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The_Creative_Quitter

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On 12/19/2021 at 10:58 AM, Pochatok said:

Second this issue, heh. My gaming urges are usually strongest around this time and early summer. Not over-relying on my own discipline and instead using a lot of blocking/restricting tools has helped me get through. Currently blocking Netflix as it seems to be replacing my urge to game. 

Yes!!!!  Exactly!  Especially around the holidays, when everyone is relaxing and having fun...  so prone to playing at this time of year - those little excuses "just for the holidays" .." what harm will it do" .. "hey it's Christmas, have some fun, relax"  ... and the old gaming friends writing and going "come on, we miss you, it's Christmas, come on in...  That's the hardest part, resisting gaming friends... but, there are other ways to be social, without getting sucked back into an endless, fruitless grind.  Glad that the blockers are helping!  

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Dec 21, 2021

3 Things I'm happy for today:

-Sunflower seeds
-Good quality Paper
-String Lights

7 Things I did today:

-Made a huge pot of soup
-Baked brownies
-Made Tuna Salad
-Worked on an "Achievement" -based task list (kind of like WOW's achievements panel, only for artwork-related stuff, silly, eh? But kinda fun actually....)
-Took 3 work calls
-Went for a light walk in the cool/overcast weather
-Stretched 

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3 hours ago, The_Creative_Quitter said:

Dec 21, 2021

3 Things I'm happy for today:

-Sunflower seeds
-Good quality Paper
-String Lights

7 Things I did today:

-Made a huge pot of soup
-Baked brownies
-Made Tuna Salad
-Worked on an "Achievement" -based task list (kind of like WOW's achievements panel, only for artwork-related stuff, silly, eh? But kinda fun actually....)
-Took 3 work calls
-Went for a light walk in the cool/overcast weather
-Stretched 

Sounds like you did some meal prepping! Great job. 

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Dec 22, 2021

3 days until Christmas!

Things I have to do today:

-Christmas-related activities
-Stay off the news and social media stuff; I may have done too much of that last night.
-Finish my "Achievement" list - though that will be an ongoing, ever-changing thing, probably.
-Prioritize ^ that list

Wishing you all a happy week.

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20 hours ago, The_Creative_Quitter said:

Finish my "Achievement" list - though that will be an ongoing, ever-changing thing, probably.
-Prioritize ^ that list

Good luck with these two, I think I had a very similar tasklist a couple months ago haha. It was difficult to achieve that last task- prioritizing new things/responsibilities is just not very fun at first and seems like a lot of work. Idk if that's true for you, but in case it is, I'd recommend skipping to the specifics on your tasklist- instead of saying that you will be prioritizing the list, focus on how you're going to be prioritizing. 

Cheers, hope you enjoy Christmas!

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3 hours ago, Pochatok said:

prioritizing new things/responsibilities is just not very fun at first and seems like a lot of work

It definitely does - that's why I'm trying to get really specific and break it down into "mini" achievements - I think that's what you mean by "how"..?

In the past I've made these project/task lists but wasn't specific enough - maybe that's a key.. I'm thinking it failed before because I wasn't specific enough and failed to break things down into well-defined little bite-sized pieces - the big goals are just too vague/nebulous/overwhelming.  So Main project name in top folder, and broken down into Tasks and THEN sub-tasks (the little bite-sized things).  It's taking me some time just to do it - but I figure, hey, it worked for me in a game... maybe it will work in real life... 

Really appreciate the input, this is an area (as simple as it SHOULD be) I've struggled with.

A Merry Christmas to you too Pochatok!

 

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Dec 28, 2021

7 Things I'm Happy for today:

-Christmas food memories 
-The ability to be so full and sick of sweet, rich, holiday foods that I can quit it now and get back on track
-Giving food away to people who actually want to eat it
-Pants that are one size larger that forgive Christmas food-eating
-Humor when things get rough
-Not replacing game cravings with food cravings (or social media, or whatever else)
-Activities not involving food

Now I need to fast a couple of days or so because here comes New Year's!  :7_sweat_smile:

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3 hours ago, The_Creative_Quitter said:

Dec 28, 2021

7 Things I'm Happy for today:

-Christmas food memories 
-The ability to be so full and sick of sweet, rich, holiday foods that I can quit it now and get back on track
-Giving food away to people who actually want to eat it
-Pants that are one size larger that forgive Christmas food-eating
-Humor when things get rough
-Not replacing game cravings with food cravings (or social media, or whatever else)
-Activities not involving food

Now I need to fast a couple of days or so because here comes New Year's!  :7_sweat_smile:

Perfect mindset. 

