Back in 2009 or was it 2008 ... I can't honestly remember (not with everything important I need to remember, lol) I started playing "apps" or games.
It was first on MySpace (GreenSpot; Farmville and Farm Town) where I was introduced to them. Then I went on Facebook and started with Farmville, Farm Town, Cafe World, Treasure Madness, Treasure Isle, YoVille, Fishville, Island Paradise, Petville, Mafia Wars, and I lost track after that. I am sure there are more I am failing to list, but not really missing :)
For a while, they were fun, addictive fun actually, and that is the problem...or was the problem. Some days, that was all I would do...games, games, games while putting in job applications. I even neglected my writing because I was either filling out job applications and playing games.
Sounds like addiction, right? I think in some respects it is, and it can be serious. I will be up front and honest, I didn't neglect my family, friends, job, health or finances. But, neglecting my writing was damage enough. If I had paid more attention to that back in 2008/2009, I bet 2010/2011 would have been very different.
Anyway...
Between May 2009 (when I got my last job) and February 2010 (when I started Physical Therapy for a work injury) I reduced the amount of games I was playing. Some it was because my friends no longer played, others I lost interest in and the remainder--I didn't have time for.
Long story short (can we really ever say it, mean it and be thorough?) ...
It was around May 2010 that I had another profound change. I started watching a particular show online and fell in love with it :) And, that was the turning point for me in realizing I had more of a life than the apps ... being able to write, even creating ideas and character profiles was amazing.
It was in June 2010 I purchased the seasons of the show that were out and in watching them, I was getting back into my writing. While I had other favorite shows, this one was a perfect fit. By the end of Summer 2010, I was less into the "apps" and writing full-time. I had too many stories to attempt to revise, and some yet to tell.
Of course trying to explain that to family and friends is another story. I felt bad because some had come to rely on me for help on the games, and I was no longer interested. Some kept sending requests for more and more games, and I was overwhelmed.
By Christmas, I was again weeding out the apps as I was preparing for my New Year's Resolution--reduce the apps I was playing to focus more on my writing.
February 9, 2011 started a new chapter in my life -- College Student. And, at the time I was enrolled as a "Full Time" student (still am), and I was taking 2 classes at a time per "session". Trust me, it was challenging, and I didn't have time to do everything I enjoyed.
Here I am, about one year later and down to only 2 "apps" on Facebook--Farmville and Island Paradise. And with everything Farmville has thrown our way, I am about OVER IT. I can handle 1-2 farms, but now we've got 4 farms, and over Christmas there were 3 different quests -- HELLO??
While I enjoy the games, enough is enough! There are only 24 hours in a day, and that is all. Here are the days broken down:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday:
5:30am--Get Up, Have Breakfast
5:45am--Leave to take my mom to work
7:00am--Get home, unless I have an early morning errand
7:00am-6:00pm--Work on school work, research for school, writing, research for writing, cleaning, laundry, food prep & eating, crocheting, photography projects, check emails, work on budget, and check online orders; or get a nap if I didn't get any sleep the night before
6:00pm--Get ready to leave to pick my mom up
6:30pm--Leave to get my mom
7:45pm--Return home from my mom's work
7:45pm-11:00pm--Dinner, family time, more research for either school or writing
11:00pm--BEDTIME
Wednesday:
5:30am--Get Up, Have Breakfast
5:45am--Leave to take my mom to work
7:00am--Get home, unless I have an early morning errand
7:00am-12:00pm--Work on school work, research for school, writing, research for writing, cleaning, laundry, food prep & eating, crocheting, photography projects, check emails, work on budget, and check online orders; or get a nap if I didn't get any sleep the night before
12:30pm--Leave to get my mom from work
1:30pm-1:45pm--Get home
1:45pm-Bedtime (whenever that is)--Lunch, more research for school or writing, same as the 7:00am to 12:00pm if I didn't get any of it done, or some items didn't get done
My mother's days off are pretty much the same--Sleep (8 hours), family time, research for school, writing, research for writing, cleaning, laundry, food prep & eating (at best 4 hours), crocheting, photography projects, check emails. With half the day spent with sleep and food prep/eating, that only leaves 12 hours in the day for everything else. And I should spend 4 of those hours for school every day, meaning 8 left for writing, photography ... well, you get the idea.
And, if pay days are involved--shopping, get gas in the car, pay bills; which leaves LESS time in the day.
So, naturally I have begun to assess how valuable my time really is. And, I am definitely making a 2012 New Year's Resolution I can get done--REDUCE TIME SPENT ON APPS. Yes, that might mean I don't get a Farmville quest complete, I don't grow any crops, and I don't advance in Island Paradise. While it was fun, it's time is certainly over.
I spent much of the New Year watching some great movies that I thought didn't mean that much to me, but it turns out ... they shaped who I am. As cheesy as the effects were, it was an escapism that heightened a creative part of me I can't ignore any more. I had fun re-living certain aspects of my life, memories and getting back in touch with "me".
So my new apps are "writingville", "movieville", "crochetville", "readingville" and "photographyville". I might pop in to Farmville and Island Paradise sometimes, but not as much as I have been. When the current quests are over...I AM OVER. I need to get back to what works for me :)
I have a lot of movies I don't watch since I don't have the time. And, I've finally decided I need to "make the time" to do it now. I learned that we don't "have all the time in the world". I need to take advantage of the time I have and make it all work out, and also there is that degree I am working on. I am still a full-time college student, but now I take 1 class every 5 weeks without breaks, so I don't have a day off.
As far as any new apps, the only one I might consider is the NCIS game when it comes to Facebook. But, I have so many games and things to do already, there is simply no more time left to add anymore.
And, I don't think I am going to miss it, not in the least :) so if someone decides to send an invite, I have to (in advance) respectfully decline. It is nothing personal, I just have quite a bit to do.
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