Addiction Withdrawal

 I recently was asked to limit my chess. Having been faced with a scenario not unlike addiction, and being quickly asked to reduce the activity, I feel this is a prime time to discuss what the process of healthy withdrawal would be like. There is a part of me that doesn't wish to see chess go. It says that if chess goes, I will not be as good of a player as I could be otherwise.

But today, I also read a Quora post, in which a chess player wrote how, during his period of rapid improvement in chess from 1800 to 2100, he retrospectively wishes that he had spent more time on other activities. Unfortunately, in that category is his education. Now, I had cause today to reflect on my priorities. Chess to me is nothing more than a hobby. It is a fun hobby. It is one I feel enjoyment and pride partaking in, but one that is nonetheless a hobby.

It would be a source of regret if I let my adoration of the game come in the way of my academics. The idea is that, even there are indeed 24 hours in a day, I have not and will not have a daily lifestyle dictated by attempting to fit in the maximal number of tasks. There might be certain busy days like that. But not lifestyles. A  lifestyle driven by a constant anxious push is not sustainable. Sometimes, a break is necessary, and cannot be bargained. I don't wish to partake in an unsustainable lifestyle.

So, I must come to terms with the fact that given my limited time and energy (though the latter can be pushed), I must choose which activity to choose over the other.

In the long run, despite the existence of idle time, due to this idea of time limited by lifestyle, an hour spent on chess is an hour not dedicated to another activity. So, it seems apt during prioritization to recognize not only one's wishes and immediate wishes, but also the long-term goals toward which one makes strides.