My Journal - Alex

[seriousjay]

Another way you can approach programming is to be more specific with exactly what you are going to work on with it. For example, on the days I'm most productive, I know exactly what I need to be working on. For instance, today I will be very productive because:

- First I need to respond to emails, comments and the forum. Currently doing that.

- Next I need to complete the worksheets for Respawn v4.

- After that I will probably need to take a break/have lunch, and will likely head home.

- Then I can work on uploading the worksheets, audio files, slides and other files to the new Game Quitters membership site.

- Once that is complete, I need to update and organize the Respawn v4 ebook.

I will likely only get to complete the worksheets and maybe some uploading today. But it's easy for me to get going when I get to the office because I know what I need to work on.

Compare that to if I came to the office and didn't have this written down, I would spend 30-60 minutes trying to figure out what to do, my momentum is low and by then I'm likely to just keep putting it off. So what exactly do you need to complete for Python programming? Is it a specific course? Can you spend 30 minutes working on it today? That's how you will build momentum.

This is great. It is one of the core messages of David Allen's "Getting Things Done" - which is a bit on the dry side to read. You summarized it here much more entertainingly.

Man I'm going to go bankrupt just buying all these awesome books.. LOL!

[Florian]

Money spent on books is never wasted.

[seriousjay]

Money spent on books is never wasted.

I 100% agree. Well, depending on the book anyways!

[AlexTheGrape]

Attempt II Day 12

Today I went to school to study and I got quite a bit more study done than I would at home, but still didn't get the quality of study I wanted. I sat down and did the hours, but revising over my old work can be a drag, so I probably need to find some more engaging activities and ways to study.

I had a satisfying length run that took at least 20 minutes. It was easier to get up this morning to do the run, and since I had my gear ready to go I was able to get ready faster than yesterday.

I did python programming today, and about an hour of it. The reason why I need to do this programming is because I want to do robotics at university. I started python programming last year, and went with a team in my school to a competition this year. I understand how coding works, I just need to practice regularly otherwise I will lose my touch; I have forgotten half the commands I use by not doing any programming for about 4 months, so it is vital I get back into the habit of programming to develop these skills.

I didn't pack any gear to use in the school gym, and as a result I didn't get much exercise during the day, not being motivated and not getting work done.

My discipline to do work at home seems to have dropped off recently. I did another run once I got home which I don't normally do, but I felt that I could rest afterwards, and led to me procrastinating the entire afternoon.

Goals for tomorrow:

-Plan my entire day once I get to school for studying

-Work out at the school gym

-Get 6 x 45 minutes of QUALITY study done at school. This will mean I need to do more engaging activities.

-Get 3 x 45 minutes of quality study done at home. Only then I should feel justified to relax.

[AlexTheGrape]

Another way you can approach programming is to be more specific with exactly what you are going to work on with it. For example, on the days I'm most productive, I know exactly what I need to be working on. For instance, today I will be very productive because:

- First I need to respond to emails, comments and the forum. Currently doing that.

- Next I need to complete the worksheets for Respawn v4.

- After that I will probably need to take a break/have lunch, and will likely head home.

- Then I can work on uploading the worksheets, audio files, slides and other files to the new Game Quitters membership site.

- Once that is complete, I need to update and organize the Respawn v4 ebook.

I will likely only get to complete the worksheets and maybe some uploading today. But it's easy for me to get going when I get to the office because I know what I need to work on.

Compare that to if I came to the office and didn't have this written down, I would spend 30-60 minutes trying to figure out what to do, my momentum is low and by then I'm likely to just keep putting it off. So what exactly do you need to complete for Python programming? Is it a specific course? Can you spend 30 minutes working on it today? That's how you will build momentum.

Thanks Cam, that is a good approach. I planned out my day to the minute this morning, but I suppose I wasn't specific on what the work was. I just wrote things like '50 minutes on cell biology revision' and so I just browsed through my book slowly and without too much intention.

I will make sure to detail specific tasks that I need to do on the day so that it will work more solidly in my day plan.

[Cam Adair]

Yes, that will make a big difference!

[seriousjay]

Attempt II Day 12

Today I went to school to study and I got quite a bit more study done than I would at home, but still didn't get the quality of study I wanted. I sat down and did the hours, but revising over my old work can be a drag, so I probably need to find some more engaging activities and ways to study.

I had a satisfying length run that took at least 20 minutes. It was easier to get up this morning to do the run, and since I had my gear ready to go I was able to get ready faster than yesterday.

