kortheo Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 (edited) Day 27I didn't journal this week because I was out of town for a work conference. My routine was all thrown off and I was super busy, so it just didn't happen. But now I'm back!I'm really glad that I have a few days off work to myself where I can catch my breath. My last 2 weeks have been really busy, plus the breakup, of course. At this point I'm doing pretty good though.The conference was in Sacramento, on cybersecurity. I work in IT and it was relevant to my job... pretty interesting stuff! I also got to see a couple of old college friends who live in Sacramento, too. Overall it was a very good trip.My girlfriend would usually cook for us when we were still together. Now that I'm single, I don't want to revert to eating junk food all the time. So today, I bought a slow cooker. I am cooking potato leek soup as we speak! It's rainy here today, so I think it will be a great meal. Unfortunately it won't be ready for another 7 hours haha.I have a lot in my brain. I also need to write a blog post today, so a lot of it will go there. I have some thoughts on what things I learned from video games that were actually positive and that I can apply to other areas of my life. I also have thoughts on learning to trust myself, which is something I'm still working on. I'm sure I'll expand more on these things in the coming days.Chris - hey, thanks for the kind words. I just want to point out that although it maybe seems like I'm making rapid progress, and I guess I am, this didn't happen for me overnight. A lot of the stuff I'm doing now are habits that I've been working on for years, actually. I have always had a strong interest in self-improvement. I think I didn't realize just how much gaming was getting in the way though, but now that it's out of the way it feels so much easier to stick to the habits I always wanted to have as part of my life. I know you're doing great too, ha, I just wouldn't want anyone to feel discouraged if they felt they were making 'slower' progress than I am. I guess my point is, there is no magic bullet, I have no secret, I have had to put in the work like everyone else. I am grateful for:1. Solitude.2. Rainy weather.3. New meetings with old friends.4. Einstok Toasted Porter, my new favorite beer EDIT:I just knocked out a blog entry, catch it here. It's a reflection of 5 things I learned from playing Hearthstone. Lessons that apply in other areas of life. Although if I'm honest, a lot of them I didn't learn fully until coming to this forum, actually! :). Best wishes to everyone. Edited October 16, 2015 by kortheo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam Adair Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Great to have you back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kortheo Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share Posted October 17, 2015 Day 28Slept in this morning... Still catching up on sleep from my trip. The trip was physically tiring. But I was also with people all day every day this week which is emotionally EXHAUSTING for me, so i'm taking my whole weekend to recharge, basically. Lots of time to think and write and read.A couple of really cool things I've noticed! Now that I'm no longer playing games, movies and music suddenly seem way more enjoyable for me. It used to be that unless I was going out with friends to a movie theater, I wouldn't be able to focus on a movie. Now if I start watching something on Netflix, I actually feel pulled in. I think my brain was used to the higher level stimulation of games, so movies were boring in comparison. Now I enjoy them much more! Also, one of the reasons I played certain single-player games was for their stories (RPGs). But good stories are easy to find - now I just get that from books / movies / TV. I still don't want time with these media to be wasted, though. I find myself mostly only drawn to books / movies / TV that are 'literary' in some way - meaning that they have something meaningful to say about life or the human condition. I don't really enjoy just bare entertainment anymore, if I ever did.I think my next challenge is going to be to cut down on mindless internet browsing. I'm already much better than I used to be, but reddit can still be a problem. Reddit seems to lend itself to mindless browsing. Sometimes it feels like looking for topics is finding a needle in a haystack, and you're never quite sure what you're going to find... so you keep searching! Like 'just 10 more minutes' to kill another monster to get another loot drop. By comparison, on a more traditional forum like gamequitters.com it's easy to see what's new and look at what you want and then move on. There is no nagging doubt that you might have missed something really good. I mostly only go to reddit for r/nofap and r/stopgaming these days. I just joined the nofap.com forum to replace r/nofap, and this site obviously replaces r/stopgaming... I may try a reddit detox as well!Also, after giving habitica and coach.me a try, I think I like coach.me a bit more. I just bought a course there titled "For Introverts: How To Build Strong Connections In 21 Days" which I am excited to get started with.Everyday, a little further down this path...Gratitude:I am grateful for:1. My neighbors cute dogs that somehow get into my yard once in a while.2. Finding new music.3. Learning to cook healthy food.4. Personal growth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisSatcher Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Hey Travis,Great progress, per usual lol. I totally get that you've been working on this for some time now. I had been oblivious to everything in life till December of 2013, and then I buried myself in my woe for another year before finally starting to work on myself. Probably why it is taking me a little longer, but I'm not beating myself up for it anymore .Einstok