Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Happy Halloween

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Eerie, Focus timers, Focused work, Games, Halloween, motivation, Music, Naps, Pomodoro, Scary

There’s nothing more motivating than a holiday. Halloween has been fun this year, because I used the entire month to celebrate by watching scary movies, concentrated my posts on scary topics, and had a great time playing my favorite mobile video games that have all added Halloween themes to their game experience.

Holidays are nice because they give us the freedom to choose what we will do and what we won’t. It’s a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the normal work week. Employers are having potlucks, employee dress ups, and even cutting folks loose early so they can get their kids out for their trick or treating.

Today, since yesterday was my “do nothing day”, I was ready to go. I was up at 3 am, writing, learning, reading, and so on. These little breaks can really add to your motivation to get back at it.

Speaking of breaks. Here are a few ways to maintain your motivation throughout the day:

1. Use a focus timer like Pomodoro, which will have you work in a specific time-frame and then take a break. The default setup for this is 20 minutes, followed by 5-minutes, but most of these apps are highly customizable. I typically like working for 25 minutes, then take 5 minutes so I have a 30-minute work-break session.
2. Plan rewarding times for yourself after each big chunk of activity. If you go to a gym, hit your favorite coffee shop on the way home. If you are working at your desk, perhaps you are a video game advocate like I am. Get in a session after you’ve knocked out some work.
3. Naps are also a great reward, particularly if you work from home. Plan in a nap after lunch, before dinner, or whenever your schedule allows. Keep it to around 20 minutes so you don’t get too groggy to go back to work.
4. Listen to some music, meditate, or do some creative planning for something you would like to do on the weekend.

These are just some ideas for you to start with. You know what you enjoy. Sprinkle in this fun throughout your day, in and around your work schedule, and you’ll find that each day will be much more satisfying and the work you do will be more motivating because you know there is some fun and relaxation waiting for you after each session of work.

I hope you have a great Monday and enjoy Halloween. We’ll be passing out candy to all the folks who come around for tricks and treats.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Rewards

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Games, Monday, motivation, Movies, Naps, Reading, Rewards, To-do List

Another big motivator is a reward. You do something hard, reward yourself. You finish your to-do list, reward yourself. You accomplish a goal, reward yourself.

Rewards motivate us to do the things we’ve tasked ourselves with and give us something to look forward to. When I finish a task on my list, I play some games. I love video games, so this reward motivates me to get my stuff done, so I can play. The reward must be something you look forward to. It has to be your favorite thing, whether it’s a nap, a snack, television show, or some other thing. The reward must be worth the work you do or this tactic will not motivate you.

So if you have a long list of to-dos, spread out your rewards throughout the day. Knock out five tasks and take a nap. Knock out five more and watch your favorite show. I like to sprinkle rewards throughout the day because it keeps me rolling along. There is always something to look forward to.

Happy Monday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Monday Morning Blues

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Blues, critical tasks, demotivated, Games, low energy tasks, Monday, motivation, Tricks

I woke up this morning not wanting to do anything. Boy, what a way to start the week.

How did I get moving? By setting myself up for success in advance. You see, for me to go to the gym, I always put a goody in the mix. In my case, a cup of Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. Both are within a minute’s drive from my gym. So, that’s how I overcome the Monday morning blues.

I also knock out all of my “hard” stuff in the morning. I work on my book, blog, do my online classes, and my other critical to-dos. Then in the afternoon I read, watch a documentary (part of my daily learning), and tackle all the low-energy, low-thinking tasks. It works for me.

So today’s rambling posits to turn your drudgery into fun by adding a goody or two into the mix. For me it’s coffee. For you, it may be something else. Find that thing, and you’ll start your day off with a kick, regardless of your mood. The key is to know yourself enough to know what that goody is so you can overcome the blues on Monday morning.

Have a great Monday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Hobbies, Games, and Movies – CODM, Bottom Line, and The Sopranos

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Books, Bottom Line, Breaking Bad, Call of Duty, Call of Duty Mobile, Games, Hobbies, Movies, Ozark, Remo Williams, The Destoyer Series, The Sopranos

Well, folks, my sister and I finished The Sopranos yesterday. Wow, what a great show. We started re-watching Season 4 of Ozark to get ready for the second part, which starts tomorrow on Netflix. We can’t wait!!

I’m reading yet another Remo Williams Book in The Destroyer Series. The title is Bottom Line. Again, a great series of stories which never disappoint.

In the gaming realm, Season 4: Wild Dogs started today in Call of Duty Mobile, They have introduced some new challenges, the melee weapon Kali Sticks, and a whole host of new characters including a new skin for the Ghost player. There’s also a new map dropping called Satellite. It’s going to be great fun! I completed one of the new challenges yesterday.

My sister and I often talk about things while we hang out watching TV. One of the things I suggested was a hobby. Everyone needs a hobby. Something to look forward to after work or chores, or whatever you do that you consider work. I look forward to my game time after I’ve finished my tasks for the day. Painting, crafting, hiking, or whatever just wakes you up each day is something to consider. We all need balance in our lives. Hobbies are a terrific way to pass the time and enjoy life.

