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Side Quests and Damage

Sid Meier, creator of the Civilization series of games, is often quoted that games are a set of interesting choices, of meaningful decisions. If so, is there any more meaningful decision than the Epic Quest that is your life?  If you really were thrust into a video game, or found, as Simulation Hypothesis ponders, that Life is Actually a Game, then wouldn't you spend some time leveling up your character? making meaningful connections? Enjoying the process? Acquiring skills, feats and powers that help unlock new paths and quests? What if Your Life Was a Game? And would not the work you invent for yourself be the ultimate pastime? More fun than even fun could be? In the movie classic Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray, he is cursed with having to repeat the same day over and over again, with only his character able to recall that the day has been repeated. After thousands of days acting selfishly, he realizes that the gift of unlimited time will allow him to become the best ve
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The Third and Final Quest.

The first two quests in my self-created game of improvement are focused on myself, the final quest is a short checklist created to improve the lives of my family; by being a better spouse and parent. This is, of course, another direction in self-improvement. This is about bettering myself, but why bother to improve yourself if not to further improve the relationships you have with your loved ones? Time and Love: Scarce Resources? Although the news headlines describe a more chaotic world, life is pretty good. I would argue better in most ways than in the past. And, even if the future brings even more goodness, chaos, and a couple more years of Donald J. Trump, I have fallen in love with the world. There is so much to experience! So many people to meet! So much work to be done! How can one do it all in one lifetime? Simply put, we need more time to learn, love, and enjoy the life we have. And, if "happiness is only real when it is shared", we need to take care of ourselves
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Quest #2- The Battle for Your Mind

While the first quest was mostly about the body, the second quest is about my mind. So much thought and money is dedicated toward's bodily improvements, yet our livelihood and ability to connect to others relies more on our mental and personal characteristics. Think about it. What are the highest paid careers in the United States? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,  they are... 1. Orthodontists 2. Anesthesiologists 3. Obstetricians and gynecologists 4. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons 5. Surgeons 6. Physicians and surgeons, all other 7. Internists, general 8. Psychiatrists 9. Family and general practitioners 10. Chief executives 11. Dentists, all other specialists 12. Pediatricians, general 13. Nurse anesthetists 14. Dentists, general 15. Computer and information systems managers 16. Architectural and engineering managers 17. Marketing managers 18. Petroleum engineers 19. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers 20. Prosthodo
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The First Quest in the Game

In any game the rewards system has to incentivize  the players to accomplish their goal. Risk : Attacking is the only way to get cards. If you don't attack, other players will get cards. Cards are used for bonus armies. Bonus armies are game changers. Ticket to Ride : Connect your ticket cities. The longer you wait the harder it will be!  Pandemic : Work together as a team to keep diseases treated until you collect the disease cards for a Cure. Play your role's strengths, even if you have to ignore some problems.   In designing my game, I wanted to reward myself for 1. Doing deeds that help me become a better person and 2. Avoiding things that will, metaphorically and literally, kill me. See, I love being alive, and want to make the most out of life- a large part of that is simply time. I need a lot of it. More of it than I have unless I make some serious changes and maintain the good luck that has brought me this far. Here is how I get points, and how they translate
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A New Beginning, or a False Hope?

Monday. January 1st. Many people start new behavioral changes on dates of psychological beginnings, such as Mondays, or New Year's Day to help them power up the will they need to make the changes stick.Unfortunately, it usually doesn't help.( Why New Year's Resolutions Fail ) Change is hard, yet possible, for all of us. In my life, I have noticed quite a few things need to change, yet don't. I stick to the old standbys, select the one you like. a) too busy to make change b) life too chaotic- just have to wait until _________ is over. c) don't have enough time This year, however is going to be different. Why? a) It is a Monday AND January 1st b) I want to c)I plan on utilizing psychological ideas to create behavioral change in myself Basically I lack Willpower to do the things I need to do, but have infinite patience for imaginary work I want to do. And what is it I usually want to do? Play games. Video games, board games, role-playing games have f
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