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Ben's Daily Journal


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The concept of my journal is simple: 1 good habit to stick to, 1 bad habit to eliminate, what went well today, what I could have improved on, what I plan to do tomorrow. Aiming more for consistency than quantity of content so gonna keep it short. For my first post I'm gonna list out all of my good and bad habits first then slowly pick them from this list:

Good things I wanna improve at:
- meditation
- learning to control my thoughts
- keeping up with news and general knowledge (covid, financial, politics, technology, history)
- learn about different industries for career
- public speaking (confidence, pronunciation)
- time management (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly plan / assignment planning)
- exercise and build fit body
- gradually reduce procrastination
- going out in public alone without the fear of what others think
- consistent study / learn something new everyday
- typing speed and efficiency
- learn Cantonese

- game development (pixel art, sound design, game design)

- read books

- consistently check emails

- practise pomodoro and consistent breaks in between work

- be more emotionally resilient (not taking everything personally)

 

Bad habits to eliminate:
- inconsistent sleep schedule and sleeping late

- laying in bed after waking up
- staying in comfort zone (try new stuff/activities)
- self doubt and keep double check
- porn detox

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DAY #0 of Daily Journaling (14/11/22 - Monday)

1. Good habit to nurture:

DAY #0: Practise meditation

 

2. Bad habit to gradually reduce:

DAY #0: Sleep at least 15 mins earlier from the night before + no screens 15 mins before bed

 

3. What went well today / things I'm grateful for:

- went cycling for the first time in around 2 months

- added some habits, dailies and to do's in Habitica

- did some programming on paper on tile shuffling mechanic in Sheep Sheep Game

- meditate for 15 mins before sleep on Balance App

 

4. What I could have done better:

- still lazed around a bit and watched too much Youtube

 

5. Plans for tomorrow:

- learn more about Habitica features (rewards, add dailies, to do's, join party)

- program finish shuffling feature in Sheep Sheep Game

- reenrol for next semester's units

 

Gonna update this journal every night from today onwards. Wish me luck!

Edited by Procrastinating Engineer
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DAY #1 of Daily Journaling (15/11/22 - Tuesday)

1. Good habit to nurture:

DAY #1: Practise meditation

 

2. Bad habit to gradually reduce:

DAY #1: Sleep at least 15 mins earlier from the night before + no screens 15 mins before bed

Time I stopped screens: 3:30am (15 mins before bed)

Time I went to bed last night: 3:45am (15 mins earlier than night before)

 

3. What went well today / things I'm grateful for:

- helped my dad solve his keyboard issue

- completed shuffle game mechanic in Sheep Sheep Game (so proud!)

shuffle.gif.b9fd78c69d4afb1d17e25ceea1e97f13.gif

 

4. What I could have done better:

- watched a whole movie even before doing anything productive for the day

- didn't manage to meditate during daytime (plan to start meditating before doing any work starting tomorrow)

- didn't manage to reenrol for next semester's units

 

5. Plans for tomorrow:

- meditate during daytime (plan to start meditating before doing any work starting tomorrow)

- reenrol for next semester's units

- learn more about Habitica features (rewards, add dailies, to do's, join party)

- continue on Sheep Sheep Game development:

  • add game over and win screen (add these to the play test stage too)
  • add progress bar + level name at top in play level


Overall not really satisfied with my performance today but I'm sure I can do better! Gonna start listening to a hype song after I wake up to get me motivated for the day tomorrow. Lets do this!

Edited by Procrastinating Engineer
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DAY #2 of Daily Journaling (16/11/22 - Wednesday)

1. Good habit to nurture:

DAY #2: Practise meditation

 

2. Bad habit to gradually reduce:

DAY #2: Sleep at least 15 mins earlier from the night before + no screens 15 mins before bed

Time I stopped screens: 3:30am (15 mins before bed)

Time I went to bed last night: 3:45am (0 mins earlier than night before)

 

3. What went well today / things I'm grateful for:

- didn't procrastinate as much as the day before starting tasks

- started using pomodoro and learned more about Habitica

- cycling along with my brother in the evening

- meditated during daytime

 

4. What I could have done better:

- dragged too long when figuring out which unit to enroll for next sem, need to learn to keep things quick and efficient

- slept same time as the night before because of overspending time in thinking of extra features to include in Sheep Sheep Game

- did not continue game programming because of delaying previous task and burnout

 

5. Plans for tomorrow:

- plan from morning what time am I gonna start winding down (watching some shows + journalling ~45 mins)

- reenrol for units if decided

- exchange/refund shorts from shopee

- learn more about Habitica features + blend more with party and start quest if available

- learn to mingle with Game Quitters forum community too, need to learn to give and take

- continue + catchup on Sheep Sheep Game development:

  • add game over and win screen (add these to the play test stage too)
  • add progress bar + level name at top in play level
  • extra small features


Overall felt better start than yesterday but can be better still. Gonna continue improving day by day. Lets do this!

