What a long strange trip it's been....

                Those that follow me or watch my live stream got to see my reaction but for those that didn't, at about 1:15am this morning (Sunday July 27) I finally reached my long time goal of Diamond in solo queue. It took me almost 10 months (although there was a new season to start over from at some point there) of being in Platinum 1 to finally break through but I finally did it. I started the day Saturday in the morning with at 43lp in Platinum 1 and proceeded to go on a 5 game winning streak to help me qualify for my promotion series (this would be the second time). For the last few games I duo'd with my long time partner and friend Christian (Tuba). I then took a break for dinner before coming back a few hours later to take another shot at my best of 5 series and this time I took it down.

                Now there are people out there that may read this and think "Who cares, it's not like it hasn't been done thousands of times before? Hell people have done it way faster than it took you." and those people would be perfectly warranted in their analysis. But for anybody that has ever set and goal and achieved it they know that feeling of satisfaction that comes with it and I'm simply expressing myself here.

               I worked hard for this. I did the best I can to hammer down a schedule, eliminate as many distractions as possible, self analyze (see stat vlogs), and legitimately try to grind it out. There are very few things as rewarding as achieving a goal you set out for yourself. Finding something that is important to you, for whatever reasons there may be, and striving to improve and perfect to the best of your ability can be a very rewarding experience. I'm not a talented guy. I'm not some freakishly good mechanical player, I don't have perfect game knowledge, I make wrong decisions more often than it may seem. One thing I do have, and always have, is the ability to grind it out, self improve, and put my mind something.

                When I was at music school I was a vastly inferior talent compared to my peers but I outworked many of them. I structured my practice, put in more hours, recorded myself, logged and tracked my progress, and most importantly held myself to a high standard. This was much the same as League to me. I am not a talented player, I don't often make flashy outplays, I have to put the time in. I had to apply a process, perform due diligence, and stay the course by remaining logical and efficient, not emotional.

                To me, one of the most enjoyable things in the world is seeing work and dedication pay off whether that's at your job, relationships, or some pastime. The pursuit of excellence is something that drives me. Not in all aspects of my life but in many. Diligence, excellence, and the self respect to apply and adhere to a process are all things that I respect much more than most and I find the greatest satisfaction in the act of improvement. More so than actually reaching a specific goal, I am at my happiest when carving that path for myself. In other words, the journey  is what is fun for me but all travels must have a destination, or some kind of end game or you lose motivation.

                Some people play games as way to relax or as a social medium but to me the fun is in competition and striving to be the best. It was Seraph from The Matrix that said "You do not truly know someone, until you fight them." and that spirit of competition is another driving force for me. Vince (my name) is vastly different than Gelati. I've been able to find a different part of myself and a medium through which to express that and I feel as if this is the case for many gamers, for better or for worse. Having that kind of alter ego or second personality is fun, and invigorating and one of the main reasons I enjoy competitive environments so much. It caters to my craving to be the best.          

                The point I'm trying to make is that everybody likes achieving goals, some more than others, but it's important to have them. It doesn't matter if it's college, a job, a relationship, making 10 out of 10 free throws, or reaching a score in some random video game. Find something you are truly passionate about and get really good at it. It doesn't matter how stupid or lame other people might think it is because that doesn't matter. What matters is the process of self improvement and learning more about yourself by going through that process.

                I'll be making a separate post at some point about the mindset, logic, and theory behind the changes that got me to my goal within the specifics of the game but this post is meant for anyone and as a way for me to express how important this was to me and how great it feels to achieve something you set out for.

                For those of you that have supported me in any way I appreciate it and I hope to bring all of you, and perhaps most importantly myself, a high quality and constantly improving product as I move forward.

-Vince (Gelati)