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My Journal - Alex


AlexTheGrape

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Great to read your update man. Continuing to post here is crucial for your success long-term. Especially if you find your habits are falling by the side (to game instead), it will be easier for you to compare your journal entries between when you're gaming and when you're not. :)

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Great to read your update man. Continuing to post here is crucial for your success long-term. Especially if you find your habits are falling by the side (to game instead), it will be easier for you to compare your journal entries between when you're gaming and when you're not. :)

Thanks Cam, I will make sure to do that. Speaking of which, my habits did falter today to make way for more gaming: I fell straight back into old gaming binge habits instead. I will limit my time tomorrow to make sure that I don't overdo it: I will do a maximum of 3-5 hours (more than your average because I'm on holiday). 

I think that the accountability of an online journal will be paramount to success in the long term, as Cam pointed out.

So I did do a run today, albeit it was short as I felt sick and it was in the afternoon instead of the morning. I didn't play guitar or program at all today, I was gaming all hours I wan't outside in the pool or throwing water bombs (which are brief times away from gaming). I talked to my dad over the phone today and he recommended limiting the time I play. I reckon this would be the best way to make sure I don't waste ALL my time.

It has become apparent today that I can't help but game all day if I don't have any restrictions in place. I played basically all day and didn't go into town like I said I would. I have the notion this was the exact reason I quit in the first place. Tomorrow I will test to see if I can stick to a set amount of time playing. If I can't manage it I may as well quit cold turkey again because I really am not enjoying gaming anywhere near as much as I thought I would; it seems like my brain is just addicted to it rather than me actually enjoying the playing of the game.

3 Things I'm grateful for:

I am grateful for not enjoying my game very much, it will mean I will be far less likely to give up on managing or quitting games.

I am grateful for the dinner I had tonight, it was delicious!

I am grateful for my long holiday. Hardly any people et a holiday as long as this so I am very grateful for that.

One amazing thing that happened today:

I had a two very refreshing pool swims today, I am finding it more fun to go in the pool because I have learnt to counteract my 'coldness' by staying overly active whilst in the pool.

What I could have done to make my day better:

I could have gone to town to get my bank card sorted and get some sunshine, as well as designating 'gaming breaks' to get productive habits done.

What I will do differently tomorrow:

I will only play a maximum of 5 hours of games tomorrow. I will not play more than 1 hour at a time before doing another activity for at least 3 minutes. I will go to town!

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Hey Alex! I just read through the past couple of days + the relapse post. You seem like you're in a place where you have no other goals/nothing else to do right now, so you're filling it with a game. Can you think of anything you'd like to get done or people you'd like to re-connect with from your past? Just going to get coffee/tea with someone is really helpful and inspires me to get more things done!

I know it seems harmless but I am really excited for your possibilities and your future. I'm reading The Power of Habit right now and it has opened my eyes to be more aware of why I gamed and why I keep/kept going back to it. For us it's holiday time and we want to reward ourselves/have something to do over break because that's what we've always done, and everyone tells us it's OK. Heck your family is even giving you permission and wants you to game. That's pretty hard to deal with. I've met a few friends who don't understand and kept trying to convince me back. Anyway, managing the hours you spend sounds like a great idea to not let this get out of hand. The whole reason I came to this community was because I thought I could manage my online gaming and I went back and gamed after Finals were over and I could not manage it. Let us know how the rest of your days and goals go. Plus feel free to chat with me to discuss possible hobbies or ideas if you want, I'm sure it would help me too.

And I quit only online games, not solo RPG's. I'm not addicted to RPG's and they don't suck me away like MMO's do. My point is that you may be capable of managing 'playing games' and continue being successful in your goals and still be interested in real life. Honestly that was the scariest part, being bored of friends, family and other things I'd normally be interested in. Just keep an eye out for signs, and be aware of your gaming.

Edited by Laney
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Hey Alex.

If you're gaming, I'd really encourage you to be playing less than an hour or two (max) per day. Right now gaming isn't as much fun for you, and that's partially because your brain isn't accustomed to the stimulation, but over time (the more you play) the more that can develop again like it was in the past.

5 hours or so in a day is definitely moving in that danger zone.