Edited by Procrastinating Engineer
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DAY #3 of Daily Journaling (17/11/22 - Thursday)

1. Good habit to nurture:

DAY #3: Practise meditation

 

2. Bad habit to gradually reduce:

DAY #3: Sleep at least 15 mins earlier from the night before + no screens 15 mins before bed

Time I stopped screens last night: 3:15am (15 mins before bed)

Time I went to bed last night: 3:30am (15 mins earlier than night before)

 

3. What went well today / things I'm grateful for:

- meditated first thing after waking up and before doing any tasks during daytime

- almost no procrastinations and distractions aside from checking whatsapp once in awhile during breaks

- using pomodoro really effectively (integrated with Habitica, link here for anyone interested)

  • helped reduce temptation to be distracted by netflix and youtube due to paywall with Habitica gold
  • used short breaks to stretch and reduce constant strain on eyes, able to sustain longer periods of work without burnout

- learned more about Habitica

- continued game dev on Sheep Sheep Game:

  • Completed winning and losing screens with animations after game over (sooooo satisfying although very tedious XD)
  • Fixed bug for level editor and play level maps

410933334_winscreen.gif.fc13ac94960673e7d1bfd5a9ffdb8c92.gif       994141622_losescreen.gif.ddc872114efcde25b04f62d788f9d098.gif

 

4. What I could have done better:

- not much except could have done some small tasks during the break but could have caused burnout too

 

5. Plans for tomorrow:

- reenrol for units if decided

- learn more about Habitica features + blend more with party and start quest if available

- learn to mingle with Game Quitters forum community too, need to learn to give and take

- call SMR for block C

- start touching up resume

- continue + catchup on Sheep Sheep Game development:

  • add progress bar + level name at top in play level
  • extra small features
     

Today's sooo much more productive and motivated then yesterday thanks to pomodoro and early meditation session. It can only get better from here. Looking forward to an even greater start tomorrow (keep in mind to not overload with tasks as it may backfire too)! Lets gooo!

Edited by Procrastinating Engineer
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DAY #4 of Daily Journaling (18/11/22 - Friday)

1. Good habit to nurture:

DAY #4: Practise meditation

 

2. Bad habit to gradually reduce:

DAY #4: Sleep at least 15 mins earlier from the night before + no screens 15 mins before bed

Time I stopped screens last night: 3:00am (15 mins before bed)

Time I went to bed last night: 3:15am (15 mins earlier than night before)

 

3. What went well today / things I'm grateful for:

- completed the daily tasks in Habitica 

- solved Shopee pants issue

- continued game dev on Sheep Sheep Game:

  • add progress bar + level name at top in play level
  • standardize fonts
  • add pic of sheep in settings screen

2035126472_progressbar.gif.d7345e488f304214e1aca442513dace5.gif        settings.gif.41e2ce010ea3f00248833ebb816f0f28.gif

 

4. What I could have done better:

- didn't meditate but did self meditation before sleep to calm the mind

- procrastinated quite a bit due to phone being nearby (maybe put phone away from sight or downstairs next time)

- used pomodoro a bit only

 

5. Plans for tomorrow:

- reenrol for units if decided

- learn more about Habitica features + blend more with party and start quest if available

- learn to mingle with Game Quitters forum community too, need to learn to give and take

- call SMR for block C

- start touching up resume

- continue + catchup on Sheep Sheep Game development:

  • extra small features
     

Today's slightly less productive than yesterday, mainly because of phone distraction (either use Forest app or put phone away next time). Can definitely do better tomorrow. Stay positive 🙂

Edited by Procrastinating Engineer
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DAY #5 of Daily Journaling (19/11/22 - Saturday)

1. Good habit to nurture:

DAY #5: Practise meditation

 

2. Bad habit to gradually reduce:

DAY #5: Sleep at least 15 mins earlier from the night before + no screens 15 mins before bed

Time I stopped screens last night: 12:00am (15 mins before bed)

Time I went to bed last night: 12:15am (2 hrs 45 mins earlier than night before, but just because needed to wake up early for election, plan to continue gradual steps from previous night)

