It’s that time of the year again where New Year’s resolutions flourish and die as quickly as they’re made.
So it is Sunday night on February 7th, I decided a few weeks ago
I’d commence a 4 week fast of all TV. Yes, you can start a journey when you want; you don’t have to wait until Monday of next month. I am purposely waiting to start this until 5 minutes after the Superbowl (watching it while I am typing this up).. yes I love my NFL and did not want to give myself an excuse to give in. I purposely waited until the last game of the season to start, hell I even finished all the episodes of a show I've watching on Apple TV+ (For All of Mankind) yesterday as well so not to have any excuses.
A few weeks ago, as I was wrapping up some work emails in the late afternoon while watching a series on Netflix, it dawned on me how much time I was spending watching TV — Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple Plus, you name it — aimlessly filling time and space on my lunch breaks , mid afternoon nulls and before going to bed. Yeah, I know it is what the average American does but there are more ways I can spend my time than in front of the TV.
It’s not the first time I’ve given up item for a
concentrated period of time. I’ve fasted alcohol and certain foods, or
I’ve done the opposite and committed myself to a certain task each day like meditation or stretching like I did the whole month of January (still going). I
think efforts like this are a healthy way to reset our bodies and our
minds. Heck, I just finished a 4 week nutrition challenge through the gym yesterday where I ate based on the Zone diet which was a fun experiment, so yes I can be a sucker for self inflicted challenges.
So here’s why I’m doing it.
One. I try to do too much everyday, which drives my energy reserves too low to do anything else other than TV in the evening. Taking TV out of my options will force me to reorient my day and schedule to find something else to fill my time after dinner. I also sleep better and get there earlier (if that is even possible) when I don’t watch TV right before bed.
Two. I have a genuine love for reading. It calms my "monkey mind" as the Buddhist call it and as a person I enjoy investing time in bettering myself mentally and physically. Too often lately, I find that I’m adding just one more episode in the evening, leaving me less than 30-minutes to read before hitting the sack.
Three. TV gives me an excuse to stay on the couch and not go out and
do anything else. Yes, having a lazy Saturday is great but maybe not
7-days-a-week. I have a tendency on the weekends of training all morning then spending the rest of the day on the couch watching TV. There has to be better options.
Lastly, it makes me feel lazy. This is a lot more about perception than reality but I feel lazy which isn’t very motivating, and with motivation in short supply anymore due to the pandemic and my life circumstances right now, I could really use as much as I can get to stay in a positive mindset.
Some questions I’m asking myself:
- Have I learned a new skill lately?
- Have I invested in stronger relationships with my friends? What about my family?
- Have I invested in myself the way I deserve?
- Have I brought joy to others around me or sacrificed time to help another?
Most of the above don’t actually require a lot of time, just the commitment to spend the time. Now I have one less excuse.
Truth is, I don’t really love TV that much, or movies, but that’s not the point. TV is really more of a metaphor about how we choose to invest our time or cope with the stressors in our lives.
I’ve decided that maybe I’m coping a little too much and it’s time for a course correction.
If you’re thinking the same thing, here’s one piece of advice I’ve learned while doing different fasts and challenges over the years: don’t over-invest your extra time in something equally unhealthy. For me, that would be spending more time in the garage gym or running. If you’re giving up chocolate, that would be like eating a bunch more fruit to satisfy your sugar cravings. Instead, chart out a list of things you’d like to do with the time instead.
The last thing I’ll say is this: don’t view missteps as failures. Finding yourself at fault for slipping up or not being perfect that day is almost as destructive as the indulgence itself. Just move on and go forward. As Jocko would say, "Get Back on the Path". A slip-up, in the end, is really pretty inconsequential in comparison to the journey of forming new habits.
