Friday, April 6, 2018

6 Apr 2018 Why Do I Waste Time?

Why Do I Waste Time?

I am very fortunate in that I have a lot of time to do things.  One of my challenges is that I don’t take advantage of it.  I waste a lot of time doing unproductive stuff.  Now it ok do “nothing” every now and then.  It depends on the definition of nothing.  For example, I don’t feel I am wasting time if I sit on my deck out back and enjoy listening to nature and having the sun on my face.  I do feel like I wasted time if I get on the computer and watch a lot of YouTube videos. 

There is saying that one should create and not just consume.  To me that means more time writing than internet surfing. 

I love to read.  However, that is a passive activity that I can take to extremes.  If I get into a good book I can lock out everything else and spend hours on it.  I am also susceptible to binge watching a series.  I have to be very careful about this one.  I have spent more than one weekend watching episode after episode.  To make it even worse, I forgo a workout and eat junk while watching.

This is where goals come into play.  There has to be something I want to accomplish that will give me the discipline to focus on it before indulging in wasteful activities.  I have to reward myself with internet surfing or tv watching after completing a task vice doing either of them first.  I have way too many data points on the dangers wasting time first.    

It is ok to get into a Netflix series or YouTube.  However, each has to have restraints.  Find some creative task that works your mind.  Get out and move. Don’t have that feeling next Monday morning that you wasted a weekend unless you built up a reserve of work that allowed you to earn that time off.


There is a balance to everything, especially time wasting activities.   

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