Feeling lost on what to master after quitting video games.

[Max_V]

So after quitting video games 2 months ago, I've finally opened up the evening to do other things. So the evening these last 2 months primarily went towards reading books and doing consciousness-work.

But the thing here is, counter-strike (which was the game I played so much) was the thing I was trying to master. I spent 2+ hours every day improving my aim, improving game-sense, learning strategies for the terrorist and counter-terrorist side, developing great areal awareness, etc. I was so incredibly motivated to improve and become a pro player.

Now that I've quit on one hand I feel great, because so much time is free now to work on myself. On the other hand, I feel quite lost and I don't know what to master in life. I really want to pick up something that I can master and have passions for as much as I did for that game, but I simply just don't know what.

I'm pursuing drawing at the moment but I still feel kind of doubtful if I want to choose that as my main mastery in life. Even though I love to draw, it doesn't really bring up this strong emotions and motivation as counter strike did for example.

My question here is, how could I find what to master?  What is a good way to approach this issue?

[ajasatya]

@Max_V hello. nobody can tell you what you have to master. but i can tell you what i want to master and why.

i want to master the practices of agroforestry because i can manage the production of my own food and heal the planet earth at the same time.

my advice is: try a lot of stuff. get into new things with the beginner's mind. remember how you were when you got in touch with counter strike for the first time. what were you looking for exactly?

Edited December 22, 2017 by ajasatya

[Max_V]

@ajasatya Interesting.

Ye, I know nobody can tell me this.. I just feel uncertain and I don't know in which places to look.

[The White Belt]

@Max_V why did you quit trying to master it? 

[Max_V]

@The White Belt  I wanted to put more time into developing myself, I did not have enough time before because I spent the entire evening playing. So I opened up the evenings. Now I have more time to self-inquire, contemplate, and read

[Shroomdoctor]

Did you do the LP Course?

[Max_V]

@Shroomdoctor Nope. I am saving money for it. Right now it's quite expensive for me.

[SFRL]

@Max_V go to a boxing, Kick-boxing, or MMA gym. Kick-boxing is tworld wide the best in Holland. In which city do you live? 

[Ether]

@Max_V Why not master your mind? If you master it, you will be happy and than you wont feel lost never again. Turn inwards.

[Max_V]

@ajasatya Something that has challenge. I wanted to prove myself (this probably has to do with my self-image ), climbing my way up the ladder of skill in counter strike was very satisfying because you could literally see yourself growing and getting to a higher skill ceiling. Facing difficult opponents that were better than you. 

This is what made it so exciting for me

[The White Belt]

4 hours ago, Max_V said:

@The White Belt  I wanted to put more time into developing myself, I did not have enough time before because I spent the entire evening playing. So I opened up the evenings. Now I have more time to self-inquire, contemplate, and read

You stopped what you were mastering to free up time to work on yourself, but now you are looking for something else to master which is going to take up that time once again? 

I think you seek something more relevant to your growth right? 

All I can say is explore, explore, explore. All those things you thought about as a hobbie, do them. 

For a month at a time.

Keep taking notes and after about 6 months, choose one. 

Let me give you a big insight that will save you a lot of confusion though.

When you find it, you will still doubt it, you'll never find a 100% percent perfect fit. You'll be confused about whether or not it is it. No Angels will come from the heavens and congratulate you for finding it. You will still have resistance, you will be scared by the huge challenge you see ahead of you and you'll still have times when you want to quit.

Yeah it's exciting but nobody tells you that your mind will still be in doubt and try to keep changing it. So look out for that.

Edited December 22, 2017 by The White Belt

[Torkys]

Why did you quit CS? Your ideal answers should be like this:

- I suffer through every round of every game

- It feels hallow

- I am not getting joy out of it

- I notice myself - after doing consciousness work - that there is a subtle dissatisfaction when I play this game. 

If not - and I think that it isn't - open Steam and start playing again. Awareness alone is curative. Get over CS before starting something new. You will go back if you don't do this. 

Edited December 22, 2017 by Torkys

[Faceless]

??A perspective on mastery

 

To me a master implies having or showing very great skill or proficiency. To acquire complete knowledge or skill in (an accomplishment, technique, or art). Seems to me that total technical knowledge is not a possibility.

So does anything less fail to be mastery? So how does one become a master? What is missing?

Seems to me that knowing ones limitations would be the missing link in mastery. The accumulation of functional knowledge is a necessity, but even more importantly is the capacity to have insight and perception into the nature, structure, and substance psychological knowledge. Once grasped one see’s that functional knowledge and psychological knowledge are both the movement of thought. Thought in function is fundamental, but thought psychologically becomes a hinderance.

To understand psychological thought is to understand oneself. To see that the thinker is the thought. This insight becomes ones foundation, and is the difference between an expert and a master. 

To me knowing who or what I am is most important. Learning the mind implies to learn yourself, and in that self knowledge and utilization of technical knowledge lies a vehicle to mastery. 

??

 

 

                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 23, 2017 by Faceless

[Joseph Maynor]

You should start working on Leo’s Life Purpose Course without delay.  That will take up your evenings for a while.  And you’ll develop a great insight into your deepest passion.  