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Curious to see how it works out for you. This might be a good time to evaluate your other choices beside gaming: are you still satisfied with your other activities? Do you feel like you're going where you want to go with your life? Are you chasing your own dreams rather than trying to please other people? Just my two cents. 

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Hi everyone, thanks for all the support. I decided late last night that I had had enough playing video games (again) as I know I wasn't having fun and from an observer's perspective I had just become a zombie. I must have played about 16 hours, which is on the level of a hopeless gaming addict. I just kept playing as it gave me a sense of purpose, and I was willing to put in the hours because it felt like I was making progress towards a goal, but obviously I wasn't making any progress in my life. Since I had quit games for such a significant amount of time and had made real progress in investing myself, I developed a lot of guilt in wasting my time playing games which is key to me bouncing back from relapse so quickly. I've finally built the picture in my mind that I cannot be successful in any form if gaming is part of my life, which was something I was hazy about in the past.

Funnily enough, I am writing this in the library which I told myself to go to so many times; I'm finally here!

So I am back on the journey to do more fulfilling things with my life. I have tried and tested to see if I can play gaming in moderation after almost two months of not gaming, but I have failed. This means I will need to stay away from gaming as it is detrimental to me in many ways whilst holding me back from achieving my goals. I know I only played for 3 days, but I reckon I will need to restart my detox counter. I will beat my last high score 'third time lucky'! of not playing video games, and hopefully never play them again. I hate to be the person who changes their mind often, I think of myself as someone with a stable personality, but it appears I am easily influenced by my surroundings.

I read all these posts just now, and they all reinforce my decision to stay away from games again. I was so 'busy' playing video games all day that I didn't make time for even posting. This really shows how my priorities get terribly out of whack when I have video games on hand.

Hey Alex! I just read through the past couple of days + the relapse post. You seem like you're in a place where you have no other goals/nothing else to do right now, so you're filling it with a game. Can you think of anything you'd like to get done or people you'd like to re-connect with from your past? Just going to get coffee/tea with someone is really helpful and inspires me to get more things done!

I know it seems harmless but I am really excited for your possibilities and your future. I'm reading The Power of Habit right now and it has opened my eyes to be more aware of why I gamed and why I keep/kept going back to it. For us it's holiday time and we want to reward ourselves/have something to do over break because that's what we've always done, and everyone tells us it's OK. Heck your family is even giving you permission and wants you to game. That's pretty hard to deal with. I've met a few friends who don't understand and kept trying to convince me back. Anyway, managing the hours you spend sounds like a great idea to not let this get out of hand. The whole reason I came to this community was because I thought I could manage my online gaming and I went back and gamed after Finals were over and I could not manage it. Let us know how the rest of your days and goals go. Plus feel free to chat with me to discuss possible hobbies or ideas if you want, I'm sure it would help me too.

And I quit only online games, not solo RPG's. I'm not addicted to RPG's and they don't suck me away like MMO's do. My point is that you may be capable of managing 'playing games' and continue being successful in your goals and still be interested in real life. Honestly that was the scariest part, being bored of friends, family and other things I'd normally be interested in. Just keep an eye out for signs, and be aware of your gaming.

Hi Laney, thank you for taking the time to post so much. You're right about me having no other goals at the moment, they all seem insignificant, distant, and unatainable when I have the option to do gaming instead. I haven't found many places to make new friends these holidays so it would actually be a really great idea to connect with some of my older friends and catch up with them. Earlier in the year I met up with a successful friend from my old school that was in one of my classes. After meeting her I was motivated to perform much better in school, and this motivation lasted for about 4 months, which is a long time! (I needed to see her again for more motivationafterwards). Likewise I should meet up with some other successful friends of mine to motivate me now. I don't drink coffee (haven't developed a taste for it yet) but going to a coffee shop would be a good idea for catching up with such people, so thank you for the suggestion.

Hey Alex.

If you're gaming, I'd really encourage you to be playing less than an hour or two (max) per day. Right now gaming isn't as much fun for you, and that's partially because your brain isn't accustomed to the stimulation, but over time (the more you play) the more that can develop again like it was in the past.

5 hours or so in a day is definitely moving in that danger zone.

