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My Journal - Alex


AlexTheGrape

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Attempt II Day 20

Today was an averagely productive day, but was great overall because I got 2 runs in and did better than normal for a study day at home.

I tried a new method for studying: wear my bucket hat so that my field of vision is restricted mainly to my desk. I have found this is a sure method of focusing my attention to be where I needed, and not get distracted by looking out my window or at things in my room.

I have focused on the good points in running, and I believe I am finding it faster to run in the morning, hopefully this will become a habit in the near future! It will be a keystone habit from where I can improve other areas of my life.

I didn't achieve my goals done, I simply forgot about them! Again, I will need to be intentional with how I am setting and striving towards my goals, and to keep them a little more realistic if I know I will be at home for most of the day.

Three things that made my day amazing:

- Having a run by myself in the morning was a great way to energise myself.

-Meditating in the morning helped me to clear my head, and seems to work really well for getting rid of drowsiness.

-My Dad being around the house for most of the day. He is often very busy so even if he is being a couch potato at home it makes home more homely by having more people in it :)

Something that I could have done to make the day better:

I could have waited in bed for less before getting up, it really doesn't do any good to procrastinate.

 

Goals for tomorrow:

-Get at least 6 x 50 mins of study done, for real this time:

-Write out my day plan whilst eating breakfast

-Lights out by 8:50

 

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Good progress Alex! 

I brought over my guitar to my Dad's place, so I am prepared to start learning guitar again after my chemistry exam. Anybody know some good, free online resources for learning the guitar?

What style do you want to start with? Learning chords is quite rewarding: good for singer-songwriter's stuff, folk, singing along by the campfire. For classical I'd advise you find a teacher since fixing postural mistakes is a hell of a lot harder than learning good technique right away. For rock/blues you will most likely start with learning the pentatonic scale and some easy riffs and licks. YouTube is full of good stuff, browse around and see what sticks!

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Here is my post for yesterday:

Attempt II Day 22

I realised that I had done two Day 20s in a row so I am actually on day 22 now!

Today was a productive day, I studied the last revision material for my organic chemistry paper I will need to take tomorrow along with another 2 chemistry papers.

 

And another for today:

Attempt II Day 23

I have now finished my exams for the year and school for me is now officially over! :D

Now would be the time I'd usually jump onto my computer and become a couch potato for the rest of the holidays, but not this time! I have a list of things I'd like to do and need to get done, so I won't be able to say "I'm bored" for a while yet. I plan to go to the museum tomorrow and do a bit of exploring around the city. This is a sure fire way for me to get the engagement I need and the adventure side of it will enable me to experience the real world in ways much better than I would in the virtual gaming world. I am building a better foundation for quitting games forever this way, being more intentional with my activities like I failed to do last attempt.

Once I get home tomorrow I will need to tackle the list of things I'd like to get done.

Thanks Tom for the suggestions, I hadn't really thought about the specific types of songs to start leaning towards and playing styles to learn so it is good to get a good idea of what I'm actually working towards. I've heard that youtube is a good resource for learning, so I'll give it a go!

Thanks Cam for the link, it looks like a good resource to get started with!

I'll probably add some goals in the morning if I make the time for it (I am getting into the habit of replacing 'don't have the time' with 'haven't made the time' deliberately) as I need to get into bed now.

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Attempt II Day 25

Cam, I don't really have any questions about not gaming in my holiday break (it's summer here in the southern hemisphere!) as I already know that I just need to keep myself occupied with other activities. I suppose I would like to know some good ways of finding a job (which is not very related to your question), but from what I hear, just going to places and asking is the best method.

Today I went to the Auckland Museum to do something engaging that would kick off my holidays. It went very well, I learnt more about the history of New Zealand and got to see some very interesting exhibitions, two of which used virtual reality screening! (Using Oculus Rift of better quality headpieces). One of them was the battlefields of Gallipoli and others in World War II, built in Minecraft! I only stayed for a couple of minutes, but even so it felt lonely and reminded me of why I quit gaming in the first place, which is great for a recovering game addict like myself.

I will write a plan for these holidays, detailing what I want to get done and by when. This way there will be less possibility of me procrastinating and less time to procrastinate.

