Yes, it really has been almost a year since I last posted to this blog. And yes, I totally fell off the wagon and went back to watching TV. In fact, I'm right back to watching the tube pretty much every night while I eat, and then later falling asleep on the couch or floor while the TV plays on throughout the night.
It's actually quite pitifull...
But today, I was fortunate enough to read a new post over on StevePavlina.com about his experiment with giving up TV. Steve's site and blog is one of my most favorite right now because everything he writes about is stuff I'm interested in. His ability to articulate complex and thought provoking topics is really incredible.
Anyway, Steve is in the middle of a 30 day TV fast which be believes will most likely turn into a TV-free life. His post, and a few other anti-TV sites he linked to, reminded me of all the reasons I tried to give up the tube before.
I was successful last year for a little over 30 days, so lets see how well I can do this time. Drop me a comment here if you've already given up TV, or if you plan to, and tell me about your experience.
PS. Steve blogged last year about his whole family doing a 30 day TV fast. It includes many great comments by other readers.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
A Bonified Couch Potato
Here's another one of those "totally scientific" tests I found to determine if you're a hopeless TV addict or not.
I have to admit the test is pretty easy, but it's still no surprise I scored a perfect Couch Potato.
Here are my results...
Go take the test and see how you fare. The website also has some great family ideas for things to do instead of watching TV.
I have to admit the test is pretty easy, but it's still no surprise I scored a perfect Couch Potato.
Here are my results...
You scored 100 out of a possible 100 points.
How'd you do? Compare your score to the ranges below.
0-20: You prefer a good book.
40-60: TV temperate.
80-100: Couch potato!
Go take the test and see how you fare. The website also has some great family ideas for things to do instead of watching TV.
Why Does TV Suck?
Don't worry, I'm still not watching TV, but I'm also not doing much else either. I just haven't felt like blogging because I'm still in a mental funk. Until someone sends me some really good drugs, or until I snap out of it on my own, you'll just have to deal.
I was surfing around tonight and found these really good reasons why TV sucks and I figured someone else might enjoy them as much as I did:
1. It's totally passive. One of the biggest problems with T.V. is that it doesn't take much brainwork to operate it. You turn it on, sit down, and watch. And watch...and for millions of people, it takes up 2/3 of their lives. They come home from work, turn on the T.V., and just glaze over until bedtime. They sit their kids down in front of it and let it baby-sit for hours on end. Kids are subjected to all kinds of worthless programming just so their parents can take a break from parenting for a few hours every day.
2. It spoonfeeds useless garbage to the public. Brainless sitcoms, sleazy tabloid news shows, worthless talk shows, cheesy infomercials, biased & negative reporting, and advertisements that insult the intelligence of the average titmouse. But when the public is trained to love this stuff, how can it fail to please? When T.V. is your third parent while growing up, how can you be expected to turn it off after five hours?
3. It's increasingly anti-male. This is something I began to notice years ago. Do you ever notice how men are treated and portrayed in commercials and sitcoms? The average male on T.V. is a shallow, bumbling idiot with no common sense whatsoever. Now, before some of you women out there claim that this is reality, think about it. Do you think this is accurate because all the men you know are stupid, or is it because men are classically portrayed as idiots on T.V., the greatest influence on our culture ever? Commercials are the worst...usually the man is an overweight, balding guy with glasses who needs some help from his omnipotent wife. T.V. men are incompetent and helpless without their smirking, intellectually superior spouses. Once in a while I'll see a woman acting silly and superficial, but usually it's a man. (Radio is getting this way as well. I can't count the number of times I've driven to work and yelled at my radio all the way because of man-bashing ads. They're usually subtle, but sometimes they're just outright vicious.)
4. Too damn many car commercials. My God...why can't I sit through a half-hour show without having to suffer through 10,000 car and truck ads? I'm not saying that we need regulations against it or anything, but when will enough be enough? Whatever happened to looking in the Yellow Pages or reading the newspaper?
There are definitely a WHOLE lot more reasons than these why TV sucks, but I don't feel like coming up with any of my own right now.
