[Journal (10/2017 - xx/xxxx)]

Date
Tuesday 20.06.2018

Workday Morning Routine
Feed Cats. Make Coffee. Drink Coffee. Get Ready. Listen to Audiobook. Write Journal Entry. Start 15min Touchtyping. 1hr High Prio Work.

Thoughts
Didn't Journal for too long, didn't train a bit
I am doing well at work
I want to be a tech lead because teamwork is awesome and empowering people is something I want to do.
How can I make this happen? I am only in for 6 Months and missing the respect and technical background
I need to become expert and lead my team without being in the position.
How can I empower my team members. I need to learn what drives them and then help them to get this motivation.
1on1 talks are needed

Thankfulness
Motivation, Coffee, Love

Goals
I will earn 8k+ more money next year
I will keep my apartment clean until end of June FAILED
I will pass my certification and study actively and effectively ACHIEVED
Get leadership position were I can empower people.
Become an expert in 2-3 areas of my current work.

[Journal (10/2017 - xx/xxxx)]

Date
Tuesday 12.06.2018

Workday Morning Routine
Feed Cats. Make Coffee. Drink Water. Drink Coffee. 5min HIT. Get Ready. Listen to Audiobook. Write Journal Entry. Start 15min Touchtyping. 1hr High Prio Work.

Thoughts
Need to finish Ilias Audiobook just to enforce the finisher mindset
New books and projects are one kind of distraction from hard realities

Thankfulness
I am needed
I am still healthy and hae a lot of energy which can be used
Flexibility is awesome

Goals
I will earn 8k+ more money next year
I will keep my apartment clean until end of June
I will pass my certification and study actively and effectively

 

 

 

 

[BigOlBeartic's Journal]

Hey there. Great to see how you stand up again and again. It is hard not to rely on old habits if your not busy and old triggers come up. I. E. I you feel bored or stressed. Be aware of the situations and feelings which let you relapse. After some repetitions you will recognize the same situations as they happen and this enables you to train yourself to a different reaction.

For me personally the gamechanger was getting a full time job which made establishing a daily recurring routine much easier. I just had so less free time that I suddenly became very conscious about how and with whom I wanted to spend it. Not gaming was suddenly easy. It seems kind of depressing to have so little choices over the day but I actually feel way better with a boring recurring routine. I would never believed to be so happy with it if someone told me before. 

[Mike's Journal]

Isn' there visual code or smth. Which is cross platform? 

 

[Captain Taru's Log: Out of the Fog]

Hey there. Just wanted to let you know that I still read your journal from time to time. Great job challenging yourself and also for the consistency! 

[Super Saiyan Journal]

Get some professional help. I wished I could walk by your house and talk out of this shit. But I am not there. If you have noone to talk to get professional help. Suicidal tendencies is nothing normal or rational. It is a sign you need help. NOW is the time to get it. 

[90 Days: No Coffee]

Keep going. I relapsed a week ago after a very short night. But now it is way easier to stay at 2-3 cups a day instead of 5-10 (which led to head aches). So my goal is achieved. But you got this. 

[Are dance and physique games a no-go during detox?]

4 hours ago, nekoexmachina said:

Hey!

I'm a big fan of dance machines (DDR) and dance games (xbox's just dance).

 

What do you guys think? Is that a thing that you think could be done during detox? (after detox without risk of going down the spiral?)

This depends imho on how you feel if you doing them. If it feels comparable to you playing "normal" games (i.e. escape from hard stuff, not relaxing, wasting away instead of achieveing smth) I would evade them. If it feels different it may be a fun activity you can do from time to time. This depends on the person playing them.

[Gaining weight while doing the 90 day detox]

I personally didn't struggle with this at the detox but his only the case because I have really nice metabolism and burned all that shit I ate away fast. Be forgiving to yourself because it is hard to change your behaviors. If it starts to become the standard that you don't game making good choices in other areas of your life becomes easier.

Gaining weight is a form of lifestyle. You all ready realized why you are gaining weight (more going out = less money + more alcohol = more calories). You have basically three options:

1) You start a second counter for exercise habits. This could be anything from a amount of steps you want to walk everyday to you want to go to the gym everyday. I has to be daily goal to make it a habit.

