Becoming Better Than Better

So...it's been awhile since I graced the presence of this blog. At one point I'd decided to be more productive, instead of less, with regard to this blog. Obviously that didn't happen. But I'm starting anew. In general, the reason I've been so lax is due in large part to my inner demon, Procrastination. He's prevented me for so long from achieving my goals, not only with blogging but any aspect of my life that I want to better myself in. But I think the tide may be finally turning. Why? Because I've found a tool that so far has worked wonders. I've tried it for about three weeks and so far I'm still going strong, still defeating Procrastination in the day-to-day goals that I've set out for myself. Now, as I write this, I feel like one of those people in infomercial testimonials who tell everyone that product X has changed their life forever. Every time I see one of those, I get very cynical and think, "They must've been paid." Or their acting agent told them it'd be good TV exposure. So I tune them out. I don't do endorsements because I figure people will tune me out. But, for this product, I don't care. This is a personal blog about personal experiences that I allow the public to see. Besides, this product might help you. You might read this, and say, "Yes, I'll try that."

Read what? "You haven't told me anything!" Don't you just hate when salespeople string you along, building up the mystery, till you're on the edge of your seat, your anticipation building. Or maybe you're yelling at the screen, as if the author can hear you, while your wife's in the other room with your crying baby, and she thinks you've just had a mental breakdown? Yeah, I hate salespeople like that. They annoy me. I just want to... OK, I'll stop. Honest. Here I go... Ready...set...Superbetter.com.

There, I said it. Superbetter.com is a "gamification" website where you can "gamify" your life. That is, treat your goals and aspirations like leveling up in a game. You can have "quests" you accomplish that go toward your goal; "power-ups" to help you along the way; "allies," friends who are there to support your goals; and "bad guys" to defeat, that get in your way. As you might have guessed, I have created a Procrastination bad guy that I go up against every day. There are typical pre-set goals you can use such as quitting smoking or losing weight. Or you can create your own, as I have done. Currently, I have a meditation goal and a writing goal. I have power-ups and allies. And of course, my demon bad guy, Procrastination. If you accomplish a stated goal, you acheive an "epic win." OK, now that you've stopped screaming at your screen and have assured your wife you don't need to go to the hospital, you still don't know what the hell I'm talking about. So maybe you should check it out: Superbetter.com.

You're back so soon? Yes, I know. You still don't get it. It's crazy. And I agree with you. I've tried a ton of things to defeat Procrastination. But most don't last too long. This has staying power. So far. I'm cautiously optimistic. But skeptical. I'll keep you posted.

So far it is working. It has re-started this blog. Why? Because writing in this blog was part of my "Daily Quest 4/4/2012." As I write this, it is now 4/5/2012. Technically, Procrastination has won: I have put off today (now yesterday) what I could do tomorrow (now today). Then again, now that tomorrow is today, I am not putting it off till the new tomorrow. So Procrastination has not won. My head hurts. If you do choose to try out gamification and Superbetter.com, be kind to yourself. Don't set your goals too high. My goals and quests are manageable but ever more challenging. Procrastination still kicks my ass, but I give myself a decent, but not too great a handicap. He still wins, with my advantage. As of this writing, I beat him 16-5.