No More TV!

Written by Lynnette on January 18, 2005 | Comments (0)

Can you believe it?... I've vowed to give up television for one whole week straight! Jim thinks I'm crazy. He thinks I can't do it. (Though he could care less about the TV not being on. He only watches it cuz I've turned it on.)

Truth is, I've been feeling like we're becoming "zombies" in our own home lately... falling into comfortable routines... talking less... doing our own thing more...

All the while, having the distraction of TV on in the background at all times. Before we know it, the day is gone -- and we ask ourselves what, exactly have we accomplished today?

Coincidentally, at church this past Sunday, Dave (the pastor) played a video clip of a portion of an interview he'd done with "get-out-of-debt-guru" Dave Ramsey. In it, the two Daves made 3 points about how people spend their time that really hit home to me:

1. Most 'successful' people read at least one non-fiction book a month. Odds are, there will be at least SOMETHING small that you can take away from such a book and apply it to your real life.
MY TAKE: That's pretty empowering. I like to read (but ONLY non-fiction). But I rarely feel that I have the time to stop doing other things "just to read".

2. There's so much JUNK on television these days, why in the world are we wasting of our time tuning in to it? Besides, how many times have you heard someone say, "I've got 145 channels on my TV, yet I can't find a thing to watch!!!"
MY TAKE: I agree. When I watch TV, I'm basically a habitual flipper -- so impatient that I can't sit through a commercial, that I'll flip to another program that catches my attention. The result: rarely do I watch any program from start to finish. And the TV is on pretty much on 24/7 just for "noise", if nothing else, in our house. (Though Jim would much prefer music in the background over TV.)

3. Your actions determine your outcome. If you're just sitting around watching TV and letting all that garbage clog your brain, then you're using up all the valuable brain space that could be used to store so much more meaningful "stuff". More life-changing stuff. More stuff that you can actually use in your everyday life to make a difference and inspire yourself... or someone else... to do great things in life.
MY TAKE: While most of what I watch on TV is "true" stuff... fact-based programs (like do-it-yourself home shows, Lifetime true stories, and maybe some Oprah, Ellen or Dr. Phil once in awhile), I'm starting to feel like my life could benefit from a little less TV these days. Or a little less background "noise"...

So, I add a mid-January resolution to my list of New Year's Resolutions: No more TV!

I'm not saying forever. Just one week... at least. And I'm not saying everything on TV is bad or off-limits forever either. I'll probably eventually go back to the home channel and some Lifetime TV. But I hope that even after this one-week trial period I'll be able to get back into reading again, and finding more time to do the things I REALLY want to do.

What I Learned Today:
When the TV is off, the day goes by so much more slowly. (That's a GOOD thing!)

--- > Here's a humorous "no TV" gadget!