Note to self (1): Day 8 Avoiding Computer Games

Bringing the cost of starting to zero

Eight days ago I stopped playing computer games after reading an article about how it is easier to terminate a habit by finding something you like to do in that same situation. (Ideally something you like better to do.)

I decided to draw cats. I haven’t drawn many cats, but the idea that I am drawing cats instead of playing computer games has helped me a lot in avoiding going back to computers.

After all it’s easy to quit playing computers games, I’ve done it dozens of times.

For me, the worst version of playing computer games is playing them late at night while tired and watching Netflix. A game ends and I stay up to finish that episode. By the time I have finished the episode I am in the middle of the next game… And somehow suddenly it’s sunrise.

I would rather to have been programming (or writing medium articles) than to have had spent that time playing computer games.

I believe that the computer games “win out” over programming because they take no time to start.

If I have a hobby programming project up and open in a development environment on each of the machines that I would otherwise be tempted to play a game on it might help.

So now it is time to start installing an IDE onto this machine.

And until then at least there is the Medium writing environment.