I did python programming today, and about an hour of it. The reason why I need to do this programming is because I want to do robotics at university. I started python programming last year, and went with a team in my school to a competition this year. I understand how coding works, I just need to practice regularly otherwise I will lose my touch; I have forgotten half the commands I use by not doing any programming for about 4 months, so it is vital I get back into the habit of programming to develop these skills.

I didn't pack any gear to use in the school gym, and as a result I didn't get much exercise during the day, not being motivated and not getting work done.

My discipline to do work at home seems to have dropped off recently. I did another run once I got home which I don't normally do, but I felt that I could rest afterwards, and led to me procrastinating the entire afternoon.

Goals for tomorrow:

-Plan my entire day once I get to school for studying

-Work out at the school gym

-Get 6 x 45 minutes of QUALITY study done at school. This will mean I need to do more engaging activities.

-Get 3 x 45 minutes of quality study done at home. Only then I should feel justified to relax.

Alex, absolutely regular practice is important to keep your programming mind sharp! It looks like you have a pretty cool goal in mind for your programming, so definitely keep at it!

I do tend to find working from home doesn't work too well. For me it's because home is such a familiar and comfortable place, so I get into that comfort zone mindset. I am changing that as part of my personal development. It definitely helps a lot, if you want to study for example, to go to a library or something where that environment is conducive to studying.

[AlexTheGrape]

Attempt II Day 13

This is my entry for yesterday:

Today I went to school to study, and did a whole days worth of physics revision done. This was with a revision class where a teacher was present, and due to me being in there pretty much the whole day I didn't go to the gym.

I made a new friend today, so that's a small win.

I need to find a way to keep my goals on hand so that I can work on them; although I met my goal for school work I didn't do any work once I got home which meant i didn't meet my last goal.

[AlexTheGrape]

I was invited to play a night of Civilisation 5 with my old friends, and I feel it would be exciting. Unfortunately this would undermine my resolve to continue without games, and I 'deleted' my steam account. I think I would be able to retrieve my steam account given the time, but I have the feeling this wouldn't be a good idea in the long run.

Would playing games for a night violate the 90 day detox? I know I relapsed because I let myself just play, but if I restricted it to that night only I have reason to believe it would be ok. I fear that I would want 'just one more game' of one game type or another after playing with my friends, and has happened before. Thinking about it, it was actually Civ 5 that brought me back from quitting games after some weeks, being my 'final game' with my friends. How that ended up was in me playing games again, with or without friends.

I know I am getting cravings to play games now, but I am running into the problem of just not having enough fun. I play board games with some of my family when I can, but I don't feel this is enough to keep me going once exams end, especially since I will have an abundance of time.

Anybody got thoughts on this? I have the feeling I should just get out more and go explore new activities where I can find them, but this will be a little hard until I have a car to drive around in (I have a driving licence but not my own car to drive).

[Florian]

I was invited to play a night of Civilisation 5 with my old friends, and I feel it would be exciting. Unfortunately this would undermine my resolve to continue without games, and I 'deleted' my steam account. I think I would be able to retrieve my steam account given the time, but I have the feeling this wouldn't be a good idea in the long run.

Would playing games for a night violate the 90 day detox? I know I relapsed because I let myself just play, but if I restricted it to that night only I have reason to believe it would be ok. I fear that I would want 'just one more game' of one game type or another after playing with my friends, and has happened before. Thinking about it, it was actually Civ 5 that brought me back from quitting games after some weeks, being my 'final game' with my friends. How that ended up was in me playing games again, with or without friends.

I know I am getting cravings to play games now, but I am running into the problem of just not having enough fun. I play board games with some of my family when I can, but I don't feel this is enough to keep me going once exams end, especially since I will have an abundance of time.

Anybody got thoughts on this? I have the feeling I should just get out more and go explore new activities where I can find them, but this will be a little hard until I have a car to drive around in (I have a driving licence but not my own car to drive).

You know yourself. If you are worried about playing, it's probably not a good idea.

And yes, I'd think playing one night would indeed violate any detox.

As for activities - I can recommend a good book to read: "The Neverending Story" or "Momo", both by Michael Ende. In the Neverending Story, the main hero is on a journey where he must resurrect a fantasy world through his own imagination without forgetting his own roots and losing himself. In "Momo", a group of "Grey Men" steals people's time by hooking them up to thoughts of efficiency and consumerism.

Both books easy reads and some of my absolute favorites. And the longer I think about it, fitting nicely into the topic of quitting games!

