In this fast-moving day and age, there seems to be less and less of it. What happens after that first week we take off from work? How do we stay competitive and balance our real-life responsibilities and obligations with our virtual obsess... Err... I mean, hobby?
How I see it is we need to better manage our time, health, and social life. Let’s begin by tackling this elusive concept that is time.
Time Management
For starters, let’s be real with ourselves. Unless you’re in school right now, odds are you’re probably in the same bucket as I am: a 30-ish male working an 8-hour job with a couple of friends and a girlfriend. And no matter how much I wish for it, there is no going back to being a student who has to go to school for around 5 hours then hurries home and no-life's World of Warcraft like a boss.
The nerd back then had a lot of time to play. Nowadays there are bills to pay, jobs to work at, friends to spend time with, and girlfriends to fuck. Because of this, in the last few months, I’ve come up with a new lifestyle that allows me to enjoy more playtime and subsequently more Classic WoW.
Below you will find the changes I implemented in my life that helped me be very efficient. They are not necessarily for Vanilla WoW, mind you.
I automated the shit out of stuff
Whether it's my phone or internet provider bill, everything is set to automatically pay itself (where possible). Also, everything on my PC that requires updates is set to always update by itself. My computer is set for maximum stable performance and it just works.
I removed all kinds of digital fat
Everyone obsesses about Facebook, Instagram, and so on. And it is just that, an obsession that keeps you in limbo. So stop! If you spend more than 20 minutes a day on Social Media you are wasting your time. Big time!
Most of my YouTube, podcast listening, email, and stuff I do at work. I sit at a computer all day and have spare time so I use it wisely.
I accepted my condition
It’s not 2005 and I’m not in high school anymore. Going to work in a capitalist society is a must, so 9 hours a day is for that. On the bright side, with the money I get from my job, I can enjoy a high-end PC for gaming, buy other accessories and expensive video games, and, generally speaking, sustain myself without any external help.
Social Management
And then there’s the issue of your social life. Back when I was playing Vanilla and BC (and even Wrath) there was no girlfriend and very few social activities. But now there is; so I informed all the people I care about that at least for the first month I’m going to seclude myself and play WoW.
Obviously, my girlfriend didn’t take it with a happy face so I said 'Listen, bitch, this is important to me. I've been waiting, hoping, dreaming, and fantasizing about the day this surreal experience that is Classic WoW becomes a reality. You're not going to take that from me! You hear me?!'.
Or, better yet, try to get your girlfriend into the game so you can both waste your life in Azeroth.
Health Management
But do you know the one thing that is more important than any other? Your health. Drinking Retbull all night and playing WoW might seem cool but it's fricking unhealthy. Health first! Gaming second!
In May, the World Health Organization declared gaming an addiction. Sure, it’s up for debate because lately, everything you get to do a whole lot of is an addiction. In this case, I’m addicted to sex.
Ladies…
Anyway, here’s how I manage every aspect of my health.
I mentally prepared for the unexpected
What if Classic WoW sucks? What if it really isn’t the awesome game it used to be? Or Blizzard does some shenanigans and I don’t know, let’s say for argument's sake they implement some shitty system that ruins the game. You have to prepare for that.
Or what if 2 months in and you’re not feeling it? Nostalgia wears off and you’re left with that? I, for one, prepared for this scenario. I got myself a Lord of the Rings Online Legendary Server account. LOL! JK!
I regularly log off / disconnect
This point ties in with the last in the sense that we all have to realize WoW isn’t everything. Seriously! Your health, as I previously mentioned, is far more important in the big scheme of things than anything else. Family and friends too!
No matter how fucking hyped we are for this, and honestly, there have been times when I almost felt sick with how much content I consumed, I always remember to take a break, disconnect, and focus my attention on other stuff. Or, sometimes, on nothing at all. More on this point later on.
So, this is just a game, my dudes. Just pixels. Beautiful, gorgeous pixels that you wanna take home and cuddle with for the rest of your life. But still…
I take care of my body
We’re all going balls to the walls on that first week, maybe even that first month, which is fine and all but not leaving your house for 6 months isn’t. You need to gradually integrate activities, like hitting the gym once or twice a week and grabbing a beer with your friends.
Because, remember, Classic WoW is a marathon. Hamsterwheel made an entire video about this. Getting burned out in the first few months is not worth it.
In short, here’s how I stay in shape besides the obviousness of eating fantastically healthy foods: twice a week I go out and run at the stadium, once a week I do a yoga session (it’s amazing for your back), and once in a while, I might go for a dancing party night out. I used to be really into Salsa and Bachata.
I don't know about you but my vision isn’t perfect. I’ve been wearing glasses since the fourth grade and my vision is not what it used to be. So I take eye breaks, go for a walk around the house, and even just look for a few minutes out the window and away from the screen. These simple tricks can do wonders for your eyes.
I take care of my mind
My mental health is more important than my physical one because the first tends to influence the second. I don’t want to get too deep into this subject but if you remember one thing or follow just one piece of advice from this video is to take mental breaks.
Yes, I'm talking about meditation.
The act of trying and staying present (in the moment, as they say) has helped me more than anything else in this life. I’ve been to all sorts of doctors when I was going through depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. And pills only made it worse! So I went on a full introspection journey and silenced my mind. Needless to say this cured all my illnesses. Mentally, emotionally, or otherwise.
And you can simply do this by focusing your attention on your breathing. It’s easier said than done, of course, but in my experience, I find that doing a few conscious breaths once in a while is really fantastic.
The power of now
Whether I’m eating, gaming, or doing any of the stuff I previously mentioned in this video I consciously remember to fall back on my breathing and just do that to center myself. Being efficient and organized is great and all but if I don’t do this I risk becoming too robotic and lost in the action and the hurriedness of getting to my computer or whatever.
Moreover, sometimes, like when I’m walking I might do more conscious breaths, even for a few minutes. There isn’t a limit to this; the more, the better. In any type of activity.
If you want to get into this, and I highly suggest you do, I recommend checking out Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now book. I can’t stress enough how important this thing is but perhaps in a different article, I will go into more detail on how staying present is a Godsend.
Just like Classic.