Before I went into the museum I made a friend named Zarek, who had just finished his music degree and was playing the guitar. He showed me a few tricks and we talked about ourselves, our future careers, and the big questions in life. He was doing a tour in parts of New Zealand, and he inspired me more to pursue my old skill of playing guitar.

I realised a while ago that a lot of the new members that introduce themselves and start a journal never seem to post again, usually after a few days. I think this is likely to be due to relapse, and is sad to know that many aren't making it. That being said, I am grateful for this community being here.

I was supposed to start my 100 club challenge today, but I didn't do much after I got home. I'll start tomorrow, punch me if I forget.

What am I grateful for today?

I am grateful for the opportunity to go to the museum

I am grateful for having my own room

I am grateful for having quality time to spend with my Dad during the day

What could I have done to my day better?

Getting better sleep, I just need to set more alarms on my phone and obey them.

Three amazing things that happened today:

I met and became a friend with Zarek, he might become real famous one day!

I was able to experience virtual reality twice in one day! I wouldn't have thought that any museum would have contained such technology for constant public use.

I spent lunch time with my Dad at an Indian restaurant, it was nice to spend quality time with him and try new tastes, even though I'd normally just get butter chicken.

What I will do differently tomorrow:

I will make sure to get the three activities I have chosen for the 100 club.

I will write a plan to plan out these holidays

 

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Alex, glad to see you're doing well. 

I noticed you've mentioned a 100 day challenge. 
If you've set a goal to not play video games for this long, I'd suggest getting a calendar and counting your small wins

I'm currently 40 days into my 90 day challenge. I tally when I reach a Day Ten. I don't feel discouraged looking at the small steps I need to take, apposed to looking at the grand picture of 100 days out. 

Hope this helps! (if this is the challenge you're looking to do)  

Best, 
Oct

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I realised a while ago that a lot of the new members that introduce themselves and start a journal never seem to post again, usually after a few days. I think this is likely to be due to relapse, and is sad to know that many aren't making it. That being said, I am grateful for this community being here.

The stronger our community becomes the more likely we are to improve the number of people who manage to stick with it. I'm always open to ideas if people have any.

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Attempt II Day 26

I have well and truly surpassed my last 'high score' of staying away from games, and I am well on the way to finishing the 90 day detox.

Here is my entry for yesterday:

Today I played some Halo Risk with my brother after much convincing, and we found it quite fun. It was the first relaxing day I have had in a while, and spent a few hours adventuring around with my brother and two school friends. We went to the nearby beach, had dinner, then did our own bush walk (no track, just adventure!). Was a great time catching up with those guys.

I played a good 20 minutes or so of guitar, and had done my morning run so did most of my daily 100 club obligation (I didn't make the time to do a full 15 minutes of python programming).

Tomorrow my friends will be over for risk, which will be fun!

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Hey Alex, I'm not sure if you've gotten any photography going or if that is still on your goal sheet. But you did tell me to remind you about it on November 25th so here I am!

"I realised a while ago that a lot of the new members that introduce themselves and start a journal never seem to post again, usually after a few days. I think this is likely to be due to relapse, and is sad to know that many aren't making it. That being said, I am grateful for this community being here."

Yeah, this is sad! Since Cam asked for ideas but I am short on time I will just float the idea of making a program that could partner up volunteers who have quit gaming for a certain amount of time (90 days or more?) and pair them up with someone who has just started their journey to provide them with some guidance and assistance. Not sure if it's the best idea but everyone could throw some ideas out and bounce ideas off each other!

Happy 26 days Alex! That's almost 4 weeks! Congrats!

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Attempt II Day 27

My story from yesterday:

Today was the planned day to play Risk with a group of friends. It was a great time and I got to exercise my strategic mind that was craving such games (due to lack of video games to satisfy it). I dominated the game first, but was backstabbed a total of 3 times before coming to the eventual realisation that I shouldn't trust anyone. I barely survived but ended up winning at the end. With 5 players it was a very interesting game!

Being the same people that I used to play Civilisation 5 with (video game), I was of course encouraged to play the game later on, and I am faced with the prospect of doing that again. I am wary of undermining the 90 day detox, but it might be a possibility to use somebody else's steam account to play just the one night, and then not use the account again (as they would only let me use it for that event). Any suggestions in regards to this?

I got my guitar practice and run done, but didn't do the programming I was supposed to so I need to make sure that I do that tomorrow!

