Day 2

To be honest, today was a bit harder. It took quite a bit longer, but I definitely got a lot out of it. Ended on a good note, and that's the important part. Feels like I got done with a good workout (though considerably less sweaty)



So the main screen has no sound or music. it's kind of disconcerting to start a game that relies on hearing things and only being given a GO! button and no sound cues at all.  I've got my headset on and ready, but I still need to click Instructions just so that I can be sure that the sound is good.

Starting off with data decoder. it's supposed to be kind of easy, i think. it mostly is, since you just need to remember it and not do something like do it backwards. I was rocking it pretty good. made it well into the 8s. i've failed twice now, so i'm just doing a little clearing out before my 3rd try. i really think it should let you finish out the rest of the letters before giving you the fail state. i think that would be a little more rewarding from a gameplay and motivation perspective.

It might also be good to keep track of how long it's been since the last play and do a small "get ready" countdown when you first hit go after a break. the fact that it jumps right in is great for when you're on a roll, but a little jarring when you've been off for a bit. I'm going to start a small 3-2-1 in my head so i don't get confused.

Averaged higher than my previous highest, so that's good.

Need to warm up a little before Stabilizer, lets go with Visual Data Link

My first instict is usually correct. also if i move my eyes, it centers the one flashing and i lose track of where it was. i need to focus on the center and remember the relative positions.

realization: Data Room is just the same as VDL, with 4 extra lights. but the arrangement makes such a difference.

Don't seem to have it as much today. Having trouble keeping things out of my head. "I wonder if they'll like that thing I made" "I like how it happens to you and you have to be there to catch it" "I wonder if they can make a version where you have to complete a circuit. Well, it wouldn't get you as much since it still has to come back around. It's way easier to remember when they go out and come back. if they give you a known pattern and you learn it, then you just get better at the pattern"

When I close my eyes, i can feel them fluttering wildly. i can't keep them still in my head. sometimes when i can't sleep, that's what it's like and i try keeping them still, or at least slowing them down, but it's so hard. They're just jumping.

No giggles, today.

Doing pretty well at the input panel, today.

I keep a lot of physical reminders of things around. These are usually things that I didn't feel like taking care of when I got them.

My breathing definitly changes. I feel like I want to keep it shallow when I'm doing them. I can't tell if I should, but it almost seems like breathing too deep would distract me. This is definitly a meditation thing, and I have yet to figure it out.

Also on my desk is a little plastic Pikachu. He's got his tiny rodent game face on. "Let's do this Pika." "P! Pikaaa!"

I've figured out the giggles. That's when I've surprised myself with how well I'm doing. I'm on the letter ring one (don't remember the name) and I'm doing well, but no giggles. It's business. A brisk business, and I'm feeling good. But no giggles. Pikachu says "Game on!" Let's do this.

I've got a bit of nodding or foot tapping going on. Not a real suprise, but I still wonder what that's about. It honestly feels like it helps. Like it gets my whole body in the rythm to catch the next letter. When I close my eyes, my foot doesn't jitter nearly as much, but the eyes take over.

Maybe it's keeping my adreneline up or something. I can definitly think faster, but much looser in that state. That's a really big part of it, I just know it. That's what the breathing is about. Maybe that's what the stiumlant thing is about, too. I need to go back to the Prag. T&L book and see if there's anything in there about this and L-mode and R-mode.

Just got level 7 on the letters. instead of giggles, i was doing a full body "Ok." nod. Not going to lie, it's a little nerve racking, but I've gotten here so far. Almost done. Just keep it going.

Holy crap. That felt like a lucky guess, but it kind of wasn't. My consious brain was like "no, that can't be it" but I knew better and clicked anyway. It's kind of a wierd feeling. I like that it's right. I just don't like that I felt it wasn't.

And again! This time giggles.

Wow huge gains on Stabilizer! I knew I wasn't concentrating as much last time, but this is honestly surprising. Feels great!

I get a big help in the blind input panel by the fact that i can mouse over the panel and repeat the sequence then go backwards. It would be a lot harder if i heard a sequence and then had to say it back.

I also close my eyes, which I'm sure helps.

I do kind of wish I could punch in with my keypad instead of clicking on the screen.

I know there's a way to make these things addicting. It may take longer to make the same kind of progress, but I've been hooked on harder games. Using things like tunes or paths... I know they chunk better and less memory is being exersized, but you can crank it higher. I know the real key to this is the fact that you have to stick to it, that's at least half of the success rate. I don't think I would have the same kind of discipline about Lumosity or Posit if I didn't have someone looking specifically at my scores and checking in on me.

I'm going to make one of my new mottos "Buy-in is everything." Buy-in is what makes a great story out of a dumb sounding idea. Buy-in is in romance. The ability to allow yourself to commit to something is probably the most powerful force in all of psychology.

Hell yeah! Memory owns this town!

I still think I should be able to put in the whole sequence as best i remember it and then it shows me where i messed up afterward. It crushes just the tiniest bit of soul.

I like the wheel. There's not an explicit time pressure to punch them in, but it obviously gets harder the more you think about it and let it spin.

Yeah! Suck it, Red Robot!