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NEW VIDEO: The EASIEST Way to Stop Gaming

Skaliq's Log


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Day 1

For the past few months that I've left this forum, I've been moderating with some success. Although there have been a few late night binges, my life has been pretty decent and I was actually able to enjoy video games. During this time, I avoided games with grinding elements, like CCGs and RPGs. There is nothing wrong to continue the status quo. However, I want to spend more time on a personal project. (More on that tomorrow.) So much so that following gaming and esports now seem like a superfluous luxury. The project that I'm working on is a pure hobby, too, that brings me similar enjoyment that gaming does. I'm willingly going through this process, not as an act of desperation, but for the purpose of self-improvement. 

That's why I decided to go through the 90-day detox again to give my new project enough time to develop. The last time I tried, I gave up on day 60. Hopefully, this time I'll last longer. 

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23 hours ago, Cam Adair said:

Glad to have you back with us. Thanks for continuing to share your experience.

Thanks! You're doing great work, please keep it up. 

Day 2

This is easier than before since I've been moderating for a while. There were times when I wouldn't play games for days, though I did fall into the rabbit hole of long binges more than I'd like. I'll have to wait and see how much cravings I get. 

So the project thing I'm doing is a small podcast program. I used to read a lot of comic books before gaming took over, and I happen to know more about the industry trends and such than most fans. So I'm recording podcasts, adding some visual evidence and uploading it to Youtube. It's a niche thing to do and I never expect to get a sizable following. The major personalities in the community are already established, anyway. The goal is 10 followers for now. Weekly uploads of analysis and commentary on comic books. It's just for fun, really. 

Yesterday, I recorded the next episode and edited the audio of the first two paragraphs (out of 11). The post-processing is mostly voice enhancing, volume adjusting, and editing out um's and long pauses. I also adjust the time in between each sentence to pace myself. I plan to get the audio editing done soon and publish by Saturday. I'll spend the rest of the weekend scriptwriting for the next two episodes. 

Otherwise, school is busy but that has always been the case. 

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Day 3

I think I'll continue the chain of writing about the day before. 

Yesterday was not that productive, but I got something done nonetheless. Small victories, you know? It was mostly organizing and archiving papers into Evernote. I'd say that I am 95% paperless, the 5% being the few pieces of paper that are still required in my (mostly digitalized) school. 

I didn't make much progress on the podcast. 

I slept at 10 PM and woke up at 6:30AM. I'll continue to log my sleep schedule, as it is one of my biggest hurdles. 

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Day 4

Yesterday, there was an afternoon math test, and I also went to the gym. I ran a few laps, and since I hadn't done cardio in a while, it was surely a challenge. Normal day otherwise. 

I slept at 10PM and woke up at 6AM. 

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Day 5

Yesterday, I edited 5 sections of the new episode. 7 done, 6 more to go. I'll finish it today. I'm getting faster and faster at it. Import audio file, enhance voice, adjust volume, cut flubs, adjust sentence pace, insert transitions, etc. The quality is still way below my ideals. Tomorrow, it's going to be all the visual parts of the editing process. 

I slept at 9:30PM and woke up at 6AM. 

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Day 6

Yesterday, I didn't end up doing much work on the podcast :( My excuse is that my sister was busy working on the PC on her graphic design related stuff. I worked out, it was back/biceps. Deadlifts, rows, curls, and some cardio. 

I slept at 10 and woke up at 8. 

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Day 7-8

Weekends are always hard. They were not the most productive. However, I did publish my next episode. I slept a bit later, at around 11PM these days. Time to get back to sleepign at 9PM. No cravings. 

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Day 9

@WorkInProgress Actually, yesterday I actually made a big decision. I abandoned and rolled back my podcast episodes. It's mostly because, with my inexperience in audio editing, podcasts take way too much to produce under my busy senior schedule. So I launched a Wordpress.org blog instead. It will allow me to produce shorter text and image-based content more frequently. It also helps that I have some blogging experience under my belt. I know Wordpress back to back, so I can concentrate on research and writing instead of being occupied with learning new skills. 

I might share my blog posts once I start producing a consistent flow of content. 

I slept late; today I'm determined to sleep earlier. 

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Day 10

Yesterday, I published a shorter, 500-word post. It was a literary analysis of a new comic series. I'm getting over 50 views per new post. However, I do need to work hard to gain an audience and think of a way to share my content somewhere outside of Reddit. 

There's this school thing that I should've done a long time ago that I neglected due to gaming :( I'm ready to get grilled by my supervisor. Wish me luck. 

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Day 11

I'm having a hard time getting back my old sleep schedule. Gotta try again today. 

I've started doing reading & research for my next two posts. One will be a short review/impressions post, and another will be a more comprehensive industry report thingy. 

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Day 12

Another busy day. I had a meeting during lunch so I'm starving now. Gotta grab a meal as soon as class ends. Yesterday I finished the draft of my next post. Today I edited and scheduled it to post automatically. 

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Day 13

Not really much to write these days. I'm smooth-sailing with no cravings whatsoever. It's surprising what a hobby (one that you obsess over) can do to stop gaming. I mean, too much of anything could be bad, but writing posts for a blog is not fun to an extent that I abandon my social life and academics. You can't really stay awake until 4AM writing a blog post, you get tired before that; you can, however, pull out all-nighters to play video games. 

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Day 15

No cravings. It's amazing what another really engaging hobby can do. Busy days. I work out 1.5hr per session now, which means, including changing and shower, I put in 2 hours every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So it's harder to find time to do other things. But I'm managing to get them done, albeit barely. 

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Day 22

Eh, there's nothing much to write about. Though I took a drastic step to control my sleep: I created an admin account that locks my main account after 9PM via parental controls. I have the password for the admin account, but I can only access it before 9PM. 

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3 hours ago, Cam Adair said:

What would you say are your top three goals right now?

Day 23

I am focusing on my academics, as high school is nearly over, and the final exam that covers ALL high school materials is two months away. I'm also blogging and learning about men's fashion in my spare time. 

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Day 24

Remember when I said that I used Parental Controls to lock my computer when I need to sleep? Well, my sleep quality has been amazing lately. It's the first time I feel very well rested, as I struggled with sleep for a long time. I lose control of my computer at 8 PM, and I would just chat with my family. Reading a paperback book on a night lamp is also a great way to wind down. (It also helps me learn my books for an upcoming English in-class essay.) 

Also, it's my birthday and my family's going to eat out at a ramen restaurant! Also, Chinese New Year break is starting tomorrow! ...but there's a math test. There always has to be a math test on festive days, it's Murphy's law. I'm excited about (probably my last) birthday presents though. My parents are paying for my domain & hosting fees, and I'm also getting a dress watch. I want to learn how to style and maintain a watch. 

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7 hours ago, Skaliq said:

Day 24

Remember when I said that I used Parental Controls to lock my computer when I need to sleep? Well, my sleep quality has been amazing lately. It's the first time I feel very well rested, as I struggled with sleep for a long time. I lose control of my computer at 8 PM, and I would just chat with my family. Reading a paperback book on a night lamp is also a great way to wind down. (It also helps me learn my books for an upcoming English in-class essay.) 

Also, it's my birthday and my family's going to eat out at a ramen restaurant! Also, Chinese New Year break is starting tomorrow! ...but there's a math test. There always has to be a math test on festive days, it's Murphy's law. I'm excited about (probably my last) birthday presents though. My parents are paying for my domain & hosting fees, and I'm also getting a dress watch. I want to learn how to style and maintain a watch. 

I just read through all your posts and I feel quite inspired by them, it's also great to hear that you are sleeping better! Also Happy Birthday :D!

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