For many of us it can be hard to balance the passion we hold for gaming and pretty much every other thing going on in our lives. If you’re younger, chances are you struggle with balancing school, earning good grades, and participating in clubs or sports. This is not to mention cultivating friendships and other obligations that can sometimes make finding time for gaming difficult. If you’re an adult, you likely struggle with working through much of the day, as well as housework and other commitments that need to be taken care of, including rearing children if we have them. With all of those events that we face daily, do we really have time to be playing video games? That is where creating resolutions can come in handy.
If you’re like me, you’ve managed to squeeze a little time here and there to play an old favorite or an anticipated new release. I’ve thought about my current gaming habits lately, though, and if there are any changes I could make that could help me play more of the games that I have been meaning to play but have never really gotten around to yet. This is more or less my New Year’s resolution and goals that will help me finish those games that have been languishing on my shelf or in my Steam library. Here are a few ideas you can use to help create your own video game resolution for the games that you have yet to complete or maybe haven’t played in a while.
Make a wish list of games you wish to play and finish – When it comes to new releases, it’s pretty simple for me to pick one, two, or even three that catch my interest that I could see playing through to the end. It gets harder, though, the older the game becomes. There are games that I either haven’t collected yet that were released on an old console, or have received as a Christmas present at least five years ago and never even opened. This can be sobering as many of these games are critically very good and well-received…whether by choice or just plain forgetfulness, I’ve just never gotten around to playing them. That can change this year.
I plan on creating a list of games that I’ve long wished to play but have never gotten around to, and play those in my own time. Finding the time might be a bit more difficult, but we’ll get to that later. For now, take a look through your own library. See which games you haven’t touched yet, and see if they’re something you could see yourself playing, or just play it for the sake of saying you tried it. It’s up to you; the point is to find for yourself those games that you have that you’ve often overlooked but will finally give them your time and attention. Wouldn’t it be great if this was the year to finish them?
Find the time to play a bit. – This can be a bit trickier, depending on what your life looks like. For myself, as a full-time teacher, online graduate student, part-time music student, and someone who just loves to sleep, finding the time to game a little bit doesn’t look the same for me every day. It may not even look like a daily event for you, depending on your own obligations. The good news is that this resolution can be malleable and shifted to suit your own needs. Give yourself grace and see what free time you can afford in order to meet success in completing this resolution.
Obviously, if there are other things that demand your time and attention that are more important than gaming, you should do those first. If family is a full-time obligation, see if you can make gaming a weekly family event to spend quality time with your loved ones while also showing them a new game. If you’re wanting to play more privately, especially after a stressful day or week, see if you can find a bit of time to escape with a light-hearted game to pass the time, or an epic favorite that you can play a little here and there, if that stress is affecting you, you might as well consider using natural medicine like this cbd cartridge. Just like when reading a book, eventually, progress will be made. It requires patience and due diligence, but you may find that you can create an ongoing gaming habit that can let you detach from the world for a short while still balancing everything in life you need to undertake.
Don’t be afraid to switch up a title if the mood strikes you. – Just like how we listen to different types of music depending on our mood and energy levels, the type of game we play can reflect our current mindset. If you’ve had a really rough day or week, there are chances you might gravitate towards a moody, even depressing kind of game, or a bright cheerful story in the attempt to cheer yourself up. Whatever you feel like, don’t feel ashamed if you feel like you have to switch out a game you’ve been playing for a while to play something else. Obviously, video games should be all about having fun, and helping you destress. You can always return back to what you were playing before at another time.
These three strategies are by no means not the only way to help you complete some long-ignored games, but they may help you at least get started. Having a New Year’s resolution is all about growth and creating accomplishments for yourself, and there’s nothing more rewarding on a personal level than finally going through and revisiting beloved stories or getting to experience them for the first time. I know there are quite a few titles that I still need to look for and put on my ‘To-play’ list. Whether by writing their titles down on a list or pulling them off my shelf and on my table, I need a visual to remind me of these games that are awaiting my attention.
What are some games that you’ve been neglecting that you feel you should give a try, or feel like you need to complete? Are there strategies or guidelines that you’ve already given yourself to help strike these games off of your list? Do you have any other gaming goals for this year? Whether you have answers to those questions or not, the most important thing to remember is that gaming is all about having fun, and I hope that by creating a resolution you will make this a little easier for yourself. Adding more stress to what you finish or don’t finish shouldn’t be a part of this wonderful hobby. Remember to enjoy each game as its own experience, and to enjoy the ride, no matter how long it may take you to complete it.