:-)
I was surfing around tonight and found these really good reasons why TV sucks and I figured someone else might enjoy them as much as I did:
1. It's totally passive. One of the biggest problems with T.V. is that it doesn't take much brainwork to operate it. You turn it on, sit down, and watch. And watch...and for millions of people, it takes up 2/3 of their lives. They come home from work, turn on the T.V., and just glaze over until bedtime. They sit their kids down in front of it and let it baby-sit for hours on end. Kids are subjected to all kinds of worthless programming just so their parents can take a break from parenting for a few hours every day.
2. It spoonfeeds useless garbage to the public. Brainless sitcoms, sleazy tabloid news shows, worthless talk shows, cheesy infomercials, biased & negative reporting, and advertisements that insult the intelligence of the average titmouse. But when the public is trained to love this stuff, how can it fail to please? When T.V. is your third parent while growing up, how can you be expected to turn it off after five hours?
3. It's increasingly anti-male. This is something I began to notice years ago. Do you ever notice how men are treated and portrayed in commercials and sitcoms? The average male on T.V. is a shallow, bumbling idiot with no common sense whatsoever. Now, before some of you women out there claim that this is reality, think about it. Do you think this is accurate because all the men you know are stupid, or is it because men are classically portrayed as idiots on T.V., the greatest influence on our culture ever? Commercials are the worst...usually the man is an overweight, balding guy with glasses who needs some help from his omnipotent wife. T.V. men are incompetent and helpless without their smirking, intellectually superior spouses. Once in a while I'll see a woman acting silly and superficial, but usually it's a man. (Radio is getting this way as well. I can't count the number of times I've driven to work and yelled at my radio all the way because of man-bashing ads. They're usually subtle, but sometimes they're just outright vicious.)
4. Too damn many car commercials. My God...why can't I sit through a half-hour show without having to suffer through 10,000 car and truck ads? I'm not saying that we need regulations against it or anything, but when will enough be enough? Whatever happened to looking in the Yellow Pages or reading the newspaper?
There are definitely a WHOLE lot more reasons than these why TV sucks, but I don't feel like coming up with any of my own right now.
:-)
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Couch Potato Syndrome?
I finally figured out what ails me! Read this article about a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association. Here's a short excerpt which is a real head slapper.
As soon as CPS (Couch Potato Syndrome) is recognized as an official disorder, I can apply for assistance under the Americans With Disabilities Act and finally get some time off work. ;-)
If you're so inclined, you can pay for access to JAMA and read the entire study.
NBC 10 NEWS - Health - Study: Too Much TV Is Bad For Health: "People who spend a lot of time in front of the TV have this kind of couch potato syndrome,' said Dr. Frank Hu, of the Harvard School of Public Health. 'They eat more food, eat more calories and eat more junk food because of constant exposure to TV commercials. And they also exercise less."
As soon as CPS (Couch Potato Syndrome) is recognized as an official disorder, I can apply for assistance under the Americans With Disabilities Act and finally get some time off work. ;-)
If you're so inclined, you can pay for access to JAMA and read the entire study.
My Brain Won't Remember Anymore
I found a blog post by "Storypage" talking about his break from TV. He's been away from it about 30 days now too, but something he mentioned in his post caught my attention.
I've been noticing that I can't seem to remember anything lately, and I have to wonder if it's somehow related to my long-standing TV addiction. My brain has been turned into complete mush from the hundreds of hours of TV I subjected it to, and now it's getting even.
When I do try to remember something, I can't seem to get the information to surface when I need it. It's like a wall up there blocking the details from getting to where they need to be. Then, hours later, when I no longer need the info, it pops into clear view! Maybe my brain is trying to heal itself and get all those synapses working again between the two hemispheres.
Hey I don't know what it's doing, but I certainly hope and pray it will get better the longer I'm away from the tube.
My Frugal Life: No TV: "I don't see TV pictures in my head. I see (as in notice) more things as I go through my day, live more mindfully, remember more."