Hi Cam, thank you for sticking around to help out! I was certainly going over the 2 hour threshold of 'safe gaming' as soon as I had my hands on the games, so you're right about it being dangerous. It wasn't fun to play, and just embarrassing to say the least, as I had tried to get many people on board to stop me from gaming.

I'm going back to 0 hours of gaming per day, so I won't need to worry about restricting the time I play anymore! I will pride myself with being a game quitter again.

Curious to see how it works out for you. This might be a good time to evaluate your other choices beside gaming: are you still satisfied with your other activities? Do you feel like you're going where you want to go with your life? Are you chasing your own dreams rather than trying to please other people? Just my two cents. 

Thanks for the questions to think about, Tom. I have actually been finding my self-development activities much more interesting and fun than gaming, and when I played the guitar it was strangely much more enjoyable being outside and strumming away yesterday. I am currently not making much progress in where I want to go in my life, but now I know what I need to do to start my own business and do other things such as forming new habits. I don't have a vivid image of 'where I want to be' in the future, but I guess now is as good a time as any to solidify the type of person I want to be in my mind. I am truthfully not chasing my dreams, and have been playing games partially to please my brothers (who have been quite upset that I haven't been available to play with them). I will try to stay true to myself and my goals in the future.

This afternoon I will restart my detox counter, and 'nuke' my steam account again. What I would like to know is if there is a way to prevent myself  from contacting steam support to reclaim a lost steam account, or to enable something to disable me from contacting them.

Cheers to all, I look forward to reading your posts and being an active part of the community again!

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I'm glad you're back, heck I'm very grateful actually that you came back and posted this.

Seeing another go through the motions of relapse is really eye opening/humbling. I house a lot of shame and guilt when I make mistakes, and you coming back here not being afraid to be honest about your situation and continue to be yourself says a lot about this community and a lot about you. 

Onto how to prevent it and not having any goals, I only really know myself and I haven't even bought respawn yet. But I can say that watching Cam's videos helps remind me of why I quit in the first place. Instead of a big end game goal, since I can't really find one or decide on one, I'm starting small and focusing on making my new habits that will replace the gaming with better stuff (hah sorry I'll probably bring those up for a while because of The Power of Habit). This awesome video was posted on Reddit today, https://youtu.be/DaugRxMz7tw and it really shows what we're capable of if we just work on something a few moments every day. How are your guitar skills now? :)

Edited by Laney
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Hey Alex,

I think this relapse is someting you needed. I can't speak for everyone, but I believe that for the most of us, moderation isn't possible. Because moderating is something we don't know. And even if it would be possible, would it be worth to invest so much time and energy in a new habit of moderation when we could put the same time and energy in a glad new and better habit, a lot more constructive and NOT related to video games? :)

 

I'm using this quote a lot these days, but it just applies to our gaming addiction so well:

 

Mohammed-ali-boxing-quotes-fb-cover-phot

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Attempt III Day 1

Today has been the happiest day I've had all year! What made this day the best? I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and was rewarded well for my efforts.

I started the day with meditation session (it was very nice to do this after quite a few days of skipping it), then had my morning run using the 30-20-10 technique to get the most out of my time running. I then packed for the day and went into town. I spent my time in the library reflecting and posting on game quitters, which you may have read about in my last post. I then had lunch from a local bakery and sat myself in a small park. Here I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to meet two new girls I didn't know, and we became fast friends. I was baffled at the smooth nature at which everything took place, my easy going approach must have rubbed off for the better. I got to know them better, as well as another guy friend of theirs that arrived a small while later. He was a tattoo artist which was also interesting. I spent at least 2 hours with these people around town, going to stores we recommended for each other and hanging out on playgrounds. It was an amazing experience to have such fun with people that I could have never known, but because I took that leap of faith I had a blast today and with luck will have more long lasting friendships.

I have achieved all my daily habits today (meditation, running, programming) with the exception of playing the guitar. I would have done it but I got home at about 5:30 and spent a significant amount of time with my family, which was well spent. I also took the time to thank them for today as part of the letter-writing gratitude habit I have neglected until now. Please remind me if I don't do this tomorrow!

3 Things I'm grateful for:

I am grateful for the opportunity to make new friends today.

I am grateful for the library and its 'air' that supports philosophical and reflective thinking.

