Piotr

For some time I was a lurker too. It's very good decision, that you started journal which certainly will help you to improve things. Good luck. Greeting, Piotr.

Journal entry #15 90 day of detox First step for living a better life has been made. I know, that I can handle my gaming problem, I feel that I have control over it. I know, I’ve changed for better and I can expand this progress. I don’t want to loose it, this momentum in my life that makes me do things which improve my life. At first, I was thinking about gaming after 90 days to know how I react to games and maybe try playing in moderation. But after reading other journals I've seen that mostly this leads to relapse, uncontrolled gaming, and not to playing in moderation. That’s why I’ve decided to extend my detox to 180 days! I'm also changing my strategy a bit. Previously I've focused mostly on gaming avoidance and less on improving my life(thats why on beggining of my detox I watched many movies, to fill my time, although better activities could be done). Now, when cravings are weak, I know that I can flip the numbers and focus more on better life. Because that's the point of detox, not only stop excessive gaming, but live a better life. Now the most important thing. I want to thank whole community for support and wisdom which brought me to where I am now. Special thanks to: @Cam Adair the reason why I'm here. For sharing your story, wisdom and experience. Words can't say how important person you became in my life, although, sadly we've never met. Hope to change this in the future @hycniejsy my countryman, accountability partner and mad pharmacist big thanks for your support! Also my gratitude goes to everyone who contributed to my journal, looking further for more of your posts: @Jeremias @Primmulla @WorkInProgress @Dannigan @Sashiku @Robin @DuckyMcDuck @AlexTheGrape That's all for now, more will come in the future.

Journal entry #14 87 day of detox Yesterday, I've failed at my fighting with procrastination. I've spent whole afternoon on watching movies. At, first it was supposed to be one movie, just to relax a bit, after tough day at work. Unfortunatelly, it went out of control and I've spent around six hours glued to screen with thoughts: laundry can be done tomorrow, I've learned for my studies 3 days straight so I need to rest a bit, I'm too tired for workout, reading books can wait, etc. I should be more carefull with rewarding myself, to not turn prize into a trap. I feel ashamed of it, how easily I wasted so much time, when so much productive things could be done. Thus, I've kept an eye on me today, to make sure that I will make things which were planned for today. Now, I'm writing after finishing all of them, just before sleep. Enemy won yesterday with no doubt, but again he showed his tactics making him vulnerable, and I'm gonna use this knowledge to turn my life for better.

Run into this forum instead of virtual world.

I think that important thing here, is to realize difference between using e mail for important stuff and procrastinating on it. You just have to use it wisely and even then think about not to overdose it.

Planning is the first step to make things done. It will not always be possible to get everything done as planned, but action will certainly bring you closer to better life. And that's the reason why the whole detox struggle is worth it.

Yours 2 cents are always appreciated

You've made best choice for living a better life! Keep strong and post regurarly. We are here to help you, don't hesitate to post in hard times, together, we will overcome hard days

Happy b-day Cam!!! <bro hugs> I think that powers ours community. Knowledge, that others are in the same position where we are. Lots of us changed for better, I applaud and admire this change, that's why I'm fan of everyone here too, because you're willing to change and you're becoming better! And that's awesome.

I don't think that this is something new, rather i re-focused my engagement from games to life. And that brought real results I try to balance every aspect of my life, because I was once talking with owner of financial company which is worth a few milions and he said that: "our life will be a good life only when other aspects of it are at their best. You can compare this to a wooden barrel(your life) which is made of planks(love, health, hobby, finances, relax etc.). You can pour into this barrel that much water, how long is the shortest plank. So if one of your life aspects is underdeveloped, in example: you're not taking any physical activity, than your body or health in general will suffer from it. You will get sick more often, this will lead to make you unable to work and that will lower your finances, so you had to resign from your hobby to make it to another payday etc.". Everything is connected that's why I'm trying to be in tune with my mind and body. Besides, I liked the personal development subject and I'm trying to be the best version of myself

Journal entry #13 84 day of detox I haven't posted lately, that's because I was busy in my work, with my studies and with my healthy habits. To catch up: still keeping up with the detox, abandoned learning HTML for a few days, due to the fact that programming reminded me of days when I've tried to wrote my own game, so I considerated it as a triger and set it away for a while. Still learning for my truck driver license, I even had my third ride today! I went swimming which I take as my new weekly activity. I was one from four students which passed math(integrals) test, from 25 students group(!) which I'm very proud of. Today: I had another great talk with my accountability partner @hycniejsy. It's great to speak with someone openminded in my native language. I wrote before that I need to try something new and I was advised by him that sometimes we just need to take diffrent route to home to experience something new. Following that I've started to use my left hand for daily activities, where I'm right-handed. I know this doesn't sound as anything big, at first it was even funny that I had to actually think how to hold toothbrush with my left hand, but later on I've done few activities and it was so developing, that I almost felt like discovering a new muscles. It's great excercise for other half of the brain, and what is developing, what expands your abilities, is worth doing. Also I need to find out when I'm actually tired, that I need to regenerate and can allow myself for doing something non-productive, and when I'm actually not tired that much, but I'm using it as excuse to procrastinate. Another days will bring even more positive changes Have a good night/day, Piotr.

Yes. You will overcome it. Just keep strong, focused and consistent. It's good to have planned day so you will know what you have to do for today and after finishing that you can reward yourself with like one hour of procrastination. Also, remember that sometimes you have to force yourself to do something, after few times it will become your habit and it will be easier to do this. I recommend to watch Cam video on motivation(the one where he swears a lot If you haven't seen it already.

