time on. I would appreciate some input soon because there is a state of emergency in my area (blizzard) and I'll be stuck at home for the next few days.
-
I'm probably going to post some more later today, but I just wanted to post this anyway.
So I think I've finally found a hobby, and that's writing poetry. If that's the case, then I can turn this topic into not only a daily journal, but also a poetry journal
. I'll post my very first poem today, a little something I worked on yesterday. I just started so don't judge me.Writing poetry is a lot harder than it seems, including writing rhymes that stick to a common theme. It's easy to let your ideas shift from one to the other, like you're writing about your favorite foods, then you write about your mother. But like all things, your poetry will improve with time, given you're using all that time to work on your rhymes. No one improved at anything by sitting around all day, so it's time to get serious, there's no time for play(ing video games
see what I did there?) Maybe you'll become world-class, no one can say, but you're sure to improve in a big way. And it all starts with you doing little things every day. And if you stay focused no one can keep your talents at bay. -
January 19, 2016
So today wasn't that special. Went to school, came back home, read some Wikipedia articles. Hopefully I can stop the mindless browsing soon because I have found a potential hobby: writing poetry. It's challenging to stick to a common theme while generating rhymes that aren't awkward and still make sense, which makes it a perfect hobby. As Cam said, "Focus on engagement, not entertainment." Seems pretty engaging to me. But I do have one concern, it's about my big project I just turned in, and I'm not feeling too confident about it. I rushed to complete it yesterday, and it was due to some serious procrastinating. It's an issue I have to address, if I don't want to be failing more big projects any time soon. Well that's my entry for today.
-
Thinking about getting into writing poetry... I thought I was into rapping but my freestyling (rapping straight off the top of my head) is absolute trash. Besides I know nothing about the hip hop lifestyle anyway, don't know many artists, and I don't enjoy listening to rap as much as I thought.
-
family time seems like a good substitute
. Nice Plan! What is KhanAcadamy?@WorkInProgress khanacademy is an online resource that has videos and exercises on a variety of topics, like trigonometry, music, even computer programming. You can make a free account, and they claim anyone can receive a world class education using the site
-
gotcha
Ha
-
...
umm I'm a dude...
-
Wow I'm so embarrassed to share this, but I can't talk to girls...
I'm just so scared that ANYTHING will go wrong and I'll be humiliated and embarrassed, and I've tried to convince myself that they won't bite, but I just can't help it...
So during the church retreat, I tried to talk to this girl Elizabeth, and to be honest, it didn't go well (this was like the second time ever I walked up to a girl like this). Apparently, I even looked nervous, I was constantly fixing my jacket and all that... I went under the pretense that I was helping my friend get over HIS girl problems, and I pushed him so he was centimeters away from Elizabeth, but to be honest I was the one that liked her. My friend liked a different girl, and he actually went up and talked to her (on a bet), and it seemed like it went well (I eavesdropped on snippets of it
). Then later, he tried to set me up with Elizabeth, but I was too much of a coward and the only thing I said was 'Hi' before I walked away . I'm so pathetic but I'm so desperate help PLEASEBtw @SegaCity love the animation and I hope everything goes well 4 u
-
I was feeling pretty lazy yesterday so I didn't post, but I'll post today
1/18/2016 - MLK Day
I'm at the point of my game quitting journey where I'm stuck browsing the Internet. I know that I'm not supposed to do this, but I am unable to find a suitable hobby. Not to mention, my options are significantly limited due to the fact that I'm stuck at home ALL THE TIME. So I'll just look up some useless stuff and learn some useless junk that in no way is pertinent to my life at all. It's horrible. But I just can't find a hobby. The options I have right now are reading, but the issue with that is I'm extremely lazy, and plus in the past I haven't found reading to be the most enjoyable activity. Another option is writing, which I do somewhat often, but not often enough. More than 90% percent of the time I will do my writing on some kind of device (phone, computer), and that is almost exclusive to this forum. Getting myself up to pen-and-paper writing is difficult enough, and when I do, I often hit a writer's block; I don't even know where to start. My final, most unrealistic option is exercising. I'm only 13, so working out isn't so much of a priority in my life, and plus there's my laziness issue. Looking at it I guess it all comes back to my laziness. It's like a chronic disease, I find ways to temporarily alleviate it, but it just keeps coming back to haunt me. So that's that. On another note, thanks so much for all the replies, they're super helpful and I really appreciate them.
-
Wow thanks so much for the responses guys!
Hey Paul, welcome to GameQuitters! I wish I was your age when I quit! I'm 23 now and I would love having all that time back.
