Paul A.

12/20/2022 What I did well today: I succeeded in creating and executing on a morning ritual, what I call my "Daily Private Victory." I did some light exercise, followed by a brief period of meditation, and then I did about 10 mins of reading. This morning ritual is in keeping with the 7th habit of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, "Sharpen the Saw." The ritual is meant to keep me sharp physically, mentally, and spiritually, and I intend to execute on it every day. Granted, I did only very light exercise this morning, but I intend to increase the length and intensity of my workouts gradually over time. It just wouldn't make sense to overwhelm myself with intense workouts before I'm ready, especially after an extended period of inactivity. What I could’ve done better: I ordered some ice cream in the afternoon, and ate it all in one sitting. I'm trying to clean up my diet, so ordering ice cream wasn't in keeping with my goals. I'm working on my ability to delay gratification, but I gave in to instant gratification this time around. Thoughts/realizations: I met with my therapist this afternoon, and I told him of my intention to study psychology and become a therapist. Naturally, he was very supportive. He also gave me a clearer picture of what road to go down in terms of education, which you'll see reflected in my "plans for the future" section below. We also had a long discussion about values, particularly my core value of serving others. I'm grateful that I was able to discover this value relatively early in life, because it gave me a sense of direction I'd been lacking up to this point. I'm doing my best to live my life in a manner that's consistent with my own core values. I realize that values are subjective and that everyone's values are different, but I believe that following my own values will lead to a fulfilling life for me personally. I believe the same holds true for every single person. Plans for the future + timeframe for achievement: Within 1 week: Execute on my "Daily Private Victory" every day Within a month: Set up monthly payment plan for courses Within 6 months: Complete my first 10 credits More than 6 months: Graduate with bachelor's in psychology and master's in counseling

You’re doing great! Keep it up!

Keep fighting! You’re not a failure by any means; in fact, I think that you’re a hero by fighting your addiction so that you can be more present and available for your children. You made a good decision by deciding to journal about your feelings and your struggles, I’d advise you to keep doing it. It’s a powerful tool and asset for working the process. Keep up the good fight!

7 days is a great achievement! And good job in recovering so quickly, its easy to get discouraged after a slip up but you seem to have handled it well.

Welcome back!

12/19/2022 What I did well today: I was able to switch my major and enroll for my new courses first thing in the morning. What I could’ve done better: Don't think there's much I could've done "better", per se. I learned a long time ago that life is more than just how "productive" you are; sometimes, you just need to take it easy and relax. Doesn't mean that productive work isn't valuable, in fact, I identify hard work as one of my core values. That being said, productivity isn't the primary metric of a good life. Thoughts/realizations: None Plans for the future + timeframe for achievement: Within 1 week: Establish morning routine Within a month: Set up monthly payment plan for classes Within 6 months: Complete first 10 credits More than 6 months: Earn bachelor's in psychology and master's in psychotherapy/counseling

Way to go!

12/18/2022 What I did well today: I finished The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Easily the most transformative and impactful book I've ever read. After reading it, I now have a clear set of core values I can abide by, and a list of timeless principles upon which I can lay the framework for a successful, more effective life. I also ironed out my personal mission statement, which provides me with a clear sense of direction for my life. Thanks so much @Yan for suggesting I read it. What I could’ve done better: Was once again unfocused at work, but not only because I was reading. More on that later. But now that I've completed the book, I expect to be a lot more focused on my customers. Not like there's many showing up in the first place, though. Thoughts/realizations: My coworkers found a dead body in the parking lot this morning. It had been sitting in a van all week, but no one even realized until today. They also found drugs in the car, so it was more than likely an overdose. The whole situation was very sad, and it made me reflect on how short life is. You never know when it's your time to go. It makes me want to do better with myself, to ensure that I make the most of the brief time I have here on Earth. Anyway, it weighed on all of us pretty heavily. But I think we all need a wake-up call like that sometimes. Just my thoughts. Plans for the future + timeframe for achievement: Within 1 week: Establish a morning routine; enroll in classes for new major Within a month: Set up payment plan for classes Within 6 months: Complete first 10 credits More than 6 months: Earn bachelor's in psychology and master's in psychotherapy

Congrats on 90 days!

Welcome back! We all slip up every now and then, the important thing is that you’ve recognized your slip-up and you’re working to address it. Hopefully this 26-day detox is the beginning of a more long-term abstinence from video games. Be sure to keep us posted in your daily journal. We’ll hold you accountable! 🙂

Thanks @jade_!

12/17/2022 What I did well today: Got some more reading done. I’m about halfway through the book now. I think I’ve really started to internalize its principles. Case in point - I’m switching my major. More on that later. What I could’ve done better: Once again, I could’ve focused more at work. Since today wasn’t a weekday, traffic picked up somewhat, so I had the chance to focus more on helping my customers. Alas, I allowed myself to be distracted by a few things, namely, reading the book and gabbing with coworkers. I fully intend to remedy this behavior, however. Thoughts/realizations: I polished up my personal mission statement. In thinking more about what I want to accomplish with my life, I realized that I’m driven by a desire to help people. Furthermore, as I was reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People this afternoon, I came across an interesting quote: “It is more noble to give yourself completely to one individual than to labor diligently for the salvation of the masses.” With that being said, I figured out that I’ve always enjoyed helping people on an individual level (as opposed to on a large scale), and that I want to devote my life to doing so. So, I decided to switch my major from accounting to psychology, with the intent of becoming a licensed therapist. I believe therapists are in a unique position to help individual people on a profound level. This path will require more schooling than accounting, but now that I know I’m driven by a basic need to help people, I’m prepared to endure as much schooling as needed to turn this desire of mine into my livelihood. Plans for the future + timeframe for achievement: Within 1 week: Complete The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Within a month: Set up monthly payment plan for classes Within 6 months: Complete my first 10 credits More than 6 months: Earn my bachelor’s and master’s degree in psychology

Will do!