I have a friend which makes models too. I know the hardship it takes. Good job, keep it this way! Greetings, Piotr.

That's nice! Congratulations!

Journal entry #12 79 day of detox Lastly I've kept my goals, very well. I'm even impressed, that it's getting easier for me to study instead of procrastinate. Although I found out that my activities are a bit of "closed circle", it's working great for detox, but I think that sometimes I need to try something new, instead of repeating same activities. Maybe not even something new, but something which I haven't done in a while. I will have now a bit more to study, because semester is coming to an end, but somehow I need to reconcile my duties, with my personal growth and relax. I am also willing to focus more on this community, to gain more of yours experience and share mine. If not you guys, I will be probably at the bottom again, it's hard to say how grateful I am, so I think the best way to do it, would be to express it in returning support and wisdom. Have a great day! And as always, thank you for reading. Greetings, Piotr.

Congratulations!!! We will celebrate another 90 day soon

It's nice to watch more "after the detox" series, can't wait to see more! People often take 90 days, as some magicial line, which when crossed, deletes all our problems with gaming. But it's nothing magical with it, I would even say that this is a dangerous moment, because our cravings are weaker, we don't want to game so much and this leads to underestimating the opponent. Later, things happens as @Cam Adair said in the video. Thus, to raise our shields, we should double activities/things which fulfill our life, gives us happines and results. In my opinion, during the detox, we should focus like 70% of our potential to discard gaming and 30% to improving our lifes. After the detox, when our brain gets used to normal level of stimulation and cravings are not so strong as they were, we should change the numbers, and focus more on better life. BUT, still be aware of danger! ! !

In my past, I often blamed myself for things I've done, even more often for things I didn't done. Spend lots of after-school time on piting on myself and even at some point I think that I made myself depressed because of this. Then I realized that this leads to nowhere, piting on myself causes no more, than more pity. It's a dead end or rather closed circle. So break out of it, think more about things that you're good at, than things that bring you down. Just don't give up and be strong. Cause writing here, admitting, means that you're one of the strongest and have great potential. Can't wait to see you rise up Greetings, Piotr.

I can't find better words to describe what you wrote. We think of detox mostly in means of avoiding gaming, where this is only one side of the coin, the other one is to improve our lifes. Second aspect, should be repeated more often, cause people rarely think about it.

Don't give up. Hard times shouldn't make you quit detox, they should remind you about bad impact games cause. It's good to write reasons why you've started detox, this will be a good "panic button" once you feel cravings.

Journal entry #11 75 day of detox Nothing much to write about, some goals were kept, some not. Again, few thoughts came to my mind, on what I could do, but most of them are unreachable for now. Yesterday summary: Continued reading ResilienceI was learning for my driving license courseMet my cousinSpend some time with my girlfriend(went out for a walk + watching movie)Missed one mealHaven't learned anything for my studies(procrastination again)Meditated

Runescape was my life destroyer too. Although I love this game, it's one of the greatest I ever know and I have very good memories with it. I know that this game can take your life. You can read over the internet, how many RS addicts there are over the world and you can easily see that this game contains so many mechanics to make you addicted, that you can think of it as intentionaly designed virtual drug. I couldn't stop playing it, that's why I know I should and started my detox. Now, I'm 74 days Runescape free. And you can be too, you've got my support on this

Thank you all for your kind wishes Journal entry #10 74 day of detox Finally, I've got my hands on Resilience by Eric Greitens (one of books advised by Cam). At first, I've started reading with a pencil, to underline meaningful for me sentences, but then I've realized that it's pointless. I've never read so life-wise book, since Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo six years ago. This is what I need right now, because I'm lastly struggling with that memory(or rather feeling) from games, where I am the saviour, saving others, worlds even, where I'm the hero, I'm the world guardian. Game stories gave me that feeling that I'm needed, essential to make everything right, that I have to do something important and that's what I'm doing. Where in real life, there is no global cataclysm to be stopped. Not everyday is filled with adrenaline and heroic actions. I'm not needed in the way games made me feel. That was just developers trick, to hook me into the game, by giving this unreal feeling, possible only to achieve in virtual worlds. Previously mentioned book, although I've already read like a quarter of it, showed me that real life counterpart of this feeling is success in our goals, preceded by everyday hardship, and that life is not about making change but everyday changing for better. And that's something I'm going for ! ! ! Lastly, I've neglected my journal consistency a bit, writing only importants things that came to my mind. I forgot that journal, is not only for really sophisticated entries but also to keep track of my activities. That's why I think that everyday needs a summary. Yesterday summary: I've read a bookI've mown the lown at my mother houseI've traveled with my girlfriend, to the nearest lakes, it's funny how sometimes we don't realise how beautiful world is right beneath our houses(unfortunatelly, wind was too strong for kayaking and water temperature is too low for swimming )Done my workout.Kept my healthy diet habit of eating at least 5 meals a day(I need to gain some mass, cause I'm skinny). Too bad that one of this meals, wasn't so healthy(cheeseburger and energy drink.Thank you for reading! Greetings, Piotr.

Hi! You've made a wise decision to change your life for better. As hycniejsy said, it's nice to see more people from Poland!

Congratulations on completing your detox! Also your fap detox is going very well, keep it this way. Greetings, Piotr.