Hey Alex, I'm not sure if you've gotten any photography going or if that is still on your goal sheet. But you did tell me to remind you about it on November 25th so here I am!

"I realised a while ago that a lot of the new members that introduce themselves and start a journal never seem to post again, usually after a few days. I think this is likely to be due to relapse, and is sad to know that many aren't making it. That being said, I am grateful for this community being here."

Yeah, this is sad! Since Cam asked for ideas but I am short on time I will just float the idea of making a program that could partner up volunteers who have quit gaming for a certain amount of time (90 days or more?) and pair them up with someone who has just started their journey to provide them with some guidance and assistance. Not sure if it's the best idea but everyone could throw some ideas out and bounce ideas off each other!

Happy 26 days Alex! That's almost 4 weeks! Congrats!

I have gotten some photography done actually! I took many photos at and around the Auckland museum when I went earlier this week.

What am I grateful today?

I am grateful for the friends I have that I can talk to any time.

I am grateful for receiving my Christmas present early so that I could play Risk with my friends.

I am grateful to have money to spare from my own savings.

What could I have done to make my day better?

I could have done my run earlier in the morning so that I didn't have to do it late and compromise my sleep time.

One amazing thing that happened today (in detail):

The most exhilarating feeling I had today was when I conquered Europe on my first turn of Risk, and managed to defend it against other players by making alliances, peaces and threats to the other players individually so that they left me alone. I was at a huge advantage by having a large continent bonus, and had a great time playing the board game. This was a great moment for me because I was rewarded in a small way for organising the gathering and delaying gratification by not playing strategy video games.

What I will do differently tomorrow:

I will do a longer run to make sure I get the exercise I need.

 

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Attempt II Day 28

Today has been rather uneventful, but is a good day nonetheless as nothing has offset my mood today.

I got my guitar practice and some exercise in, which means I am making progress.

I started to get to work on my website again by emailing my client with a barrage of queries.

It's 10:55 PM so I'll have to cut it short now. I'll write out in my notepad the following things I'd like to get done tomorrow:

-Devise and implement a planning and visualisation tool for compiling all of my 'projects', "to do's", goals, tasks, and any other form of long term thinking I have started within my time quitting games

-Crunch down on my to do list

-Get further towards finding a job. A small effort at least.

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-Devise and implement a planning and visualisation tool for compiling all of my 'projects', "to do's", goals, tasks, and any other form of long term thinking I have started within my time quitting games

I can't recommend Trello enough. I wrote about it on Florian's journal.

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Here is my post for yesterday:

Attempt II Day 29

Today I got a lot of work done in terms of finding a job, and has occupied most of my day. I didn't get round to playing guitar, and I don't have any excuses for that other than 'I was doing something productive'.

I got a long morning run done, which was a big help starting my day well.

I still need to devise a planning and visualisation tool. I have used Trello before for work documentation, but I don't think I would be using my computer enough to use it for to do lists. I will give it a go nonetheless, thank you Tom for your suggestion.

I still have some gaming nostalgia, and would like to fill my time with the EU4 video game, but at the same time I don't wish to waste so much time during my holidays. As a self reflection I must keep intentional with my activities.

I'll continue tomorrow with the same tasks: finding a job, cracking down on my to do list and working on building habits.`

 

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Good that you got your run done! Besides from this advice rhyming, it is important to have something accomplished every day.

Maybe you can figure out the three most essential items for the day and then only focus on getting them done. Everything else is bonus.

Then, you can also set three goals for the week, three for the month etc. See J.D. Meier 'Getting Results the Agile Way'.

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Good that you got your run done! Besides from this advice rhyming, it is important to have something accomplished every day.

Maybe you can figure out the three most essential items for the day and then only focus on getting them done. Everything else is bonus.

Then, you can also set three goals for the week, three for the month etc. See J.D. Meier 'Getting Results the Agile Way'.

Thanks Florian, it is especially important to have something accomplished every day, I have felt guilty in previous holidays when I have gotten nothing done during the day, so I need to celebrate these small wins!

I am trying out Tom's method of using Trello to compile all of the work I need to do and focus on what is necessary, and so far it is working well! This was I have identified the 5 most important things that I need to do today and have set out to accomplish them. One of those was completing my vision board, so I'll post it here. I'm just about to plan out what I want to do these holidays, looking at how much time I have during the holidays and to set out some goals in that way. Thanks for the motivation to get it started!

