Habitica Crossover #1: Introducing how I manage my life using it

(Note: the image above is a combination of screenshots from the original Habitica desktop website. This is not an official promotion for the game, as it is simply an original blog post written by a Habitica user to share how he plays and enjoys the game.) 

What is Habitica?

Habitica is a productivity role-playing game that allows users to create to-dos, dailies and habits to help them get things done and improve their lives. 

There are features such as quests, rewards, equipment, pets and potions in order to provide extrinsic rewards. According to its website, these provide instant gratification that helps users to feel good about getting things done and have more motivation to work. 

There are also features designed with accountability in mind, so that players can stay on track in fulfilling their goals. Players can team up in parties, or join dedicated communities about particular topics, life goals or hobbies that are called guilds. This makes it feel more like a role-playing video game.

My way of playing Habitica

Like most players, I create those normal tasks and habits using Habitica and categorise the important ones using labels. However, I have some ways of using Habitica that are different from many players. 

Habits - they can become part of your motivation system instead of using it for specific tasks

To reward myself for doing well, I can set specific rewards like bonus experience points using positive habits. Likewise, I can penalise myself for undesirable behaviour by setting it as a negative habit. This is because I find myself to be more driven by actual consequences rather than the things I can buy with the gold in the game. In this case, what I use to motivate myself is the actual progress I get in the game - basically the level, health, experience and gold my avatar has - because they represent the amount of time I spent being committed to whatever I want to do in my life. 

Examples of how habits can serve as rewards and punishments 

I have reused this approach in the form of rewards. Asides from using gold to get real-life rewards, I can also use the rewards section to design fines to penalise myself financially for bad behaviour. In this way, there will be a stronger deterrent against skipping my dailies, habits and to-dos. 

Rewards - they should be reserved for something special and not be confused with breaks

This is the most difficult section of Habitica to use well for me, since the only thing it does is to make me poorer in terms of gold. Is it not strange that you still have to purchase rewards with gold which you painstakingly accumulate by checking off your tasks and habits? I mean, I don't see very much of this in real life.

Thankfully, Habitica allows me to set free rewards. Using this, your very productivity can be turned into vouchers that you can redeem for something rewarding!

Also, I have used the rewards section to add additional rules for in-game rewards. For instance, I have set the amount of gold to pay for the taxes and fees before I get equipment or use the drops, which includes pet feed and hatching potions. These will deter me from using in-game rewards so readily since there is a chance that I will be so immersed in it that I will lose my productivity. 

Free rewards and in-game rewards to make the game feel more realistic

Do-it-yourself - achievements and challenges

Since Habitica needs money to run itself, a lot of the good stuff can be pricey. Some even requires gems, which are to be purchased (unless someone else gives you gems) or a subscription.

I was depressed about how basic-looking the things without needing much gold or money are, so I decided to make my own achievements and challenges.

For the challenges, after designing them, I have used Habitica to keep track of what I need to do and give me rewards. Once I am ready to share about my challenge, I will post it under the "Life Challenges" series of this blog. This blog can be an effective medium for me to record my usage of Habitica and what I can do to make it more fun for myself. 

To keep myself more motivated, I tried designing achievement titles and badges for myself. It does help me to stay in the game longer and have the world being mesmerised by the things I came up with myself. However, for now, the badges don't look very nice, so I am considering learning pixel art to make the style of the badges more consistent and to increase the visual appeal of the badges. 

Self-made achievements

Interaction with other players

The most fun thing about Habitica is that you can find communities you like and grow together with other players! 

There was this 'Inspiration Station' guild that I joined because I liked the idea of sharing inspiration for others to feel better about themselves and working hard. But the primary reason why I joined was because of the challenge rewards - I can finally unlock those parts of the games that require gems and make my avatar look better. Until then, I will be working really hard to get the guild leader's attention.

For some of the guilds I joined, such as the 'Life Hackers' guild, it was to get some inspiration on how to be more productive and how to make Habitica more fun. At times, I check out the wikis other than the guilds for inspiration too!

I have also sought help and contributed feedback in guilds and the tavern. I was bursting with pride and joy when I saw my tip on the 'Use Case Spotlights' guild getting featured on the Habitica blog! 