I've been noticing that I can't seem to remember anything lately, and I have to wonder if it's somehow related to my long-standing TV addiction. My brain has been turned into complete mush from the hundreds of hours of TV I subjected it to, and now it's getting even.
When I do try to remember something, I can't seem to get the information to surface when I need it. It's like a wall up there blocking the details from getting to where they need to be. Then, hours later, when I no longer need the info, it pops into clear view! Maybe my brain is trying to heal itself and get all those synapses working again between the two hemispheres.
Hey I don't know what it's doing, but I certainly hope and pray it will get better the longer I'm away from the tube.
The Big 30 Day Milestone
Where has Dave been since July 3rd?? Good question...I'm not sure either.
For the past week, I've been totally in the dumps (mentally) for some reason. I haven't felt like doing anything. I'm not sure if it's because of the weather or because I'm depressed about our modular home. Or it could be because I discovered a bunch of water damage in the master bathroom of our existing home. I've just been laying around the house and doing a whole lot of nothing (it seems). I try to read or surf the net a bit, but nothing holds my attention.
Weather wise, it's been way too hot to feel good about doing anything. I haven't been out on my bike, or working in the yard much. And then to run the air conditioning inside, I'm always stewing about how much that is going to run our electric bill up. I'm hopeless!
As far as the modular home on the lake thing goes, nothing seems to be working out. We never did hear anything back on the counter-offer we made on that piece of property. I guess they didn't like the terms of the offer. Oh well... Now, Michele and I are arguing about whether or not to list it with a realtor and just try to get rid of it. She REALLY wants a place up on a lake in Michigan, and I just want to dump the place.
So anyway, the good news is I've made it to the big 30 day mark of my break from TV!!! I have to say the last week has made it a bit rough and I even had one minor back slide.
Yesterday, which was day 30, I watched one show on CNN called something like The Turnaround. It's where they take a struggling business and bring in a mentor to completely turn the business around and make it more successful. It was around lunch time, and Michele was already watching it. The people talking on the show caught my attention because I love to learn how businesses are able to turn things around and become successful, so I didn't see the harm in watching just while I ate my lunch. It was a very interesting and educational show, and I'm not going to beat myself up about watching it.
I'll get back to blogging on a regular basis again, mainly for me, because it helps keep me on track and focused on the reasons I stopped watching TV in the first place. I also need to figure out what to do to get out of this mental funk I'm in. Exercising would probably do the trick, but every time I think about doing that, some little voice in my head quickly talks me out of it. :-)
For the past week, I've been totally in the dumps (mentally) for some reason. I haven't felt like doing anything. I'm not sure if it's because of the weather or because I'm depressed about our modular home. Or it could be because I discovered a bunch of water damage in the master bathroom of our existing home. I've just been laying around the house and doing a whole lot of nothing (it seems). I try to read or surf the net a bit, but nothing holds my attention.
Weather wise, it's been way too hot to feel good about doing anything. I haven't been out on my bike, or working in the yard much. And then to run the air conditioning inside, I'm always stewing about how much that is going to run our electric bill up. I'm hopeless!
As far as the modular home on the lake thing goes, nothing seems to be working out. We never did hear anything back on the counter-offer we made on that piece of property. I guess they didn't like the terms of the offer. Oh well... Now, Michele and I are arguing about whether or not to list it with a realtor and just try to get rid of it. She REALLY wants a place up on a lake in Michigan, and I just want to dump the place.
So anyway, the good news is I've made it to the big 30 day mark of my break from TV!!! I have to say the last week has made it a bit rough and I even had one minor back slide.
Yesterday, which was day 30, I watched one show on CNN called something like The Turnaround. It's where they take a struggling business and bring in a mentor to completely turn the business around and make it more successful. It was around lunch time, and Michele was already watching it. The people talking on the show caught my attention because I love to learn how businesses are able to turn things around and become successful, so I didn't see the harm in watching just while I ate my lunch. It was a very interesting and educational show, and I'm not going to beat myself up about watching it.
