Planning to Game

That's right. I put Persona 4 on my to-do list. And I used glitter tape.

 This year, I've made a stronger commitment to planning and getting organized, and I've invested in an Erin Condren planner. I've also been experimenting with stickers, stamps, and washi tape to make my week seem more beautiful and fun, even if I'm doing a whole lot of unpleasant stuff (it's testing season). 

What, you might ask, does this have to do with playing board games? I've started planning in game time. 

One of the most interesting things about looking over your planner is seeing what you were up to at any given point in your year. Your to-do lists send subtle messages about what you thought was important at the time you made them. Last year, I tended to let work take over my entire day, and it left me overextended and frustrated. 

When you're busy, self-care is usually the first thing to go. Because I play a lot of solo games, it's especially easy to skip a play session. Outside pressures are high, and if I don't play,  I'm not disappointing anybody but myself. 

To help me solve the problem of work creep—where work slowly takes over all of your play time—I have begun to deliberately put gaming and other fun stuff in my planner. Just seeing an activity on my to-do list, the check box unchecked, compels me to complete it. Even if that activity is taking a nap. In other words, I'm using my own workaholic nature to force myself to relax and have fun. And so far, it's working! 
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We live in a world that glorifies work to the exclusion of almost everything else. But to be a more functional human being, I need to play. Scheduling game time in my planner helps me remember to take decent care of myself, even when I'm stressed. 

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