ThePerfectApology

Day 10 (1/3/2016) Still no games.

Day 8 (28/2/2016) I've been thinkin bout the phrase "a blank slate" a lot today. When I first read it in Respawn it did not mean much, but now it has almost become a symbol for me. What's so amazing bout quitting video games is that it opens up a whole new chapter in the book of life, only this time you are the master of your own destiny. Note to self --> still no video games. Quote of the day: Purpose is the reason you journey. Passion is the fire that lights your way.

Day 7 (27/2/2016) Finally finished my calendar today and "discovered" that I had approximately 56 hours of free time every week. Its kinda shocking that I basically spent all those hours playing video games before, then on randomly browsing the web. It's mind-boggling actually. If I spent that much time on lets say, piano each week, I would be the next Mozart in a year or two (just kidding)...(maybe not). The dilemma is going to be how I can fill all that free time. I am considering taking longer walks each day and maybe trying to swim at the nearby swimming hall, or something like that. At least Lady Luck favours the one who tries. Some more exciting news: I finally started feeling cravings! ----> And I didn't give in! Instead I filled it with some reading, a bit of piano, KA computer programming and a long walk. If I can get into a routine of doing that overtime I will hopefully be on a good road to recovery. Quote of the day: I do not think much of a man who is not wiser than he was yesterday. -Abraham Lincoln Gratitude journal: -Living in the 21st century -Access to fresh food and water -Friendly dog -Ability to read lots of books

Day 5 (25/2/2016) Still no video games, thats all there is to say today.

Day 5 - (24/2/2016) Yesterday I experienced perhaps the biggest shock of my life. I had been called in to do a checkup at a military base, a year after I had gotten a letter about my possible draft in the military. I'm not sure how things work in other countries, but here in Norway if you don't want to go to the military, you just say no. So when I entered through those doors thats what I was thinking. No mumble jumble, just tell them my current plans confidently and how they conflict with going to the military. Long story short: I got sent to the military for 12 months starting in april. Afterwards I sat crying in the car,in an empty parking lot in the middle of nowhere. All my plans had suddenly gone up in smoke. It has only been three weeks since I dropped out of school to follow my dream of learning artificial intelligence. The deed had been carefully planned through many months, with plans on how much I should work each day, the classes required and so on. I finally felt like I was in control of my own life, instead of being seated on a pre-made rollercoaster through life. Finally I could work how much I wanted as often as I wanted. Then bam. Life had just punched me straight down again. A couple of hours later I was much changed. Perhaps the military would not be so bad after all. I mean... I could work on my social skills there, continue my non-gaming promise and get in better shape. That can't be so bad right? Maybe this was actually a gift instead of a wound. Anyway, peace out. PS: still not doing anything gaming related , though I watched an interview with pewdiepie . Not sure how I feel about that one. . Quote of the day: "When life gives you lemons make lemonade - Somebody Gratitude journal: Happy that I am able to see positive things where many people would only see negatives.

Day 3 - short post (22/2/2016) Still have not relapsed, but I have learned a valuable lesson. I need to start preparing more for the cravings I know will come in the future, which have been the reasons for my failures before. I need to finish Respawn firstly, and then make a dedicated plan on how I will implement the necessary tricks to build greater immunity against relapsing. I may not feel the urges now, but I know that they are hiding in my brain somewhere, waiting for a time when I'm weak and then strike! Quote of the day: By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail. -Benjamin Franklin Gratitude journal: I'm grateful because... -I live in a safe country -I am healthy and disease free -I have a family -I have a way of transportation

Takk for de omtenksomme ordene DanielK, I'll be sure to heed your advice.

Day 2 (21/2/2016) Today was quite a productive period. I overslept three hours from my usual time, but made it up for by doing some experimentation with new habits. I tried out 30 minutes of playing the piano, 30 minutes of coding on KA and 15 minutes of meditation. I also did an hour of math, as it is starting to become quite fun and I can't wait two whole days without fiddling around with it (I usually don't do math in the weekends). Also bought a book called the magician, so I can have something for when I'm bored and/or tired as Cam says. Since I know have my creative, goal oriented hobbies sorted out (also thinking about brushing up on my spanish again...) the next step is to figure out more relaxing hobbies (not counting mindless web surfing and Netflix like I usually do) and social hobbies. Unfortunately I live in a very rural place, with few to none opportunities... It shows though that Rome was not built in one day, and so in time I will figure out this puzzle. Think I read that Cam advices us to keep a calendar to fill with stuff to do, so I will definitely try that out. Quote of the day: Deficiencies of innate ability may be compensated for though persistent hard work and concentration. One might say that work substitutes for talent, or better yet that it creates it. -Santiago Ramon y Cajal Gratitude journal: Thankful for the fact that I have food to eat, clothes to wear, a warm room and a nice laptop.

First day 20/2/2016 I have been able to go a day without touching a game or anything that has to do with gaming in general. To pass the time on this Saturday I have been reading through respawn, and I'm currently stuck at mentally challenging activities. What is bothering me currently is if I should take up the piano as a hobby to pass the time or not. I regularly started doing math from 05:30 to 12:30 Monday-Friday and I am afraid that I have used up all my willpower at this point, which will make me get a burnout period. However I do have 8 hours 30 minutes before I have to go to bed, so I have to do something in that time period. Oh well, I think this quote is good for this situation. Quote of the day: "It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. -Confucius

Hello My name is Torleif and I have been playing video games since I was 6 six years old. Finding words to describe how much video games have ruined my life is not easy, so I would rather tell you about how I have tried to change for the better in the previous three years until now. In 2013 I moved to a private christian boarding school (not christian btw) to try to break my gaming addiction. Up until that I had been playing constantly 4-6 hours a day for a year, mainly League of Legends. I was hoping that this would change me for the better but alas, i failed. Many of the new friends that I met at the boarding school were gamers also, and they quickly sucked me into the addiction again. I ended up almost failing in math by the end of the year, though i had an A+ from primary school, and my family was extremely disappointed in me. Most of all, I was disappointed in myself. I tried again to fight my addiction by travelling to the US as an exchange student for a year and this time I really screwed up. In the US I met some of the best people I had ever met, who were kind, interesting and funny. They were the people I had always wanted to hang out with, but my social anxiety got the best of me. I joined after school activities such as cross-country running, but it still was not enough. I ended up spending my time with people I did not feel comfortable with, who were gamers and procrastinators just like me. Though I managed to not play any video games for 10 months, I was still watching it on Youtube, Twitch, reading gaming news and so on. Coming back to Norway again made me realise I was never fully clean. To truly quit video games I have to completely avoid everything that has to do with it and replace it with new hobbies and passions. That's why I broke off contact with all my gamer friends in Norway (who were mean and rude), change my mindset from fixed to growth and finally quit school. I did this because a site called Udacity was guaranteeing a job through their online program (https://www.udacity.com/course/machine-learning-engineer-nanodegree--nd009). Now I wake up at 5am Monday-Friday doing math for 8 hours so I can take the online degree. I have turned to this site in hopes of getting help with keeping my gaming addiction under control, or better yet get rid of it completely. I have relapsed several times the past two months, installing League of Legends for a day and playing 6-8 hours, then uninstalling it again. Also this whole time I have been watching gaming related stuff also. It feels like I am fighting a big, fire breathing dragon inside my head that wants to play or watch video games. I can only fight it for so long before it forces me to do these things. I really hope this site will change me for the better, and not let me wither away again.