Edit: I know my vision board lacks the depth of content you'd usually see, but I wanted to represent me at the moment and the path I wish to take at the moment, so I won't overwhelm myself with too much content on the vision board.

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Edited by AlexTheGrape
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Attempt II Day 30

Today has been a mixed bag, but I am satisfied with my work and was able to resolve the issues that came my way.

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I can't recommend Trello enough. I wrote about it on Florian's journal.

Thanks @Tom for suggesting to use Trello, I tried it out today and it worked like a dream! I especially enjoyed working in this format because I could picture it as an efficient conveyor belt type of production line, where the things that I got done were filtered, processed, and 'produced' by being completed. Today I got everything I wanted done, including submitting a job application, finishing my vision board, organising my volunteer work at school for the week, and planning out goals and milestones that I want to meet throughout the holidays. Please tell me if the @Tom link worked, I'm not sure how text links work on the forum.

Hey Alex, I'm not sure if you've gotten any photography going or if that is still on your goal sheet. But you did tell me to remind you about it on November 25th so here I am!

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I forgot to thank you Elegwa for reminding me about photography earlier, so I'd like to take the time to thank you now. I'm glad you remembered to remind me, I would not have been able to do such a thing! I find the pairing up idea to be a really great one, I have read that adding the social element makes sure that both people stay committed for many reasons; one of them being not wanting to let the other one down by slipping up, and another being a competitive side to do better in the activity you are doing in common. In this case by pairing up game quitters, they may be further inclined to take more measures such as being more intentional with new activities, to make sure they have a stronger standing in quitting games.

I unfortunately didn't get up to do my morning run, and instead just got up to turn off my alarm and flopped back into bed. I didn't get any more sleep, so was a waste of my time. I know that this was a bad decision in the end because I felt down for most of the day because I hadn't exercised and the lack of motivation that I derive from running resulted in me getting ready for the day at a snail pace. I will endeavor to do better tomorrow!

What am I grateful today?

I am grateful to have an abundance of spare time.

I am grateful to live in a spacious property.

I am grateful to have a consistent flow of support and advice from the Game Quitters community.

What could I have done to make my day better?

I could have gotten to bed earlier and had a run in the morning, this would have provided my with more energy to tackle the day and have more motivation.

One amazing thing that happened today:

I made up for not having my morning run by having a long one in the afternoon. I didn't expect to get a little sunburnt, but otherwise cheered me up for the remainder of the day; I had been feeling glum likely due to being inside all day. I jumped into the pool to finish off my run and was a great way to cool off and relax.

What I will do differently tomorrow:

I will go to bed earlier (for real this time!) and make sure to have a morning run, preparing the gear I need the day before to avoid laziness and ultimately to help avoid me not having the run.

 

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Thanks @Tom for suggesting to use Trello, I tried it out today and it worked like a dream! I especially enjoyed working in this format because I could picture it as an efficient conveyor belt type of production line, where the things that I got done were filtered, processed, and 'produced' by being completed. Today I got everything I wanted done, including submitting a job application, finishing my vision board, organising my volunteer work at school for the week, and planning out goals and milestones that I want to meet throughout the holidays. Please tell me if the @Tom link worked, I'm not sure how text links work on the forum.

You are welcome! In fact my board uses the Kanban method which was inspired by the Toyota Manufacturing System so yes, as you say it's a production line.

The @Tom didn't work but I'm subscribed to your journal so I receive notifications for your posts.

 

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Attempt II Day 31

I just realised that I am more than 1/3 through the detox! Yay!

Today has been another emotionally varying day for me, but only in small ways, being ok overall. I didn't get much work done, as I didn't use trello properly. I got my morning run done and daily guitar practice done, which is a plus. Even though I exercised twice today, I didn't feel much better after each one. I think perhaps I should chase the next runner I meet and see if we can pair up to run!

I think the dull mood I had throughout the day was mainly because of lack of social interaction and staying inside. I got enough sleep though, which should have made it better... Tomorrow I'll just have to work outside or something to keep happier.

What am I grateful for today?

I am grateful to have nice scenery to run by during my runs and walks

I am grateful to have the option and opportunity to improve my skills, such as learning to play a musical instrument.

