Dear Doolina: Maximizing Motivation

Dear Doolina,   I cannot stop myself from playing video games even though I'm failing at school. I skip my classes more times than not. I have no motivation to do any of my work; I just play video games all day and all night. I don't even hang out with my friends anymore, just my online ones. What should I do to break this habit?   Sincerely, WoW, this problem doesn't make me LoL   Dear WoW,   The first step to breaking any addiction is to recognize you have a problem. By writing to me, you have shown that you're ready to move forward with your life. Different kinds of people work best with different kinds of quitting. Some people, for instance, can gradually reduce their usage and then eventually cut it completely. I've never worked that way – I can only quit if I quit cold turkey and don't look back. Figure out what method works best for you, and get started on playing the game called Life.   Delightfully, Doolina   _____________________   Dear Doolina,   Every weekend, I go to the grocery store and buy three bananas. I eat two of these bananas sometime during the week and then usually end up putting the third in my backpack to eat as a nutritional snack during the day. However, I always forget about the third banana! I end up re-discovering the banana days later in a rotten, mushy state. How can I stop forgetting about my precious banana?!   Sincerely, Going Bananas   Dear Going Bananas,   What an oddly specific habit. I try not to cast judgement in my role as skeletal adviser, and yet, I can't help myself this time around. All I can say is stop putting the damn bananas in your backpack, and you'll be set. Or, learn how to make a good banana bread.   Delightfully, Doolina   _____________________   Dear Doolina,   I'm a senior pre-med student with Hikikomori, a disorder that prevents me from wanting to leave my house. Over the past three years, I've never been to any Dooley's Week events. Since this is my last year, I really want to try and go and experience Dooley's Week for the first time. Do you have any advice for a person who usually likes staying in but is forcing herself to go out, hopefully with a bang?   Sincerely, Hangs around the house with Hikikomori   Dear Hangs around the house,   They say college is the time of your life. As a skeleton who has more than her fair share of years under her belt, I can safely tell you that you still have time to grow, develop and enjoy the ups and downs of life. That being said, college is a good time to kickstart that growth process, as you're in a transitional period of your life. I applaud you for addressing your problem head-on. Dooley's Ball is the highlight of every Dooley's Week, but if you've never been to anything like it before, it might be a tad overwhelming. I suggest setting a goal of how long you want to stay, but don't be disappointed if you want to leave early. Progress is progress!   Delightfully, Doolina PS: It really should be called Doolina's Week.

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