I'll get back to blogging on a regular basis again, mainly for me, because it helps keep me on track and focused on the reasons I stopped watching TV in the first place. I also need to figure out what to do to get out of this mental funk I'm in. Exercising would probably do the trick, but every time I think about doing that, some little voice in my head quickly talks me out of it. :-)
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Finally - TV Addicts Anonymous :-)
I just found out one of my blog visitors, Chris S., has also been blogging about his TV addiction. I believe he's on day 9 of his TV abstinence. Way to go Chris!
The absolutely hilarious thing is that Chris and I have discovered we're going through very similar experiences during our liberation from the boob tube. Specifically, the withdrawal symptoms and our desire to start organizing everything!
So, I encourage you to visit Chris over at his blog, TV Addicts Anonymous, and show your support.
The absolutely hilarious thing is that Chris and I have discovered we're going through very similar experiences during our liberation from the boob tube. Specifically, the withdrawal symptoms and our desire to start organizing everything!
So, I encourage you to visit Chris over at his blog, TV Addicts Anonymous, and show your support.
TV and Procrastination - A vicious Cycle
Check out Kat talking about her TV addiction and how it feeds her procrastination problem. Boy oh boy, can I relate to this blog post!
Here's a short excerpt I pulled out:
Read the entire post here at...THE SOAPBOX:
Here's a short excerpt I pulled out:
First and foremost, I am a complete and utter T.V. addict. If they had a T.V. addicts anonymous, I'd be at the front of the line. I turn on the T.V. when I wake up in the morning and as soon as I get in the front door after work. It's a habit I've nutured since my car accident and I'll be the first to admit that it's soaked up almost all of my writing time. And I've let it.
Read the entire post here at...THE SOAPBOX:
Saturday, July 02, 2005
A link between TV watching and ADD
Alright now, I'm certainly no expert but I just knew there had to be a link between the television and ADD. Here's a quote from the article I found:
Read the whole thing here...
Studies show ADHD increased with the introduction of children’s television in the 1950s and then spiked higher in the mid 1980s when VCRs and home video became commonplace. Although the condition is known to be genetic, scientists have noted its rapid spread throughout every social class of children, and guessed that there could be an environmental cause. TV watching is a cause, this study shows.
Read the whole thing here...
Friday, July 01, 2005
The Long Awaited Before & After Office Pics
It's not perfect, but I'll take it! Here are the long awaited pictures of my office after the I-can't-watch-TV-so-maybe-I'll-organize-something bug bit me.
There's definitely more to do, but it's a great start. My bookshelves need some serious help. I plan on eBay'ing all the books and manuals I no longer use or want. The printer you see sitting on the floor should be up on eBay sometime this weekend too.
If you look at the right side of my desk (in the above pics) you can see a couple of stackable trays. Out of the entire mess that used to be on my desk and around the office, that's all I have left to process. Well, OK... I lied just a bit. There is one box left in my closet which contains the remains of all my sorting and purging. It's not stuff I really care about now, but it is stuff I need to file away for reference/archive purposes.
Here's a brief reminder of what my desk looked like just two days ago:
I vow, right here before God and all my Anti-TV peeps, I will continue to collect, process, and purge all my "stuff" until only the important "stuff" is left.
Now here's the biggie (for me anyway)... I'm also going to get my personal financial information back up-to-date in the computer, starting at January of this year.
Back in the day, I used to keep my info (bank, credit, and investment records) up to date in Quicken like it was a religion or something. It felt really good to be in total control and know exactly where we stood financially at a moments notice.
Today, I have a pretty good idea, but I'm not in control like I used to be. I miss that. It's also hypocritical of me to preach to others about matters of money when I myself have managed to get slightly off track recently. Hey, I blame it on the TV!
So this year, I've decided to dump Quicken and make the big switch to Microsoft Money 2005. I spent some time playing around with Money 2005 and it's a HUGE improvement over past versions. Where they were lacking in past versions, there are now several great reasons to switch.
I'm rambling about things you probably don't care about, so I think I'll sign off for the night and get some sleep.
