Yesterday was a really good day.
I improved from last month, but more importantly — I felt different mentally while playing.
I played against my pinball heroes and instead of feeling intimidated or nervous, I felt like I belonged in the group. That was a big moment for me.
I made some mistakes, but I could see them clearly:
• got excited and rushed a flip instead of pausing to breathe
• noticed missed nudging opportunities that could have extended ball time
• noticed how adrenaline affects timing
That awareness is progress.
Pinball Receipts
Key games from the day:
The Shadow — hit 2 of 3 skill shots, rushed the 3rd when I got excited
Kaiju Battle — strong first ball, later balls showed where nudging could help
Blackout — steady scoring, stayed competitive in a tough group
Final result:
made finals again and finished tied for 7th
Month 1 → 14th place
Month 2 → finals appearance, finished 7th
Early upward trend.
I am learning that improvement in pinball looks a lot like improvement in wellness:
small adjustments
steady reps
learning to stay calm
not spiraling when something goes wrong
Just noticing.
Just adjusting.
Still counts.
Wellness layer (real life version):
• slept only 2h47m the night before
• 5-hour tournament session
• 3,126 steps
• 686 calories burned
• lots of standing, walking, thinking, regulating
Mental effort counts too.
Even on imperfect sleep, I showed up, stayed steady, and played well.
Also noticing parallels between pinball and real-life wellness:
- pause before reacting
- small corrections help more than dramatic ones
- awareness improves outcomes
- consistency beats intensity
Incidental Exercise Receipts
Looking forward to Month 3 – April 18th.
Still counts.
Comments welcome:
What helps you stay calm when the moment speeds up?
Whether it’s pinball, fitness, work, or everyday life — learning to pause before reacting has been one of the most useful skills I am practicing right now.
Still learning.
Still adjusting.
Still counts.
Progress in motion started here → Month 1 of 9
February Belles and Chimes Monthly Tournament – 1 of 9
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