[seriousjay]

I was invited to play a night of Civilisation 5 with my old friends, and I feel it would be exciting. Unfortunately this would undermine my resolve to continue without games, and I 'deleted' my steam account. I think I would be able to retrieve my steam account given the time, but I have the feeling this wouldn't be a good idea in the long run.

Would playing games for a night violate the 90 day detox? I know I relapsed because I let myself just play, but if I restricted it to that night only I have reason to believe it would be ok. I fear that I would want 'just one more game' of one game type or another after playing with my friends, and has happened before. Thinking about it, it was actually Civ 5 that brought me back from quitting games after some weeks, being my 'final game' with my friends. How that ended up was in me playing games again, with or without friends.

I know I am getting cravings to play games now, but I am running into the problem of just not having enough fun. I play board games with some of my family when I can, but I don't feel this is enough to keep me going once exams end, especially since I will have an abundance of time.

Anybody got thoughts on this? I have the feeling I should just get out more and go explore new activities where I can find them, but this will be a little hard until I have a car to drive around in (I have a driving licence but not my own car to drive).

My personal opinion is don't do it. That being said, you know yourself best and it's totally up to you.

Also, I agree with Florian that this would break your detox.

[AlexTheGrape]

 

 

My personal opinion is don't do it. That being said, you know yourself best and it's totally up to you.

Also, I agree with Florian that this would break your detox.

Thanks Jay, I'll keep that in mind.

 

You know yourself. If you are worried about playing, it's probably not a good idea.

And yes, I'd think playing one night would indeed violate any detox.

As for activities - I can recommend a good book to read: "The Neverending Story" or "Momo", both by Michael Ende. In the Neverending Story, the main hero is on a journey where he must resurrect a fantasy world through his own imagination without forgetting his own roots and losing himself. In "Momo", a group of "Grey Men" steals people's time by hooking them up to thoughts of efficiency and consumerism.

Both books easy reads and some of my absolute favorites. And the longer I think about it, fitting nicely into the topic of quitting games!

Thank you Florian, that was some great advice.

If playing games a single night has been proven to break my habits in the past, I should definitely steer away from gaming with friends. My brother also encouraged me not to play with my friends, despite being an aspiring game developer himself.

I'll add those books to my to-read list, they sound like a nice break from all the self improvement and self help books. Currently I am in the process of rereading The Slight Edge.

Thanks again!

[AlexTheGrape]

Attempt II Day 14

Today was a lazy day on my part. Not good during exams!

I didn't set an alarm for the morning or go to bed at the right time yesterday, which resulted in me getting up late, not having a run, and generally getting ready for the day slowly. I will need to make sure I don't do this on Fridays, where I am most susceptible to staying up late.

I'll give it 110% for studying for exams tomorrow to make up for today.

I forgot to mention a while ago that I signed up for the 100 club - I will be doing exercising, programming, and guitar playing for at least 15 minutes each, every day for 100 days. I'm starting on the 24th of November which is after my last exam, I hope this goes well!

I have resolved my invitation issue: I have decided not to go to the Civ night and will arrange a time to play the Risk board game instead.

I am interested in doing volunteering in my community, does anybody have any experience they'd like to share?

Goals for tomorrow (I will write these down on easily accessible paper to remember):

- Program python in the online competition (finishing the week!)

- Start studying by 7:20 tomorrow

- Get 9 x 50 minutes of revision done

- Do a morning run for at least 20 minutes.

[seriousjay]

Attempt II Day 14

Today was a lazy day on my part. Not good during exams!

I didn't set an alarm for the morning or go to bed at the right time yesterday, which resulted in me getting up late, not having a run, and generally getting ready for the day slowly. I will need to make sure I don't do this on Fridays, where I am most susceptible to staying up late.

I'll give it 110% for studying for exams tomorrow to make up for today.

I forgot to mention a while ago that I signed up for the 100 club - I will be doing exercising, programming, and guitar playing for at least 15 minutes each, every day for 100 days. I'm starting on the 24th of November which is after my last exam, I hope this goes well!

I have resolved my invitation issue: I have decided not to go to the Civ night and will arrange a time to play the Risk board game instead.

I am interested in doing volunteering in my community, does anybody have any experience they'd like to share?

Goals for tomorrow (I will write these down on easily accessible paper to remember):

- Program python in the online competition (finishing the week!)

- Start studying by 7:20 tomorrow

- Get 9 x 50 minutes of revision done

- Do a morning run for at least 20 minutes.

Alex I think it's fantastic that you decided to not go to the Civ night. Keep it up you're doing great! Even if you hit little bumps along the road you can always bounce back as long as you don't give up!

