Saturday, December 31, 2011

2012 Gaming Resolutions

OK, so with the start of a new year comes the opportunity for a fresh start. As so many people do at this time of year, I am going to make some resolutions, and do my best to stick to them throughout the year. But, rather than being about diet, finances, etc., my resolutions are related to gaming.

First, I resolve to post at least twice per month on this blog. My posts to date have been erratic, to say the least. Mostly this is due to the fact that between family commitments and work I have a hard time finding opportunities to write. So my new strategy will be more frequent, though perhaps shorter, posts.

The second resolution is based on one simple fact in my gaming life: I am spread way too thin. Too many interests and too little actual time, money and resources available for gaming. Coupled with my lack of organization and short attention span it leads to a gazillion or so unfinished projects and very little actually completed.

I'd describe myself as a "hummingbird" when it comes to gaming... I flit over to the newest shiny ruleset or figures, and hover there for a while until another grabs my attention. I don't stick around long enough to really finish anything before another, newer "hotness" leads me away. Sometimes, I flit back to an earlier game, especially if they release new figures or rules, before heading off to another. This leads to a work area covered with half-finished models that need to be cleared away in order to start another piece that will end up only partly completed.

So what's the solution? Simplify, organize and prioritize.

Simplify - take a good, hard, realistic look at the gaming systems, models, etc., that I have and decide which ones to keep and which ones to get rid of. My hobby desires are larger than my schedule and my wallet, so something needs to give. And since the chances of my wallet expanding enough to be able to accommodate my gaming desires are pretty thin, I need to cut back on the number of games I am into.

Organize - making a concerted effort to keep my workspace organized will make it easier for me to actually accomplish something during the limited time I have for hobby activities. I want to be able to jump right in as soon as I am able, r
ather than spending most of my free time moving stuff around and preparing for painting or modeling. I may only get 15 or 30 minutes here and there to work on my hobbies, rather than a block of several hours, so I need to be able to maximize that time.

Prioritize - this is related to simplifying. Once I narrow down the games I will play, I need to decide what the next project will be. When the list is made, I'll have to discipline myself to work on a particular project, and finish it! Unless there is a very compelling reason, I want to actually complete a project before moving on to the next. I think that keeping a log of what I am working on and my progress, and sharing that on this blog, will help me with that.

My third resolution is to actually play games! I spend my hobby time painting and modelling, and find that I actually do not get the models to the table nearly as often as I'd like. So I am going to play a real game of something at least twice per month. Sometimes that might be
Song of Blades and Heroes using Lego minifigures, or a Dystopian Wars battle, or a game of Legend of Drizzt. It may be just with the kids, or at the hobby shop. But it will happen more often in 2012 than it did in 2011!

I hope that 2012 brings each and every one of you peace, prosperity and blessings. Happy New Year!