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My Journal - Alex


AlexTheGrape

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Hey looks like you have an awesome time. NIce to see you hit the 100 reps. If you want to build more muscle strength and not endurance I would advice you to switch to harder exercises and do less reps. If you want more info's on different progressions I can recommend this site https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine.

This  could be a good progression for your pushups. Or you could lok into archer push-ups. The thing like about putting some more importance into strength in your training is that you can save quite a ot of time and it feels awesome if you go through the progressions and see your progress that way :) If you like to keep your training endurance based that's ok with me too ;)

 

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Post for Wednesday:

Post-Detox Day 114

Today I spent another day studying in the library, and it was a great success! I managed to get heaps done and I felt it was a day well spent. Going out to the beach on breaks was great, and I even met a younger student from school there. It was an all-in-all great day.

 

Post for yesterday:

Post-Detox Day 115

Today was mostly spent studying - in the city! I had an appointment there and I got some time to spend with my dad during the day since he works in the city. I got 5/6 of the 50 minute study sessions done, which is pretty damn good. I got the opportunity to see a seminar by one of the top 100 thought leaders/speakers in the US, and I took enough notes to nearly replicate the presentation myself! I am glad I went, it certainly has inspired me to be an entrepreneur for the public good. Like most of the self-development I'm doing now, the results from this journey will come later.

I was again prompted to think about using Pokemon Go as one of my Dad's colleages was surprised I wasn't playing the game, and encouraged me to play. I had a think about it and later on in the day walked up to the museum. There were plenty of players there, and I felt that they had a sense of community and purpose. On closer inspection they all were looking at their individual devices, and occasionally shouting out something for the group's entertainment. I asked a woman older than me that was playing it, and asked if she found it time-consuming, and told her about my experience quitting gaming. Her advice was to stay away from the game if I knew I would get hooked on it; that advice was absolutely right as I know I'd get very competitive in the game if I started playing. I'm confident I'm doing the right thing to keep away from gaming in all forms, it's the only way I can maintain a stable and beneficial use of my time and resources.

I also went out on another date, but I think that'll be enough relationship investment for me this year; it has been emotionally exhausting through many ups and downs - at the moment it seems it won't be worth time and effort in my final year of secondary school. 

 

Post-Detox Day 116

Today has been a day off for me, as I haven't had enough sleep and need a break from whole studying days. What I am having trouble with at the moment is finding a way I can happily spend my free time without wasting it completely. I may be taking this too seriously, but I watched plenty of video today that was purely for entertainment, and I have felt pretty terrible about having 'wasted' that time despite it being dedicated to relaxing. I am considering playing guitar again, this solution just seems so obvious. I think one of the main reasons I didn't get started with it again was that  I'd need to re-string the guitar first, but if I get it done quickly then it shouldn't be a problem. It was suggested by my brother to just ban myself from watching youtube videos that were unhelpful, but I think it'd be more realistic to just limit myself to 15 minutes of youtube watching daily. I'll make that into something to keep myself accountable for here, I think that'd be the best way to go about it.

A friend of mine was uneasy at my desire for feedback for my social interactions with them today, and is understandable in that it isn't something people normally ask. What I get concerned about is if they are not comfortable with me having a self-development focus. This is partially me just voicing my thoughts here, but it made me think about what my values are. I value feedback and progressive improvement over being 'normal', so I think I'm doing the right thing to continue with self-development. I also think that I shouldn't bother being friends with people that are opposed to me doing what is best for myself in the long term, so that is something I should consider when picking future friends. If anyone has an opinion or advice on friends that resist personal development, I'd be keen to hear your thoughts.

Gratitude journal

I'm grateful for having so many choices available to me that were not possible a decade ago.

I am grateful for the amazing presentation I got to see yesterday.

I am grateful for having all the study materials I need.

One amazing thing that happened today:

Hearing back from a close friend who has been overseas for a while was great, and makes me happier to have another person around who I can be really open with.

What I could have done to make my day better:

I could have slept sooner. 'Nuff said.

Workout/run

I jogged/walked for about 50 minutes today, and went on my own adventure to see places of the neighbourhood I hadn't seen before.

Meditation

Yup.

Visualisation

Yes.

Daily affirmations

Damn, I forgot to set that up. It's up on my to-do list now.

Reading + taking notes

Yup.

Sleep pattern consistency

I've been going pretty bad with this, but was unavoidable for a late movie. I will need to dedicate myself to getting myself to bed before 9pm again, it's the best way to go about this.

Daily social goal

"Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely". I haven't found the opportunity to do this, but perhaps I'm not trying hard enough. I'll need to try again tomorrow.

social goal for tomorrow:

"Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely"

Python programming

I want to do at least 20 minutes daily, as there's the yearly competition coming up soon.

