July 2 - Day #1 I spent half of Sunday, and all of Monday finishing reading 'The Institute'. When I say all of Monday, I mean every concentrated part of it except for a 90 minute walk in the sun. So I've recorded a solid day off of both of my vices, to be 1.5 or 2.5 tomorrow (I could barely function this morning and wrote it off, so to speak), if I keep away from that/whether I come back here Wednesday morning or night.  I messaged my Dad back today without maybe putting him off by sounding too whiny, and as I should have predicted (but want to receive back from him, in turn), felt pretty vulnerable before I set up here with a hot drink. I'm set to return to the library after 3 days to hopefully pick up 'Can't Hurt Me' (David Goggins), which I reserved some weeks ago, so I might understand more about certain things. ____________ Gratitude: ~ milk + cocao ~ enjoying but also critical of the novel, like I used to be, not only escaping and reading the 'good' parts/dialogue ~ picking up medication later in the day wasn't as painful ~ finding it in me to make another handful of applications - nice places though still Good luck all, Matt

My name is Tobey, and I am 16 years of age, born and raised in Nigeria. I'm addicted to games, and I want to quit gaming. I saw an article on the blog about someone who lost 6 months of time meant for studying because of games, but it was one paragraph that caught my attention 'The worse of it all, I didn’t acknowledge that gaming was a problem in my life. I thought addiction, real addiction, was something different, far away from my reality.' I now know my addiction to games is what is preventing me from appreciating the good stuff I have in my life, and I'm ready and determined to quit.   https://gamequitters.com/why-i-stopped-playing-video-games-once-and-for-all/ Link to the article 

Entry 30.6 ( Written on 1.7) Day 639: No Useless Videos Day 638: Sticking to Food schedule Day 240: Eating Only between 06:30 and 19:00 (Last bite before 19:00) Day 231: Being in bed before 23:15 3 Things I did well no matter how small -4 pomodoros -evening workout even though I was feeling full -Calls regarding apostille and police permit 1 thing I could do better - having called the foreign affairs office earlier in the day, not leaving it for the last minute.