There's definitely more to do, but it's a great start. My bookshelves need some serious help. I plan on eBay'ing all the books and manuals I no longer use or want. The printer you see sitting on the floor should be up on eBay sometime this weekend too.
If you look at the right side of my desk (in the above pics) you can see a couple of stackable trays. Out of the entire mess that used to be on my desk and around the office, that's all I have left to process. Well, OK... I lied just a bit. There is one box left in my closet which contains the remains of all my sorting and purging. It's not stuff I really care about now, but it is stuff I need to file away for reference/archive purposes.
Here's a brief reminder of what my desk looked like just two days ago:
I vow, right here before God and all my Anti-TV peeps, I will continue to collect, process, and purge all my "stuff" until only the important "stuff" is left.
Now here's the biggie (for me anyway)... I'm also going to get my personal financial information back up-to-date in the computer, starting at January of this year.
Back in the day, I used to keep my info (bank, credit, and investment records) up to date in Quicken like it was a religion or something. It felt really good to be in total control and know exactly where we stood financially at a moments notice.
Today, I have a pretty good idea, but I'm not in control like I used to be. I miss that. It's also hypocritical of me to preach to others about matters of money when I myself have managed to get slightly off track recently. Hey, I blame it on the TV!
So this year, I've decided to dump Quicken and make the big switch to Microsoft Money 2005. I spent some time playing around with Money 2005 and it's a HUGE improvement over past versions. Where they were lacking in past versions, there are now several great reasons to switch.
I'm rambling about things you probably don't care about, so I think I'll sign off for the night and get some sleep.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
My Life Has Been Reduced to...
THIS!
That's right fellow TV haters -- you're looking at bag #2 of feckless indoctrination obliviated into tiny bits of nothingness.
Actually I did most of the work last night, but was simply too tired to care about taking a picture at the time. Tonight, I finished up one last small stack of shredding that needed to be done. I even took time out to watch Coach Carter on DVD, which I highly recommend by the way! It was inspirational...I laughed...I cried...I felt good inside.
My office is starting to really show promise. I can see the top of my desk, and I've eliminated at least 3 of the boxes that were sitting around on the floor. However, it looks like I might need another day before I can post some 'after' pictures. So stay tuned...
If you're wondering about that little dog head sticking out of the bag, I'm not sure what to say. I tried to keep him away from the shredder, but he kept begging and jumping up on it. Next thing I knew, he was getting sucked in. Thankfully it got stuck at his shoulders, overheated, and turned off.
HA! Just kidding! Now I hope that doesn't generate a flood of hate mail from a bunch of animal lovers. Trust me, I would NEVER do anything to hurt my little Reeses boo! :-)
Of course, I did use him against his will to pose for the picture. That's pure poochie exploitation. Hey, he got a treat out of it!
I'm sure you're asking yourself why Dave spent 2 hours tonight in front of the evil boob tube to watch a movie. Well I've talked about this in previous posts, but I do think it's OK to "use" the TV once in a while for a little entertainment. It's also one of the rare occasions when I can still spend some time with the family. Remember, they're all still possessed by the thing, but I'm slowly working toward a full exorcism.
Simply trust that there is a method to my madness.
Until next time...
That's right fellow TV haters -- you're looking at bag #2 of feckless indoctrination obliviated into tiny bits of nothingness.
Actually I did most of the work last night, but was simply too tired to care about taking a picture at the time. Tonight, I finished up one last small stack of shredding that needed to be done. I even took time out to watch Coach Carter on DVD, which I highly recommend by the way! It was inspirational...I laughed...I cried...I felt good inside.
My office is starting to really show promise. I can see the top of my desk, and I've eliminated at least 3 of the boxes that were sitting around on the floor. However, it looks like I might need another day before I can post some 'after' pictures. So stay tuned...
If you're wondering about that little dog head sticking out of the bag, I'm not sure what to say. I tried to keep him away from the shredder, but he kept begging and jumping up on it. Next thing I knew, he was getting sucked in. Thankfully it got stuck at his shoulders, overheated, and turned off.