Toasted Porter, eh? Where is that found, and what kind of beer? I'm always interested to try out new beers and such lol.The IT field has always interested me. What part are you in? And do you find yourself passionate about it? I love to get people's inputs on their careers and directions in life, and would love to hear your thoughts!Keep the updates coming, man. I'm still struggling with a bit of mindless browsing on the web as well, so don't feel bad about it! You've got a great mindset with setting it as the next challeng for yourself! It's good to hear that you're still making progress though, and I look forward to more of your updates! Take care, friend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kortheo Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 Day 29Short update today. I went to the beach yesterday and it was beautiful and the water was perfect. Growing up I didn't like the beach much, but it's growing on me. I am totally spoiled that I live in San Diego with some of the best beaches in the world, and take it for granted...Feeling a bit lonely today. There is a board game meetup group that I went to last week, and it was pretty fun. They're meeting again today. Part of me doesn't feel like going, but I probably should... it's at a game shop I haven't been to before, so it will be a slightly new experience. Plus, I have to go multiple times to really make any sort of meaningful connections with people. There is another general 20/30-something social meetup group with a trivia event Wednesday that I plan on going to, to see what that's like. Also, they're having a Halloween party at the end of the month that looks fun but I don't know anyone yet ha. So, I'd like to go to that but also feeling pretty socially nervous about the thought. I don't even like costumes, but I just want to meet people. Or go to a party. It's been a while since I've been to a real party.Hmm, that's all. Still trying to avoid mindless browsing. So far so good. My brain aches for it though. So weird! GratitudeI am grateful for...1. Living in a beautiful place.2. Slow-cookers that make cooking easy.3. Perfect swells and water temperature.4. Meetup groups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kortheo Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 Hey Travis,Great progress, per usual lol. I totally get that you've been working on this for some time now. I had been oblivious to everything in life till December of 2013, and then I buried myself in my woe for another year before finally starting to work on myself. Probably why it is taking me a little longer, but I'm not beating myself up for it anymore .Einstok Toasted Porter, eh? Where is that found, and what kind of beer? I'm always interested to try out new beers and such lol.The IT field has always interested me. What part are you in? And do you find yourself passionate about it? I love to get people's inputs on their careers and directions in life, and would love to hear your thoughts!Keep the updates coming, man. I'm still struggling with a bit of mindless browsing on the web as well, so don't feel bad about it! You've got a great mindset with setting it as the next challeng for yourself! It's good to hear that you're still making progress though, and I look forward to more of your updates! Take care, friend!?Einstok toasted porter - they have it at BevMo, if you have one of those near you. In the Icelandic beers section lol. That's the only place I've seen it so far. And it's a porter, so, a dark beer, and smooth. I think it has some coffee/chocolate notes to it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_(beer) I am currently a 1-man IT department for a small company, so I do a bit of everything. Officially I'm a System Administrator. Unofficially I a mix of System Administrator, Helpdesk, and IT Manager.Since my duties are so mixed, there are things I like and things I don't. I like working on projects, I like implementing technical solutions to problems, I like creating new systems, etc. I generally like working with technology. But I don't really like doing helpdesk stuff, which tends to be simple repetitive questions from users, or more mundane things like ordering supplies, etc. So it's a mixed bag. It's a good position for my career at the moment, but I would probably be happier if my job was more technical and if I had a team to work with. That said, IT can be a fun and rewarding field to work in, if you are in the right place. It can also be mind-numbing and dull, if you're in the wrong place. It does pay well, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam Adair Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Thanks for grabbing the Challenge man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kortheo Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 Well, thank you for creating it!I went through Respawn and took my time to let its lessons sink in. Now, I felt like I was ready to take the next step. Seems like this is how you intended it anyway. To be honest I'm pretty anxious about it - I just know that the Challenge is going to have me stepping out of my comfort zone in ways that I really won't want to. So I'm afraid of that ha. But that's the whole point I guess. I just finished reading through Day 0 and I am feeling pumped. I think it's going to be great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kortheo Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 (edited) Day 30Day 30! This feels like a milestone. I can't believe it's already been 30 days... and yet only been 30 days. Weird! Anyway, that's 1/3 of my no-gaming 90 day challenge done. At this point though, I can't imagine going back to gaming. I still have my Steam and Bnet accounts... but I may delete / give them away after the 90 days are up.Back at work for the first time in 10 days, since I was away at a conference last week. Feels weird. Not looking forward