Less than 15 minutes of Youtube

Mentioned earlier, I want to limit my time wasting.

Photo Stream

Added!

Photography lineup

Took on my phone on Wednesday is the beach I meditated on in the morning.

iPhone photos and videos 011.JPG

iPhone photos and videos 013.JPG

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A friend of mine was uneasy at my desire for feedback for my social interactions with them today, and is understandable in that it isn't something people normally ask. What I get concerned about is if they are not comfortable with me having a self-development focus. This is partially me just voicing my thoughts here, but it made me think about what my values are. I value feedback and progressive improvement over being 'normal', so I think I'm doing the right thing to continue with self-development. I also think that I shouldn't bother being friends with people that are opposed to me doing what is best for myself in the long term, so that is something I should consider when picking future friends. If anyone has an opinion or advice on friends that resist personal development, I'd be keen to hear your thoughts.

 
Yep exactly. Watch my latest YouTube video with Michael Hrostoski. He shares an analogy called the empty elevator. I think you'll like it a lot.  

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Post-Detox Day 115

Today was mostly spent studying - in the city! I had an appointment there and I got some time to spend with my dad during the day since he works in the city. I got 5/6 of the 50 minute study sessions done, which is pretty damn good. I got the opportunity to see a seminar by one of the top 100 thought leaders/speakers in the US, and I took enough notes to nearly replicate the presentation myself! I am glad I went, it certainly has inspired me to be an entrepreneur for the public good. Like most of the self-development I'm doing now, the results from this journey will come later.

Reading about your studying motivated me to study as well! :) Thank you for that!

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A friend of mine was uneasy at my desire for feedback for my social interactions with them today, and is understandable in that it isn't something people normally ask. What I get concerned about is if they are not comfortable with me having a self-development focus. This is partially me just voicing my thoughts here, but it made me think about what my values are. I value feedback and progressive improvement over being 'normal', so I think I'm doing the right thing to continue with self-development. I also think that I shouldn't bother being friends with people that are opposed to me doing what is best for myself in the long term, so that is something I should consider when picking future friends. If anyone has an opinion or advice on friends that resist personal development, I'd be keen to hear your thoughts.

 
Yep exactly. Watch my latest YouTube video with Michael Hrostoski. He shares an analogy called the empty elevator. I think you'll like it a lot.  

Thanks Cam, I think I'll watch that right away. It's probably the only GQ video I haven't seen so far :D

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Post-Detox Day 115

Today was mostly spent studying - in the city! I had an appointment there and I got some time to spend with my dad during the day since he works in the city. I got 5/6 of the 50 minute study sessions done, which is pretty damn good. I got the opportunity to see a seminar by one of the top 100 thought leaders/speakers in the US, and I took enough notes to nearly replicate the presentation myself! I am glad I went, it certainly has inspired me to be an entrepreneur for the public good. Like most of the self-development I'm doing now, the results from this journey will come later.

Reading about your studying motivated me to study as well! :) Thank you for that!

I'm glad I could help you with that! I've been trying to simulate entire school days so that I can get a whole school day's worth of work done without it seeming like a chore. Getting out of the house and going somewhere else for it (e.g. the local library) also helps to get you into a better environment with less distractions.

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Post-Detox Day 117

Today started slowly as I didn't go to bed at the right time, and I had to deal with the consequences of having an out-of-phase study schedule. I got 5 x 50 minute study sessions done today, which was good. I also managed to trim down my best running time to do 2.4km by nearly a whole 10 seconds, not at 9 minutes and 50 seconds.

I've come to the gradual realization that pen pals are simply not a priority for me any more, so I'll probably need to narrow down the number of pen pals I talk to down to about 4, and/or just make my responses even less frequent.

Gratitude journal

I am grateful for not having to make dinner tonight.

I am grateful for the wonderful friends I have both in and outside of school.

I am grateful for the positive attitude towards school I now have.

One amazing thing that happened today:

After getting back from my run I felt empowered, and it could be because I felt accomplished by beating my previous record. I felt happy with who I am and the choices I had made to get running and to push myself harder than before. I need to remember this feeling, as it would be good motivation to get out in the cold morning to get running.

Workout/run

Done, and I beat my running record. I also did some work out exercises, but I should have done the whole lot like the forcefit app told me to.

Meditation

Yup.

Visualisation

Yes.

Daily affirmations

My daily affirmations are now set. There's 8 of them, so hopefully that is't too much.

Reading + taking notes

I didn't read last night.

