Is Your Hobby Worthwhile?

My brother-in-law from Canada visited the other weekend and asked me if I still "played". I had to answer "no" because I have other things in my life that I am concentrating on. Such as ending bad habits, starting to form a plan for a counseling private practice, and spending time with the children.

What was he referring to? World of Warcraft (of course!). We started gaming together over Christmas break in 2008. We joined the same guild, a group of people who unite to meet goals, and enjoyed the game together. He still plays periodically while I have had to walk away.

Online games such as World of Warcraft use operant conditioning in order to motivate players. That is, players will earn rewards rather quickly in the beginning, which results in continued play. Starting out in the game these rewards are typically levels and gear for players' avatars. Over time the rewards take more time and in some cases skill to earn. This is evidenced by end game content that takes several hours to complete. Players usually experience a period of burnout in which the effort that it takes to earn rewards becomes too costly.

Players, such as my brother-in-law, often consider video games a hobby. Video games have become more engaging in recent years and now require several hours in order to complete. I have heard people say that a game was "short" because it only required 6-10 hours of gameplay to complete. Ironically, after such an investment there is nothing tangible produced.

When we invest time it should be in worthwhile endeavors that produce something in our lives. Wether it be a finished product, such as a gourmet meal, a table, or knowledge, these activities leave us with a sense of enrichment. Such activities make our lives more worthwhile.

All of us need down time. However, we should be wary that not all of our free time is spent in activities that do not create anything. All of us could do better to focus on enrichment and self-growth. Doing so would increase our own well-being. So, is your hobby worthwhile? Do you gain an increased sense of self-worth? Is there something produced internally or externally? Does it bring enjoyment for its own sake? Can you share the fruits of your hobby with someone else?

Just something to think about.

No one but other World of Warcraft players cared that I have a level 80 character. It was not something that I could share with someone and the knowledge of how to play the game did not help me grow as an individual.

Next week I will begin a series on preparing for the holidays with less stress!

For more information on motivations of online gamers see the Daedalus Project.

The Power of Choice

Everyday we are face with and make hundreds of choices. We may not be aware of them all, but they are there nonetheless. William Glasser, author of Reality Therapy and Choice Theory, states that individuals have the power to decided to change things for the better in their own lives. Yet, one must not be naive, there are circumstances quite beyond our control that affect us. Abuse, job loss, and our work environments are some of these. Nonetheless, within each of us is the power to choose something different for ourselves.

Glasser's Choice Theory can be boiled down to this nugget: If you do not like the results you are getting, then change your expectations, change your behavior, or change both. Simple, right? Truthfully, this is much harder to put into practice.

Changing expectations may mean letting go of unrealistic goals, of other people's behavior, or of high standards. We may have to simply let some things be, such as the house being unorganized or accepting that our boss is unrealistic in his expectations. Changing expectations can also be positive. For instance, a person may decide that she has had enough of her weight gain and expect a higher standard for herself that motivates her to change her behavior.

Changing behavior may be more difficult for some people. Behavior is often habitual. We have become comfortable with the manner in which we handle things. It is when our behavior causes so much pain that we begin to seek to change. Changing our behavior often means that we must form new habits that are better for us. Healthy habits can include anything that we enjoy doing but does not harm us physically nor destroy our relationships with others.

Lasting change is hard to come by as it involves commitment to a choice to want something better out of life and believing that it is obtainable. Many alcoholics have chosen to be sober and have believed that they could obtain sobriety. People who loose weight and engage in a healthy lifestyle choose these things and believe that they can become healthy.

What about you? What can you do to change things in your life? The short answer maybe "nothing". That may be where you at today. But you can choose something better. You can choose to engage your marriage, your children, your career, your schoolwork. What do you need to let go of in order to be closer to those around you?

Change is hard work. People may oppose your efforts. Find support in friends, family, and support groups if needed. Change is possible, but it starts with a choice.