wookieshark88

?I'm going on a reading binge once this semester is done! Too many good books being mentioned everywhere.

Cute girls? I'll post the cutest girl I know!

?It was great for me! I really needed to get things back together at that point! Last night was really relaxing. I was able to set up a lawn chair in the front yard and just sit comfortably in the cool autumn air with my beverage watching the lunar eclipse. Sitting there observing one of nature's wonders was a great time to practice mindfulness. It was so quiet, peaceful, and still. I have always had a fascination with space so it was great to have the time to take in the moment. Today was another good day even if it was a bit challenging. I woke up really congested, achy, and low on energy. Instead of heading to work right away, I got to stay home with my baby so I could take her to her doctor's appointment. She's right on track with her growth and development which is awesome! What wasn't so awesome was how much her shots upset her. It's tough to hear your own baby cry like that. After the appointment I went to work. Ideally I would stay home to rest and get better on a day like this, but I don't have any accumulated time off from work, and I don't want to get in trouble. This is a common problem at my job because there are always sick people at work who just infect more people who don't have enough accumulated time off either. I decided to take this as a challenge and get through the day with the least amount of physical exertion possible. I work at a desk so being still all day in a chair is probably decent enough rest. I got everything done that I needed to do (except for exercise). The doctor gave me plenty of preventative tips to keep my baby well so hopefully that works out. I'm thankful for: The beautiful show in the sky last night.Being positive even when not on the top of my game.A healthy baby.Keeping my habits (except for exercising).Having the self control to relax and not exercise when it's appropriate.Being able to be happy. Depression is no joke.Getting a good amount of homework done.Talking to my parents last night.My morning routine.Eating all my cholesterol lowering foods (green tea, walnuts, avocado, and oatmeal) today.

?It's going great! I'm honored that you would take the time to read my words! I hope they were helpful for you. This place has been getting very busy! I wanted to read every new post, but I have to just buckle down and write my journal entry. Today was a whirlwind of fun and achievement! We started the day off with a quick breakfast and went straight to the baby's swim lessons. We all had a blast there! We've gotten to know some of the other people there so it's fun to catch up with them and their kids. On the way home, we got a few chores done. From there, we batched cooked a fantastic white bean and turkey chili for lunch. We had enough leftovers for all of our lunches for the work week! We got three loads of laundry done, did some other cleaning, and played with the baby. For dinner, we made corned beef and cabbage with roasted veggies which was absolutely delicious. We then got the rest of our chores done for the day and are now relaxing together. I'm thankful for: Having the energy and mental clarity to accomplish everything I did today.Eating like royalty today.Having lunch all set for the week.Going for an afternoon walk in the nicest weather imaginable.The lunar eclipse tonight! I can't wait!Watching my baby's abilities grow.Resting after a busy day.Green tea.Walnuts.Avocado.

?We all feel alone in this in the beginning. All the millions of us (I bet there's millions of us) feel this way. That's why this place is great.

I believe that I'll be able to transition to completely unguided sessions at some point, but I love trying out his different visualization techniques. So far my favorite visualization technique is the one from the creativity series. I got the promo code for doing 90 days in a row so it's become a daily habit for me too!

Today was a great day! I had morning fun time with my baby. She was in a great mood, and she gets funner the older she gets. It's such a wonderful thing to be in the moment when I'm playing with her and not passing time until a video game session. I cannot imagine a better feeling than making her crack up with laughter! After morning playtime, I went to the library to study, do homework, and get my baby some different books for the week. It was such a such an effective use of my time. Library time is by far the most academically productive time for me. My wife is awesome that she'll spend a few hours holding down the fort at home while I get my schoolwork in order. After that, we brought the baby to grandma's house for playtime while the wife and I went to a huge corn maze! The weather was absolutely perfect for us to get some good exercise and have lots of fun! We didn't complete the maze like we did in 2013, but lots of laughs were had. We walked around that thing for about two and a half hours before deciding to get back to our baby. In 2013 we didn't have a baby so we were able to just keep at it until we completed it. Last year, the wife was limited in her mobility due to the pregnancy so we didn't go. Maybe the baby will want to go next year! Besides all of that, we got our groceries and did a bit of laundry. Tomorrow will be cooking, cleaning, organizing, and having more fun. I'm thankful for: Getting homework done.Good sales at the grocery store.Having fun at the corn maze.Getting lots of exercise at the corn maze.Baby laughs.A wife I can trust.Being at peace all day.Relaxing with a cat on my lap.Completing habits.Progressing towards goals.

