Intro- 10 things that I do other than play video games
In this article I will discuss 10 things that I do other than play video games. I primarily wrote this blog post to help those who are addicted to games. If you argue that nothing else in life brings you pleasure or satisfaction other than video games then you might have a problem. Not that I have anything against games itself, but there is more to life than mastering League of Legends. There is an entire world out there that can provide you with long term benefits. The last thing that you want to have is a list of Xbox achievements, but nothing else in life to boast about.
I’m writing these things from the vantage point of someone who used to spend hours a day on the PlayStation. I did not realize how much time I had wasted until I was in my 30’s with no career. This was a wake up call for me and forced me to get my life together. In order to keep myself from falling back into my old habits I developed 10 hobbies. I did not start these all at once; it was a gradual process. I can say that at the moment my mental, physical and emotional health is a lot better than it was 5 years ago. Do I expect you to adopt all of the activities in this article? Absolutely not, since each individual is unique. But I at least hope that the 10 things that I do other than play video games can lead you to some ideas that’ll be life transforming for you.
1. I take courses on Udemy
For the past couple years I have taken over a half dozen courses on Udemy. It is an online platform in which people offer online courses in a variety subjects. For an affordable price you can learn things from coding to personal development. There are even courses that you can take for free. Some of them can be done in several hours while others can take months to complete. The best thing about these courses is that you can go through them at your own pace. There aren’t any expiration dates or a set time in which you have to finish them. You can even get a refund if you do not like a course or believe it is a waste of time. Why spend thousands of dollars on college tuition when you can learn a variety of things on Udemy for $20 dollars?
2. I network with people on Meet Up
Meetup has helped me to interact with people despite being an introvert with a small circle of friends. It is classified as a social media platform, but I believe it has more social benefits than Facebook and Instagram. On Meetup you can network with a group of people sharing a common interest. Whether you want to go hiking with others or learn business skills, Meetup has a variety of categories. If you do not have time to leave your house you can interact with people on Zoom or Microsoft Teams. I advise that you do not only join groups of people who have the same gaming interests as you. Your goal here is to develop as many hobbies as possible without having to be trapped inside of your gaming bubble. One thing that I appreciate greatly from Meetup is how it has allowed me to feel more confident around people.
3. I blog
How else could I write all of these articles unless I was a full time blogger? Even if I used AI to generate these posts I would still need to put in some work. Turning on my laptop, typing in information, and then publishing it to my website takes time and effort. If you love to write then blogging will come natural and will be a passion rather than a burden. And if writing is your skill, you can take all of those extra hours in which you invest playing video games and blog about gaming. You can even take it a step further and vlog about what you write about. I prefer to blog more than make videos due to me not being comfortable on camera. With blogging you can write about any topic under the sun and make it a business if you so desire.
4. I do outdoor activities
When I am not spending my time at home I explore the great outdoors. At least 2 times a month I stay at a beach or mountain resort. In these places I am away from my laptop, video games, You Tube and social media. This helps me to take my mind away from being in front of a screen. If you do not have the finances to stay at a resort there are a lot of cheaper options. Just do a Google search of “Best Budget-Friendly Things to Do in…” and you’ll find one of two things in your area that might interest you.
5. I read
You might argue that reading isn’t fun, but if you were able to make it this far into this article then you can read with ease. And I’m 100% certain that you probably have no problem reading the instructions to a game. In my opinion, I find it more taxing on my brain to read words on a video game screen than an actual book. Besides books, I read articles, blog posts and online forums. You do not need to be a book worm to enjoy reading. Just because you were forced to read Shakespeare in High School does not mean that reading is the antithesis to fun. Choose a genre of literature that interest you and run with it.
6. I gym
Gyming has been a personal hobby of mine for almost a decade. After my 31st birthday I realized that my body wasn’t as youthful as it once was. This allowed me to become a member of the local gym where I used to live. I go at least 3 or 4 times a week and when I want to overdo things I’ll work out for 7 straight days. I could say that the benefits I received from the gym were a physically healthier lifestyle, inner confidence and a more positive mindset. There’s greater reward from lifting weights and hitting the treadmill than there is from pressing the buttons on a controller. If you can afford to spend hundreds on video games a gym membership will cost you close to nothing. All you have to do is sign up and make a long term commitment to it.
7. I run a small business
In early 2023 I started Website Prestige, which is a web design business. I figured that I would use my skills to earn an income. My clients include NGO’s and small businesses. One of my main goals is to eventually employee people. I also want to inspire common folks to create businesses of their own. You might see yourself as not suited to run a company, but how would you know unless you attempted to? Just because you do not have a degree in business or have zero experience does not mean you are unqualified. And just because you might not be loaded financially does not signify that you’re excluded. When I started, I had neither an MBA or many years of business experience. I did not even have hundreds of dollars in my bank account. I went along with a plan and have not looked back ever since.
8. I learn a foreign language
Since moving to South Africa a few years ago I was inspired to learn the Afrikaans language. For at least an hour a day I practice vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Although I am not fluent at the moment, my desire is to communicate more effectively with native speakers. Learning a new language can go a long way especially if you are visiting another country. Mandarin, Hindi and Spanish are 3 of the most common languages in the world. In the U.S. alone hundreds of languages are spoken. If you really want to connect with another culture then learning a language is the way to go. You can start by downloading a language app or taking a course.
9. I cook
I come from a family of chefs, but I was never into working the frying pan until recently. What motivated me to cook was the fact that I could not go to restaurants during lockdown. I was surprised at the amount of knowledge I gained from watching videos and reading blogs. In the past several years I’ve been able to prepare pasta, sesame chicken, chopped cheese and a couple of Mexican dishes. I hope that in the next year or so I could start a food blog. With learning to cook you do not need to spend a lot of money on books, recipes or ingredients. You can practice preparing simple meals like pizza, salad or apple pie. You’ll definitely save more money from cooking your own meals then you would from dining out. The benefits from this hobby are endless once you begin.
10. I work on websites
Besides this website, I have two other sites that I actively maintain and update. The first of these websites is an ESL one in which I provide learning materials to people whose native language isn’t English. The second site is one in which I display a landing page for potential customers of Website Prestige. I use WordPress to design and manage these websites. You do not need to know coding to create a website. A website builder will save you time and do more than half of the job for you. You can make a blogging site, an ecommerce platform, a portfolio or whatever your interest is. All you need is a domain name and a web hosting provider to get started.
Conclusion
Now that you have read about 10 things that I do other than play video games I really hope you take action. Do not let more time go by in life without taking the initiative to change the status quo. If you do not see yourself doing anything from this list you can Google “Hobbies for…” or “Things to do…”. As long as you are not wasting precious minutes of your life you can never get back. Map out the goals that you want to achieve in the next few years and test what works for you. If results do not come to you instantly do not get discouraged. Success will come to you if you are persistent and you do not quit.
If you like to add anything to “10 things that I do other than play video games” or have any questions feel free to leave a comment.