My tip getting featured. And yes, "synitheia" is my username. It is Greek for "habit". Why Greek? Because it sounds deep and it also sounds like a legitimate name.
Link to the post: https://habitica.wordpress.com/2020/06/25/use-case-spotlight-adapting-to-life-changes/

My progress

For now, thanks to the tasks and challenges I am coming up with, as well as the blog I am writing, I can churn out enough work to ensure that I level up every week. I am also having fun trying out as many features of Habitica as possible and be creative in playing the game.

For my future plans, I intend to make this feel more like a role-playing game by creating a world made of pixel-art and have nice storylines to keep me engaged in the game. This was partly why I dabbled in world creation using the Free Frontiers story series in the Story Creation Challenge I set up for myself.

Do keep looking out for the "Habitica" label, and stay tuned for more posts detailing my exciting journeys in Habitica!

The Query #2

The Query

Issue 2 (June 2020)

Here is a round-up of my searches for the past month:

What should I do if my girlfriend disagrees with me? 🔍

Background: There was this small fight between a guy and his female friend about which direction a place is at. Looking at this, I wondered, if a girl asked multiple choice questions and disagreed with my choice, what should I do to avoid falling out with her, yet settle on an outcome that is acceptable by the both of us?

>>> RESULTS >>>

Medium: 5 Things to Do When You and Your Partner Just Can’t Agree 

This article is written from a female's point of view.

1. Express gratitude.
   Why? Remind him that we have agreed on things before and are on the same team. This allows you to approach your new difference in opinion from a place of unity.
   
   
2. Give him space.
   Why? For some, it’s tough to embrace a “team-player” mentality following a disagreement. The disagreement, after all, resulted from the fact that you are unique individuals. Realize the space you’re giving him is space you’re giving yourself. Use it to think about what you’ll do if his initial position doesn’t change.
   
   
3. Re-evaluate the strength of your preference.
   Why? If each other's preferences were so strong that no compromises could be made, it may be time to part ways. It does not make sense for the couple to be together anymore.
   
   
4. Stick to your guns.
   Why? Everyone's identity is based on their own core values. Resentment would only follow if one were to give up their core value in favour for another's.
   
   
5. Act with grace.
   Why? Your partner's position is important to himself too, and should not be undermined. Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Don’t lash out. Don’t say things that will undermine the relationship you shared up until this point.

I have problems finding an answer that is written by a male, but I have fortunately come across something that is more neutral, and elucidates the problem of what kind of things couples would find difficulties agreeing on.

Becoming Minimalist: How to Communicate With Your Partner When You Disagree

Do note that this post I am sharing is for married couples who are with each other for a long period of time, but we can learn a thing or two about how to defuse relationship conflicts from this article.

On marital conflicts

John Gottman, one of the leaders in the field of marriage research, has discovered that the majority of marital conflicts are perpetual. They’re continual and repeated. In fact, 69% of all marital problems fall into this category.

There are many areas in a marriage where you’re simply not going to agree. Here are a few:

• One of you wants to have children (or X number of kids), while the other says they’re not ready, or are happy with the current number of kids.
• One of you wants sex far more frequently than the other.
• You want to raise your children Baptist, while your spouse wants them to be raised Catholic.
• Your spouse is lax about housework and rarely does his or her share until you nag, igniting anger.
• One of you is a saver with money and the other is a spender.
• Or one of you wants to work towards a more simple and minimalist type of life and the other doesn’t.

How to communicate with your partner if both of you do not see eye to eye?

1. Respect - this is the important thing that allows you to like each other
   Useful note: “Respect is defined as not trying directly or indirectly to change anyone.” -Thomas Fogarty
   
   
2. Clearly define yourself - doing so means you have a deeper awareness and understanding of your beliefs, wants, needs and desires
   My opinion: the website does not give a clear reason for this, but I think that in a marriage, taking care of your own needs is as important as taking care of your partner. Marriage and love is a two-way thing, and for couples to grow with each other, one needs to have a good understanding of oneself.
   
   
3. Understand the idea of over-functioning and under-functioning - these are positions that we occupy in response to how we do life. None of us is all one way all the time. We over-function in some areas of life and under-function in others. This is determined by what’s important to you and what you value.
   Useful note: by understanding this, you will have more constructive discussions with your partner.
   