I am grateful for the game quitters community that have been relentless in their support to keep me out of trouble.

One amazing thing that happened today:

As stated in my 'intro', the most amazing part of my day was stepping out of my comfort zone and making new friends from people that I would otherwise never see again. After talking for a few minutes, I had the strangest sensation; my face was tingling because I was so happy and smiling so much! I don't recall ever having a sensation to top that. This will hopefully be the first step to making the most out of my life!

What I could have done to improve my day:

I could have started posting this earlier, it has taken a very long time and is cutting into the time I should be sleeping! Otherwise I have made very good decisions today, and so I will celebrate the small wins.

What I will do differently tomorrow:

Rather, I should be doing the same things tomorrow! I will start writing my post earlier, but I believe I have done very well today.

I'm glad you're back, heck I'm very grateful actually that you came back and posted this.

Seeing another go through the motions of relapse is really eye opening/humbling. I house a lot of shame and guilt when I make mistakes, and you coming back here not being afraid to be honest about your situation and continue to be yourself says a lot about this community and a lot about you. 

Onto how to prevent it and not having any goals, I only really know myself and I haven't even bought respawn yet. But I can say that watching Cam's videos helps remind me of why I quit in the first place. Instead of a big end game goal, since I can't really find one or decide on one, I'm starting small and focusing on making my new habits that will replace the gaming with better stuff (hah sorry I'll probably bring those up for a while because of The Power of Habit). This awesome video was posted on Reddit today, https://youtu.be/DaugRxMz7tw and it really shows what we're capable of if we just work on something a few moments every day. How are your guitar skills now? :)

Thanks so much Laney! I didn't think that me being an active part of the community meant that much to the wider community, so it was heart warming to know that you are grateful of my recovering from relapse.

I wish that you gain the most out of my experience relapsing a second time!

I can relate to how you view your future, as I know the qualities I would like to have. The thing is, I know that I will be a lot more successful in my envisioning (and therefore deriving motivation) if I have a solid desired outcome, as that can be a powerful driving force. In the past I have wanted to achieve a specific high end academic award at my school, and so envisioning myself on stage to receive it was a powerful driving force for me because I had envisioned it, whether I knew it or not.

Hey Alex,

I think this relapse is someting you needed. I can't speak for everyone, but I believe that for the most of us, moderation isn't possible. Because moderating is something we don't know. And even if it would be possible, would it be worth to invest so much time and energy in a new habit of moderation when we could put the same time and energy in a glad new and better habit, a lot more constructive and NOT related to video games? :)

 

I'm using this quote a lot these days, but it just applies to our gaming addiction so well:

 

Mohammed-ali-boxing-quotes-fb-cover-phot

Thanks Django, I suppose I did need a relapse to get things straightened out in my mind: that I cannot be successful in my life with video games. You are right about wise time investment, and I believe I'm on the right track here in getting my habits right. 

The quote is amazing! I will save that one for later :)

Edited by AlexTheGrape
Removed a name that didn't need to be mentioned.
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Woohoo!

Although you can see your attempt to play in moderation as a failure... if anything you succeeded... in learning that what you truly desire isn't in games anymore. :)

Brilliant stuff! You always have some of the best advice. My path to success is a lot clearer now, so it does not matter that I slipped up again.

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Woohoo!

Although you can see your attempt to play in moderation as a failure... if anything you succeeded... in learning that what you truly desire isn't in games anymore. :)

Brilliant stuff! You always have some of the best advice. My path to success is a lot clearer now, so it does not matter that I slipped up again.

Clarity is one of the most important things on your journey. There is POWER in clarity.

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Attempt III Day 2

Today has been another great day, I went around town and asked around at almost every store to ask if they had any part time jobs available, and handed out all the CV copies I printed for myself. It seems now it the worst time to apply for jobs in the whole year, but I can get around that.