Well, that’s all I got for today. If you haven’t watched Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, or Ozark, I highly recommend all of them. They are terrific! If you’re into mobile gaming, give Call of Duty a whirl, it is an awesome game and the creativity these guys bring to the table is unbelievable. I have never been disappointed.

Well, that’s it for now. Have a great Thursday everybody!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Hobbies, Games, and Movies – CODM, The Sopranos, and The Destroyer Series

Tags

Bottom Line, Call of Duty Mobile, Games, Hobbies, Movies, Remo Williams, The Destroyer Series, The Sopranos

I qualified for the second stage of the CODM World Championship. It’s really cool that they open these tournaments up to anyone. I’m currently at the Master Stage, leaving only Grandmaster and Legendary left to accomplish. There were also 8 challenges this season. Those were great fun and dropped some mean loot.

I’m reading a new Remo Williams book called Bottom Line. It is yet another story where Remo and Chiun are saving the U.S. from some horrible threat. As you can tell, I really enjoy these books!

My sister and I are in season 6 of The Sopranos, the final season. Since we just discovered that the new Ozark season is starting soon, we are putting off Game of Thrones and will watch that one next. No spoilers, folks, but The Sopranos has been an awesome ride!

Well, that’s it folks! I hope you have a great Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Gamifying

Tags

Games, Gamify, Monday, motivation, tasks, To-do

Have you ever heard the term gamify? It’s turning something into a game. As you know, I love games, particularly video games. One of the things that keeps me going back to many of the games I enjoy, are the challenges. Gamifying something involves turning real-world tasks into games.

When I find myself losing motivation for something, I question it. Am I done with this particular thing for now, or do I need change how I approach it? Gamifying something adds a fresh take on whatever I am doing. Here’s how I do it.

We play games because they’re fun, they are challenging, and they result in a reward if we win. So, you take a task and you do the same thing with it. Let’s say I want to write so many chapters this week. Well, each chapter is an achievement that I can award myself for completing. If I want to write 5 chapters this week, I’ll get an individual reward for each chapter and a bigger individual reward for completing the weekly task. I like to eat, so my rewards are typically food, like a cookie, piece of candy, or a cup of coffee from one of our terrific coffee houses.

You can do this with everything, and your reward doesn’t have to be related to food. It could be a reward of reading something in your favorite book, watching an episode of one of your shows on Netflix, or even taking some time to listen to a great song on a streaming music service. The key to this is that the challenge must relate to something you have to do anyway. The rewards you give yourself depend on what you like.

So, here is yet another technique you can use to get what you need to get done, and have fun while you’re doing it. Have a great Monday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Hobbies, Games, and Movies – Call of Duty Mobile

Tags

Call of Duty Mobile, Challenges, Fun, Games, Hobbies, Movies, The Heist, Thursday, WWII series

My sister and I are still watching the WWII series I discussed last week. It is approaching its end, as we are now after the D-Day invasion, and the battle of Minsk on the Eastern Front. The Americans in the Pacific are launching attacks into the Mariana islands. It is a great series.

Call of Duty started its new season called The Heist. There will be new characters, new weapons, and new challenges. I was so excited to start playing yesterday! Currently I am grinding through shotguns to get them all gold. After these, I have the marksman rifles and sniper weapons to work on. I began getting more efficient and worked on gold camouflage for all of my melee weapons as well. I am currently working on the baseball bat melee weapon.

I haven’t watched any movies since our last chat, but there are a few that I am interested in. I’ll keep you posted on what my sister and I watch.

Well, that’s it for the week. I hope all of you have a great rest of the week.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Hobbies, Games, and Movies

Tags

Call of Duty Mobile, Far Cry 6, Games, Hobbies, Ken Burns, Movies, The Pacific, The War, World at War

Now that I’m retired, I tend to have a great deal of hobbies. My hobbies are video games and watching documentaries. Every once in a while I catch a good movie, but documentaries are my thing. This year, I’m going to use Thursdays to share what I’m playing, what I’m watching, and give you my thoughts on all.

Gaming is my passion. Currently I’m playing a lot of Call of Duty – Mobile. I also played a different genre of game, called Far Cry 6. These are both terrific games. Call of Duty is season-based, with each new season introducing new characters, new stories and plots, and tons of different types of mobile fighting from team deathmatch, frontline, control, seek and destroy, and the ever-famous battle royals, which are a lot of fun to play as well.

Far Cry 6 is a game about a dictator who is using his people as slaves to produce a cancer fighting wonder drug. The problem–one of the ingredients used to create the drug is killing the very people that are kidnapped and forced to work the fields the drug is grown. You are a guerilla who helps overthrow this government.

I’ve played numerous versions of Far Cry, starting at Far Cry 1, and in Far Cry 6 there is a twist. After you beat the game (I won’t spoil it), there are insurgencies that crop up each week. You have to beat down each insurgency as they arise by completing different types of missions. It’s a great idea and one that keeps the game fresh for a long time, without making any new purchases. How novel, right?