 

3. What went well today / things I'm grateful for:

- did my duty as a citizen and voted in GE15 (15th Malaysian General Election)

- continued game dev on Sheep Sheep Game:

  • add page number at bottom of level select screen
  • add warning for tile count
  • add instructions if hover over any button for more than 1 secs

(sorry there was an error with the gif so here's a video)

 

4. What I could have done better:

- didn't meditate

- procrastinated a lot on Youtube because of phone being nearby (maybe put phone away from sight or downstairs next time)

- didn't use pomodoro for tasks

 

5. Plans for tomorrow:

- reenrol for units

- learn more about Habitica features + blend more with party and start quest if available

- learn to mingle with Game Quitters forum community too, need to learn to give and take

- call SMR for block C

- start touching up resume

- continue + catchup on Sheep Sheep Game development:

  • start on animation for clicked tiles + combo

 
Today's performance has taken quite a dip, mainly because of phone distraction (either use Forest app or put phone away next time) (also could be because I woke up so early which made me sleepy and lethargic the whole day). I also realized that game dev becomes an unhealthy activity if I use it as an excuse to not complete more urgent priorities. Roads will be bumpy occasionally, I just need to pick myself back up (and maybe listen to more songs). Stay positive 🙂

 

Edited by Procrastinating Engineer
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DAY #6 of Daily Journaling (20/11/22 - Sunday)

1. Good habit to nurture:

DAY #6: Practise meditation

 

2. Bad habit to gradually reduce:

DAY #6: Sleep at least 15 mins earlier from the night before + no screens 15 mins before bed

Time I stopped screens last night: 2:45am (15 mins before bed)

Time I went to bed last night: 3:00am (15 mins earlier from previous gradual step)

 

3. What went well today / things I'm grateful for:

- played badminton with friends

- continued game dev on Sheep Sheep Game:

  • started on tile click animation

- discussed and learnt quite a bit of politics with family

- grateful that I still have the chance to continue life and chase my own dreams

- grateful that I have friends and family that will support me in whatever I do, gives me at least some room to fall back on in times of low self confidence

 

4. What I could have done better:

- meditated although only at night, getting back into the groove

- procrastinated less but didn't do much work because of tiredness from badminton, could have been more productive if I got out of bed the when I first woke up, get work done before I went for badminton

- started using pomodoro for tasks again

 

5. Plans for tomorrow:

- reenrol for units

- learn more about Habitica features + blend more with party and start quest if available

- learn to mingle with Game Quitters forum community too, need to learn to give and take

- call SMR for block C

- start touching up resume

- continue + catchup on Sheep Sheep Game development:

  • animation for clicked tiles + combo
  • algo for other animations

 
Today's performance was better than yesterday I would say. Still got quite a bit to catchup but my main focus now is still the 2 habits to to improve and eliminate.

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DAY #7 of Daily Journaling (21/11/22 - Monday)

1. Good habit to nurture:

DAY #7: Practise meditation

 

2. Bad habit to gradually reduce:

DAY #7: Sleep at least 15 mins earlier from the night before + no screens 15 mins before bed

Time I stopped screens last night: 2:30am (15 mins before bed)

Time I went to bed last night: 2:45am (15 mins earlier from the night before)

 

3. What went well today / things I'm grateful for:

- got out of bed much faster with the countdown from 5 method + short puzzle to stimulate the brain + opening blinds

- meditated first thing after lunch

-went cycling

- continued game dev on Sheep Sheep Game:

  • continued on tile click animation

- procrastinated much less than yesterday

- reenrolled for units

- grateful that I still have the chance to continue life and chase my own dreams

- grateful that I have friends and family that will support me in whatever I do, gives me at least some room to fall back on in times of low self confidence

 

4. What I could have done better:

- should have move on with other features on game instead of being stuck on one bug for too long

 

5. Plans for tomorrow:

- learn more about Habitica features + blend more with party and start quest if available

- learn to mingle with Game Quitters forum community too, need to learn to give and take

- start touching up resume

- continue + catchup on Sheep Sheep Game development:

  • animation for clicked tiles + combo
  • algo for other animations

 
Today's performance was much better than yesterday I would say. Still got quite a bit to catchup but my main focus now is still the 2 habits to to improve and eliminate. With these 2 habits up to 20 days + hopefully other habits can be stacked along with them. Gotta keep believing and fighting. 💪

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Welcome to the community! I'm glad you're here and glad that you're working on yourself. Keep up the good work. It takes some time for people to start posting on other diaries so be patient on that aspect. That's something I struggled with was posting so much and not receiving much feedback at times. It comes when you need it. The act of journaling is very beneficial so I am glad you're practicing now.