I started out the day getting rushed out of bed to go to the beach, but that didn't work out as I was only given 10 minutes to get myself completely ready. I showered and such during that time so didn't have a morning run today, but did do meditation and had an afternoon run to make up for it. I used the 30-20-10 technique again, but I felt I could have pushed myself further than I already had today. I was pushed to buy a 'zen garden fountain' today when I expressed interest in it in a zen shop I went into today, but I picked up on the sales tactics and politely declined. The guy running the store gave me green tea 'on the house', told me I could have some of the colourful rocks for free with the water fountain purchase, and he actually put a little bucket in my hand to get me started. I'm glad I'm not a compulsive buyer! I will be a saver till I die. Anyhow it was an interesting social experience nonetheless, as I have learnt from his hospitality and abnormally friendly nature how to passively convince people to change their mind about things or to encourage proposed ideas.

I am writing this right at the start of 2016! I reckon it would be the perfect time to reflect on how my year has been and to plan on what I want to do in 2016.

Reflection of this year:

I started off the year with higher hopes and a better attitude towards school than in previous years, which was great! I inspired myself by meeting up with an old school friend who has been successful in almost all areas of her life, which was a main driving force for me to improve my grades for the year. I have worked my butt of for my school work, and those are bound to show when my results come back on the 13th this month. Perhaps I might even have a job interview sussed by then. In terms of co-curricular activities I did OK, I invested more time overall but I set myself up for failure after I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to join the school writer's club and be part of the United Nations Assembly team. I wanted to push myself but ended up dropping out so that I didn't have to make any commitments that I was uncertain about. This was a grave mistake I made as I know now that I can only truly grow by committing to new things, not just trying them out whilst they're convenient. 

Over the school holidays I had mainly been gaming, and hated myself for it afterwards because I had wasted so much time whilst not having a proper rest from school work (games really challenge you! It isn't a rest activity for me). This realisation was a key factor in me reaching out to find other game quitters and better ways to stay away from games (how I found game quitters).

The most progress I have made this year has undoubtedly been within the past few months, and I am committing no fallacies here, this is not just because it is easier to remember. I have started many habits that have been undoubtedly beneficial to my health and well-being, the best ones being running, meditation, and most importantly, not playing video games!

My plans for 2016:

I just txted these to a friend, so these will be easy to recall. I shall start my own business within half a year, and develop it whilst I have the time in this busy year. I became closer to being the no.1 student in my school academically this year, but this time I believe I can do it! This is my last chance anyhow. On a smaller level I plan to be more outgoing, which I have been successful in doing in the past few days. I plan to make a performance some time during the year involving me playing the guitar, as I have enjoyed the one experience I have had of that in the past. I want to generally improve my programming skills.

3 things I'm grateful for:

I am grateful for the wide range of stores available that I can apply for jobs at.

I am grateful for the wonderful year I have had.

I am grateful for Cam Adair and the Game Quitters community for setting me up on the road to success.

One amazing thing that happened today:

Today I played guitar and put my heart and soul into singing. It was a spectacular experience to experiment with my voice and sing how I like, as I had only previously 'said' the words to a song for fear of embarrassment. I will make sure I sing like I did today in future, even if there are others around, it will be a very good way to experience and deal with pressure and fear of embarrassment on stage.

What I could have done to make my day better:

I did a great job to push myself out of my comfort zone to ask for jobs at almost all stores available, but I could have done better to ask in the places I was initially wary of, such as fashion stores and big cafes.

What I will do differently tomorrow:

Get all my habits done!

 

 

Edited by AlexTheGrape
Was half completed first time posting.
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Attempt III Day 3

Today has been super rainy and so I skipped my morning run. I think I should have continued anyway though, running in the rain would keep me cool and be a nice change. I have been doing a lot of driving for my parents, getting payment accounts sorted (I have the 30 day challenge now!), and doing a catch up on other people's journals that I have neglected for a while. Although I hardly got anything productive done today, I can only do this type of thing once in a while as now I have caught up with everybody's journals and have gotten a bunch of 'one-off' jobs finished. 

I did my meditation in the morning as well as the daily gratitude letter done, but that was just about it. Sorta dissapointing but I'll just pick up from where I left off and not beat myself up about it. I ended up doing some 'mindless' internet browsing today which was not good, but thankfully I have been doing so far less often than I used to.

I have gotten a close friend on board to help me brainstorm all business ideas and decide which path to take in terms of starting a business, so I'll be seeing him in about 5 days or so. In the meantime, I need to push myself to contact certain people that I have been procrastinating making contact with for months.