2) You stop doing things which affects you in a bad way. Go out with friends and just drink water. It is a great exercise to develop your social abilities and while people will find it curious at first they get used to it and are usually happy that the now have a driver ;)

3) Do both and become even fitter then you were before.

But always remember you are only at the beginning of your journey of becoming better, fitter, more intelligent and awesome in general. You don't have to tackle all the aspects at once. It would be totally fine if you accept the weight gain for the next 69 days and then start another phase where you focus on health and fitness. The cool thing at this detox is that it allows you to build the self-control and confidence to to such things again again in the future.

 

[sleep vs work]

I need my sleep. Sleep is more important for me then every single other factor. I if don't get enough sleep even exercising and eating well won't help me. I got under 6 hours regularly at the start of this year and it just lead to me being unfocussed, irritated and getting ill more. I only prioritize time with my wife over sleep. My advice would be to just accept that you have only 16 hours for living (work/eat/time with people you care about) and focus on prioritizing what you do and how to do it well instead of taking so much on your plate that you need more time per day. In my opinion time is not the limiting factor but products=time*energy. You can't cut sleep and improve your productivity, because your energy levels will decrease exponentially

[Journal (10/2017 - xx/xxxx)]

I already failed. I read on my mobile and my kindle and I caught myself wanting to hear audio books again and to read on quora. I also think I am wanting to do this just to resurrect the feeling I got as I started my gaming detox. 

I will instead llsten only to fiction and reading only books - no articles or feed like media.

Fokus the input instead of cutting it out. 

[Journal (10/2017 - xx/xxxx)]

07.05.2018

I followed the routine described in my last entry until a few weeks ago. I did get to less sleep (<6hours) so I eliminated my coding studies before work.  The last few days I realized also that I felt a lot of stress through all this input. I listened to appr. 2 hours of non-fiction audio books a day, learned a ton of new things at work and read in breaks on quora or my kindle app.  This is just too much. I couldn't relax anymore that's why I made a radical move over the last few days.

I stopped all input besides work and family. No audio books. No podcasts No reading in blogs/this forum/quora/books.

It is time for me to process all the input I stuffed into my brain over the last 2 years and I think cutting back input and increasing output is the way of doing it.

That is why I commit publicly to my no input detox. No new input/projects besides possibly some excercise and/or meditation until the 7th August. I will think and enjoy my surroundings instead of searching new interesting and helpful stuff all the time. I hope this will make me more focused at work and at home. I also hope it will make me happier because I hypothesize that if I don't feel so much pressure I can enjoy what I do more. 

It is possible that I intensify my web-programming in this phase, but only if i actually need it for my work and in work-time.

[Useful tools for managing your time consumption / setting plans etc. ??!?!]

Set yourself some goals and google Bullet Journal. It is a nice analogue time management system (and kind of trendy ;))

[Life still isn't meaningful and fun, pls help]

@Cindpline

You need try things and stick to them for some time. Usually if you stick to them for some time and see progress in skills like i.e. programming or at an music instrument the activities become interesting. My advice would be think of someone you find interesting and start doing similar activities. Then stick to one or two of them for a month and see if they start interesting you. As soon as you get passionate about something you will have enough to talk about with other people.

It all depends on what you deem productive. I think time with my family or friends is really productive and I actively try to maximize my time with them. I also think programming is productive which I really like doing. I also find my work productive, where I try to be as effective as possible to have a free mind for these other things I enjoy. Being productive and disciplines isn't a value for itself. It is a way to get more of the things you want in life.

[Giblet's Journal]

Welcome in team #noCoffee ;)

 

[A simple way to print my own journal?]

I don't think that any other solution exists right now as copy and paste. It would be cool to have  apdf export or something similar though. Maybe you could open a suggestion and with a bit of luck someone here can realize it.

[Captain Taru's Log: Out of the Fog]

Hey Hitaru,

I can definitely see grow in the way you handle the world around you. Your perception of things seems also to shift more to a "growth mindset". The environment and especially the people around you have a big impact on every aspect of your beeing. I think one of the best way to be happier in the long run is to build emaningful relationships with the right people. They don't even have to be positive world changers. Just standard people who don't are fucking anchors and only drag you down.

I am sorry to hear about your panic attacks but you seems to handle the results. Several people I know had similar problems. I personally never felt worse over them.

I wish you sincerely the best of luck and hopefullly less and less future anxiety attacks.

