Introduction
At first glance, the title of this article may seem puzzling, but I assure you, it'll make perfect sense by the end.
A recent conversation with a friend about self-control and video games sparked an interesting comparison in my mind. My friend admired my apparent ability to balance leisure and work, but I told him that it wasn't always so effortless.
Gaming
For a significant part of my life, I spend too much time with PC games such as MMORPGs which were in the end also what made me become a programmer, an interesting story for another time. It wasn't that these games were a waste of time, but rather, they often overshadowed the more important aspects of my life, like studying. This tendency was exacerbated by the social aspect of gaming, as many of my real-life friends were also playing with me.
Building an Internal Sensor
To break free from this pattern, I turned to the practice of self-awareness. Through consistent meditation and weekly self-reviews, I honed my self-awareness, crafting it into a sort of internal sensor. This 'sensor' alerts me the moment I begin to stray off course, enabling me to correct my direction.
The Power of Structured Time
Now, when I describe my ability to seamlessly switch between personal projects, studying, and playing video games, I credit this internal sensor. I use timers to structure my activities and maintain my dedication not to undermine my own goals.
At the age of 32, my past struggles seem distant. I've changed the game – spending more time on self-improvement and personal projects than on gaming. My gaming hours are now reserved primarily for weekends when I feel I can afford the time. Sometimes going for several months without touching any games.
Conclusion
The role of self-awareness in this transformation can't be overstated. It enables real-time detection and correction of discrepancies in one's behavior, very much like the Typescript's feature that enables you to catch bugs as you're typing the code. Hence, my analogy of 'Typescript for real life'.
Self-awareness keeps you on track, helping you realize when you're deviating from your intended path and allowing you to redirect your actions. Indeed, it's the Typescript for real life."