[Cam Adair]

+1 to volunteering! That's a fantastic way to give back. And it also helps you develop more empathy.

[AlexTheGrape]

Attempt II Day 15

Today was not so fun, but a more productive day than yesterday.

I found that a reason why I was finding revision so difficult was because I knew most of the content already! I have my biology exam tomorrow, so I'll give it my all.

@Cam how much would you recommend the 30 day challenge from a non marketing perspective? I am on the right track, but perhaps getting myself a little more committed would help me stay on track.

I organised for myself and 5 other friends to play some Risk in the holidays, which should be great! It will be a great alternative to playing Civ, and be much more interactive. I am also planning on purchasing the Game of Thrones edition for something new, the current Risk game I have is about 50 years old!

I didn't achieve my goals today, they were a little unrealistic, and I didn't write them down. I have written down the following though, I have much more chance of remembering these now!

Goals for tomorrow:

-Do 2 x 50 mins of physics revision done

-Do 20 mins of python programming

-Make my 'dream board' that I still haven't done from respawn.

[Cam Adair]

@Cam how much would you recommend the 30 day challenge from a non marketing perspective? I am on the right track, but perhaps getting myself a little more committed would help me stay on track.

Hey Alex! Thanks for the question. The 30 day challenge is what I built for those who have quit gaming and are now looking to start taking their life to the next level. It's a lot of fun and action-focused. It contains a lot of the best stuff I've learned on this personal development journey the last seven years or so.

If you want to see what others think about it, check out the journal of Florian and Travis. They have been going through it the last few weeks. You can also read Matthias' journal, he went through it this summer and finished all 30 days. I think hearing what others think is always best. Personally, I released it because I believe in it.

So far you've been doing great, and some of the things you've been doing are featured in the Challenge (like The Slight Edge). But there's a lot still in it that you could learn and benefit from!

Also, one note: the dream board you're referencing is one of the first five missions in the Challenge. Respawn is a different product (I have a BIG update coming to it soon, hopefully next week.) They are designed to work together. Respawn helps you quit gaming (5 steps), and then the Challenge helps you with important skills/characteristics you need once you quit, things like build momentum, develop key habits, improve your courage and social skills, increase your discipline, and your empathy in 30 fun (well, some may disagree on some of them ) missions.

Anyways, just wanted to clarify that. Let me know if you have any other questions!

[Tom]

Hi Alex! Good to see that you're proactive with your group of Civ friends. Risk is a great game. If time is an issue (well, maybe not since Civ is not exactly a quick game) you can try Settlers of Catan (and its many variations). Just like Risk it's great with many players. I'm intrigued by a co-op game called Pandemic, can't wait to give it a try!

Earlier you were asking about advice on volunteering. I've been doing voluntary work all my life. Literally: I was so young when I started helping out at my parents's organization that I don't even know when that was. With time and experience I served as a coordinator and as a board member at several organizations. I love it because it can have a real impact on people's lives.

My advice is: 1) pick your cause, 2) pick your community.

1) You will always find a chance to do voluntary work towards the goal you care about the most. For me it was education, human rights, and disability. I've been briefly involved with other causes but always came back to what resonated with me the most and where I could create the biggest change. This second item is where pick your community comes into play.

2) In volunteering you will find all kinds of organizations. I can't stress this enough: only commit your time to an organization that knows what it's doing. Goodwill without good direction wastes time, wastes private and public money, and potentially harms the cause it wants to support. It's fine to interview an organization, visit a few times, get to know the volunteers and (if applicable) the people they are trying to help before committing your time.

Let me know how it goes!

Edited November 16, 2015 by Tom

[AlexTheGrape]

Attempt II Day 16

Today was a good day because nothing bad happened.

I believe I did rather well in my biology exam, and managed to get in some physics revision afterwards.

I didn't get much revision done once I got home, but that's tolerable because I had a 3 hour exam. I have physics tomorrow so hopefully I will have fun with that. 

Thanks Tom for the suggestions, they really help! I actually played Settlers of Catan just an hour ago! We must have quite similar board game preferences. I will heed your advice in volunteering, I didn't think to check them out before offering my time, so I'll make sure to do that.

I need to go to bed now so I'm keeping this entry short. I will have much more time for these and helping other game quitters after exams!

[AlexTheGrape]

Attempt II Day 17

I did really well in the physics exam today, I can now relax as I have only one exam to go.

I have been ignoring the pain in my leg the past few days as I thought it would heal, but after my run this morning it felt like I have a joint problem. For now I'll just have to suck it up and pause my morning runs.