[90 Days: No Coffee]

I think I go along with you at this one. Was thinking about this for some time. Free capuccinos at work are dangerous.

#noCoffee

[Dont think parents will agree]

Hey Itsaproaching,

before you try to convince them, you should become clear for yourself why you want to quit.  If you now how gaming it affects you in a bad way, then write it down (here or inprivate). Only if you now the reasons your parents have a chance to understand you.

If that first step is gone talk to them about your feelings toward gaming and explain them what benefits you hope to reap from this detox. I would sell it as an experiment. 90 days to break old habits and to see if you feel better. I would focus on your feelings and try to open up to them why you suffering with games and want to become gamefree. But this is hard because it needs vulnerability.

So maybe you want to go with the logical argument whcih is compelling too:

1. As long you don't come around and ask for more substantial money for other activities it won't cost them anything.
2. The money is spent either way. What ever you do now doesn't affect them.
3. Less time gaming means more time studying and increases the possibility of success in school/university/life.
4. They have no right to choose what you do in your free time as long as it doesn't affect them immediatly or is setting your well beeing at risk.
5. It is just an experiment. Chances are high that you go back to games after the detox anyway in a healthier way (if you actually do that doesn't matter for the argument)

[[HEALTH] How can I improve my diet during and after the detox?]

There exist a lot of diets, methods and theories how to eat well.

Some contradict each other (low carb vs. low fat) and for all there is scientific background "proofing" that their style of eating is the best/healthiest/coolest etc. Their is too much information out there, for anyone not a nutrition expert to make sense of it. This makes the topic of eating really opinionated and hard to digest.

Another problem people with "bad" eating habits often face is guilt. If you aren't at your best form - and sometimes even then - people will talk about your weight and eating choices, and you will feel self-conscious because you don't "eat well" enough.Make yourself clear that what other people think isn't the problem. If you want to change your eating habits, this is something you do for yourself alone. In all seriousness: don't give a fuck what other people think in this area. It is your body and your life and you decide what you want.

I think a good approach is to try different things and watch your energy levels. If some style/cadence/type of eating helps you to feel energized over the day, go for it. This is the baseline of good eating. If you watch your energy levels you will see, that there is a big connection to your nutrition and the amount of water you drink. For example if I binge a bag of chips I feel depleted half an hour later. That's why I avoid eating a lot of junk-food.

If you take this approach of thinking in the effect of energy levels, will hopefully let you focus on what is good for you and not on what society, your girlfriend or you mother think is good for you. Then take it it from there.

[Zeke's Daily Journal]

Hi Zeke,

I am sorry that I couldn't post that week how I promised, but you have found your own solution which is great.

I think you are reflecting a lot right now which is good in general, because it keeps you intentional. I can't tell you what community, book or activity will be the most beneficial but you seems to develop a "feeling" for it. If you think it is time for something new go for it. Trust your instincts. If you think a lot about your goals and the different way to reach them - as you obviously do - your subconscious is working on the problem too. You realize this if you get a "feel" for the right move. This is the result of your previous reflection.

On 9.4.2018 at 3:27 AM, zeke365 said:

That it for today tell me your thoughts on this, it almost like I want a new experience but not sure what experience I want? 

 

This just means that you want to try new things. You can never now if new things will feel good or bad. This is the inherent nature of new things. It makes them exciting and a bit dangerous. But to experience new things is pushing your boundaries and enlarge your horizon. It doesn't matter that you don't know what experience you want. You want something new. So keep your eyes and your mind open for new opportunities.

Best of Luck to you!

[Zeke's Daily Journal]

Hey Zeke I just had time to skim your journals and saw your wish for feedback but I have to run right now. Sometimes in the next week I read it thourougly and let you know my thoughts.

[Just keep going and see what happens]

Hey Zala,

welcome back. I think it is great that you reflecting on this. I think sometimes we jsut see what happens to us and react but never take time to think about ourselves and the reason for bad things to happen.

Wishes and dreams can be tricky. I enver allowed myself to dream so it was liberating for me to actually allow myself to set goals and want to achieve smth. more then the norm(what ever this is). That doesn't mean it is something for you. I listened and read a lot of smart people who say "follow your passion"/"follow your dreams" is exceptional bad advice. And I see the logic in this. You just have no way of knowing if you real enjoy what you plan/wish/dream for if it gets reality.