   
4. Live by what you hold dear - it means that you can live according to your own integrity and values.
   Useful note: getting into a relationship does not mean you have to lose your own individuality. Couples do not need to be in sync with each other all the time, I think that is more like a scripted act instead of a real relationship.

>>> MY TAKE >>>

Basically, what I will do is to ensure the respect is there and allow my partner to have space to share her thoughts on the subject of disagreement. I will seek with her to find out the solution that best fulfills our needs (with some compromises here and there). However, if the argument is on something trivial like our preferences, I will try my best to understand her position but I will not feel obliged to change my mind.

The interesting thing about this topic is that it is more common than we think, and is not just about marital conflicts, these tips apply for all relationships we have. I will recommend Episodes 10-12 of Sakurasou no Pet Kanojo for some inspiration on how to resolve these relationship conflicts (many of these are caused by misunderstandings).

What are the effects/symptoms of sleep deprivation? 🔍

Background: I tried to have no sleep at all for more than 24 hours on the job. I found out that I had develop sore throat and reddened eyes so I was concerned whether these were caused by the lack of sleep. Understanding the symptoms, together with the short-term and long-term effects of sleep deprivation is important because we will know when we need more time to sleep.

>>> RESULTS >>>

NHS: What happens if I don't sleep?

An occasional night without sleep makes you feel tired and irritable the next day, but it won't harm your health.

After several sleepless nights, the mental effects become more serious. Your brain will fog, making it difficult to concentrate and make decisions. You'll start to feel down, and may fall asleep during the day. Your risk of injury and accidents at home, work and on the road also increases.

 Johns Hopkins Medicine: The effects of sleep deprivation

Check out their infographic (the effect highlighted is obesity): https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/-/media/files/health/infographic_sleepdeprivation.ashx?la=en&hash=BFEC7405D1A13CA192186C797152F475D917A116 

>>> FOR ME? >>>

So, how about my sore throat and reddened tongue?

For the sore throat, it could be due to a small cold I get from having a lowered immunity when I sleep (inferred from the various effects I have searched up. It is a reasonable explanation - though I do not know for sure - since there are many types of colds and many have mild symptoms such as blocked nose. Not having fever does not necessarily mean your body is well)

As for the reddened tongue, it could be due to a lack of saliva contributing to dry mouth, since it could not be caused by any disease for there was not any red lights in my last medical checkup. More information here: https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/conditions/dry-mouth/dry-mouth-at-night-how-to-relieve-dry-mouth-discomfort-0913 There is no link between dry mouth and sleep deprivation found, so I should not be too worried about that.

But the moral of the story is clear - from ageing brains to ageing skins, a lack of sleep is detrimental to our health. As such, I must get more sleep, and aim to sleep for at least 7 hours every night.

Life Challenges #2: Simplification Challenge | Part 2: Results and reflections

Simplification Challenge

Part 2: Results and Reflections

Results of the challenge

For seven days, I worked hard to find out what aspects of my life can be simplified. I experimented with different ideas, and researched on what makes for a simple life.

I am happy to announce that the results of the challenge can be found here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTSNYKwe6fWOR85xCm-PxQbusrTaPUIrF0BdKwnYl8gLYbvr4R4hznIaDxnJR52hU5DdsofmRq2Ey13/pub

This document is not only a logbook of what I have been through for the seven days, but also contains a list of recommendations for me to be able to lead a simpler life, after collating what I have learnt from the duration of the challenge.

Since these are my personal notes, there may be some terms that are not explained well. If you have any questions concerning that, feel free to drop a comment to seek my clarification.

My reflections on simplicity

I have now thought of simplicity as being the most efficient way of doing things. Before this challenge, I was unsure about the definition of simplicity, and how it would be beneficial to my life. Thanks to this challenge, I can appreciate how much I am lacking in simplicity and how it does wonders to my well-being - I worry less and get more done instead.

This journey has been a difficult one, because my commitments and training left me with little time to work on the research and to try out some of the ideas I have come up with for this challenge. Having to juggle between the different things I wanted to do was frustrating, so I came up with a kind of a weekly roster to help me keep track of the things I am doing. Having a routine to follow can be useful for people who are involved in a lot of commitments and side jobs.