3 Things I'm grateful for:

I am grateful that I have the skills to drive safely and provide transport for others.

I am grateful for the thoughtful gifts I have received this Christmas.

I am grateful for the generous dinner I had tonight at a restaurant.

One amazing thing that happened today:

I purchased the 30 day challenge today and it so far has been inspiring to read. Also messaging Cam and being thankful made both him and myself happier, making somebody else's day seems to almost always improve your own! I have had an abundance of smiles recently which has made me enjoy the past few days a lot.

What I could have done to make my day better:

I could have had a run in the morning, despite all the rain. I have enjoyed being in the rain in the past, I'm sure I could enjoy it again, especially when I need cooling down whilst running. I could have spent my free time at home practicing to program websites as I need to do that to finish the website building job.

What I will do differently tomorrow:

I will make sure to do my morning run no matter what, rain or shine! I will need to do 3 things before that though: Meditate, visualise, and read out my business statement (for inspiration and to develop faith in the project). I will make sure to get my daily habits done as soon as possible as I will not have time to do them later otherwise.

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Attempt III Day 3

Today's challenge:

I thought I may as well keep my detox day the same as my challenge day to make it easier, and I've done the first 5 free days earlier anyways. So that means I've done both day 2 and 3 today. The project I've decided to work on is to start my own business, now I just need to work forwards with the plan I've set out and stay committed. My mentally engaging activity is programming, my go-to activity when I'm bored at home will be reading, and I have yet to pinpoint a social activity as I don't have my own car yet so I won't be able to go to a weekly club with membership and so on. I will work on this once school starts though; in the meantime I will just try to make friends whenever I can. As part of the day 3 challenge, I have already read the Slight Edge but it wouldn't hurt to read it again and take notes on how I can apply its principles to everyday living.

Today has been another rainy day, but I have better things on my mind.

I braved it out for a 30 minute run in the rain! I was drenched when I got home, but luckily we have a pool so I essentially just flopped into the pool when I was finished. Unfortunately today was a 'swap day' where I need to pack heaps of my stuff and go to my other set of parents for the next week or so. This meant that I spend a lot of time travelling and I tend to feel exhausted after travelling, even if I am a passenger. I sorted out my bank account finances (creating savings accounts etc.) because I would rather start earning interest sooner than later.

I just stopped to think about what I'm writing, and it looks like I am starting to write excuses for why I didn't meet my daily goals. It is embarrassing to admit that I didn't complete my commitments of programming and playing the guitar even though I said I would do them in my last journal entry. I planned out the rest of my day once I got home, but I had an unusual wave of procrastination and ended up sorting out my bank details and such because I didn't want to do another run in the rain. I ended up fluffing around and doing other one-off tasks rather than what I scheduled, I just don't know why. Anyhow I know I won't have much going on tomorrow at all, so I will have to stick to my daily commitments.

3 Things I'm grateful for:

I'm grateful for having a pool to cool myself off in.

I am grateful for having all my family alive.

I am grateful for my mentality to improve myself.

One amazing thing that happened today:

Running in the rain for a longer period than I normally would wasn't easy, but it felt great afterwards. After coming home when I finally stop and have a drink, I can appreciate the distance I have run (just about 4km in that run!) and the effort I had put into the job. Jumping into the pool was also a great feeling, but I think I should have celebrated my small win more as I only briefly appreciated my efforts.

What I could have done to make my day better:

I could have  made the most of the time in general; I made good use of my time in the car by posting on game quitters but I didn't do the same when waiting to be picked up later in the day. I could have stuck to the schedule I made for myself to make sure I got everything done and not be guilty as I am now!

What I will do differently tomorrow:

I will start getting ready for bed earlier because the times I have been going to bed have been staying at around 10:50 since I make such long GQ posts and leave posting till the very end of my day. I will plan my day according to the time it will take to complete each activity and setting phone alarms according to this time. This will make sure I don't put off my entire schedule if I fall behind because of an activity I didn't expect to have to do.

 

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What's the interest rate on your newly created savings account? Here it is 0.10% annual interest rate. That's just stupid. No fees, so I might create one just to seperate the money and have a quick overview of what I saved, but the account itself isn't going to generate anything significant on his own. So even with a penny (the slight edge :D) I'm nothing with this kind of savings account :P

What kind of business are you creating?