HA! Just kidding! Now I hope that doesn't generate a flood of hate mail from a bunch of animal lovers. Trust me, I would NEVER do anything to hurt my little Reeses boo! :-)
Of course, I did use him against his will to pose for the picture. That's pure poochie exploitation. Hey, he got a treat out of it!
I'm sure you're asking yourself why Dave spent 2 hours tonight in front of the evil boob tube to watch a movie. Well I've talked about this in previous posts, but I do think it's OK to "use" the TV once in a while for a little entertainment. It's also one of the rare occasions when I can still spend some time with the family. Remember, they're all still possessed by the thing, but I'm slowly working toward a full exorcism.
Simply trust that there is a method to my madness.
Until next time...
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Time for a Party - I'll Bring the Confetti!
Friends, that is one MONSTER bag of shredded uselessness!
In case you're wondering why I've posted a picture of a bag filled with tiny scraps of paper, you'll need to read my previous posts from earlier tonight. Er, make that from late last night.
As always, you can click on the pic for a larger view.
If I had to guess, I'd say it weighs at least 30 pounds. I even had to squish it down with my foot twice to get more in there.
Do you realize that bag represents about 4 years worth of old receipts, statements, bills, and God knows what else? All the while I was shredding, I kept asking myself, "Why...why in the world would I save all this crap?!?"
Wait, I know! Because I was too busy doing other important things like trying to make a permanent imprint of my butt in one of the couch cushions.
Geesh, would ya' look at the time? I'm obviously delirious from sleep deprivation.
In case you're wondering why I've posted a picture of a bag filled with tiny scraps of paper, you'll need to read my previous posts from earlier tonight. Er, make that from late last night.
As always, you can click on the pic for a larger view.
If I had to guess, I'd say it weighs at least 30 pounds. I even had to squish it down with my foot twice to get more in there.
Do you realize that bag represents about 4 years worth of old receipts, statements, bills, and God knows what else? All the while I was shredding, I kept asking myself, "Why...why in the world would I save all this crap?!?"
Wait, I know! Because I was too busy doing other important things like trying to make a permanent imprint of my butt in one of the couch cushions.
Geesh, would ya' look at the time? I'm obviously delirious from sleep deprivation.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
BEFORE: The Home Office Wasteland
After my last post, I decided to throw you a little bone by at least posting the before pictures from my home office nightmare.
Check these out... (click any picture for a larger view)
Can you believe that mess?!?! How do you suppose I can find anything in there??
Oh, news flash -- I CAN'T!!! :-(
The boxes you see sitting on the floor contain paperwork I've been moving from house to house for several years now. And there are at least three more boxes in the closet which you can't see in these pics. If you ask me, that pretty much defines insanity!
Like I said, I'm working on it now, and I'll post the "after" pictures in a few days. I would've never got around to doing this if I was still watching television.
Check these out... (click any picture for a larger view)
Can you believe that mess?!?! How do you suppose I can find anything in there??
Oh, news flash -- I CAN'T!!! :-(
The boxes you see sitting on the floor contain paperwork I've been moving from house to house for several years now. And there are at least three more boxes in the closet which you can't see in these pics. If you ask me, that pretty much defines insanity!
Like I said, I'm working on it now, and I'll post the "after" pictures in a few days. I would've never got around to doing this if I was still watching television.
The Paper Clutter MUST BE STOPPED!
It's Day 20 of my TV-fast and either I'm getting really bored or my energy is returning and I'm finally starting to get more productive.
Why? I'm gonna tell you...
At the moment, I'm sitting in my office next to three boxes and several stacks of old paperwork and receipts I pulled off my desk and out of my closet. Next to the paper mess is my shredder and a garbage bag full of shredded paper! For the past 2-3 hours I've been sorting and tossing, mostly tossing.
Gosh it really feels good; almost spiritual if you can believe that! Having tons of old useless stuff around you all the time literally saps your energy. You might not realize it, but you are always thinking about things in your life that are not done or not in their proper place. Even if it's totally on a subconscious level, it's still consuming your energy and affecting your daily routine.