?I look forward to your success and wisdom!

?Yes you may! I'll PM it to you now.

Headspace just sent me a 3 month coupon! Same rules as last time. First come first served!

That is an excellent post and exactly what I was hoping for from this thread! Your post is so real and thoughtful. I hope you're proud of your journey because you should be!

Wow! I believe I'm going to start designing my mind room!

I wrote a bunch in another thread here and that will be my journal entry for the day.

I think it would be awesome to have a place where we can celebrate the 90 day mark of quitting games together! How about if we post on here the five biggest improvements, lessons learned, or anything relevant you picked up during these 90 days after we hit this milestone? Maybe there can be other threads for longer milestones (180 days and 1 year), but I don't want to start a thread for a milestone I haven't hit. I'll start. I've made it to 90 days, and I feel like I conquered the impossible! This is easily my longs gameless streak in 25 years! I plan to keep on going and celebrate more milestones in the future! Here are my five points I want to share with everybody: I am happy! I learned that happiness and entertainment are not the same thing. This is something that I never really thought about until recently. Seek happiness and not entertainment! Self improvement books are not for losers. I remember watching "What about Bob?" with Bill Murray and getting the impression that I was admitting that I was a loser if I ever read a self improvement book. That image just stuck with me until I got to this site. I read The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and my misconception was forever shattered. Meditation is worth the small amount of time it takes. Learning to be still for a while and carry a sense of mindfulness throughout the day makes me more capable, organized, and energetic. Happiness is the key to success, not the other way around. Most of my life I felt that getting a degree and a good paying job is success, but it always seemed like some sort of dystopian future deep down inside. The reason I felt this way was because I couldn't imagine myself happy in this scenario. It stressed me out because I wasn't happy in my studies, and thought I wouldn't be happy after my studies either. Then I learned to be happy every day and enjoy my journey through life with no worries for end goal. Enjoy the present moment. The little choices in life make the biggest difference towards being successful. Heroic efforts are not sustainable. Doing things through willpower is not sustainable. Doing things while unhappy is not sustainable. First, learn how to make good habits. Second, make just one good habit that you know you can enjoy. Third, revel in the good feelings that come from doing this habit every time you do it. Fourth, add another habit once you feel like you got the hang of the first habit. Five, repeat these steps until you are very happy and making progress towards your goals in life.

I would like to hear about the mind room if you have a chance to explain it. This is fascinating to me. Also, your journal is so uplifting! I feel a bit happier since reading it.

?I don't know for sure, but I bet that they play games the way I have a drink or two. I enjoy a nice beverage two or three times a week in the late evening with my wife. It's just a nice way that we unwind and have fun together. If I was an alcoholic, that would be impossible because I would binge every time I tried to have just one drink. They just decompress a bit and get back to life soon afterwards.

Welcome aboard! All that gaming made you feel like crap. Use that feeling to break and start a new habit or two! Breaking and starting new habits is easiest when we're at our low points.

I'm a brand you member of the 3 month club myself! You'll feel great when you hit that milestone!

Welcome! Ask me anything you want! Getting things back on track really isn't that hard as long as you have the right strategy and mindset to go about doing it. 91 days ago I was a mess, but things are good now and have been for a while. I think you can do the same!

Welcome to the site! I used to always make sure to have the token amount of success so that I could feel less guilty about playing so much. That's kind of the vibe I get from your post (but not as extreme as me). Does that sound about right? If it does, I'd be happy to share any relevant info with you!