I won Settlers Of Catan today, which was a plus. Now that I have more time, I will put extra effort into achieving my goals, meditating and other habits such as a gratitude journal.

I'm thinking of putting up a chart where I can measure how well I am achieving my goals.

I am grateful for my exam being a breeze today

I am grateful for having only one exam left

I am grateful for not having many chores or work that I need to do, I probably have too much leisure time without games taking it all up.

I am grateful for always having a filling lunch. I know there are many out there in the world that don't have such luxuries.

Missions for tomorrow:

Do 10 minutes of meditation before school (on bus), 10 minutes in the middle of the day, and 10 minutes on the way home.

Make at least one new friend

Get at least 6 x 50 minutes of studying done

Do lots of python programming, not so much lazing around at home!

[Cam Adair]

Great job on your physics exam! Bet that feels great. Make sure you take a minute to recognize yourself for doing well and earning it.

[AlexTheGrape]

Attempt II Day 18

I'm just a few days out from when I relapsed last attempt, now I need to smash my high score for quitting games!

Today was unproductive in general, I wasn't able to go to school to study due to lack of transport so I just slacked off in general. I got about 2 hours of study done, which isn't the worst but I need a serious improvement tomorrow.

I will make an effort to work out at the school gym tomorrow if it is open, and perhaps have a run around the school.

I have been thinking of changing my diet, I would like to be eating healthier foods and have been more guilty about overeating, eating junk food, eating mostly meats and sugary foods. Does anybody have any diet recommendations?

Didn't do any python programming today, despite having time by not doing work. I need to make sure that I crack down on putting in the effort after my final exam, and I am committed to doing this in the 100 club.

Goals for tomorrow:

-Get at least 20 minutes of working out done

-Get 6 x 50 mins of study done

-Make one new friend

[AlexTheGrape]

Attempt II Day 19

Here is my entry from yesterday:

Today was a mildly productive day: I went to school to get study done, and study I did.

I am becoming increasingly familiar with the concept that without planning, my work will be sub-par.

I pretty much met my goal for work done. I didn't pack my p.e. gear in time so didn't do a workout. Due to the inconsistency at which I am working out, I think I should just focus on my other habits and do workouts whenever I need more exercise but have already done a run. I didn't meet my goal for making a new friend, so I need to be more intentional with my goals.

I am in the process of reading The Power of Habit because I got bored of re-reading The Slight Edge (I will get back to reading it a second time later). Currently it is a very interesting read! I have also noticed that with my morning runs I have the urge to make new habits, which is mentioned in the book.

[AlexTheGrape]

Attempt II Day 20

Today was an average day, but even so I feel relaxed which is a plus.

I didn't go to school for revision today because of lack of transport and needing to bring loads of stuff to my mother's place.

That being said, I am making my journal entry earlier than usual so I still have time to turn my lack of work done around, which I will continue with after this post.

If anybody feels they need some more attention for their posts and is reading this, please let me know as I will be willing to provide support. The problem is I don't know who needs it most so I tend to just comment on somebody's journal that I am familiar with or somebody new.

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?

I am thinking of ways to track my progress similar to that of a game to be more encouraging. Perhaps draw a house of 'my comfort zone', and as I learn new skills I will add more to the 'mind map' to show I am extending myself. If anybody has some ideas on this, I would be glad to hear of them!

I realised that for the 90 day detox, I will not be able to play any games until once school starts next year, around the start of February. I normally played a lot of games during these holidays, so it will be similar to a culture shock for me to do absolutely none. I have some cravings to play my favourite games Civ 5 and EU4 but luckily I have been able to obsess over the Risk board game instead as I will be able to play it with my friends in less than a week. Hopefully this will satisfy my cravings for stategy games, but I know I still want to play 'just one last game' of Civ 5 with my old gamer friends that live nearby and I will want to just do a proper game of EU4 to completion as the Inca empire. I am getting some ideas about playing in moderation whilst improving myself through habits, but obviously this would a breach of the 90 day detox and I shall be trying to focus my attention away from such thoughts.

I know that I can be a competitive and successful person, I just need to get myself out there so that I have competition and productive things to focus on.

Goals for tomorrow:

-Incorporate all my goals into my daily plan

-Do at least 6 x 50 minutes of studying in the library at the bay.

-Make two new friends, since I didn't make one on Thursday!

[Cam Adair]

Thanks for contributing to other members journals - it means a lot and helps me out! 

The Power of Habit is a great book for you right now. The sooner you can implement the right habits in your life, the more benefit you'll gain from them over time.