Edward's Journal

[Zakaex]

Day 20   (February 1, 2016)

 

Started this month strong by hitting the gym for my scheduled workout, listening to audio books during transit time (walking from classes to classes). Downloaded a new app to aid my meditation technique, as well. Checking off these tasks from my personal Habitica list should build the necessary momentum to steamroll through this month! 

In addition to the original "No Video Games" counter on Coach.me app, I have also decided to go through a complete detox phase of my life: no fast food, no Netflix, and no PMO for 90 days. So far so good, like the app says - if you can't measure it, you can't manage it. As for my planning and scheduling, I am currently following Alex Ikonn's "ultimate productivity method" and it seems to work wonders: Not only is it customizable, but the technique is backed up by authors such as Tim Ferris also.

[WorkInProgress]

sounds like a great method. I will definitly try this. Thx for sharing

[Zakaex]

Day 21   (February 2, 2016)

Feeling more and more confident every day, largely due to the realization that reality is not as scary as I thought it would be when you start leaving the house and face your fears. I don't even feel myself stuttering at the slightest, able to finally speak with cashiers and gym employees correctly (for once without feeling sick after!). Could also be a side effect of hitting the gym every day too, I guess. Getting better in the sport, I love through repeating the same conditioning drills over and over again (with the proper rest of course).

[Cam Adair]

Stoked for you man. Keep going. All good things right now.

[Zakaex]

Day 22   (February 3, 2016)

Started the day off overslept. Woke up and sluggishly pulled myself into the gym, for some reason, the grind already felt tedious; same shit, different day. After forcing my way through my usual gym workout, I got out wondering what I should do to reward myself - an episode of GoT? A good match of LoL (Biggest lie any League players can tell themselves - usually ends up as a gaming marathon)? Or some fish and chips? And it hit me..

These "rewards" are simply more or less urges to cause me to relapse; I don't need them. Taking breaks are a necessity, but my great grandfather didn't pass away from not being able to play Fallout 4. As the lesson goes in Respawn, there are plenty of other resting activities out there - I ended up watching a few TEDx talks and reading which, was surprisingly just as interesting. From there on out, I began to create extra momentum and finished the day clean of Netflix, video games, and junk food once again!

[WorkInProgress]

Day 22   (February 3, 2016)

 A good match of LoL (Biggest lie any League players can tell themselves - usually ends up as a gaming marathon)?

Yeah been there came to the same realisation.

Congratulations on your realisation and response to this urges. At good days it is easy to keep dooing constructive things. But to do them on bad days counts double in a way.

keep it up( your are motivating me)!

[Cam Adair]

HAHA. Love the quote about your grandpa. So true.

[Zakaex]

Day 23   (February 4, 2016)

Made the same mistake last night, somehow unconsciously slept for almost 10 hours (Could be the extra recovery hours needed from HIIT workouts). As the days pass by, and I check off the same 'dailies' to-do's over and over again, I find myself growing with more and more confidence within and feeling less self-conscious. Just today I had the will to join a group of other students on my university campus for a pickup game of basketball.

Small, tangible achievements like these are just all the more motivating for me to keep up the hard work. Most of the that 'work' nowadays are to avoid the tempting smell of fast food simply my housemates keep on ordering in the winter (for they are just too lazy to get out of the house during this season). I understand that they continue to become an obstacle to my growth, but hopefully, as I keep on fighting for a better life I will be accumulating more determined, active friends that I can surround myself with one day!

[Zakaex]

Day 24   (February 5, 2016)

Slept at 11 pm determined to get up early for a good breakfast and kill another workout - turned out getting real pumped and excited for some reason and could not sleep, woke up at 4 am midnight and struggled to get some shut eye. 

Turns out I have already overtrained myself, too much HIIT workouts without appropriate recovery (body has not yet adapted). And having trouble to sleep is just one of the most noticeable symptoms from overtraining; my sympathetic nervous system is over-stimulated hence keeping me feeling restless at night. I guess I know more about myself now. Listening to the body is crucial when it comes to following a training program and tailoring it to yourself. 

Despite unable to get out more today, I managed to throw in a few self-development live talks, podcasts while I did some foam rolling and stretching - still feeling all the more satisfied making it through the day video games free.

[Cam Adair]

If you feel like you need some recovery, try restorative/yin/deep stretch yoga. I like to go to a yoga class in days between gym workouts and it helps my recovery a lot.

[Zakaex]

If you feel like you need some recovery, try restorative/yin/deep stretch yoga. I like to go to a yoga class in days between gym workouts and it helps my recovery a lot.

Definitely, thanks for the tip!

[Zakaex]

Day 25   (February 6, 2016)

Despite being stuck at home with the recovery process, I managed to get a lot of productivity through reading and studying self-development videos. I've got to admit most of the time it gets repetitive, but whatever we put in, we get out, so surprisingly I made it through today clean again while having the benefit of strengthening my reading habits.

My new book "How To Win Friends & Influence People" has also just arrived today in a package. Although I don't consider myself anti-social at all, I suppose it can step up my game immensely for fitting into Canadian culture here (Since I am a foreigner who just arrived here for college studies as of late). 