I really empathize with your bullying situation man. When I was 13, I got bullied so bad that I had to switch schools. I was probably the second most hated/bullied person in my grade, and I was really happy I wasn't the first. Thankfully, when I switched I had a clean slate, only a few kids new me and my past, but they didn't care. I was able to make some friends and I felt normal for once. This was a very important feeling for me and my move into the daylight. I hope you have this experience at some point. So, if this gives you hope, here's three points I'd like to leave with you:
1) I don't know you. But I'm gonna assume you're just another normal dude. Other people might not treat you like it, but you are. Their words are nothing and hold no water, Now, at the same time, it's true...everyone IS different. Kids pick up on this like crazy and have really overblown responses to those differences. I think it might be an evolutionary thing honestly (I have no science to back it up). Adults do pick up on differences in others, but adults really care far less about that stuff (generally speaking) and can handle their response far better. Trust me, as people grow up they will stop treating you quite as bad as you are now. It's a rite of passage of sorts. So take heart, you'll get through it.
2) Anger is a really powerful emotion and you need to be careful of your usage with it. I have messed this up myself, as an adult. Coming off as angry or edgy all the time will keep people away and make it hard for people who are close to want to stay close. You may have some allies who are staying back because of this perception, and it is very important for your sanity to have these allies in your "camp." Hence, having an outburst really should be a last resort.
3) This might be the most important: do not let your bullies get a response out of you, that is their lifeblood. I realized this was the main reason I was bullied when I was a kid. I was hypersensitive and could not take a fucking joke. This was what kept my bullies coming back for more and more. Granted, there were other factors in my life that led me to be hypersensitive at the time, but if I had kept my cool and made it really boring or even uncool for bullies to harass me, I would've saved myself a lot of pain and suffering. I am quite sure that when you give an outburst, this just gets your bullies all excited to try all new ways to get under your skin. By no means am I telling you to cower, ignore them, and not stand up for yourself--please stand up for yourself!--but keep your calm and always try to be a step ahead of your bullies.
Also, your bullies also probably feel really bad about themselves too and are just projecting their emotions onto you. Have compassion.
Good luck, Paul. You got this.
(And I know you weren't asking for advice or anything, so I'm sorry if this feels a bit unwarranted. This stuff just really hits me hard. Totally cool if you wish to ignore it.
)I didn't quit on my journal, I went for a church trip for three days and I wasn't allowed to bring my phone with me. It went really well, I really felt connected with God for the first time. I shared my story with others and made some friends, it was overall a great experience.
HI Paul, I hope you haven't quit on your journal. Would be awesome if we both stay strong wiht the posting. But what ever you do right now, good luck too you.
I want to post on the computer more because my phone is getting on my nerves
-
Thanks for your concern. A lot of people, at least 50% of everyone in my grade (8th) that say some mean thing to me from time to time, whether it be about my hairline (that's an EXTREMELY sensitive area for me), or my clothes, or my phone (that's the reason I told a kid to 'Shut the hell up,' if you read my second journal entry). I don't think there's much I can do about it though, but I think I will be going to a high school farther away from here so I can get away from these people.
-
Couldn't post up journal entry yesterday so I'll do it today:
January 14, 2016
Well, I've had an interesting day today. I felt pretty nostalgic watching my two brothers play, but that's about it. It's actually beside the point. I had a few, ' angry moments,' if you will, at school today, including telling another student to ' Shut the hell up,' (in front of a teacher, which in retrospect wasn't my smartest decision), and flinging my glasses against a wall (also not my greatest moment). So yeah, I've got anger issues. Something I should probably take care of. But honestly, I'm not exactly itching to control my anger, either. As I mentioned earlier, I'm often bullied at school, but an angry outburst can stop the insults for a little while. Whatever insults people had for me turn into concern, and a lot of, ' Are you okay,' or ' You good, Paul?' So yeah, anger is good for me in that way. But I'm not doubting that it can lead to negative consequences later on, so it's probably best to learn to control it. But then it becomes a problem of what I can do to get everyone to stop harassing me. And the answer is: I don't know. That's what I really need help with. This whole paragraph seems pretty inconclusive to me, but I'll wrap it up here.
-
I feel this is directed especially at me, because my academic performance was one of the main reasons I quit gaming. I would use gaming as an excuse to put off my work (which I still do now, procrastinate), and my parents were quite aware of this. I often would rush to finish my work last minute, and while my grades aren't the worst, I feel there is room for improvement. I didn't perceive it as much of an issue until recently, but I think my decision to quit will do wonders for my academics in the long run. I'm 13 so middle school obviously
. -
Count me in. Gaming was just a distraction from what I really need to be focused on. There's so much more to life than a computer screen and a keyboard. Life is a journey, and as Cam said, "Life is the ultimate video game."
Paul's Journal
in Daily Journals
Posted
My siblings are super unreasonable so they wouldn't understand, and my parents are biased toward my younger siblings anyhow, so I don't think it would work out, thanks for the advice though. An issue like this actually came up before, my sister wanted help with a game and I didn't give it to her, and of course she started crying, and when my dad asked why I didn't help her, I told him about my non-gaming, and all he did was shake his head.