Sleep pattern consistency

Again, something I'll need to work on. I'ts 9:03pm now and I am getting to bed within 5 minutes, so I'm doing pretty well for time.

Daily social goal

"Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely". I managed to apply this twice today, and a friend of my parents commented 'brownie points!' as he appreciated my manners. I think I've done this pretty well today.

Social goal for tomorrow:

"Dramatise your ideas". This is applicable to the portrayal of new ideas, not so much the field of daily communication.

Python programming

Bugger, I didn't do it. I'll need to start setting times for this type of thing, otherwise I'll never get round to it.

Less than 15 minutes of Youtube

I've successfully kept to my limit, but consequently I ended up browsing news sites in search of interesting stories, twice today! It didn't take that long, but I'll add 'non-essential reading' as another thing here, and keep it less than 5 minutes.

Less than 5 minutes of new article reading

Just added.

What I could have done to make my day better:

If I had stuck to the alarm I set to get up, I would have gotten on with the day as I had planned. I'll need to stick to my 6:30am alarm tomorrow!

What I will do differently tomorrow:

I will set times for almost all activities I'm doing tomorrow, it should work nicely with my studying schedule.

Photo Stream

Today the stream was murky again because of rain, but should be pretty visible.

Photography lineup

Took on my phone on Thursday. What do you think it is? Is it a hedge or something else?

iPhone photos and videos 007.JPG

iPhone photos and videos 004.JPG

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Post-Detox Day 118

Today I had a super long call with my accountability partner, and it was certainly for the best. About 99% of the conversation was centered around him and where he needs to go from here, but it was necessary in his case. I got the equivalent of 4-5 x 50 minute study sessions done, but I know I could have done better. I have come to the conclusion that studying in a non-comfortable environment (i.e. not in my room and in general not at home) is best for studying, as I tend to get lethargic when there's no immediate responsibility or if nobody will see me slack off.

About halfway through the day I was upset by there not being cake left for me. I felt sour, and even after I realised that I was overreacting, I wasn't possible for me to simply get rid of my emotion. This was when I tried to meditate for a second time during the day, which helped me significantly in restoring calmness. It is amazing how we can still feel such unhelpful emotions despite our best intentions not to.

I downloaded some soundtracks from a couple of old PS2 games that I used to play with the intention of listening to upbeat music to get going through study sessions and for running, and for the most part it was harmless fun to listen to these songs and remember what it was I heard so often in my primary school days. Towards finishing with these, I felt somewhat nostalgic about the games, and I certainly felt that the games meant a lot to me in the past. I think it might be best for me to just delete the soundtracks and/or move them to a backup hard drive so if they cause any further nostalgia or issues.

Gratitude journal

I am grateful for being able to see potential houses to move in to.

I am grateful for how my journey quitting gaming has worked so far.

I am grateful for having unlimited clean water.

One amazing thing that happened today:

I had a second meditation when my mind was getting 'clogged' with unhelpful thoughts, and afterwards I felt so clear-headed that I had no trouble with immediately getting on with doing a workout. It was a good experience, I should try it more often when I'm feeling stressed.

Workout/run

Done, I did a casual run plus a workout today.

Meditation

Done x2

Visualisation

Yup.

Daily affirmations

Done. I have a lot of them though, I'm not sure if they'll stick. I'll keep on keeping on with these though.

Reading + taking notes

Done.

Sleep pattern consistency

I got to bed at a decent time, but I can do better tonight.

Daily social goal

"Dramatise your ideas". I didn't think about this one enough and as a result didn't pick an opportune time to implement it, I'll need to focus on this more tomorrow.

Social goal for tomorrow:

"Dramatise your ideas".

Python programming

Done. I was sitting at my desk trying to make a program that simply did something out of my own desire, but I got too hung up on doing something complicated (implementing sounds into python) and didn't actually get much coding done. Tomorrow I'll try focus on the simple stuff.

Less than 15 minutes of Youtube

I had about 20 minutes of Youtube I think, which isn't too bad.

Less than 5 minutes of new article reading

Yup.

What I could have done to make my day better:

I could have been more self-observant today.

What I will do differently tomorrow:

I'm going back to school, so I will just keep my emotions and interactions in mind when meeting people again.

Photo Stream

Captured this morning.

Photography lineup

The answer to yesterday's photo: a line of trees!

iPhone photos and videos 001.JPG

iPhone photos and videos 003.JPG

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Post-Detox Day 119

Today I got back to school for the term, and it was a surprisingly easy transition! It seems like the studying routine I set up the past week has turned out to have a bonus. It was great to see some familiar faces again, and get back into a routine with greater stability than a planned one I'd try in the holidays.