?I'd love to help! Today has been the best day so far this week! I've had more and more energy since the week has gone on. It's kind of weird. I must be the only guy in the world who keeps doing better and better throughout the work week. I got a lot done at work, was very attentive in class, didn't get very sleepy on my drive, had so much fun with my baby, got a lot of homework done, and had relaxing time with my wife! Earlier this morning, I was dragging a little bit and was a little bit cranky. I practiced my mindfulness and realized that I didn't really have a good reason to be upset. Then I thought about how I was working so hard to be successful and happiness is the key to success. This little thought sequence just cheered me up, and I proceeded to kick ass for the rest of the day. I'm thankful for: Lots of energy.Getting things done.My daily glass of cholesterol lowering wine.Being happy. As a lifelong sufferer of depression, this is a big deal!Mindfulness.Getting a lot of homework done. I don't always get a chance to do homework every evening.Baby laughs. It's the ultimate compliment. They're 100% genuine.Confidence.Learning that happiness is the key to success.Fall weather.

I really appreciate the advice on the matter of cholesterol! I'm going to take it under consideration and see how it goes. I started eating differently today, and I plan and getting my numbers checked again soon to see how they respond. I want to see if I can get the numbers right before going to a doctor because I don't really want prescription medications if I can avoid them. I already eat a ton of vegetables and fruits so I'll have to keep an eye on the red meats! Today I had a bit more energy than yesterday. I was able to exercise more and keep my habits like always. I'm thankful for: A new record low weight. 27 down and 8 to go!Enjoying my new foods.Reading lots of books with my baby.Using the grill for dinner.Dealing with lots of thoughts during my meditation. I was able to acknowledge and let them go.Getting a lot done at work.My goals and my belief that I can achieve them.Getting my school assignment done early.Having a positive mindset.90 days of no gaming! I'm so happy about this!

Today was good and more energy filled than yesterday! I still feel a little more sluggish than usual, but I'm trending in the right direction. I got my results back from my first test (99%). It's good to have strong start to the semester. I just have to keep it up! I got my blood work done today, and I have a new goal. My goal is to get my cholesterol under control. It is way too high! Blood pressure and weight are doing good though. Besides losing those last nine pounds, I need to get my cholesterol under 200 (I don't feel like looking up the units even though numbers without units annoy me). Today I was at 267 which is not good. Here is my strategy to get it right: I must not eat more than 3 eggs a week.I will make a habit of eating walnuts for my 9:30 AM snack when I used to have my eggs.I will have a small bowl of oatmeal in the afternoon around 2:00 PM.I will keep exercising.I will get my blood work done in a month or two to see how much progress I made.I'm thankful for: Becoming aware that I need to fix my cholesterol.Having a strong start to the semester.Playing with my baby.Being able to read the different posts on the forums.Not gaining any weight. I'm still nine pounds from my goal!The turkey tetrazini my wife and I made last night for dinner.Being almost done with Origin of the Species. I'm excited to start listening to Marcus Aurelius!Knowing how to make habits.Baby books.Progressing towards all of my goals.

?I do it in the morning almost all the time, I think whenever you do it is a matter of personal preference. For me, I just really like to have still time first thing in the morning because it's usually the last still time I get during the day. I think the key is to keep practicing meditation until it starts leaking into the rest of your life. If you find joy in doing meditation at one time of the day, that is the best time for you. If you don't enjoy it, it will require willpower. If it requires willpower, you'll have a hard day one day and the habit will crumble. I speak from experience with thousands of crumbled habits under my belt.

Today was a good day, but it wasn't the easiest. I had lots of energy to start the day, but I hit a wall in the afternoon and never got my energy back. I got everything done that I needed to as well as my habits. I'll probably have more energy tomorrow. I was able to get a little bit more ahead in my studies today which will help this week be a little easier. My mind doesn't really feel like thinking of more things to write so I'm going to wrap up. Just like my meditation, sometimes the quality isn't that great, but sticking with it every day has yielded fantastic results. I'm thankful for: The delicious morning smoothie my wife made me before work.Having some good laughs with my baby when I got home.Going for a walk with my wife when she got home from work.The fall weather. It's the best time of year around here.Learning about more books I should read.Resolving a conflict I had with a company.Making progress even when it isn't the easiest thing to do.Being able to smile throughout the day.Teaching my baby the joy of reading. She gets very excited for our favorite book!The wonderful dinner my wife and I made.