My way of dealing with this problem is to try to focus first on things which have a big pile of evidence that they make a big percentage of the living people happier.  Social interactions with family and friends, the feeling of progress in smth., excercise/sleep routine/healthy eating. You don't need to know if it makes you actually happy, because you can assume it in a fairly confident way that these things are making you happier in the long run. If gaming doesn't seem like the root problem right now try to pick the one thing out of this little list which resonates most with you and try to focus on improving your life in this area. Start a little daily habit and document what you are doing somewhere. These are real save bets at investing your time.

Before you don't feel confident with this baseline of your life there will be no job/spouse/thing which makes you happy. But if you got some of these points figured out and are fairly happy with your actual state, then you can start to set bigger goals and dreams. For some people it helps to get them going if they shoot for the stars and reach the moon. I just feel inconsequetial if I do it. My longtime goals are more general directions and my short time goals little bets which sometimes pay off and sometimes not. As long as I got the basics done it doesn't matter that much if they do.

Right now I am focussing on beeing nice to my family and friends, beeing interested in their lives, getting some minimal excercise and progressing in my programming skills every week and I am more self-confident and happy with my life then I can remember to be any time in my past. So this approach seems to work for me. Maybe it works for you to.

[Mike's Journal]

On 25.3.2018 at 11:13 PM, mikeyb93 said:

Tying into the above I am on module 5. I like the idea of splitting things into 25 minute blocks with a short break. It sounds like a very good way to keep myself from bored and going back to browsing twitter or 4chan.  The only issue for me is that I am self employed and I need to schedule my work as well and most of my work is not different enough for me to split into 25 minute sections. I think a lot of my problem is that I am prideful and as much as I way suck at time management I dont want to admit that I'm not at yet at the point where I can work for 1 hour straight without someone looking over my shoulder. I get far too ambitious with my schedule because I want to do everything, but fail, get mad at the schedule and end up doing nothing.

I think time managment is something real hard but potential rewarding if you get into the habit.

I tried different systems in the last 2 years but especially as my "job" was studying at home I couldn't get myself ot work on a schedule. I just never was able to stick to the stuff I wrote into it last day. I switched things around and procrastinated. I also somewhat lied to myself if I got some productive hours in.Now that I am employed (but can plan my commitments largely on my own) I am trying to get this problem under control. The game changer for me was jsut to write down what I am will do next and note the time. If I did something else (like browsing or another task) I would write down an end time to it and note the new stuff I am doing. And I would repeat this the whole work day. It doesn't take much time (maybe 20min/day in sum) but it is real hard because you realize how scattered and shitty your focus is and how little of your time you actually work. I think this excercise is foundational for everything else if you have a problem with structure. You need first the data to support your planning or else it will always feel like your new idea is better then the old. If you document what you do you can evaluate yourself and actually improve.

If you did this for a week you will ache for some time management because it feels real bad to see all these browsing and time waste written down on paper. Whatever then you'll do you can actually see your effectivness go up. This is real powerful. A side effect is that you are more intentional with your work if you simplay state what your doing before you get to it. For example if I would done this this morning I wouldn't be on gq but study right now. That was why I opened my laptop. Monkey mind at his finest. I think I will do this habit again to see if my new scheduling plan does me good. Seems like I mainly convinced myself to do smth. with this comment. Again.

[My VGRM 90 day detox]

Hey stopping lol was a big step at becomeing gamefree for me. This shitty game brought me down pretty hard (I also bingewatched youtube a ton). I would really advice you to find other activities to give you dopmaine instead of youtube in general. It is hard to let that that part of your life go but it is necessary if you wan't to start new and move oyur life in a positive direction. Old habit don't die fast thouhg. If you are avoiding hard things or feeling down it will come naturally to you just to open your browser and loooking at them. Afterwards you usually feel bad or even get cravings to reinstall that black hole again. Don't do it. Don't rely on yourself to ahve willpower in this moment.

Find another thing you enjoy and do it instead. It doesn't even have to be a "good" habit. It can be a less bad one like watching anime or reading fiction. For me personally audiobooks and walks are a great way to deal with bad feelings but do what floats your boat. Just don't lie to yourself and don't break your commitment. You did this in the past. remember you called this detox VGRM. don't just overlook this day over day. This will make you feel like shit otherwise.