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Dec 29, 2021

I don't think this counts as a lapse???  Felt nostalgic for some Tolkien stuff, as we watched the films over Christmas.  Played LOTRO in the past, though it was the lesser of the addictive MMO's I've played in the past.

I love the environments in that game - sometimes I would log in just to look at the environments and listen to the music, run around and log out without playing.   Someone actually created a run-through from Bag-End to Rivendell, IN GAME, as if to recreate Bilbo's journey with Gandalf and the dwarves in "The Hobbit."   I thought it was hilarious, so I listened (partly watched) the video, while I worked on some artwork.

I only felt a small twinge of a temptation to play the game thereafter.   Still committed to my full year with no games (~10 months to go lol).

Hope you're all enjoying the Holidays. All for now.

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Dec 30, 2021

I wonder if there are others like me who have to live in an urban/suburban area, that have childhood memories of the countryside and miss it - who are prone to wanting to escape into environments like in LOTRO (as I mentioned in the last journal)?   Seems to me gaming tends to fulfill certain human needs - albeit in an illusory way - social needs, environmental needs...   

Sometimes I think... too much of society's attention being lost into these games is costing us in other ways.  Possibly very grievous ways.  Those that were alive before these games took over remember how different the world was.   Imagine what the world would / could be if we put as much effort into our real surroundings instead of into games and these other distractions...

Of course I'm speaking as someone both drawn to and repelled by them, a somewhat hypocritical position.  Beautiful illusions.   

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2 hours ago, The_Creative_Quitter said:

Dec 30, 2021

I wonder if there are others like me who have to live in an urban/suburban area, that have childhood memories of the countryside and miss it - who are prone to wanting to escape into environments like in LOTRO (as I mentioned in the last journal)?   Seems to me gaming tends to fulfill certain human needs - albeit in an illusory way - social needs, environmental needs...   

Sometimes I think... too much of society's attention being lost into these games is costing us in other ways.  Possibly very grievous ways.  Those that were alive before these games took over remember how different the world was.   Imagine what the world would / could be if we put as much effort into our real surroundings instead of into games and these other distractions...

Of course I'm speaking as someone both drawn to and repelled by them, a somewhat hypocritical position.  Beautiful illusions.   

I live in a countryside now. I grew up in the country and then went to the city for college and disliked it after a while. Less stress out here. 

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22 hours ago, BooksandTrees said:

I live in a countryside now. I grew up in the country and then went to the city for college and disliked it after a while. Less stress out here. 

That's the future goal - saving to build out in the country one day, less stress indeed - in many ways - although a bit less convenience in other ways.  Country life is healthier though for sure, I'd say.  

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January 2, 2022

Feeling post-holiday lethargy, still resisting temptation to reinstall just to do a few stupid game achievements.  Baffled as to why that has any importance to my brain whatsoever. :29_smirk:

Reminding myself, it's only an illusion, no value there.  Waste of time that leads to more wastes of time --- not to mention back on the dopamine drip, which I do NOT want to be.  Must go get busy and stop thinking about it, I'm feeling a bit weaker today.  :2_grimacing:

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5 hours ago, The_Creative_Quitter said:

Waste of time that leads to more wastes of time

TL;DR: Pretty much no activity is truly a "waste of time", they can offer something valuable if approached from the right direction/with the right mindset.

 

I am wondering if it would be helpful for you- as it was for me- to reframe from thinking of gaming as a "waste of time" to something that simply does not fit into your future goals/plans/self. 

This isn't a thinking path I've seen anywhere really, but it has helped me get a better relationship with gaming (which has not increased my urges to play at all but has allowed me to view gaming as not something completly useless/evil) and a number of other activities. 

I used to think that gaming, watching TV, taking care of my hair, and a bunch of other activities were a "waste of time" because they did not fit my lifestyle for whatever reason. But, all of those activities we despise for whatever reason do have a purpose in someone else's life. Numerous video game developers I've read about choose these careers for very beautiful reasons.Even for myself, gaming used to be something genuinely positive and useful (I've gained a strong love for art through video games, for example). But, it is no longer valuable to me. The question is then, how do I redefine what purpose video games can have in my life?