This image shows the roster I follow for all my commitments that I have in my free time. I did this in the form of a checklist in Google Keep, and included emojis to help me add some quick remarks to some of them (for instance, the pin emoji marks what I am working on for the day) since Keep does not offer much customisability for its notes.

This challenge has also helped me learn that the lack of simplicity is caused by a variety of psychological factors, many of which can be found in the list of recommendations (^ link above ^). By recognising them and overcoming them, I can look at things more straightforwardly and be more flexible in my response to different scenarios. For example, I have very little control in the training that I need to do when serving in the military, but instead of wasting my time and energy in trying to futilely reject whatever needs to be done, I can choose the mentality and the effort that I want to put in instead. This kind of mindset brings out the best in me, and allows me to see difficulties in a much more positive and a productive way.

Life Challenges #2: Simplification Challenge | Part 1: Prologue and development

Life Challenge #2 | SimplificationPart 1: Prologue and development

The bridge between positivity and simplicity

“Life is simple but we insist on making it complicated” - Confucius

Two millennia ago, the great sage, Confucius, came up with this insightful statement. Put it into today’s context, it is still as applicable as in ancient times.

This Medium article brings out the essence of the quote nicely: it is not life that is complicated but us who tend to overthink things and make ourselves suffer unnecessarily. [1]

Especially in today’s day and age when humans can do much more with technology, and are less obsessed with survival (a life and death matter, not about how others look at you), we forget that life is inherently simple. [2] Just do what we can to survive, and the rest of the time will be ours.

It is this overthinking and getting frustrated over the smallest things that prevented me from having a positive mindset. Hence, it is only natural for this Simplification Challenge to be a follow-up to the Positivity Challenge.

I learnt the need for simplicity from notebook-making

During the previous weekend (6 June), I realised that I needed to get a new notebook as the one I was currently using ran out of pages. As all stationery stores and supplies shops were still close down amidst the gradual reopening measures for Singapore’s post-Circuit-Breaker period, I decided to make my own notebook.

I gathered all the materials I needed:

• A stack of unused fax invoice papers
• Puncholder
• Scissors
• Clear tape
• File binder (basically a piece of thin metal)
• Ruler
• Plastic sheet
• Wide extendable string
• Cardboard sheets

Basically, as the papers were thick and I assumed I had no sharp cutting materials, I tore out the pages, folded them and cut the pages one by one. This was a very time-consuming process, and the pages turned out to have slightly different dimensions.

Next, I created a page with a whiteboard, which was basically a piece of paper wrapped with a plastic sheet. I wanted to include this to take down reminders and write down lists. However, it was more flimsy than I had anticipated. After that, I cut out a piece of cardboard and folded it into a notebook cover.

I decided to waterproof the notebook because I would be outdoors quite often during training, and I would hate for the notebook to get soaked by the rainwater. To do so, I taped the whole cardboard notebook cover. But before that, I used a black marker to colour the whole cover black, because it would make the notebook more usable outfield (not too eye-catching). It turned out to be more trouble than it was worth.

To bind the pages together, I used the puncholder to punch two holes at the top of every page, placed the binder through the holes and bent the ends of the binder poking out so it would not fall out.

I did not do the binding before the taping so that I could remove a page easily when I needed to access it without the rest of the notebook. This was at least less messy than tearing out pages. The removable pages feature was the only thing that turned out good in my notebook.

Originally, I wanted to make a pen holder by cutting out one small piece of the extendable string and tried to attach it to the notebook cover using tape. Normally, it would be best to use a strong adhesive such as glue that could be easily applied here, but when I asked, my mother thought it was too much of a waste, and recommended tying a string around the notebook cover to substitute as a pen holder.

The whole process took me 4 hours. My mother came to check because she wanted to see how my notebook turned out (she first got interested when I wanted to make my own when she could not find any A6-sized ones I requested for in the stores) and she was astonished to see me taking so long. Who wouldn't be?

She was perplexed how something so simple to make can make me spend hours on it. And she demonstrated a method that allowed her to churn out 4 notebooks in half an hour:

1. Measure the size of the paper you want on the first page of the stack, then with a drawing board underneath it, cut through the stack with a penknife.
2. Measure the size of the paper cut out on the cardboard and double the length, then cut it out and fold it over the paper.
3. Place the whole strip of cardboard on the drawing board and tape both sides up.
4. Using a large puncholder, create holes through the stack of paper and the cardboard covering it.
5. Use a binder (metal strip, nylon thread or anything suitable) to bind the cardboard covering and paper together through the holes.

