Video Games protocol: I like video games. Some of them are really life-changing stories. I have some titles on my list that have the potential to be really cool adventures. However, I’m hesitant to try them due to some considerations:
They are very immersive experiences and will not let you do anything else at the same time. I like mixing activities
A standard AAA RPG playthrough takes around 100 hours. One can argue that the same amount of positive experience can be taken from one good book (~10 hours)
Lastly, video games are so addictive it’s hard for me to stop playing once I start. I always play longer than planned. When making a break I want to go back to the game as soon as possible.
I’m the most concerned with the last point right now. I have some ideas to manage that better, and I’m open to new ones:
When playing make sure there’s always wallclock time displayed within eyesight. Preferably integrated on your screen. I think I once found a Skyrim mode especially for that
Include some accountability (ask your partner to remind you the game time is over) or time tracking with daily reflection
Only play in the mornings, before work. If you want to play longer, you have to get up earlier. And you cannot play too long because, well, you need to get to work.
Playing in the morning before work runs the risk of being late to work a bit more often than otherwise, especially since you play longer than planned. Five more minutes five times might make you ten minutes late to work, so you didn’t really have a good reason to stop that first time . . . and by the time you really needed to stop it was habit.
Well, for me ‘logging in to work after 10AM’ seems much worse than ‘starting to get ready to sleep after 10PM’. It’s a very natural and strong Schelling fence. Therefore the idea to play in the mornings rather than nights.
Video Games protocol: I like video games. Some of them are really life-changing stories. I have some titles on my list that have the potential to be really cool adventures. However, I’m hesitant to try them due to some considerations:
They are very immersive experiences and will not let you do anything else at the same time. I like mixing activities
A standard AAA RPG playthrough takes around 100 hours. One can argue that the same amount of positive experience can be taken from one good book (~10 hours)
Lastly, video games are so addictive it’s hard for me to stop playing once I start. I always play longer than planned. When making a break I want to go back to the game as soon as possible.
I’m the most concerned with the last point right now. I have some ideas to manage that better, and I’m open to new ones:
When playing make sure there’s always wallclock time displayed within eyesight. Preferably integrated on your screen. I think I once found a Skyrim mode especially for that
Include some accountability (ask your partner to remind you the game time is over) or time tracking with daily reflection
Only play in the mornings, before work. If you want to play longer, you have to get up earlier. And you cannot play too long because, well, you need to get to work.
Playing in the morning before work runs the risk of being late to work a bit more often than otherwise, especially since you play longer than planned. Five more minutes five times might make you ten minutes late to work, so you didn’t really have a good reason to stop that first time . . . and by the time you really needed to stop it was habit.
Well, for me ‘logging in to work after 10AM’ seems much worse than ‘starting to get ready to sleep after 10PM’. It’s a very natural and strong Schelling fence. Therefore the idea to play in the mornings rather than nights.