Hello fellow Protagonists.
Our first post together. Our adventure is about to start. Can you feel the energy? The anticipation is killing me. Who knows what is waiting around the corner as soon as we will get going. Ready... Steady...
Or...
Actually, that sounds risky, or like a lot of effort. Let's just stare at the pretty background of the start screen. Ahh that beautiful, safe start screen. It makes you feel... well, safe. And who needed this adventure anyway? It could have gone wrong. I probably did myself a favour. Mmm cosy.
Sounds crazy doesn't it. But is it really that crazy? What about someone who buys nice new gym gear and a yearly membership, but never attends the sweat den. What about somebody who finds a perfect job advert, looks at the length of the application and closes the tab. What about someone who orders five books after reviewing "The top 5 books that changed my life" and then not applying their spit covered, page turning pinkies over any of them.
Not even starting your adventure is surely the king of all Nerfing. How are we going to learn from our victories and mistakes? How are we going to share tips and provide spoilers for others if we don't even start?
A level may be easier the second time around, but it is always more fun the first time!
Sometimes in these life simulators of ours it can seem like we do not have the extra time to start side quests. By the time we have been to work, made some food, and watched a few episodes on the opium transmitter, there is nothing left in the tank. I believe a key way of slaying thoughts like these are to see this problem as an emotional one and not a practical one. It is our thoughts, emotions, and attitudes that cause our problems, not time. Time didn't do anything wrong. Time doesn't even know it exists.
Physically just starting something takes no time at all.
It gives us a strange sense of faux happiness to delay tasks. The gratification of a completed task can sometimes come way further into the adventure, sometimes when we have forgotten the task that led us to that point. I think this is where the gaming world has thrown us a bit of a fib. It is not always as simple as coming back to the quest provider and instantly getting something shiny, or more hack and slashy, as a thank you.
A strong tactic in these situations is to just get started.
I can see your faces looking at me like this thumb is, "pointing out the obvious there Mate" but it is true.
When I have my best start screen stare on me, I think to myself just spending 5 minutes on my adventure would be a positive move. For any of you evening gamers or series watchers, how many times have you said something would take just 5 more minutes, to only realise that you now have exactly 4 hours and 26 minutes of available dream time left. You then try to force yourself to instantly fall asleep and just maybe, you might be able to function above the level of an amoeba the following day. My point is that once you get started on something, sometimes the hardest part has already been conquered.
Your quest
I love reading blogs that challenge me to do something so in the spirit of making a start, I have one for you.
My quest for you today, should you choose it, is to pick your adventure, your attribute you want to Buff, and commit 5 minutes to it. That's it. 5 wholegrain minutes. Set a timer if you have to.
I bet in 5 minutes you could:
Learn a couple of greetings in a foreign language you always wanted to start.
Pick up a chord on your guitar that you can go on to practice without needing to view an online tutorial each time.
Read 2-3 pages of a book.
Do a few sets of press-ups.
Meditate or reflect on your day.
Ask your partner how their day went.
Move £5 into a savings account - £1 each minute with a different reference for each transaction.
Just spend a little time on whatever that task is, even if it is only 5 minutes.
For those who feel that 5 minutes is not enough to achieve anything, every great task was completed 5 minutes at a time.
The journey is more important than the outcome anyway.
There is something I need to inform you all about before I close my first post. I will be the first person to tell you that my writing ability leaves a lot to be desired. It is something I am personally aiming to Buff. I am definitely more of a talker. But you know what, this is part of my adventure. So join me and comment below with what your 5 minute adventure was.
How are you meant to play the game if you are not even in it?
GLHF
Warrick
So right! Can't tell you how many times I don't start something, because the task feels too big. But a 5 minute kick start is a great way to think about it. For someone who likes order, my office is in chaos! Filing cabinets heaving with old useless paperwork & 'stuff'.
I reckon 5 minutes per file, rather than trying to do the whole thing......and when the chaos is clear I can actually enjoy starting something new.
Looking forward to my 5 minutes of new learning. Perhaps 5 minutes to write the list first!
Thank you
Great article!