to getting caught up on everything that happened while I was away, ha.Excited to start Day 1 of the Game Quitters Challenge today. Wish I could do it now but I... I should get to work ;).I hope everyone is doing well today.Gratitude:I am grateful for:1. Green tea in the morning.2. Supportive co-workers.3. Quiet mornings.4. Leafy green house plants. MIDDAY EDIT:Just a couple more thoughts. I have gotten into the habit of scheduling my days now, thanks to Respawn. It has subtly, gradually changed my conception of my time. I didn't use to think that I had that much time. I wasn't very conscious of how I spent it. Now I am realizing that time is finite, and that scheduling your time is a good way to make sure you're tackling the important things. Here's a sample of my current weekday:My schedule works out pretty well so that I have room for about 3 hours in the evening of planned activities. Usually Dinner won't take a full hour unless I'm cooking, so sometimes it's 3.5 hours. Respawn talks about using 30 min blocks for things, but hours work better for me personally. It's simple and satisfying to slot in three productive activities each night. I won't always get to it perfectly, but at least I have a plan! I like having a plan. I didn't use to like google calendar much, and I didn't really get why - but when you just use all your free time for games, you don't have much to plan anyway! Actually having things to put on your calendar makes it much more useful :).I also have gotten into the habit of using coach.me now. I use it track all my daily goals:Also a very satisfying little tool. It's exactly as complex as it needs to be, and no more. A great way to keep track of the things I want to do as well as the things I want to abstain from :).Finally, I was just reflecting on the past month, and I have noticed already how much my demeanor and mood have changed. I think I am a much more positive person, being surrounding by the positivity from this forum. I write so much more often, having to spit these out every day. And honestly the encouragement here is probably the most encouragement I've ever received in my life for anything. Which sounds crazy, but it's totally true. I'm realizing now that I haven't always had the most positive people around me in my life, and that I have the option to surround myself with positive people if I choose to do so. I feel more confident in myself, and like I'm beginning to trust myself and be able to stand up for myself more. It's really crazy what small changes can add up to, in ways that you can't always see until after they've been in place for a while. For instance, let me share something: I struggle writing my daily gratitude, even though it's such a simple thing. Every day I don't want to do it, and it's hard for me. Probably because I just don't have strong neural paths for feeling gratitude haha. But I do it anyway, and here I am, writing about how grateful I am and actually feeling it. So something has changed.That is all. See you guys tomorrow, unless inspiration strikes again. Edited October 19, 2015 by kortheo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam Adair Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Have a great day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Congrats on your 30 days!I too struggle with the daily gratitude thing. I'm so used to analysis that I overthink such a simple feeling. We'll learn... in time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kortheo Posted October 20, 2015 Author Share Posted October 20, 2015 Day 31I felt great last night. For some reason I don't feel that great this morning. I don't really want to be at work today. Gaming doesn't really cross my mind much. I wonder if I'll ever even have cravings? I guess I should face work head on and just not agonize over why I'm feeling weird today. I suppose some days will be ups, and others downs. Such is life.I guess... it would help to accept that whatever I'm feeling, and tell myself it's OK to feel that way. I'm noticing right now that I feel bad or off and I'm telling myself that that's wrong, that I shouldn't feel that way. Am I expecting myself to always be happy all the time? That people will reject me somehow if I'm not happy? Maybe. Something to think about.I spent a lot of my evening last night cooking, which was not what I had originally planned. I have a lot to learn when it comes to cooking, but I'm excited to keep practicing. I ordered an instant-read meat thermometer and a food scale. The thermometer I know will be very useful because I used to have one. The food scale I suspect will be useful... but I also just kind of like the idea of having a digital scale that can give readouts in various units. I think I just like measuring things, ha. Gratitude:I am grateful for:1. The Game Quitter's Challenge!2. Having clean air to breathe.3. Having clean water to drink.4. Science.5. Amazon.com 2-day shipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiNips Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 (edited) I guess... it would help to accept that whatever I'm feeling, and tell myself it's OK to feel that way. I'm noticing right now that I feel bad or off and I'm telling myself that that's wrong, that I shouldn't feel that way. Am I expecting myself to always be happy all the time? That people will reject me somehow if I'm not happy? Maybe. Something to think aboutThis happens to me too. I've read, that once you feel sad or something negative, you should smile and change your body language to match a happy person. But sometimes I feel like pulling this cloak of happiness around me just drains me instead of making me feel better. Empathy always makes me feel better though. *edit* Just found a great video and decided to share it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw Edited October 20, 2015 by SpiNips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kortheo