[Cam Adair]

Great book to read!

[Zakaex]

Day 26   (February 7, 2016)

Got out to the library today to do some school work, who would have thought that one of them would be so spacious and quiet. Since I used to leave hardly the house, I didn't know if there would be any place on campus to being a better study area than my room. And I have never been so wrong - being surrounded in an environment in which everyone is dedicating and focused on their education really can be infectious as opposed to locking myself in my room knowing that my housemates downstairs are playing video games, which can prove time to time rather distracting.

Also consulted a physician on my body condition, starting tomorrow I am going to begin a less intensive workout session and slowly work myself up from there. Apparently, unlike your career - where the harder and more you work, the more you grow your business.  Physical exercise has these 'diminishing returns' and can be counter-productive when we are pushing the limits.

[Zakaex]

Day 27   (February 8, 2016)

Mustered up the confidence in asking a group of people to join their pickup ball game. Turns out that there are many things in life if you don't seek and knock, it will almost never come to you. Just like what the Bible wrote - Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Got fitter, today, read and got smarter today. Although these are just 0.01% improvements to my life, I am motivated and hope these little 0.01%'s can accumulate into big things once I have ingrained these habits into my mind positively.

[Cam Adair]

Day 27   (February 8, 2016)

Mustered up the confidence in asking a group of people to join their pickup ball game. Turns out that there are many things in life if you don't seek and knock, it will almost never come to you.

Haha yep. This is a secret man. When you show LEADERSHIP and take INITIATIVE to create the experience you want, you tend to get it.

[Zakaex]

Day 28   (February 9, 2016)

Forgot to wrap up the day yesterday with a journal entry, but the memories are still as fresh as I can remember. Started playing an official game of basketball again with a new group of friends (One of them being my old high school teammate), although intramurals are purely for recreational purposes, I still enjoyed being surrounded by hard working, athletic peers. 

Since Tip-off starts at 11:30 PM (Yes, at night), I was pumped the whole day. Excited to put my training finally to the test against others who enjoy the sport of basketball as much as I do, and I have never felt more restless for a very long time. Moments like these remind me of how video games have robbed me of all these real-life social gatherings which are all way better than meeting up in a virtual world.

[Zakaex]

Day 29   (February 10, 2016)

Took the day off for recovery today, and went to visit a career adviser. I started to become more and more curious as to where I should start focusing my life ever since gaming has stopped numbing my mind, diverging it from reality. 

(What I have been reading turned out to be quite fascinating, and I will make a post about my findings in the forum soon.)

Edited February 11, 2016 by Zakaex

[Cam Adair]

Day 29   (February 10, 2016)

Took the day off for recovery today, and went to visit a career adviser. I started to become more and more curious as to where I should start focusing my life ever since gaming has stopped numbing my mind, diverging it from reality. 

(What I have been reading turned out to be quite fascinating, and I will make a post about my findings in the forum soon.)

Seen this talk? Adam's a friend, love his stuff on this subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddek3gQVt9Y

[Zakaex]

Day 29   (February 10, 2016)

Took the day off for recovery today, and went to visit a career adviser. I started to become more and more curious as to where I should start focusing my life ever since gaming has stopped numbing my mind, diverging it from reality. 

(What I have been reading turned out to be quite fascinating, and I will make a post about my findings in the forum soon.)

Seen this talk? Adam's a friend, love his stuff on this subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddek3gQVt9Y

This is perfect! Thank you!

[Zakaex]

Day 30   (February 11, 2016)

Finally made it to day thirty! It had been a wild ride so far, especially when it came to uncovering a whole new perspective on the world. I learned more about myself, not only did I feel that I got mentally stronger; procrastinated less, started to read and meditate. But physically as well, working out each day.

I am also glad to say that these results have not only been reflected me internally but externally as well: One of my primary goals of this 90-day detox was to become more social in my day to day life. And so far not only was I able to reunite with my old high school friend in college but managed to get recruited into their basketball intramurals team as well.

Thank you, Cam, Mario (WorkInProgress) and others who are still continually supporting and checking up on my progress. I will keep up the streak till the end and not disappoint.

[Cam Adair]

[Zakaex]

[Cam Adair]

Haha. Such a great gif.

[Zakaex]

Day 31   (February 12, 2016)

Decided to hang out with friends today to watch the new Deadpool movie, had plenty of fun. I can't help but think that I may be more of an extrovert at heart - the theory is that gaming has been fulfilling that social aspect that I needed in life causing me to shun away from the 'real life.' until the point in which I started considering myself an introvert. 

While chilling on the couch today, some of my friends also begun to lure me into joining them in a match of Soul Caliber V, in which my first thoughts are of that I can't obviously, being in a detox and all. Slowly and steadily, however, my brain started to tempt to as well whispering how "It is just one short match, it won't cause you to relapse." to which, strangely enough, I argued with the fact that refraining from even that is staying true to my values of this detox. In the book "Managing Oneself" by Peter F. Drucker he says "Ethics require to ask yourself, what kind of person do I want to see in the mirror in the morning?", if I wish to work with real, persistent and tough people, then I will have to be one myself.