Her way of doing things was much more simplified than the many paragraphs I spent on describing my method. And her end product looked nicer than mine too. This picture makes the difference clear: 

(Left: the notebooks my mother made. Right: the notebook I made.) The difference in quality can be seen in the evenness of the pages and how closely the size of the covering and the stack of pages matched.

The moral of the story

I made several mistakes that made the whole craftwork more complicated than it was necessary.

First, I assumed that the materials I had were the best fit for the job and compromised too much on their suitability. Making assumptions was supposed to make things more efficient [3], but that would only work if they were based on accurate information. It would be better if I had a plan on how best to use my materials and discuss with my parents about whether there would be any alternative materials that were better than what I owned.

Second, I made a fundamental mistake in product design - I tried to cram in too much functionality into one product, until I lost focus of what I wanted to do [4]. My original intent was to have a pocket-sized paper with waterproof backing for me to write down notes, but it sidetracked to adding on trivial things to make my life a bit more convenient when I was writing.

Third: I skimped on the measurements but I realised later that it was one of the most crucial process for the end product to function well [5]. As a result of this sleaziness, which was a consequence of me not making the notebook a simple one, my pages and cover turned out to be uneven. It was so had that when I tried to do the binding, a few pages tore off.

These called for some simplicity to be introduced into my life.

Taking the first step to simplicity: make a statement

Hence, I did up plans for another week-long challenge targeting different aspects of my life that can be simplified. To keep whatever tasks I needed to complete the challenge from becoming too complicated, I decided to make my own simplicity statement which will be the motto for this challenge. This is the statement:

“Think with a purpose. Don't waste time overthinking.”

As I pen down this post, I am already halfway through the challenge. Some of the to-dos are less realistic than I had thought. But these are valuable lessons for me to improve future challenges. Fight on!

Notes:

[1] The Medium article on leading a simple life: https://medium.com/@feeljoy.in/life-is-simple-but-we-insist-on-making-it-complicated-c1e910a13431 

[2] How humans are hardwired for complexity according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: http://www.wearestop.com/2017/04/psychology-simplicity-just-make-things-complex/ 

[3] Why we assume things and how to become better at it (in short, by being open to new possibilities outside of our ‘thinking box’): http://arbingerinstitute.com/BlogDetail?id=80 

 [4] There’s a name for something that has too much functionality such that it was becomes less usable - feature fatigue: https://hbr.org/2006/02/defeating-feature-fatigue 

  

[5] Not knowing better about how something would turn out was one reason why people cut corners. There are more reasons, such as accountability. Find out more here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90264166/this-is-why-your-employees-cut-corners-and-what-to-do-about-it

Anime Review | Weathering With You

A scene from the anime movie, "Weathering with you". Image credits: https://images.app.goo.gl/f5VgJ6NmwAaUXASa7

There might be some spoilers here and there so approach with caution if you have not watched the film.

My first thoughts after watching this movie was that this was a wonderful mix of Japanese folklore and a realistic depiction of the trying years that job-hunting teenagers go through. The story opens with a young boy who came from somewhere suburban and detested the boring, unmeaningful life he once led. He made his way to Tokyo and had a fateful encounter with a middle-aged man who wrote magazines (the boy would eventually work under him). When he parted ways with the man, he went all over the place looking for a job but was told he was not of the legal age for employment. He almost collapsed at a McDonalds outlet when a girl working there, whom he would come to love gave him a hamburger free of charge and saved him from going out cold due to hunger. The rest of the story surrounded the popular legend of the weather maiden and how she would influence the weather.

This highly acclaimed film directed by Makoto Shinkai was well-timed, as the world increasingly experiences the effects of climate change, such as more unpredictable and extreme weather. While we grumble about how whimsical the weather could be and how it would affect our livelihoods, we yearn for certainty and comfort, such as being in a long, passionate relationship as exemplified in this anime. There were many crazy scenes on how the protagonist chased after his lover, which was a stark contrast to the reality check and existential crisis that the film painted at the start.