Documentaries I am watching are all about WWII. I finished Ken Burn’s The War, and now watching A World at War on YouTube. The War will run you about $20 U.S., but worth the money. Ken Burns picked four American towns and highlighted the WWII veterans that lived there, telling the unique stories each had to tell. Many of the veterans are now dead, but at the time it was made, they were all alive and told their stories during the show.

What’s next? I plan on purchasing a series called the Pacific. It is a drama, but highlights one of the characters in Ken Burn’s documentary, Eugene Sledge, who picked up the nickname of sledgehammer while he served in the Marine Corps. It has a great collection of actors and Tom Hanks was involved in the making of the film. He does a great job with these types of films.

To give you a taste of one of the games I play, here is the trailer from YouTube for Far Cry 6. It is a terrific game!

If you’re a gamer, try this one out. It’s a winner in my opinion!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Here we are–again!

Tags

Adventure, Books, Boredom, Cycles, Excitement, Games, Gaming, Monotony, Movies, Reading, Writing

Sometimes life seems to be a little dull. We get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, go to work, come home, eat dinner, we relax, go to bed, and then up again to start the whole cycle again. The days are the same, the weeks are the same, the months are the same, and so on. What can we do to break the cycle?

Many folks break up this cycle by doing what they enjoy. Maybe it’s quilting, writing, having an adventure in a local forest, or taking a long drive. For others, like me, it’s gaming, writing, and reading. Reading really helps me a lot. There are so many books and so many places to visit.

I read a book by Stephen King, titled On Writing. He wrote this book while he was in the hospital recovering from an accident, where he was hit by a delivery van while on his daily walk. In the book he described himself as more of an archaeologist. He “uncovers” stories that are already there. Each chapter strips away a little more dirt.

It’s a great analogy for story telling. Initially the story starts out at the surface level. We get to meet the main characters, the place they call home, and told about a problem these characters are involved in. As the story unfolds, we learn more about our characters. We learn how they react to stress, how they think, and what they do to solve the overarching problem. In the end, depending on the story type, the characters win or lose. If they win the story is a comedy. If they lose the story is a tragedy.

Reading can break up the monotony of day-to-day living. It takes us to far away places, and lets us explore another world “discovered” by the author. I truly enjoy reading a great book, regardless of where it takes place, what time period it is in, or what the characters are doing. Each book is an adventure waiting to be had.

One of the key lessons I’ve learned in retirement is the need for structure, and something to look forward to. I look forward to reading every day, writing this blog and working on my book. I also look forward to my game sessions, which are a lot of fun for me. Games have become so realistic that they act like books for me. They transport me to a war torn city, an outer space battle, or an adventure with friends who are part of my adventurers party.

As far as structure goes, I tend to chunk my time. One chunk I do my morning routine, the next chunk I read, followed by another chunk which is writing and the chunk I am in right now. After I have done all of my daily chunks, it’s game time. Even when I game, I have goals for each gaming session. It could be to finish a challenge or solve a particular problem to get to the next part of a story. This is what I do in a game I’m playing now called Far Cry 6. Far Cry 6 is set on an imaginary island, where a dictator uses his people to manufacture a cure for cancer. The problem-the chemical used to add to its chemical crop kills those who work in the tobacco fields.

In another game I play, Call of Duty Vanguard and Mobile (two different games), I work predominantly on leveling up weapons. Call of Duty uses camouflage to designate what level a gun is at. For example, when you complete all weapon challenges, the gold camouflage is opened up. When you get gold camouflage for all of your weapons in a particular class of weapons, you have access to the platinum (mobile) camouflage, or diamond camouflage in the version of Call of Duty for consoles or personal computer (PC).

Every game has these types of challenges or goals. It’s great fun for me to try and finish all of them, which can take quite a long time. I’m currently working on gold camouflage for the assault rifle class on Call of Duty Mobile. I’m not playing Call of Duty on console yet, because the next year’s season does not start again until December 8, 2021. That will be a great day!!

The key to keeping your life exciting in retirement is to have a structure to your day, along with some things that really excite you. Each day is a grand adventure for me. If you need some ideas on what to

read or what to play on a game console, here is what I’m up to in both areas:

Books:

Delta Force: A Memoir by the Founder of the U.S. Military’s Most Secretive Special-Operations Unit

Deep Space: Star Carrier: Book Four

The Silent Wife

Games:

Far Cry 6

Call of Duty Mobile (iPad)

Call of Duty Vanguard

Mafia City (iPad)

Movies:

Apocalypse Now

Well, that’s it folks. Break up the drudgery of your day. There are many who blog who have all kinds of ideas for travel, crafting, writing, and all the rest. Use them. They are a great resource. Life is short. Make every day your best day, by doing things to break up the patterns or cycles in your life. You’ll look forward to each day. You’ll be excited to get up and get at it.

Have a great Monday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Bonus Content – Update

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Brother, family, Fun, Games, Good Food, Heading Home, Laughter, Love, Smiles

Well, all. My brother left for Arizona and is heading back to life in the “furnace” He He.

I’ll begin my regular posting schedule again on Wednesday. I hope all of you are having a great June!

Talk soon!

Until next time…

Dave