NEW JOURNAL FORMAT 12/16/2022 What I did well today: I did a lot of reading today. I was reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (thanks to @Yan for the suggestion), and I love it! Has to be one of the most transformative books I’ve read so far, and I haven’t even finished it yet. What I could’ve done better: Maybe I could’ve been more focused at work, but traffic is so slow that there isn’t even much to focus on! Not a major concern. Thoughts/realizations: Learned this fromThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People; living a principle-centered life rooted in a few primary core values is so essential, yet so uncommon nowadays. Especially in my generation, I feel like most people live a self-centered life gravitating around pleasure and instant gratification. I’ve lived my life that way for a long time, and it doesn’t satisfy me at all. On the flip side, I took some time today to determine my 5 most important core values, and wrote a personal mission statement revolving around them. I already have so much hope that this new approach to life will bring me a lot more joy and fulfillment. Once again, thank you @Yan for the recommendation, it’s been life-changing! Plans for the future + timeframe for achievement: Within 1 week: CompleteThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Within a month: Set up monthly payment plan for classes Within 6 months: Complete my first 10 credits More than 6 months: Earn my bachelor’s in accounting

Have you ever read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People? I think it addresses pretty well the differences between leadership and management, and how to be a leader. I thought it’s especially pertinent to your situation, especially in regards to the stress you’re feeling. Might be worth a read, in addition to any other books on leadership out there.

Reminds me of something I learned from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, that in order to achieve a goal, it’s best to focus on who you need to BE, rather than what you or other people need to do. Your CHARACTER plays a huge role in your success and achievement. Keep up the good work!

My dad actually had two copies on his bookshelf, so I grabbed one and started reading yesterday. Great read so far, thanks!

Thinking of creating a simpler journal format. Just to organize my thoughts better, really. Probably gonna implement it here in a few days. I enrolled for classes today. I’m taking 10 credits over the course of 4 months starting in January. Not a very intensive course load in my opinion. I think I can handle it, especially because of the way they’re split up. I’ll be taking the first 6 credits from January through March, and the last 4 from March through May. If I can handle the course load, I’ll keep it at a similar level for the next semester. I might even up it, who knows. If not, I’ll dial it back a bit. I’m looking forward to getting started come January. I think it’ll give me the sense of purpose and direction I’ve been craving recently. I also realized something today that I discussed with some coworkers: it’s good for a man to work. I don’t think it’s good for a man to sit around idly, not doing anything. We’re not wired for that. It took me a long while of sitting around not doing much with myself to realize - I’m supposed to be working. And not even work in the sense of employment, necessarily. Work can be anything a man does to keep himself busy, provided that it takes some effort and that he does it to achieve some purpose or goal. But I’m sure I don’t need to explain work to you guys. We’re all familiar with the feeling of a hard day’s work. It’s satisfying in a way that nothing else can compare to. Outside of school, I’m gonna search for work I can do to keep myself occupied. I might start working on a side business, or something along those lines. Just anything to satisfy that need.

Keep pushing!

I’ve read a version of that book before - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens - by the same author, but I think it’s worth reading the original as well. Thanks for the suggestion.

Welcome Brandon, and congratulations on making the first step towards a happier more fulfilled life! We’re here to support you and to hold you accountable as you move forward in your new, game-free life. Let us know if we can help in any way!

Feeling a strong urge to dive back into the realm of self-improvement. What’s the catalyst? I spent this morning and this evening watching a Netflix documentary about successful sports coaches, and hearing their stories and philosophies motivates me to want to make something of myself. Not to mention, I’ve been dealing with a lot of boredom recently, and I need a sense that my days are purposeful, that I’m not just going through the motions day after day. I need a sense of direction. I’m going back to school soon, so I’ll be able to apply myself to that, but in the meantime, how do I fulfill this need for purpose? I’ll be trying to answer that question for myself.

I filled out my college application today. I'm waiting on my high school transcript before I can enroll for classes. I want to talk to an advisor about what courses I should take first, since I only intend to take two of them this semester. Apart from that, I'm just waiting for now. I meditated twice today. Directed my awareness towards ambient sound. This is the easiest way to meditate for me, rather than focusing on breathing. I told my therapist about my intentions to return to school, as well as my newfound meditation practice. He was impressed with the progress I'm making. Feels good to know I'm on a forward trajectory now. I also opened up to him about something I've been keeping secret for a while, which I won't disclose here. I only did it in the name of being more open and honest, not because it was eating me up inside or anything. I think we're all entitled to a little privacy. I spent most of the day watching Netflix and anime. Funny enough, watching anime awakened a strange feeling inside me - a desire to put a lot of effort into something, especially something physical. Something like martial arts or sword-fighting. It only makes sense that I was watching Bleach, where everyone wields a sword. Even so, the desire to put effort into something is real. I'm thinking once my first semester of classes rolls around, I'll be able to gratify that desire. That, or I find some other outlet in the meantime.

What activities have you tried? Also keep in mind that it may take a combination of several activities to be able to adequately replace gaming. As far as emotional control, have you tried meditation? It’s not for everyone, but it might help you to relate to your emotions differently.

Have you thought about the Pomodoro technique for chunking up your work? I think it goes something like you do 25 mins of focused work, followed by a 5 min break, another 25 mins of work followed by a 5 min break, and then finally 25 mins of work followed by a longer 15 min break. You then start the process over again. Something to consider as you’re trying to get more work done throughout the day.