Procrastination & The Gaming Fast

Procrastinating has gotten a lot worse since I got hooked on WoW. Even after quitting, it's still prevalent.

I used to procrastinate anyway, but it wasn't that bad. I'd procrastinate for a few minutes up to an hour or two, and then would just do whatever it was I had planned on or was supposed to do.

It's much worse now. I don't even procrastinate at work that needs to be done; I procrastinate over things that are supposed to be fun. If it's a hobby where the "reward" takes a longer time to achieve, I hesitate for a very long time (as much as a day to a week) before doing it. This includes:

• Exercising or walking outside
• Drawing or anything creative
• Getting started on extra credit work
• Doing favors for others

The worst part about is that, when I get started, I feel very empty. There's no more spark of achieving that wonderful long-term goal. I'm just moving along like an automaton.

I hate it.

Funny thing, though. Just as I was griping over this, I was checking out OLGAnon and saw their 12-step program. I'm not much for 12 steps, but this stood out to me:

1) When leaving any addiction, it is strongly recommended to stay off of the games, COMPLETELY for 30 days. (That is why treatment programs are 28 days in
length!) Come here every day, post and share with others. By staying off of the
games for that length of time, your brain will get re-wired, or washed, so it will
function rationally, again. You will be able to see clearly, what has happened to
you. You will be able to think, and make your own choices, and not function in a
hypnotic daze, as a result of compulsive gaming.

Now, I didn't clean out my system, so to speak, after I quit WoW. I played smaller, fill-in games after a week of quitting. While I didn't get addicted to them, they didn't truly help clear my system and kept me wanting to fuffill that need.

Therefore, until October 22nd, no games. If I do anything game related, it must be production, be it script writing, concept art, messing with flash or a game engine, spriting, or anything like that. I cannot. play. a game.