[smd]

I'm surprised you quit a game cold turkey.  You could just reduce the time of it.  I still play video games & I don't feel an addiction.  I can go months without playing a single game, but simply plan time in the future to play one when I have a little free time.   The type of games produced these days have some of the most creative work put into them.  It's almost like reading a fantasy or science-fiction novel, just like many pen & paper RPGs.   My personality is an INFP-A (Mediator) & the personality description tells me that I love sinking myself into imaginary worlds.  I've taken the exams for a personality test 4 times this year & it never changes!   So I'm not going to fight my nature.  If being stuck in Imagination Land is what my personality tells me I will be happiest, then there's no point in fighting it.

I'd suggest getting your ass over to the 16 personalities website & finding out what kind of personality you have by taking the test.  Their docs can give you guides on the kinds of things you would probably like.  The book is $32.  Then get Leo's LP course.  Then you'll have a synergy of what to do, what to become.   Aside from all of this, just keep reading, if you're reading from Leo's booklist or what-not.

[Max_V]

I want to become a sage even though I probably don’t even fully grasp what that means. Have been contemplating it for some time now and it is really something I want to do with my life. To master being human and transform everything is highly interesting to me. 

But as for a life purpose, I’m still very lost. I will go and explore my interests and take Leo’s life purpose course after I save money for a couple of months. Because of school, my income is pretty low. @Joseph Maynor

I don’t know why I quit cold turkey. It just felt really right. I still sometimes play a puzzle game or something like that once or twice per month, but putting all those hours I previously spent in cs towards reading and contemplating feels really good. @smd

Edited December 24, 2017 by Max_V

[Nahm]

@Max_V Dude! That’s a big step. Congrats! Mine was cod zombies, der reise. Lol. Used to play it every night till the am while eating some pile of sugar. 

I think your approach is troubling you. You’re trying to think of some ‘thing’ to do. I would loosen focus. You can do anything. You just got hours a day back. Learn guitar, try yoga, exercise, learn to paint, or maybe spend it all on drawing and blow your talent up there through a few levels. If you’re just coming off counter strike life, you’re not going to discover what you’ll ‘master’ right out of the gate. Live some life, it will tell you. Relax, enjoy it. It comes faster that way. Be focused on what you want. Even if it’s carrots, or seemingly insignificant. In the big picture, it’s really significant, because it allows more of what you want. 

[bslpiontds]

14 minutes ago, bslpiontds said:

Yo @Max_V, i've had the same problem. I was spending tons of hours 1.5 year ago trying to master League Of Legends and earlier Counter-strike. 
The problem is just that mastering a game is 10 times more compelling and motivating than any other "real-life thing you want to master" simply because the mind is much more attracted & stimulated by playing a game, than reading books/meditating etc.

It might take long time to find the thing you really want to master, at least for me i now see more light in mastering eg. education or meditation/spirituality. And smaller stuff like reading, writing, girls. 10-finger writing, nutrition, my own psyche, yoga etc. 

I recommend Leo's book list, i've just read the book about the concept of Mastery - George Leonard, which can help you on actualising what mastery is and what it takes to go on and stick with the journey of mastery. The books will keep you moving forward and keep you engaged, the books and book list aren't that expensive and if you have som $$ these books are definitely worth it!

A pitfall that i want to remind you of when you have been such a gamer in the past, which a lot of us here have been i think.
Is that when hard times occur and when you struggle with personal development, and you start procrastinating a bit, like eating junk-food, the want to go back to your old gaming habit will be so hard to resist, even more if you have friends asking you to play, simply because your vision for the comfortability in gaming is so compelling but also illusory, i personally told my gamer-friends at school that i don't wanna spend anymore time at gaming, which they accepted.
Personally i fell into the gaming trap a few times for some weeks, but if it happens just be more aware as you play, you will slowly start realizing its a big waste, and isn't even as satisfying as the vision seemed.

Real satisfaction comes from working with your mind, health, body, concentration. Gl on your journey mate!
I am new on this forum but thought that giving a bit advice could be fun and developing. Hope you can use it
 

Love the life you live 
Live the life you love - Bob Marley

“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself" - Marcus Aurelius

[Spiral]

@Max_V  My life made a huge turn after I stopped playing video games, I came to the realisation that I had nothing of worth.

No social skills, no friends, not a good relationship with my family, nothing. No real skills to speak of.

Something I regret is not going out and actually trying things, get a summer job in some field. Maybe you find that you like working with people or in big teams or alone. Once you know what you like, you'll have an easier time deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life.

Also maybe it's sounds difficult and boring but I can be more fun than you expect. Not to mention you'll find new people to potentially make connections with. You grow from it and get references.

[LaucherJunge]

Things only have the value you give to them. I personally was doing so much work on myself that I didn't really have much time for gaming recently, but I personally don't think that gaming is bad, I just try staying aware while playing video games, who says which skill is valueable? Why is a mastery in a video game worth less than any other mastery? Now it is a different thing when we are talking about addiction but 2 hours a day really isn't an addiction, when I was playing 5-10 hours a day like 5 years ago that was an addiction.
But of course to each his own way, I don't want to talk you out of stopping them, I think it is a good idea to stop them atleast for a while and see what the alternatives in life are, if there is nothing else that brings you that joy, then I don't see a problem with it.
Also I feel like the real problem are online games, where you actually compete against others, solo games are far less addicting. Of course the challenge is usually not there in most games but I also found some challenging things in solo games. Dark Souls itself is pretty challenging, The Evil Within akumu mode, resident evil 7 classic mode. Things like that, there are not many but enough for some occaisonal fun.