 While loving someone else with all your heart and soul is admirable, I find that the buildup of romance in this film was too extreme. There was law-breaking, skydiving and war-mongering (using the weather) included in this film. While these rebellious scenes might look really thrilling, their means were too extreme. I am sure having a blissful life is more than two people making love - there would be no point in enjoying life with your lover if you bring down the whole society in the process! But that was the choice made by the protagonist in order to save his lover from the tragic fate of being a weather maiden (which I won't spoil here).

Generally, I quite liked the theme of two worlds - one being the scientific and logical society we are so familiar with (other than the idiosyncrasies we face at times) and the other being the fantasical, legendary world we come across in our myths and stories. This conflict provided the staple for most of the drama in this film.

The animation, colours and music were wonderful, as always from this particular film director. I did not know the sky and a metropolis could be so beautiful (even though the former was mostly blue and the latter was mostly grey). And I could listen the soundtracks for a while day. The songs made me feel that I was speaking my heart out. As an introverted person, this was a really special feeling. Once you listen to "Daijoubu" by RADWIMPS, you might know what I mean.

Overall, this anime was a really good piece of work. It would feel more personal if you watched it on a rainy day.

Life Challenges #1: Positivity Challenge

Introduction to Life Challenges Series

Sometimes, we are so busy with our various commitments that we forget to leave some time to check in with ourselves and improve one aspect of our lives.

Doing the same old routines and work every day is just going to nurture the mentality of getting by with life uneventfully, but that is not a life well lived, for we are shelled up in our own comfort zone, and we do not experience any excitement or growth. [1]

This is why I have been trying to fight back the busyness and trying to set up some challenges for my self-improvement. These challenges usually include soft-skills that will improve my character and increase my well-being. However, the nature of the challenges can evolve in future, in line with my changing needs and the changing environment.

The first challenge: Positivity Challenge

The purpose of this challenge is to encourage me to reframe my thoughts in a more positive and constructive way so as to improve my mental well-being and feel more in control.

Many occurrences are neutral by nature. But as we colour these events with our own emotions and our biases, they will fall into the category of either what we like and what we dislike. The negative category of what we dislike can be self-defeating, as they may be necessary for our growth but our mind is resistant to change. This workings of our inner selves, combined with the negative thoughts that spring out from our interpretations of the events, make many things in life harder and more stressful than they should. [2]

What did I do for this challenge? Everyday, for one week, I wrote about at least one difficulty I faced and tried to apply positive thinking to it. You can see what I have done here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14wnd-KJfQ5_PRE7wcXqDIpqilT8uBHzYlrnN5YY8DRE/edit

Looking back on the challenge

I surprised myself by generating many positive ways to look at an otherwise negative event. It seems like most of the time when I feel depressed or stressed by the negative things in life, it is more likely because my mind does not want to acknowledge positive side of things.

I hope to be able to gather these thoughts and find out their commonalities, which can help me set up a toolbox for helping me to cope with negativity and inject more positive feelings into my life.

References

[1]
https://www.fastcompany.co.za/inspiration/why-challenges-and-problems-are-important-in-life-12411996
[2]
https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2013/08/08/518/

Announcement: Delays in publishing of blog articles

For those with a keen eye, you may have noticed that this blog published at least one post a week. However, starting from the first week of June, the timing for the posting of articles on the blog will be different. 

As far as possible, I will try to stick to publishing something weekly, but as I like to prioritise quality above quantity, I may need more time to draft out and do research on my articles.

There are other factors that could cause delays in the publishing of articles, such as what I have experienced this week (first week of June):

• Managing other blogs, such as Vincent Academy, an online space dedicated to the recording of my learning from whatever I have read or watched online.

• Multiple rewards for completing my tasks and goals which I could only clear during the weekends, since I only have that time and the internet access to enjoy watching anime/shows for longer periods of time

• Certain tasks that cropped up out of a sudden need (such as notebook making) can take up quite a lot of my time, leaving me with little time to cook up a blog post

• Formatting issues when I do up my articles which requires some time to resolve

Therefore, the interesting stories will not stop, but they may not come up as regularly at times. Now that I have explained my situation, please continue to watch this space grow and check back again the following week if you see no new posts on this blog.

UPDATE: Due to limited functionality on my phone, for articles of a new series, I may post the content first and add in the banner later.