I am grateful to have the option to choose what job I'd like to have.

What could I have done to make my day better?

I could have stayed outside for longer to be happier throughout the day.

One amazing thing that happened today:

When I played guitar not long ago, I thought to myself 'practice makes perfect', so I just kept practicing a short song, 'Amazing Grace' until I was much more proficient at it. It was very satisfying to become better at playing something to become better at it whilst being able to notice my progress. I am using a lesson book I used to think that would not be sufficient for me, but it contains very useful material, so I hope to do some new pages of it every day!

What I will do differently tomorrow:

I will work outside and do home activities outside whenever I can to have a happier mood in general.

 

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Attempt II Day 32

Today was an average day, I got done what I needed to (minimum) and didn't involve much social interaction.

I went to a volunteer event at school, which took me 1.5 hours to drive to the school and around the same time to get back  :( it was the longest amount of time I have driven by myself but I did my job at the end of the day. It was nice helping out, but I will need to approach it in a better mood to see if I'm cut out for volunteer work.

I didn't do my morning run, and I know exactly why! I was tired by being woken up by our dogs, and so when I got up to turn my alarm off I dropped straight into bed. I should have started my morning meditation, if I had I would have been motivated to run afterwards and start the chain reaction of habits that gets me ready for the day. Since I didn't meditate, I didn't run, I didn't shower, and delayed having breakfast. At least I know well now that running is being integrated into my mind as a habit through its involvement with my subconscious morning routine.

On the bright side I managed to get outside to do my daily guitar practice. As I planned yesterday, I worked on a new page of content, and I loved it! I haven't worked on my picking skills in ages and so I was able to 'improve' it very quickly as I got back into the rhythm of picking strings of the guitar. I ended up having my run in the afternoon, but by then I had already wasted most of the morning.

What am I grateful for today?

I am grateful to be able to use my mum's car do get around.

I am grateful for the opportunity to provide service to the community

I am grateful for the freedom I have to pursue the dreams and aspirations that I have

What could I have done to make my day better?

Meditating in the morning would have made a huge difference to my overall mood and would have provided the clarity of thought to do my morning run.

One amazing thing that happened today:

As I was picking my guitar today I not only regained old skills, but I tested myself to develop new ones - namely picking and fretting without looking at the guitar. I could only do really simple things, but it will be really helpful to do this as I will be able to direct my attention and gaze somewhere else while playing guitar, which is important for performing.

What I will do differently tomorrow:

I will make sure to meditate in the morning under my own guidance (I am sick of pay to use meditation apps). This will help me directly to run and get my other morning activities under way. Something I underestimate is that morning meditation gets rid of drowsiness and the strong desire to stay comfortable in bed.

I will also start a morning journal again, at the suggestion of Tim in the Tim Ferris Show podcast I listened to yesterday. Prod me if I don't mention it in my next post!

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Attempt II Day 33

Today was pretty much like yesterday! But good overall because nothing bad happened.

I started the 21 day no complaining challenge yesterday (which I forgot to mention in my journal), and did well until this afternoon. I started talking to a friend about something I didn't like and it ended up as a complaint. Well, I must start again now! The rubber band I am wearing to remind me gets moved to the other hand each time I mess up, and the 21 day timer restarts.

I did my meditation and run this morning, so that was good. I meditated under my own steam, listening to some wave sounds from my phone. It wasn't as good quality meditation as what I'd feel after the guided ones, but it was my first try by myself so I should be able to not let my mind wander off with more practice.

I went to my service activity this afternoon, but thankfully the traffic was in my favor and all was well.

Tomorrow I will be going to a dinner with some school friends (not the gamer ones from my old school that I normally hang out with) so I have a great opportunity to get the social interaction I have been lacking and get to know some new people.

What am I grateful for today?

I am grateful that other road users are considerate, I am still learning how to be more considerate on the road.

I am grateful for the choice to do what I like with my time, as spending it in a good way makes it all the more rewarding.

I am grateful for having a loving family who cherishes time spent with me.

What could I have done to make my day better?

I could have made a plan from the beginning, having time frames for each individual task. I downloaded a chrome extension called 'momentum' and its quote of the day was "a goal without a plan is only a wish" which I found quite relevant.

I'll finish off my post in the morning, it is far too late at night.

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