I'm using the template I used the last time. 8/6/24 - 30/6/24 "L" will stand for the (last) plan/notes for this term. "T" will stand for done this term. I added "Future goals/direction" to better reflect on the things I am trying to do and to add specificity. I will copy it and stick it somewhere where I can see it to remind myself whenever I feel aimless. I will also use different colors: blue for newly added goals/habits, green for completed/successful, orange for ongoing/some progress and red for ones I haven't worked on in that period.   Books/Reading articles/Learning: L: I had to return the book, as the library borrowing expired. I worked on the CELTA though, so that's learning and development. T: Had a few tasks from the CELTA pre-course assignment. I also went to the speakers' club. Possible direction/goals: (Borrow) and read one book until the next monthly report.   Family: L: I have grown disappointed from the reality of my family. I always thought that if there was a real need, then we'd close up and work together. However, it just seems to me that once the bare minimum is done, then everybody just goes away and doesn't care anymore. The kitchen is a perfect example of that. It's not urgent, so it doesn't get done. I had my other duties to finish in the past year since we bought it LAST June (finishing my degree in September-January and then moving in with my girlfriend February-April), but I could've definitely done more, so I take the blame for that. Yet everybody expects me do just "do" it, while I have the least experience with it. I know nothing about electricity and gas pipes. My expertise stops at assembling furniture from IKEA. Speaking of which, my father told me to ask my brother to help me with assembling/measuring a cabinet, to see how it works out with gas pipes. So I went for sushi with my brother. He told me that I can handle assembling it on my own. So, the next week, I took my girlfriend and another friend, who were actually willing to help me, and assembled the cabinet. It took us two hours in two/three, so I can't imagine the struggle of just doing it alone, which would probably take up the whole afternoon too. I'm not going to beg anyone for help, it's not in my nature. It seems to me this happens every step of the way. I humbly ask for help. I get a limited piece of advice to work with. Then I don't know what to do first, because there is no plan. I can't plan it, as I have no idea what influences what. I am paralyzed, as I have no idea as to what I am missing. The work stops. Nobody ever asks me what the problem is. Everybody either ignores it or thinks it's my turn to do something. I will try to communicate, but I think I have communicated enough and to no avail. I'm exhausted. That's on top of all the other negative stuff: my father not coming to my mom's gallery exhibition, my grandma constantly bitching about my uncle/his second wife or panicking about something trivial and my mom having a mental condition. I just don't think families of any (former) addicts are truly good and functional. That's not to say that all the individual members need to have a bad life or something. I just mean the fact that the unit and its relationships are contaminated and it'd take a sincere effort of all involved to make it better, which is extremely rare. I think you guys @BooksandTrees and @wheatbiscuit and possibly many others would agree. T: I'm not going to repeat the text I wrote a week or so ago. I'll just say that my girlfriend rightfully called my family out at my promotion ceremony on Friday. They were too proud for their merits to their contribution towards my studies. I almost cried at the point when she mentioned it. I could count how many times I have cried in the last five years on one hand. I suceeded not because, but despite my teenage years and adolescence. I'm sad I'll likely never have close familial relationships, but it is what it is. I'm not angry, just jaded.   NOT: I don't want to get alienated from my family. Possible direction/goals: Work on getting the new kitchen for my grandma. Continue work on maintaining the relationships with my family.   Business/English: L: My priority for the next few weeks is to prepare for the CELTA course that starts in July. I want to work on the questionnaire part 3 in May/June as well. I might want to create some list of milestones I've already achieved, in the type of "past projects" below to have a better overview over the work I've done over the years, but I'll leave that for the next report. I did the questionnaire part 3. I expect to have next to no lessons in July and probably a few less than usual in August. I'll probably cancel the rest of the agency courses from September, but I'll see in August. I think I don't need to gather new ideas, but I need to work on the ones I already have. T: - 15 (20) hours last week in June: Category A 68% (75); B 5% (4); C 0% (0); D 17% (13); E 10% (8). Brackets are % values from previous month/week. - I've done a bit of an analysis of my courses and categorized them based on what they provide me. I earmarked five types of courses: a) my own - well paid + generally more motivated students (as they pay the courses themselves) + more challenging b) premium - language school courses paid at a premium compared to my standard LS courses for various reasons (roughly matching the a) group) c) flexible - courses from LS that don't have a fixed schedule, meaning it's on me if I make time for them or not (though I mostly do, as can they plug the gaps or can start my day) d) challenging/fun/prospective - standard LS courses with an added quality e) neither - standard LS courses without any added quality - NOT: I don't want to have a job that I don't enjoy. I don't want to have a job that is not well paid. Possible direction/goals: With my job position and student demand secure, I'm more able and willing to reschedule or even cancel classes in case I want to do something, mainly in the evening and for holidays. I enjoy having this option thoroughly. Keep classes at a stable 20-25 hours a week. Keep asking for reviews or recommendations from students. Look into strategies to become truly self-employed by skipping the agencies in between. - check university offers after CELTA Create a learning plan for myself. - going to CELTA Go through "lecturer academy" materials. Networking and business events. Past projects: Questionnaire - June 2023 Fixed logos on my website for better visuals. Updated the pricing section of my website. Variable/tiered pricing (do in July/August). Got minor pay raises from language schools. - summer 2023 Did evaluations/testing of my students, if required. Attended one networking event and one marketing seminar. Introduced "phone call" classes. Update website/business profiles with "phone calls". Lecturer academy. - fall 2023 Sample business contract on my website. - update the web with new ideas before July Google sheets system for students. - update it Questionnaire part 2 - January 2024 Canceled agency courses - March Taxes - April/May 60/55 minutes online transition - April/May Questionnaire part 3 - June CELTA - July   Exercise/Movement: L: Went for a hike and went running a few times too. Visited doctors for checkups. T: Cycled, hiked, ran and went to a workout playground the last few weeks. NOT: I don't want to become fat. Possible direction/goals: I enjoy the fact I do not have to be "actively" dealing with this area of my life, as it's technically a part of my job. I just have to be on lookout if that was to change. Keep in shape.   Blogging: L:  I actually got a spur of inspiration and wrote an article in two days. Wow 😄  I had an idea for an article and I wanted to write it, but then I did something more urgent and I haven't had the time since. Oh well. T: - Possible direction/goals: Find a suitable UI/web template. Set up emailing for subs. Post two articles a month. Polish links in articles. Interlink new articles with old ones. Finish articles in concepts.   ---   What to do if I am bored? Replacement activities for 1 hour: reading books, cleaning, washing the dishes, reading newsletters Replacement activities for 2 hours: going for a walk, work on my business, blogging   ---   Additional thoughts/activities: Some of the things are nice and I want to do them, but I don't have the time. Some of them are important or promised, but I don't want to do them. It's OK, I am not THAT much under pressure, but I need a system to get these things done and to move forward. My priorities for the next six weeks: Prepare for the CELTA English teaching course that starts in six weeks. - done I want to work on the questionnaire part 3 in May/June as well. - done Reconstruct my grandma's kitchen. - working, on hiatus while I am gone   My hobbies are: personal finance, graphs/projections/statistics, gunnery, GIS/statistics, reading/videos about (modern) history, English, working on my business, blogging/writing, geography. This month, I did these cool activities: spent time with friends, went hiking/cycling/running, managed porn use, did English testing of my students, dealth with some obstacles regarding CELTA, started work on my new website, worked on my grandma's kitchen, played at a table football tournament.   ---     Goals/resolutions/aspirations for 2024: Main must-have plans for 2024: Prepare for (Feb-June) and successfully make (July-August) the CELTA certificate course. Finish the university in January. In case something goes horribly wrong, then in May. I've got this. Move in with my girlfriend in April. Set up the new kitchen for my grandma. Optional nice-to-have plans for 2024: Re-start my financial blog in February. Learn how to type with all ten fingers on the keyboard. Habits: Stop watching porn (again). Start getting up when my alarm rings = Put my alarm across the room. Establish flossing at least once a week. Exercise regularly. Continue: planning, walking/exercising, writing/journaling, reading, working on good life/work balance. It's a short list, but if I manage all of it, I will be happy.

This! In the games that allowed it, of course. But I really spent many hours doing exactly what you described.