Post: #51

^nice username

Post: #52

Weed isn't mentioned here often, do any people here feel good about having given up weed?

Post: #53

Lots of the same things coming up. Great validation that you're doing the right thing.

Post: #54

And what has anyone replaced these things with?

Post: #55

Cable TV

(08-23-2017 10:02 AM)Off The Reservation Wrote:  And what has anyone replaced these things with?

Great question...actually something I was going to ask a few weeks ago in this thread.

I'm not a cold turkey type of a guy. I've never really given up anything, just tilted between being imbalanced and balanced. I've went a week without drinking . I'm not really addictive personality, and have never given anything up entirely. As an example, I've never been a smoker (except a few stressful month long stretches), but I'll bum one when drinking and/or golfing. Sometimes I don't have one for months. Similar to alcohol.

I wish I could cleanly say I stopped watching TV entirely and started working out and reading, but my transition has been gradual. Five years ago I was struggling to go to the gym to play a couple games of basketball once or twice a week. My home time was spent watching TV. Gradually, I started going to the gym almost daily...lifting several days a week, playing basketball a few times a week, then on to volleyball. Now I'm doing BJJ (and still lifting) which I expect will last the rest of my life because I'm actually getting better at something and not just playing a game.

I still watch Netflix on weeknights when I get home. At some point I'll probably replace this with woodworking or something creative and productive.

I don't drink as much as I used to.

Sorry if I've never given anything up entirely, but I think it's important to voice a different personality type on the thread in case there are others like me.

But to OTR question, yes, I definitely need activities to do more of to replace activities I'd like to do less of. BJJ and gym has been huge (a time filler if nothing else).

Post: #56

Update?

Post: #57

Television
- Everything to me has become political and a lot of the programming is marketed towards masses. Notice it never added any value
-Sports: Its the same thing over and over again.
-Everything is just about money
Positive Impact: I read more books and focus on creating instead of consuming

Alcohol
-Used to be a weekend social drinker (10+ drinks), but like sports, it became redundant to me after a while. It's the same conversations, same nights, same music, same people no value added etc.
-I know limit myself to 2 drinks in social settings or go all out for a special occasion
Positive Impact: More control in social settings, lower body fat, straight thinking, and most importantly $$$$$ saved

Post: #58

Things I've given up:

1. Binge drinking, in general.
2. Friendships with folks that are on the 9 to 5 path instead of the entrepreneur or location independent path (I still have acquaintances on the 9 to 5 path, but I mostly limit my friendships to other entrepreneurs and location independent guys, there's a world of difference between the two mindsets and I prefer not to be distracted by the 9 to 5 mindset).
3. Reading fiction.
4. Reading non-fiction unrelated to business or philosophy/happiness.
5. Drinking in order to be able to stomach interacting with narcissistic, promiscuous women.
6. Computer games/video games.
7. Junk food.
8. Having to work a 9 to 5.
9. Using a PC.
10. Being a selfish little shit.
11. Being too honest, having no tact.
12. Approach anxiety.

These have been replaced with:

1. Eating paleo (mostly).
2. Friendships with entrepreneurs and location independent folks.
3. Reading books on business and philosophy/happiness.
4. Writing.
5. Learning, learning, learning, except this time, with a focus on practical knowledge such as business, instead of on liberal arts, which was my focus in college.
6. Working because I really enjoy what I do, instead of because I have to.
7. Being able to live abroad for longer and longer periods.
8. In regards to girls, interacting only with beautiful girls that are a good match for my values.
9. A macbook pro. It just works, and I can usually sell it a year or two later for more than I paid for it.
10. Taking care of my mom and dad and my siblings.
11. Being more tactful.
12. Just going up to girls I think are cute/nice and chatting them up (most of the time, there's still times every so often when I'm not feeling up for it, I'm not a naturally super-extroverted person).

That's all I can think of right now.

Post: #59

Drinking. Sobriety brings out the best in me and allows me to stay healthy.

Still playing video games. Need to cull this.

