New year's resolutions

2022-01-18 17:06 #commit

I was about to write a post about adding pagination to the blog. I already started that some time ago, trying to use mamba for tests. But I think that the world doesn't need another post about how to add pagination to a very simple Flask app, so I will skip it.

We are still on time to talk about the new year's resolutions, so I think I'll do that. Yes, the world doesn't need another post about the new year's resolutions either; but I only have one, and I want to share it with whoever is reading this post: this year, I won't play video games. None of them. Not a minute. In any platform.

I've realized that I spend a lot of time playing video games. I could try to reduce the time spent with them, but they are designed to catch attention and induce users to play. It will be a fight between my willpower and their psychological tricks, and I'd probably lose. The only winning move is not to play.

Breaking a habit is hard, and I'm sure sometimes I'll be really bored or with a need for disconnection and with nothing to do. That will be good because those moments will allow me to find new interesting things to do. In my dreams, I'd have a lot of free time to do interesting things. In practice, it has allowed me to read a lot. But I'm just starting, and I think reading is more useful than trying to beat level 12 on Rygar without losing a life.

There is only one exception to the rule: when playing a videogame is something social, I could do it. I don't mean playing on the Internet with strangers. That exception is for being able to share time playing video games with my daughter, or maybe with friends someday. But the social part of the event should be relevant: playing a multiplayer game is not enough for that rule to apply.

At the moment I've accomplished 18 days and counting. I think this is the worst part because I'm still breaking the habit. I think I'll be able to do it; it is, after all, a single resolution.