Remember my post from a couple days ago about the book, Getting Things Done, and how it spurred me to completely empty my email inbox at work? Well, it was last Thursday when I did that, and it's STILL empty today!
This is a very strange phenomena, but I truly feel about 10 times more productive at work. Since I no longer have 1000+ not-dealt-with messages in my inbox and I'm now dealing with new emails almost the moment they come in, I'm able to get a lot more done, and feel much more in control of my day. If I'm away from my desk for a while, I take 5-10 minutes when I return to deal with everything that has accumulated. No matter what it is, I either delete it, defer it to someone else, file it away for future action or reference, or I create an appointment or task out of it depending on what it is of course.
Needless to say, this puts me in a MUCH better mood while at work, and I feel closure and accomplishment when I leave for the day.
So, do I attribute all this new found energy and desire to get organized to the fact that I'm no longer watching the idiot box? You bet I do!!! Otherwise, I'd still be laying on the family room floor staring at the cool blinky flashy screen for 4-6 hours every night. In fact, that's what Michele is doing right now. She has MAJOR issues! LOL
Stay tuned because in a few days I'm going to post the before and after pictures of my home office so you can see the results of my organizing efforts. You're gonna love it! :-)
Why? I'm gonna tell you...
At the moment, I'm sitting in my office next to three boxes and several stacks of old paperwork and receipts I pulled off my desk and out of my closet. Next to the paper mess is my shredder and a garbage bag full of shredded paper! For the past 2-3 hours I've been sorting and tossing, mostly tossing.
Gosh it really feels good; almost spiritual if you can believe that! Having tons of old useless stuff around you all the time literally saps your energy. You might not realize it, but you are always thinking about things in your life that are not done or not in their proper place. Even if it's totally on a subconscious level, it's still consuming your energy and affecting your daily routine.
Remember my post from a couple days ago about the book, Getting Things Done, and how it spurred me to completely empty my email inbox at work? Well, it was last Thursday when I did that, and it's STILL empty today!
This is a very strange phenomena, but I truly feel about 10 times more productive at work. Since I no longer have 1000+ not-dealt-with messages in my inbox and I'm now dealing with new emails almost the moment they come in, I'm able to get a lot more done, and feel much more in control of my day. If I'm away from my desk for a while, I take 5-10 minutes when I return to deal with everything that has accumulated. No matter what it is, I either delete it, defer it to someone else, file it away for future action or reference, or I create an appointment or task out of it depending on what it is of course.
Needless to say, this puts me in a MUCH better mood while at work, and I feel closure and accomplishment when I leave for the day.
So, do I attribute all this new found energy and desire to get organized to the fact that I'm no longer watching the idiot box? You bet I do!!! Otherwise, I'd still be laying on the family room floor staring at the cool blinky flashy screen for 4-6 hours every night. In fact, that's what Michele is doing right now. She has MAJOR issues! LOL
Stay tuned because in a few days I'm going to post the before and after pictures of my home office so you can see the results of my organizing efforts. You're gonna love it! :-)
Saturday, June 25, 2005
New! Facts and Figures about the TV Habit
The TV-Turnoff Network recently posted this interesting PDF file on their website. It contains a couple pages of eye-opening statistics and facts about TV watching. I noticed some repeats of the stats I posted back on the 13th of this month, but this file has quite a bit more info than that article did.
The document also includes a full list of sources, so you know this isn't just a bunch of hooey some TV-hater threw together.
Click here to check it out (you'll need Adobe Acrobat to read it).
The document also includes a full list of sources, so you know this isn't just a bunch of hooey some TV-hater threw together.
Click here to check it out (you'll need Adobe Acrobat to read it).
Dave is Getting Things Done!
Wow, time really zips by doesn't it?? My last post was four days ago!
I'm still successfully avoiding the TV and it's starting to feel more natural. Each day gets a little easier because I no longer feel drawn to it like a magnet. Just two nights ago, I got a bug up my butt and decided I was going to empty my Outlook Inbox at work. This strange idea was prompted by my reading of concepts taught in David Allen's book, Getting Things Done. The concepts are amazingly simple and it's probably one of the best time management and organizational systems I've ever found.