Post: #60

I gave up smoking in 2008 after several attempts and using different methods. I've had cigarettes twice in the past decade of curiosity whilst *really* heavily drunk and felt regretful both times the following day when you can still taste it and feel tight in the chest.

I regard this as entirely unremarkable, however I have a number of friends that smoked the same amount and gave up at similar times, within a year or two. The thing is, despite quitting, they still miss it, or smoke when drunk, or smoke while drunk and then buy a pack and then recommence smoking and fight through the addiction to give up.

It still has some hold over them to some extent and I'm glad I'm not in that position.

Post: #61

In the past few years I've given up:

- Porn / Masturbation. Just went completely cold turkey. I feel it probably lowered my sex drive though. Now I am regularly having sex, I very rarely have this urge.

- Video games.
I cut this out a few years ago, I was never a gamer or owned many games growing up, but I got really into football games, FIFA, Championship Manager etc. and a few other games I cut them completely out as I realised, they do absolutely nothing for you, just waste your time.

-Watching/reading/listening to the radio about football
Along with football video games, I used to keep up with the news, all the games, with lots of different leagues. I loved knowing about the world of football, I realised it's simply escapism though and as I got more into politics, I realised it's a lot like politics, except much more meaningless. I eventually stopped caring at all. Now I have barely watched a game in the last two or three seasons, I only watch international games occasionally.

However I still waste a lot of time

- Reading RVF and other political and self improvement based websites.

- Feeling tired from staying up too late from reading or watching stuff online.

I'm realising it doesn't matter if I give up almost all of my time-wasting vices, if I still have the problem of low energy and procastinating. I need to find another way to fix that.

Post: #62

(08-23-2017 10:25 AM)heavy Wrote:  I still watch Netflix on weeknights when I get home. At some point I'll probably replace this with woodworking or something creative and productive.

I actually find watching TV shows/movies as fun and I don't wish to replace it. I realized, that people need some less productive and relaxing activities as well, but in moderation.
Getting wasted, playing a game or watching an episode is great way to give your brain a rest.
I personally don't give up on any thing, but I follow same scheme as I do with diet - 80% clean, 20% dirty. For 80% of my time I try to do something productive, interesting, something that will help me in self-improvement and for 20% I just fuck around doing whatever I want.
Even though, whenever I watch something I make sure it's not utter garbage first.
For example a week ago I have finished Vikings and it was really brilliant show, one of those that had some impact on my life, helping me achieve my goal of being free in my own way.

Post: #63

- Watching TV: Seriously, the majority of what they show on TV is crap and dumbs you down.

- Social media: I do have social media, but I don't post much stuff on it and I don't waste my time on watching stuff other people do.

- Posting on news sites: engaging in online discussions with trolls/autistic retards is a waste of time and why would you convince such people?

- Basically any form of entertainment: I do entertain myself, but you have to cut on this to get things done in your life. You can't play video games, watch movies or read on the internet all day long. People nowadays are very addicted to entertainment.

Post: #64

I use entertainment (and reading) as a way to wind me down before I go to sleep. I notice if I'm working on something before I go to bed my head is racing with plans and worries and I have problems falling asleep. But the way I use entertainment is very selective. To me entertainment is a way of keeping frame, not a way of evasion. I select series and films that help me maintain a particular frame of mind. You really are what you feed your brain.

Post: #65

Wow, some of you take self-improvement and life in general way too seriously. Do whatever the fuck makes you happy, even if that means binge watching TV series, playing video games, meaninglessly surfing the internet, or drinking at a bar all night.

Giving up smoking, drugs, making time for the gym, cooking healthy foods etc I can understand but after a certain point cutting everything that you once enjoyed out of your life to "improve yourself" sounds like one hell of a bore to me.

Post: #66

I got rid of my tv and got myself an amazon echo. Now I get shit done all day. Really the only shit I have in my house is a computer.

http://intelligenthomeblog.com/amazon-alexa/

Post: #67

Cable television! Did without for 12 months. Best simple lifestyle change I did in a long time.

Recently reconnected only to watch college football. And now I watch some DIY shows, ask this old house, etc. and a few food /cooking shows, nick stellino, someone mentioned his show in another thread, he's great.