Posted October 21, 2015 Author Share Posted October 21, 2015 Day 32I'm noticing that I am a little short of patience today, and getting irritated more easily than usual. I have also not been meditating the past couple of days, and I think there's a connection there :). This journal is nice because I feel that it's easier for me to notice my own emotions. Yesterday I was feeling kind of sad but it went away... today a bit irritated... it will pass, too.For those of you with the Challenge, I have started a Challenge Journal in that sub-forum... which apparently no one else did haha. Anyway if you're interested you can follow my Challenge-related thoughts there.Social events: I have a bad habit of choosing not to go last minute. On Sunday I was sort of planning to go to a board game event. I was too tired so I didn't, but ended up choosing to buy and start the Game Quitter's Challenge instead, and I still felt that I made a good use of my time.Tonight there's a trivia meetup group near me. But only 3 people, including me, are signed up on the event page, and the original event host isn't even going :\. I should probably just go anyway, but I'm afraid that no one will show up other than me, or it will be awkward and uncomfortable.I guess I have this kind of social perfectionism. I only want to go to social events that I feel confident will go well. At the same time, I'll only meet people if I put myself out there, I guess. I wonder if this is something I need to overcome? Or how to even overcome it? ...even if I don't go tonight, I feel like my life is full just trying to work on other aspects of my self. So I tell myself, it's ok, I can go another time. But the 'other aspects' of myself that I work on are invariable solo endeavors. I wonder if I'm just tricking myself to staying inside, or at least alone.If anyone has thoughts on these social matters, your input would be greatly appreciated. How do you approach situations like these? How do you choose what events you attend? GratitudeI am grateful for:1. Meetup groups, even when I don't go to them...2. Sticky notes.3. Tupperware.4. Dual monitors.5. The kindness of strangers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam Adair Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Yes! One of the reasons why having new habits can be so positive is that it creates a new experience for you, so for instance when you are "feeling good," it tends to be because you're maintaining the habits you have.. so as soon as you aren't feeling as sharp, you can "dissect" what's different about your life and adapt accordingly. I do this all the time. I call it a "status check."Am I hungry? What have I been eating the past few days? How's my sleep? Have I been exercising? Doing gratitude? Meditating? etc.Then you can identify what's "off" and adjust it back to where it should be. It's not always going to fix everything, but it's a start.For the meetups, think of it like this: you can be a leader. Imagine if you go and there's only a few people, but because you're there you can help them also have a good time. If you don't go, you don't have that opportunity and for someone else who shows up, you're leaving them hanging when you said you'd go. Integrity is the vehicle to getting what you want in life. If you say you're going, it's important to go. Be reliable. I really do believe the way you do something is the way you do everything. If you break these small commitments here, where else are you breaking up?And so if you show up and no one is there, you get to feel good about going, and you now have free time to do what you wish. Plan ahead, "If I go and no one is there, I'll go do this instead."You're probably rationalizing due to social anxiety. I would commit to 1 or 2 events per week that you are going to go to. You may be putting more attention into other areas right now, and that's good, but you can still get out there a bit each week.When it comes to "perfectionism"... set a new definition of success for your social events. What's "success" to you mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wookieshark88 Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I'd like to add that my journal on this site is a great way to get other people's perspectives that really help me to see my days in a different light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kortheo Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) I'd like to add that my journal on this site is a great way to get other people's perspectives that really help me to see my days in a different light.Totally! Getting other people's perspective is so important. I definitely agree.Yes! One of the reasons why having new habits can be so positive is that it creates a new experience for you, so for instance when you are "feeling good," it tends to be because you're maintaining the habits you have.. so as soon as you aren't feeling as sharp, you can "dissect" what's different about your life and adapt accordingly. I do this all the time. I call it a "status check."Am I hungry? What have I been eating the past few days? How's my sleep? Have I been exercising? Doing gratitude? Meditating? etc.Then you can identify what's "off" and adjust it back to where it should be. It's not always going to fix everything, but it's a start.For the meetups, think of it like this: you can be a leader. Imagine if you go and there's only a few people, but because you're there you can help them also have a good time. If you don't go, you don't have that opportunity and for someone else who shows up, you're leaving them hanging when you said you'd go. Integrity is the vehicle to getting what you want in life. If you say you're going, it's important to go. Be reliable. I really do believe the way you do something is the way you do everything. If you break these small commitments here, where else are you breaking up?And so if you show up