The Eternal Debate [or, just do what you wanna do already!]

I am fully aware of how much entertainment I have at my fingertips, in regards to how much I have, both physically and digitally. It amounts to quite a lot more than it should, to be honest.
This should mean that I don't need anything else. 

However, I mistakenly took to Goodreads the other day and added a few books to my to-read list, and to my Amazon wishlist (and almost bought one even, with some Amazon credits that I have, so it wouldn't have been an out of pocket expense - but I halted that crazy train and made no such purchase).

And the new Pokemon series/installment, Sun and Moon, comes out in November, and I'm already, in my mind, buying it when it comes out. Except I'm not, because I don't need it and I don't know anything about it yet hardly. But I know I want it!
Yet, I hardly play the ones that I have (and I have a ton of Pokemon games).
It's hard to tell yourself you can't have those kinds of things any more because you just won't get to them, because it feels limiting. I'm sure you're all familiar with the quotes about a man who reads has lived a thousand lives, etc. Well, technically, the same can be said for RPG video games and the like (I can be the Dragonborn, I can be a Pokemon Master, and I can be a Minecrafter (what even would that be?!), all at the touch of a button or mouse).

Except, it's not saying I can't "live those lives" - it's saying live the lives I already have in my possession.
Actually become the Pokemon Master, instead of just a trainer in many (many) regions. Become the Dragonborn, versus just getting a shout or two. And, well, Minecraft the shit out of Minecraft.
Either way. I have enough at my fingertips, it's just a matter of convincing myself as such - versus wishing for all of the cool, shiny, and new toys that come out.

Plus, eventually, if I don't get anything new, I'll hopefully end up beating all the games, or reading all the books. Then it'll only make sense to get more/replace them/etc.

In all seriousness, though, this all stems from a matter of having too much to choose from. I don't know what game to play, because I know I have neglected them all (because there's too many to choose from, so I choose none of them and do something else). I don't know what to read, because I have neglected all the books, and there's at least one half started book that has sat for far too long and if I went back to it I would have no idea what was going on, so I'd have to start over or pick another book and it's just too many so I'll just look for something else to read...and that's overwhelming so I won't read at all. Or, I'll find one, read a chapter or two, put it down, and not touch it again (again, because too much to choose from so I choose nothing).
It's a vicious, vicious cycle that leads to watching a lot of YouTube, reading a lot of Twitter and Facebook, maybe finding something (for free!) on Hulu (lately I've been watching Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon, even though I've watched both in chunks before), and a whole lot of thinking about what to do.
Which is a horrible waste of time and I don't recommend it to anyone.

My theory is this.
You buy all the things because you like them.
You get them home and then you think wow, this is great.
So you use it or play the game or read the book or whatever. Then you set it down.
Then you do the whole thing again. And again. And again. Until you've got at least one game from the past 4 or 5 Pokemon game releases (I mean, uh, no, I don't have that many...yes I do).
And you realize you have saved games in 4 or 5 Pokemon regions, 4 or 5 uncompleted Pokedexes, and 4 or 5 saves with maybe 1 or 2 badges a piece on them. Which is exactly not how you go about becoming a Pokemon Master, just in case you were wondering.
But you like them all, right? That's why you bought them?
So play one. Or use one. Or read one. Pick it up and just do it. Don't think about it, do it.
And, if going along, you decide that, ya know, you don't really like it after all? Then get rid of it.
Making it one less thing you have to "choose" from, and one less thing taking up space in your house (or on your hard drive).
If you want to read the book you've read 5 times before, do that. Even if you have a book series that you started and got halfway through the first book and left to sit and would have to restart it. That's okay. Read what you want.
If you want to make the same recipe from the same cookbook, even though you know that other cookbook probably has more than enough good recipes in it, cook what you want to cook.
If you want to play Minecraft when you probably should be playing something on the WiiU, because you're sure the WiiU needs an update since you haven't played it in a while and then it would get updated and hey, there's those Skylanders you begged for, but Minecraft sounds better? Play Minecraft.
You got the things to enjoy them, so enjoy them. And if you end up not enjoying something after all? Get rid of it and get that clutter and the decision to spent time and energy on it out of your head.

Because if you don't just do what you actually want to do, you'll find something else - something that will make the decision go away (like trolloping around on YouTube, watching random videos you might be interested in, or scouring Pinterest for a new recipe for Spaghetti, even though it's still just Spaghetti that you're going to be eating).
The decision went away, sure, but you're not actually doing the things you want to be doing. You're avoiding it all because you'll feel bad for neglecting the things you ought to be doing.
It's like procrastination, but of fun. And how the in the hell does that make sense. 
Oh wait, it doesn't. 
If you need me, I'll be playing Pokemon Alpha Sapphire. I've got some leveling up before I can get my 3rd trainer badge. While trying to forget about Sun and Moon (while also remembering that I technically don't have to decide about it until November).

~ Havok

If you liked this post, be sure and check out these other posts! 

I Have no Self-Control [or, I chose too many things to do and now I'm stuck]

Too Far & The Journey Back

What a Week of Phoneless Nights Looks Like