Also great initiative to plan to go to bed earlier. You might read in bed and just stop when you body starts to fall asleep. That would also apply an important lesson from the slight edge, like reading 10 pages (or more) of a good book. This would be 2 good habits into one : reading and sleeping pattern.

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What's the interest rate on your newly created savings account? Here it is 0.10% annual interest rate. That's just stupid. No fees, so I might create one just to seperate the money and have a quick overview of what I saved, but the account itself isn't going to generate anything significant on his own. So even with a penny (the slight edge :D) I'm nothing with this kind of savings account :P

What kind of business are you creating?

Also great initiative to plan to go to bed earlier. You might read in bed and just stop when you body starts to fall asleep. That would also apply an important lesson from the slight edge, like reading 10 pages (or more) of a good book. This would be 2 good habits into one : reading and sleeping pattern.

Thanks for the input!

Out here in New Zealand, the interest rate has been falling a lot recently by about 1% per year, but it is not as bad yours. Out of all the money I have in my bank accounts I have full control over, I have over 80% of my money in a 'fast saver' savings account that earns 3.10% interest per year as long as I make no more than 1 withdrawal per month and the total money in it at the end of the month is larger than the last month. Otherwise my cash reserves account has about 13% of my total money in it and has an interest rate of 1.50% per year. Are you sure that is the greatest rate available from your bank? Perhaps look into term deposits if you'd like to save more but other savings options aren't available.

I have a few ideas, but haven't confirmed which path I am going to take. Currently I am thinking of a consumer electronics business or an information selling business.

That reminds me that I haven't been reading as much as I should have recently, yesterday was the first time I read before bed in about a week. I am aiming to be getting up consistently at 7am so yes those would be great habits to get back into!

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Just thought I'd pop back in and tell you to keep at it Alex! Keep trying and don't give up. No matter how many times you gotta get back on the bull, jump back on and grab it by the horns! 

Game Quitters will be here for you, waiting! Glad you got back on again, hang on tight! ;)

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Attempt III Day 4

Today I got a lot done, although not optimal. Much better than yesterday though, which is great!

Challenge entry:     I already have an ideal morning success routine in my head, but when I took the time to put it into practice, it worked wonderfully. This meant that I did both visualisation and reading my business statement after meditation. Bring on the next challenge!

To do some more reflection, I'll pluck out a post I've written months ago to compare to how I'm doing now:

Attempt II Day 5

I not only met my running goal today, I smashed it! Although it wasn't in the morning, I made up for it by doing a 35 minute run delivering fliers.

I have been of clearer mind today, the support to quit I have received has almost been overwhelming, I thank you all for your generous time. I have been listening to Waking Up with Sam Harris and Art of Charm this morning and this afternoon on the bus. It has actually been the most productive reflective thinking I have had in a while, I will make sure to listen to more from them!

One thing I'd like to get into the habit of is working out. I started this in about April or May and continued for about a month, but I dropped off after a month because I didn't work out much at all during the school holidays. I will make sure to do a full 30 or so minutes tomorrow at the gym, I know I really felt on top of things after working out.

I have done a good deal of reflection, and have decided that there is much more reason to quit gaming than to play again. There is an incredible amount of potential that I can achieve with the time that I would spend gaming, and gaming is detrimental to my self improvement anyhow.

My reflection: I hadn't realised since I have gotten so used to it, but running does actually clear my head and make me feel a lot better. Now I continuously use the 30-20-10 technique to have a difficult work out whilst I run, which I hadn't done earlier. I am not listening to podcasts anymore because I don't have bus trips, but I reckon I should pick it up again so that I gain a wealth of knowledge in general travelling time. I just downloaded some new ones now. It appears that working out at the gym would be the next step I need to take in terms of habit building. Once I get a car to call my own, or once school starts (there is a small gym at my school) I will make sure to pursue this. I believe I am realising my potential a lot clearer now that I have had a taste of a better social life, business opportunity, and the results of good habits.

