As I drove home from school today I went through my what I need to do for 40k list. Paint the salamanders, pick up my legion of the damned that I'm using as stern guard, put together and convert my drop pod to look like a destroyed pod, finish my table, work on terrain, work on the commissions.....
Then I realized how many time I've done this and how many times I end this list with "...and then I'm done." I was disturbed by these reflections.
I really want to be done. I really want 40k to be a hobby instead of a work list. I have more than enough 'stuff' to do' between picking up commissions and working on my salamanders list and my heavily converted salamander thunder wolf/cold ones army. I really want to take a true break from having to put in work.
How many hours do you spend on 40k? I know I spend more than I should.
Research has suggested that addictions center from OCD. That drive to satisfy a compulsion and the feeling, euphoria, you get when you fulfill the compulsion. Do you find your self compulsorily driven to indulge in 40k, whether it be to hang out at the shop, read blogs, sit on the john and read your stash of codexes, paint..whatever you need to do?
I'm turning over a new leaf. I'm checking myself about my time spent with 40k. I have my to-do list and thats it. I'm happy with the two (three technically) armies I have and my table is almost set up.
It isn't a retirement, I'm just putting 40k back in perspective to real life. I'll still paint, convert, post, everything I used to do. I just wanted to share my revelation with our readers. I think everyone should always check whatever they do and see if it fits into what you want to do or what you need to do and ratio your energy accordingly!
Sweet.....So does this mean your quitting Meth too? Prices will plumit in our local area seeing as you wont be buing crystals up like a tweak from new mexico.
ReplyDeleteOn a lighter side....perhaps no ull have time to convert some bad ass looking fiends for me?
I think the idea is that he's actually going to work on and complete what he has, rather than heap more work on himself. It's a lesson a lot of could really use. I know I could.
ReplyDeleteYes, thats what I was trying to say but it really just looked like some "I hate 40k I quit but I'll be back in 2 months" post.
ReplyDeleteI very much so ment, "I'm done heaping more and more work on myself for something I consider a hobby"
Commendable. I do it too man. You know me ... I'm working on finishing the paint on one army, building a counts as for up to six codices and still thinking about buying dark Eldar. I might as well melt the sprues down in a spoon and inject them between my toes.
ReplyDeleteIts true man, we're a compulsive group of people. How many times have you walked in a store you don't go to and saw something on the shelf not normally available at your usual hang out and buy it?
ReplyDelete40k players as a whole are that way. Its weird that on paper we have the disposable income for plastic army men but in reality I see a lot of 40k players using capital (money or time) that they should have spent on other things (bills, school, family) on 40k.
Its simple compulsion. I'd love to see a psyc study on how many 40k players exhibit true obsessive compulsive behaviors regarding 40k. I'll be the first to admit that I'm sure as shit I exhibit the behaviors to fit the criteria.
Don't let it consume you dude. Thats why I swore off 40k for a long time after working for GW
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you are chillin.
I stopped when I realized I had 2 full unbuilt armies on my shelf....still on sprue's.
ReplyDeleteThe reality is I have very little gaming time, and much of that time I give to running tournaments instead of playing in them, the wife doesn't distinguish between running a tournament and playing in one unfortunately, they are both "geek" time to her.
I think because of the constant tug-o-war between what I want to do, paint/play/convert, and what I need to do, job/kids/wife/houseconversions leads me to purchase things more often than I should.
Because I spend so much time on the "responsible" things I have very little time for the hobby, but a 5 min purchase makes me feel like I'm still involved in the hobby, again a time/money trade off like CVinton stated.
I even went so far as to incorporate MI40k so that all of my expenses could be written off, yes even my trip out to play with you guys the gas and dinner was a write off.
~R3con
mi40k