and no one is there, you get to feel good about going, and you now have free time to do what you wish. Plan ahead, "If I go and no one is there, I'll go do this instead."You're probably rationalizing due to social anxiety. I would commit to 1 or 2 events per week that you are going to go to. You may be putting more attention into other areas right now, and that's good, but you can still get out there a bit each week.When it comes to "perfectionism"... set a new definition of success for your social events. What's "success" to you mean?Yeah... this is all good. Actually, I noticed your most recent video was on getting out of the house, which I guess is something I'm struggling with a little bit (and well, always have). You mention social anxiety, not knowing where to go, etc, and I think those things all apply to me. While my social anxiety isn't pathological, I do get anxious about meeting new people. So you're right, I am rationalizing due to social anxiety. Spot on. And, to some extent, I'm making mood based decisions as you mention in the video. I think I'm conflating "getting out of the house" with "socializing" or going to social events though, I'm realizing. The video talks about the benefits of getting out of the house in general... it doesn't have to be a social event, it could just be going to the gym or a coffee shop. I suppose just being around other people even if you're not there to socialize with them directly can still help shift your energy and give you more momentum.Hmm, lots to think about. Thanks Cam.EDIT: Also, with regard to perfectionism / success, I guess I don't even know what my definition of success is for a social event. I guess... feeling like I connected with someone? Feeling comfortable rather than awkward? Feeling included? But I've never thought about that before. Maybe my definition of success at this point should just be showing up, no matter what happens. Edited October 22, 2015 by kortheo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I think I'm conflating "getting out of the house" with "socializing" or going to social events though, I'm realizing. The video talks about the benefits of getting out of the house in general... it doesn't have to be a social event, it could just be going to the gym or a coffee shop. I suppose just being around other people even if you're not there to socialize with them directly can still help shift your energy and give you more momentum.Or you can go for a solitary walk. Even better, you can drag a friend with you. Some of my fondest memories are hiking in the mountains. After a while everybody gets silent and focuses on breathing and the terrain. Yet we are all together, sharing something truly special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kortheo Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) Day 33OK, feeling better this morning than the last two days. Cam mentioned the idea of a status check and seeing what was changed... thankfully, Coach.me makes it painfully obvious which habits I haven't been doing! I hadn't meditated for a few days and while I was getting light exercise, it wasn't enough I now realize. I meditated a few times last night and did some exercise. I also had a burst of energy where I just felt compelled to do pushups and lift stuff. It was very unusual for me. Felt amazing though. Possible side effect of Nofap?I didn't go to the meetup last night, unfortunately, because it was down to 2 attendees. I will make commitments for social events going forward though, at least one per week. Instead, to get out of the house I went to a coffee shop and read for a couple of hours. I started reading Daring Greatly which I think is going to be an important book for me. I'm starting to get a better grasp of what vulnerability really is, when to recognize it in myself, and when to recognize when I'm choosing to not be vulnerable.I felt really good last night while at the coffee shop, too. I'm starting to feel more confident in my life on a consistent basis. I have the feeling that there will be many challenges ahead but I know that I will meet them. I feel like quitting gaming has allowed me to start living the life I actually want to live and it doesn't really feel like an option to go back. That life involves a lot of learning and reading, socializing with a chosen few, working on meaningful personal projects, being healthy. I think that I knew this on some level for a while, but I just needed someone to come along and tell me that it was OK to stop gaming, and that I could do it. Or you can go for a solitary walk. Even better, you can drag a friend with you. Some of my fondest memories are hiking in the mountains. After a while everybody gets silent and focuses on breathing and the terrain. Yet we are all together, sharing something truly special.Definitely. You are right. I have good memories like that too; I should create more. Gratitude:I am grateful for:Supportive coworkers.The feeling you get when you accomplish things!Utilitarian design.Cool autumn air. Edited October 22, 2015 by kortheo forgot Gratitude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam Adair Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Your small wins are beginning to compound, it's killer to watch. Daring Greatly will be another win to add to your list. Tons of gold in that book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kortheo Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 Day 34I woke up this morning and didn't hit snooze, for once. I meditated for 10 minutes, which I don't usually do in the morning, but it felt pretty great (decisions I made from Day 4 of the GQC). Today is a light work day, as Fridays are usually pretty slow. Although I am wrapping up a big project's final steps, so that feels pretty good! I was exhausted yesterday. I came home from work and fell asleep for 2 hours, haha. That also felt good.I live in a small