So today I had a peaceful meditation and tried adding the sounds of a forest and fountain to add some more calmness. It drowned out the Headspace guy so I ended up being rather distracted. At least I tried something new though! I finished off with a couple of minutes visualising, and I have tried thinking of vivid moments to help with it. I then read out my business statement for faith development. I had a great morning run with the 30-20-10 technique to get the most out of my running time. I played nearly an hour's worth of guitar, and enjoyed finger picking more than I normally would (which isn't very much). I got a tiny bit of programming done, I find the JQuery tutorials difficult but I will need to persevere to make progress here. I was required to spend quite a bit of time with the family which was good, but cut into the time I planned for python programming and business planning. I also did at least 20 minutes of reading last night, but I really shouldn't have because it was late. Otherwise I have done well today.

I may disappear from the forum for a couple of days because I will be going camping, I don't know if I will have internet or cellphone connection or not so I'm just letting you all know.

3 Things I'm grateful for:

I am grateful for the running track near my house. It makes running easier, safer, and more enjoyable.

I am grateful for the opportunity to see my grandparents today.

I am grateful for an abundance of writing materials to use for anything I wish.

One amazing thing that happened today:

When finger picking my guitar, I got into a natural rhythm a lot better than I thought I would because I had designated strings to fingers like I was instructed to, so I didn't have to think very much like how I touch type.

What could have done to make my day better (exactly what I will do differently tomorrow):

I will make sure to make the most of my 'idle time' sitting around waiting inside transport or anything else. Brainstorming more business ideas would be a great way to do this.

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Attempt III Day 8

No Complaining Attempt V Day 1

Today I have arrived back from camping for a few days. It has been a great experience in Matarangi in a very friendly community.

Whilst camping I practiced being grateful, got some great exercise, and had good fun in general. I met some new people, but I didn't go out of my way to get to know them. In that department I could have done better. Otherwise I made good use of my time practicing playing the guitar, re-reading the Slight Edge, and having fun.

I didn't bring my computer or record days 6 to 8 from the GQ challenge, so I didn't have access to them whilst camping. I will make sure to complete days 6-8 tomorrow though, each activity doesn't look like it'll take much time at all. I haven't read day 9 yet as I'm not supposed to, but perhaps I could complete it as well tomorrow if I get the other 3 done. I will make sure to make a separate short post for each part of the challenge throughout the day, so that I can record and reflect on my progress at the end of the day without forgetting some of it.

I have forgotten to continue the 'no complaining' attempts, but I have unconsciously and consciously been reducing the amount I complain anyhow. I'll restart the counter.

A Game Quitters sticker and a special note from Cam was waiting for me at home after I got home from camping, and I was delighted! The sticker is now proudly presented on my computer, and I have attached an image of the sticker so others can see what they look like. It was larger than I expected, so I am extra grateful to have this, especially since it came all the way from Canada!. It was a wonderful feeling to have a physical attachment to the community and 'brand', as it is widely internet based.

I hope everybody has had a great start to their year and is sticking to their new years resolutions!

4 Things I'm grateful for:

I am grateful for the cool sticker given to me from Cam.

I am grateful for the mean knee-boarding experience I had yesterday.

I am grateful for the option to eat healthy food whenever I wish.

I am grateful for the opportunity to read the Slight Edge again to fully implement its principles.

One amazing thing that happened today:

After I finished my run this afternoon, I felt accomplished, but I should have savoured the moment longer, as my memory of the moment is pretty poor.

What I have learned from self development material today:

I have been reminded that happiness comes before success, not after. By being happy in what I'm doing, I will generate greater success. 

My plan for tomorrow:

When visualising in the morning, I will define moments to look forward to so that I can more vividly feel the experience. I will get up at around 7 (depending on how quickly I can finish this post) to have a run. I will get out of the house to complete my daily challenges. As soon as I complete each one, I will write an entry online according to the challenge 'criteria' and focus. As soon as I get back, I will complete my daily habits.

What I could have done to make my day better:

I could have spend my travel time a bit wiser; I did use some of it to plan the afternoon but spend a lot of time looking out the window. I also could have stuck to a morning run, even though I needed to pack up the tent and such.

What I will do differently tomorrow:

Run in the morning. Make the most of all the time I have during the day. Spend time getting to know people. Not write such long posts.

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