What helps me stay away from activities that are undersirable, then, is simply asking "does this activity align with who I want myself to be in the future?", or "is this activity helping me achieve my goals?". For gaming, the answer is no- one of my dreams is to work as a video game composer/artist, but playing games isn't the best way to achieve that dream. Instead, I listen to video game soundtracks, watch gameplay videos from time to time, and listen to a lot of interviews/podcasts with real video game artists and/or composers. 


This way, I get to both have a healthy relationship with video games, stay away from playing video games, and get closer towards achieving my dreams!

 

Hope this is good food for thought, and thank you for reading this! Have a good few first days of 2022 🙂

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18 hours ago, Pochatok said:

I am wondering if it would be helpful for you- as it was for me- to reframe from thinking of gaming as a "waste of time" to something that simply does not fit into your future goals/plans/self. 

I love your thoughts!   When I said "waste of time" - yeah that was sort of me doing a purposeful "sour grapes" trying to get my mind off the games.  I completely understand what you're saying.   I used to BE one of those game developers as well, so I know what you mean - for some its part and parcel of their lives and it's expected of them to be playing a lot.

I see what you mean though, in rephrasing our thoughts and words how it can reframe and reshape our perspective in a "happier" sort of way.  Yeah, I'll try to kind of edge myself in that direction - not so much sour grapes as "meh, I don't really need it."   --That said, on the days where I'm really struggling you might see me pull out the sour grapes card again... :7_sweat_smile:       Thank you Pochatok!

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January 4, 2022

3 Things I'm trying to improve:

-Going to sleep earlier and more consistently
-Decision-making skills
-Learning when to simplify things (in writing and creating, etc)

It's good to find out what issues I need to work on that were NOT really caused by the gaming habit but have other underlying causes.  Enjoy your week!

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On 1/3/2022 at 2:14 PM, The_Creative_Quitter said:

I love your thoughts!   When I said "waste of time" - yeah that was sort of me doing a purposeful "sour grapes" trying to get my mind off the games.  I completely understand what you're saying.   I used to BE one of those game developers as well, so I know what you mean - for some its part and parcel of their lives and it's expected of them to be playing a lot.

I see what you mean though, in rephrasing our thoughts and words how it can reframe and reshape our perspective in a "happier" sort of way.  Yeah, I'll try to kind of edge myself in that direction - not so much sour grapes as "meh, I don't really need it."   --That said, on the days where I'm really struggling you might see me pull out the sour grapes card again... :7_sweat_smile:       Thank you Pochatok!

Haha, I understand! I think that both approaches are very helpful depending on your situation. I do need to shift to that sour grapes mindset from time to time too 😆

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19 hours ago, Pochatok said:

Haha, I understand! I think that both approaches are very helpful depending on your situation. I do need to shift to that sour grapes mindset from time to time too 😆

January 5, 2022

Combining response and my journal.  Pochatok - glad you're a fellow 'warrior' in this - you guys make me happy I decided to try the journaling and officially make the commitment.  In a world where the gaming is unbelievably popular, it's not necessarily the 'easy' road for us is it...  

Love Cam's new video, just watched it!  Bless you Cam...  I so appreciate what he does - though it did take me some time to jump on board.

Just Grateful today.  Enjoy your day, to whomever reads.

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January 6, 2022

A neighbor passed away recently, leaving a widow, who's a very nice lady.  Her relatives live far away and so some of us are trying to encourage and comfort her in what small ways we can.

7 Things I'm grateful for today:

-Loved ones/friends
-That God (who must have been very frustrated trying to get me to stop gaming too much) finally did it before I lost all opportunity to do things I really wanted to do in this life.
-The opportunity each day above ground presents me with.
-On a lighter note... (Lighter notes)
-Spaghetti & Meatballs
-Stray cats that warm up to you, if you're kind and patient enough
-Coffee!!!

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January 8, 2022

Is it just me or do the days fly by in a blink?

I am still a work in progress, such is life.  Still trying to improve in small ways, still making mistakes/backsliding on certain things BUT I have not reinstalled nor played any games yet.  Need to work on the tendency to get sucked into other distractions (Social media especially).  I may be doing it as an avoidance mechanism for fear my efforts in endeavors that are new to me will fail.
Need to turn and face these challenges.  I think I WILL look into blocking sites and apps more effectively.  

Have a great day!

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