The TV Time Suck : Time Management Series

Hi! 

During the month of June every Tuesday I'll be sharing a Time Management blog post.  While I was in the tundra Michigan this winter we had a lot of time indoors so I dusted off my brain and actually read a few books.  I don't know how I stumbled upon Laura Vanderkam's book exactly but it was just what I didn't know I was looking for.  That makes sense right?  

Okay hang with me here while I pretend to know about something important and not just how to embarrass my dog.  You are dead inside if you don't think this is hilarious.    

I think most of us would say we could use a few more hours in the day.  I know there are times at the end of the day when I think to myself where exactly did the day go?  This was becoming a reoccurring theme for me and I was becoming frustrated with my growing to-do list.   

Taking my desk down and purging everything was the Best. Decision. Ever. 

Like everyone else I have a lot of items everyday that need to get done but I also have a list of things I would like to do.  After I started reading 168 Hours I realized like most people I was watching too much TV and wondering where all of my time was going.  It wasn't like I was just sitting in front of it all day eating bons bons and painting my toes but it was the little bits that were taking up too much time.  For example when I fold laundry I would turn on the TV, no big deal right?  Wrong.  I would turn it on, flip to the On Demand and scroll through reading descriptions for something that sounded interesting.  By the time I decided on a show I had wasted a good 5-10 minutes, the laundry would have been folded by then.  

I learned from reading 168 Hours that the average American watches 20 hours of TV a week, seriously people that is a part time job.  Another thing that she touched on in the book that really stuck with me was how TV doesn't actually refresh and recharge us like true recreation should.  Often times TV will beat out activities that would bring a lot of joy to our lives.  That is what really got me to think about what I wish I had more time for and if I could be doing that instead of watching the Real Housewives fight over the last glass of Merlot.  So I decided to make my TV viewing almost zero and see how much I could accomplish in a day.  I haven't gone a full day of no TV yet but I am ready to take on the challenge.  

I decided I am going to pick a day in the next 7 days that will be a No TV Day for me.  I am thinking either Wednesday or Thursday of this week will end up being my day, just haven't nailed it down yet.  I don't want the day to just be a No TV Day but actually make it productive and have a plan.  

Tips to Make Your No TV Day Successful      

- Plan ahead for the day

- What do you want to do instead of sitting down to watch TV? 

- Look forward to it, if you have a list of things you'll do instead it won't feel so challenging 

- Don't pick a day where your favorite show is on if you can't record it, that is just mean 

What do I want to do?  Good question class!  For my time away from the tube I want to work on my photo books.  It is something I have really gotten away from and I miss keeping track of our day to day happenings.  

    Also instead of turning on the TV before bed I'll read one of the 5 books I have started on my Kindle.  Yes you read that right, I am currently "reading" 5 different books.  How about I actually finish one of those, m'kay.

OK so who is going to join me?!  In order to grow we have to get out of comfort zone, right?!  Right.

If you are willing to take on this challenge with me pick a day between today and next Tuesday that you'll go all day without watching TV.  Let me know in the comments, on Twitter or Instagram and use the hashtag #freefromtv.  Share pictures of what you are doing and how you think the day is going.  I'll let you know also when I decide on my day.  We'll check in with each other before next Tuesday and get a feel for what we thought about our No TV Day.  Good luck!!!