Post: #68

(10-15-2017 07:47 PM)5-7 Hedonist Wrote:  Cable television! Did without for 12 months. Best simple lifestyle change I did in a long time.

Recently reconnected only to watch college football. And now I watch some DIY shows, ask this old house, etc. and a few food /cooking shows, nick stellino, someone mentioned his show in another thread, he's great.

I think its been 7 years since I paid for cable. Internet and powered antenna for HD broadcast does the trick for me. That's thousands not spent even at the $50 a month level I was at.

Post: #69

(10-15-2017 09:19 PM)Off The Reservation Wrote:  

(10-15-2017 07:47 PM)5-7 Hedonist Wrote:  Cable television! Did without for 12 months. Best simple lifestyle change I did in a long time.

Recently reconnected only to watch college football. And now I watch some DIY shows, ask this old house, etc. and a few food /cooking shows, nick stellino, someone mentioned his show in another thread, he's great.

I think its been 7 years since I paid for cable. Internet and powered antenna for HD broadcast does the trick for me. That's thousands not spent even at the $50 a month level I was at.

I steal internet from my neighbors.

Post: #70

Marijuana

Post: #71

nice to see so many like minded interests and bad habits given up. Have to say my time management and goal setting has been the best it has ever been since eradicating myself of the following.

fully given up:
porn
fapping
tinder
video games
tv shows/series
girlfriend

partially:
casual TV
high carb/poor food choices
'friends' of limited value who end up annoying you anyway
average girls
sports I am not fully committed to playing
social media (still guilty of browsing, minimal posting/endless debates)
acquaintainces on the left

crux:
heavy drinking (mindset is at least better and line of business includes a lot of drinking)
reading a lot of articles sometimes of average standard and getting bogged down
probably too much MSM exposure still but inevitable in career

Post: #72

Things I've given up:

- Buying Hollywood movie DVD's
- Watching TV
- Privacy violators such as Facebook and most Google apps
- Taking selfies, I prefer taking real photos

Post: #73

-carbohydrate / sugar heavy foods (in particular soda and fruit juice) as I went on a keto diet back 15 months ago.

Down 40 lbs of fat so far and had big improvements in blood work and other diagnostic tests.

Post: #74

(10-12-2017 05:43 AM)Adrenaline Wrote:  Wow, some of you take self-improvement and life in general way too seriously. Do whatever the fuck makes you happy, even if that means binge watching TV series, playing video games, meaninglessly surfing the internet, or drinking at a bar all night.

Giving up smoking, drugs, making time for the gym, cooking healthy foods etc I can understand but after a certain point cutting everything that you once enjoyed out of your life to "improve yourself" sounds like one hell of a bore to me.

Hate to sound like a 'bore', but I respectfully disagree. The average American is balls deep in TV, video games, social media, internet addiction etc. I can tell you these people are NOT happy, hence the epidemic of anxiety and depression. Mindlessly engaging in these activities is detrimental to one's mind and body. Nor will they ever bring fulfillment.

How about instead of watching TV or dicking around on Facebook, why not learn a new language, read a good book or hit the gym? This is what makes us better men and will ultimately bring us happiness. For example, I have been studying Russian for a long time now. To get my Master's I had to demonstrate proficiency in the language. I'd struggled to pass the reading exam, and failed it 3 times in a row. Yesterday, I finally passed it (one level above what I needed no less) and I can't remember the last time I was that happy. Sure, studying sucks, but the fulfillment and joy from accomplishing something meaningful is incredibly powerful. I can't recall any TV shows or sports games I watched that stick with me to this day, but I will not forget passing that test.

I understand where you're coming from though. People can't be uptight all the time and have no fun. That usually backfires as people end up repressing the urge to party and fuck and it comes out in harmful ways. However, I would be wary of spending too much time on mindless, useless activities.

Post: #75

- my wife of 8 years (16 years long relationship, no regrets but it just got way too much. Hardest thing I had to do in my life)
- sugar
- processed food