studio apartment ("tiny" is a better descriptor - 225 sq ft), so anything I choose to have has to be intentional, and also plays a big role in the feel of the space. I have a desk with a full desktop computer setup, which I used to use for gaming. That desk / computer takes up a bout 1/5 of the space of my apartment. Yesterday, I took the computer down and put it in my closet. I did this not because I felt gaming urges, but because I'm on a computer all day at work anyway (9 hours), and when I get home I really should be doing something else with my time. I have a work laptop that I can bring home if I need to use a computer for something important, so that's what I plan to do. It's very interesting how different my apartment feels without it there. It's much easier to sit at my desk and read or write, because there's more space. I don't have a proper dining table, so it's also a better space to eat. It feels calmer in the room somehow, like I can relax more. There's no PC tugging trying to pull me in to it. I'm not going to reflexively jump on reddit or facebook as much, or something else for more stimulation.I've made this change a couple times before, maybe for a week or so at a time until something would compel me to bring my PC back out (gaming, frequently). Once I adjusted, I didn't miss it, and in fact my ability to focus on reading or writing or what have you was much better. I'm a believer in experimenting with how your room/apartment's/home's environment is setup. Environment can affect our behavior in powerful ways, because we tend to go for the path of least resistance. I keep a meditation cushion and kettlebells nearby in my apartment. It's easy to meditate or lift some weights if they're just there, waiting. It's also easy to jump on reddit and browse mindlessly if you're PC is there, waiting. If I have to take a laptop out of my backpack and find a place to put it and turn it on and enter the harddisk encryption PIN and login in order to get online, there's more of a barrier to action there - so I'll only do it if I need to, not just to satisfying a fleeting impulse. In the same way that developing habits can make something automatic instead of an act of will, changing your environment can increase the willpower required to things we don't want to do, and make it easier to do healthy things. Another example would be keeping healthy food around - it's easier to eat fruit and veggies they're in your fridge, harder to eat ice cream if you have to go out to get it.Hmm... my thoughts are trailing off now. I feel like there's more to say here, but it's not coming to me. More later maybe. I hope everyone has a great day. I am grateful for:Having time and space to think.Being alive.Having instantaneous access to ideas via the internet. How much faster does this allow us to grow as people, I wonder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam Adair Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 100%. Lots of gold in that post. Our environment affects us more than we affect our environment, so putting more intention into the influence your environment has on you is key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 I completely agree with you on the role our environment plays in our lives. That's why I think that limiting our options actually makes us happier and more focused. "Less is more", to use a cliché Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kortheo Posted October 24, 2015 Author Share Posted October 24, 2015 Day 35Feeling OK today. I don't have too much on my plate. I don't feel quite as confident as I have the earlier this week. I actually get the sense that my moods and emotions are shifting a lot. Could be changes in my brain from the combination of game quitting and nofap at the same time. No idea. Anyway, I'm just riding the wave.I have a courage-related Game Quitter's Challenge challenge today and I am very uncomfortable about it to be honest.I'm realizing that I'm terrified of rejection. My dedicated challenge journal is here http://forum.gamequitters.com/topic/275-challenge-journal-travis/#comment-2779. Going to try to go out there today and do it anyway.Yesterday, I created this vision board for the GQC Day 5, so I thought I would share it here:From top left to bottom right:I want to run a 5k! A challenge for myself.I like kettlebells and I want to get in shape with them.I like writing and I want to keep writing/blogging on a regular basis and improve at it.Pyramid: I'm into financial independence, which this represents.Meditation. 'nuff said.I'm working on learning to be more vulnerable in life.Reading / books - I want to read as much as possible, I don't think I'll ever be done with books.My career is computers, I want to keep gaining skills there.My general life philosophy is about growth and learning - I get satisfaction from continuous improvement.Hiking! I want to plan and accomplish some major hikes in the future.There you have it.Also, I wasn't able to get around to writing a blog post yesterday, so I'll have to try to get to that later today.Gratitude time. From now on I'm going to try to do 10 things instead of just 3. I think it's getting easier now. I'm grateful for:Fresh air to breath.Warm showers.Birds chirping outside my windows.My family.Access to healthy food.Being alive.That I got a good night's sleep last night.Having good books in my life.Fall weather.Clean water to drink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gankylosaurus Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Hey, man, I'm training for a 5K too! Unfortunately, I threw my back out a few weeks ago and it's really messed up my training schedule. Just gotta get back up on that horse and take it easy.Do you have a plan for training? A lot of people have seen success with Couch to 5K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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