I'm seriously shortening my journal post today as I need to get to bed on time, but these time constraints will likely reduce my post length for quite a number of weeks.

 

Workout/run

Done.

Meditation

Done.

Visualisation

Done.

Daily affirmations

Done.

Reading + taking notes

Done.

Sleep pattern consistency

I did alright yesterday, but I could do better.

Daily social goal

"Dramatise your ideas". Again, I didn't find a good time to implement it other than loosely exaggerating today.

Social goal for tomorrow:

Make sure to use people's names in a positive manner when approaching them.

Python programming

Done. I took much longer than I planned though, perhaps I'm enjoying getting into it.

Less than 15 minutes of Youtube

Certainly, I didn't watch any!

Less than 5 minutes of new article reading

Yup.

What I could have done to make my day better:

I could have gotten to work sooner so that I have time to spare after getting it all done.

What I will do differently tomorrow:

I'm going to just attack my homework as soon as I can after school.

Photo Stream

Captured this afternoon.

Photography lineup

I took this one on a photography outing a few months ago, it's one of my favourites!

iPhone photos and videos 006.JPG

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I did feel very angry a short time ago because of my internet issues. I found that it is most of the times the way to go to accept this feelings and try to feel them instead of saying to yourself I shouldn't be angry. If I just realise that I am angry  and allow yourself to feel it. It fades away pretty fast. On the other hand if I fight the feeling it can stay with me for a long time.

just my experiences, dealing with strong emotions. Is it the same way for you?

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I did feel very angry a short time ago because of my internet issues. I found that it is most of the times the way to go to accept this feelings and try to feel them instead of saying to yourself I shouldn't be angry. If I just realise that I am angry  and allow yourself to feel it. It fades away pretty fast. On the other hand if I fight the feeling it can stay with me for a long time.

just my experiences, dealing with strong emotions. Is it the same way for you?

Thanks for the advice; I will try it next time. Previously I think I've ended up focusing on what makes me upset, which causes more emotion. Thanks for reading up on my journal :)

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Post-Detox Day 120

Today as been another good day at school. I didn't exercise this morning, and as a result felt really lethargic and found it difficult to concentrate after sitting for a while. I hardly got any homework done this afternoon either, but that is largely in part to a dinner celebration (we've sold our house) and a call which might see to me ending up on national tv talking about my game quitting experiences.

Gratitude journal

I am grateful for the wonderful dinner I had tonight.

I am grateful for my safe, privileged community.

I am grateful for knowing how to code.

One amazing thing that happened today:

It has been difficult to think of an amazing thing that happened today, but if I were to choose one thing it'd be the supportive help I got for maths today, or simply spending some of my lunch sitting in the sun whilst getting on with work.

Workout/run

Nope.

Meditation

Done.

Visualisation

Yup.

Daily affirmations

Skipped today.

Reading + taking notes

Done.

Getting to bed before 9pm

Didn't do this one well today.

Daily social goal

Make sure to use people's names in a positive manner when approaching them. I did this well today, a friend I greeted warmly returned the greeting later on in the day in a friendly manner.

Social goal for tomorrow:

Make connections with acquaintances.

Python programming

I've done plenty for work-related content, but not for leisure.

Less than 15 minutes of Youtube

None.

Less than 5 minutes of article reading

Nope.

What I could have done to make my day better:

I could have exercised.

What I will do differently tomorrow:

I'm going to have a run tomorrow morning, and make sure to be proactive about doing my work.

I might add photos later, but it's well past 9pm so I better get to bed!

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Post-Detox Day 120

Today has been a pretty laid-back day at school, which was nice for a change. I had fencing in the afternoon which was a highlight; it was fun to get back into the sport after the holidays. I've started applying for universities,  and comes as a timely reminder that this last year of school is very important. Otherwise the day was rather uneventful.

Gratitude journal

I am grateful for the opportunity I have to fence at my school.

I am grateful for a roof over my head.

I am grateful for the privileges of being in the top year at high school.

One amazing thing that happened today:

I put a lot of effort into fencing, and it really paid off. I got good exercise and enjoyed my time there. I suppose I enjoyed the simplicity of just needing to fence my opponent, not needing to think very hard.

Workout/run

I had a quick jog in the morning, but I could have lengthened it.

Meditation

Done.

Visualisation

Yup.

Daily affirmations

Quickly read.

Reading + taking notes

Didn't make time for it.

Getting to bed before 9pm

Nope.

Daily social goal

Make connections with acquaintances. I didn't put much effort into it today; I'll have to try again tomorrow.

Social goal for tomorrow:

Make connections with acquaintances.