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DAY #8 of Daily Journaling (22/11/22 - Tuesday)

1. Good habit to nurture:

DAY #8: Practise meditation

 

2. Bad habit to gradually reduce:

DAY #8: Sleep at least 15 mins earlier from the night before + no screens 15 mins before bed

Time I stopped screens last night: 2:15am (15 mins before bed)

Time I went to bed last night: 2:30am (15 mins earlier from the night before)

 

3. What went well today / things I'm grateful for:

- meditated first thing after lunch

- continued game dev on Sheep Sheep Game:

  • continued on tile click animation (almost there! few more tweaks)

- procrastinated much less than yesterday (kept phone downstairs and didn't get distracted by it)

- learned more about Habitica

- use pomodoro for tasks

 

4. What I could have done better:

- could have got out of bed earlier during my first time waking up, instead of dozing back to sleep

- pairing meditation with waking up

 

5. Plans for tomorrow:

- learn more about Habitica features + blend more with party and start quest if available

- learn to mingle with Game Quitters forum community too, need to learn to give and take

- start touching up resume

- continue + catchup on Sheep Sheep Game development:

  • animation for clicked tiles + combo
  • algo for other animations

 
Today's performance was better than yesterday. Managed to restrict myself from my phone. Although progress a bit slow on the game but progress is progress. Just gotta keep grinding. 💪

Edited by Procrastinating Engineer
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DAY #9 of Daily Journaling (23/11/22 - Wednesday)

1. Good habit to nurture:

DAY #9: Practise meditation

 

2. Bad habit to gradually reduce:

DAY #9: Sleep at least 15 mins earlier from the night before + no screens 15 mins before bed

Time I stopped screens last night: 3:30am (15 mins before bed)

Time I went to bed last night: 3:45am (1 hour 15 mins later from the night before)

 

3. What went well today / things I'm grateful for:

- meditated first thing after lunch

- continued game dev on Sheep Sheep Game:

  • continued on tile click animation (almost there! few more tweaks)

- procrastinated much less than yesterday (even though phone was in the room but far away from reach)

- caught up with close uni friends on Discord call, released stress

- use pomodoro for tasks

 

4. What I could have done better:

- could have got out of bed earlier during my first time waking up, instead of dozing back to sleep (need to find a solid way of waking up)

- pairing meditation with morning shower, more alert and refreshed

 

5. Plans for tomorrow:

- learn more about Habitica features + blend more with party and start quest if available

- learn to mingle with Game Quitters forum community too, need to learn to give and take

- start touching up resume

- continue + catchup on Sheep Sheep Game development:

  • animation for clicked tiles + combo
  • algo for other animations

 
Overall better but starting to feel like I should be progressing on other stuff than just game dev, feel like my holidays gonna be quite dull if I just keep staring at screens whole day. Need to start exploring the outside world. Time to get off my butt and go out more. Let's do this!

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  • 2 weeks later...

@BooksandTrees@white cloud thanks for the feedback you guys gave! Really appreciate the time you spend to stop by my journal. I haven't been posting on my journal for quite awhile now, probably because I was struggling to keep consistent and each post was taking a bit too long to make. I'll definitely start finding a way to make posting as efficient and easy for myself just to maintain the daily journals coming. Plus also having some spare time to look into other members' posts. I plan resetting my counter for both my good and bad habits too, otherwise I would just be cheating myself :')  Here's to getting back on track 👊

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forum-01.thumb.png.153274d331acaf610f64aa897a2cf541.png

Finally started journalling again, reset both streaks for good and bad habits, started making it more visually appealling to myself and other viewers too, hopefully making me more motivated to continue posting. I might even consider making a program that allow other users in this forum to use this template following the format above. Hopefully can achieve more consistency after this 💪

Edited by Procrastinating Engineer
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10 hours ago, Procrastinating Engineer said:

Finally started journalling again, reset both streaks for good and bad habits, started making it more visually appealling to myself and other viewers too

It is good to see that you have resumed tracking and reflecting upon your activities! Furthermore, your visual journal template is impressive! I will say that attempting some consistency with journaling has value; if your structure is time consuming, consider allowing yourself to write entries with less detail.

The thought of programmatically generating images is a neat concept! I might suggest using black or dark-colored text for the gold/yellow portions for maximum readability (I am able to read the text. but other people's screens could make it harder to see).

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