Python programming

I've done plenty for work-related content, but again not practicing for the upcoming competition.

Less than 15 minutes of Youtube

Done.

Less than 5 minutes of article reading

I spent the majority of my time on the bus reading articles, which was largely a waste of time.

What I could have done to make my day better:

I could have just got into doing my homework without delay, without procrastination. It would have given me time to relax in the afternoon.

What I will do differently tomorrow:

I will make sure to start prioritizing work and allocating times for them as soon as I get on the bus home from school.

Photo Stream

My jog wasn't long enough to get to the stream, so no photo today.

Photography lineup

Another photo I took a few months ago at Lake Wainamu.

DSC01799.JPG

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My post for 28.7:

Post-Detox Day 121

Today has been another good day in general; I worked well in school and and signed up after school for a programming contest. I finally did my weekly reflection (for last week) that I wanted to do, and there's many lessons I learned which I want to keep in mind. I've been finding it difficult to do homework in the morning and afternoon, I can't pinpoint why but I could put it down to just not being proactive enough.

Workout/run

I had a workout, but only worked out for 20 minutes.

Meditation

Done.

Visualisation

Nope.

Daily affirmations

Nope

Reading + taking notes

Yup.

Getting to bed before 9pm

9:15, not bad.

Daily social goal

Make connections with acquaintances. I think I talked with one, but I still need to work on it.

Social goal for tomorrow:

Forgot to set one.

Python programming

Yup, I did that in the afternoon club session.

Less than 15 minutes of Youtube

Done.

Less than 5 minutes of article reading

Nope. I’ll need to address this one as I’d like to read the news and such, but I need to choose to read it in my free time. I’ll change the name to No procrastination before studying as it’s something I need to work on.

 

Post-Detox Day 121

Today has been a long one, I got up at 5:40am to do a long run, but it didn’t end up being all that long. I received an academic award at assembly today along with a bunch of other students, which was a worthwhile achievement. I’m glad the school week is over, but I’ll be doing my ‘simulated school’ studying tomorrow so no break for me!

Gratitude journal

I am grateful for all the clubs at my school.

I am grateful for having a bed to myself.

I am grateful for having technology so powerful I don’t understand it.

One amazing thing I did today:

Today I received an award for my academic work this year so far. It’ll be good to put up on my wall. I also spoke up in class today when the teacher wanted a student to answer a question, and I did really well. I haven’t been that engaged in class discussion in the past term so I think I should get involved as often as I can.

Workout/run

I had a run this morning, but in future I need to get out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off, no matter how tired I feel.

Meditation

Done.

Visualisation

Yup.

Daily affirmations

Skipped.

Reading + taking notes

Yup.

Getting to bed before 9pm

Nope. I probably need to find a different way to do this than using lots of alarms, I tend to just ignore them now.

Daily social goal

Didn’t set one.

Social goal for tomorrow:

Befriend two strangers.

Python programming

Not today.

Less than 15 minutes of Youtube

Friday’s my afternoon off, this doesn’t apply

No procrastination before studying

--

What I could have done to make my day better:

I could have decided earlier what I was going to do with my time in the afternoon. I ended up mulling over whether I should try to get more work done or not, and as a result wasted quite a lot of time that I could have spent relaxing. I normally keep Friday afternoons free of studying; I need to keep it that way so that I have some dedicated down-time.

What I will do differently tomorrow:

I will make sure to not procrastinate in any way before doing homework.

Photo Stream

Photo added.

Photography lineup

Another photo I took a few months ago near Lake Wainamu. It was one of the first where I properly used long exposure.

iPhone photos and videos 029.JPG

DSC01868.JPG

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Hey Alex!

I've just finished my detox and I see that you keep a journal everyday for your daily to do things. I feel like this will help me alot aswell. Would you mind if I'll keep track of them the same way? Thanks for sharing your storie and vision on things!

Much love Robin

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Hey Alex!

I've just finished my detox and I see that you keep a journal everyday for your daily to do things. I feel like this will help me alot aswell. Would you mind if I'll keep track of them the same way? Thanks for sharing your storie and vision on things!

Much love Robin

Hi Robin!

Go ahead man! If that'll help you achieve your goals, I'm all for it. I do many things like keeping a gratitude journal, focusing on positives I've done, and what I can improve on to keep my status quo moving forward. If you'd like to try some of them, go ahead :)

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Your journal seems extremely structured, and you're sharing a lot of what you do every day. Do you ever find it tiring?

It's generally advised not to share your goals, yet a lot of people here seem to be doing exactly that, and it seems to be working out fine for you.

(I tried to do something similar at various points, but found it too draining.)

Edited by Marquess
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