So while Michele was busy in the kitchen, I was sitting in the family room VPN'd into work attacking my Inbox. After about 3 hours, I managed to whittle my messages from just over 1,000 all the way down to 0 (yes, ZERO)! The incredible thing is that I only saved about 20 into a reference folder, and about a dozen others became tasks for me to take care of later. I had no idea how wonderful it would feel to see an inbox with ZERO messages in it after almost 4 years of working at the company. But, let me tell ya', it was great!
(Did I mention the TV was TURNED OFF the entire time? Man it was awesome! We listened to CD's on the stereo and talked while we both worked productively. What a concept!)
Oddly enough, Friday at work I felt about 10 times more productive. As new emails came in, I dealt with them immediately or turned them into tasks to be dealt with later. I left work with my Inbox once again at zero. David Allen calls this "Zero Base" in his book. Of course, zero base also includes all the other inboxes (is that a word?) in our life such as desks, coffee tables, kitchen tables and wherever else we have papers strewn about that need to be dealt with. I'll be working on THAT part of my life very soon. I've really only scratched the surface of Getting Things Done because I haven't even read the whole book yet.
Have you noticed yet that I like to jump around from book to book to book? I never seem to finish anything. I skim and skip, taking all the nuggets of wisdom I want, and then I move on to something else.
See, I told ya' I have ADD! :-)
I'm still successfully avoiding the TV and it's starting to feel more natural. Each day gets a little easier because I no longer feel drawn to it like a magnet. Just two nights ago, I got a bug up my butt and decided I was going to empty my Outlook Inbox at work. This strange idea was prompted by my reading of concepts taught in David Allen's book, Getting Things Done. The concepts are amazingly simple and it's probably one of the best time management and organizational systems I've ever found.
So while Michele was busy in the kitchen, I was sitting in the family room VPN'd into work attacking my Inbox. After about 3 hours, I managed to whittle my messages from just over 1,000 all the way down to 0 (yes, ZERO)! The incredible thing is that I only saved about 20 into a reference folder, and about a dozen others became tasks for me to take care of later. I had no idea how wonderful it would feel to see an inbox with ZERO messages in it after almost 4 years of working at the company. But, let me tell ya', it was great!
(Did I mention the TV was TURNED OFF the entire time? Man it was awesome! We listened to CD's on the stereo and talked while we both worked productively. What a concept!)
Oddly enough, Friday at work I felt about 10 times more productive. As new emails came in, I dealt with them immediately or turned them into tasks to be dealt with later. I left work with my Inbox once again at zero. David Allen calls this "Zero Base" in his book. Of course, zero base also includes all the other inboxes (is that a word?) in our life such as desks, coffee tables, kitchen tables and wherever else we have papers strewn about that need to be dealt with. I'll be working on THAT part of my life very soon. I've really only scratched the surface of Getting Things Done because I haven't even read the whole book yet.
Have you noticed yet that I like to jump around from book to book to book? I never seem to finish anything. I skim and skip, taking all the nuggets of wisdom I want, and then I move on to something else.
See, I told ya' I have ADD! :-)
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Still TV-free and loving it!
My sister gave me a little crapola today because I haven't posted any updates in 2 days. Geez, a guy has to sleep ya' know!
Anyway, I suppose I'm on day 13 now and, I'm still TV free! In fact, it's getting noticeably easier, but I'm still not doing enough important stuff from my task list. When I'm bored, I find myself getting on the computer, or just laying in bed and staring at the ceiling. I guess "stir crazy" would be a good descriptive phrase for what I've been experiencing. I even stopped reading my stock market books and started reading about adult A.D.D. I'm pretty much convinced I have it.
The last couple days have been pretty busy anyway. After Father's Day, I actually took a personal day from work because of some stuff I needed to take care of. I would tell you about it, but it was, well...personal. :-) Last night, we drove up to the lake again and finally found a small empty lot we've decided to make an offer on. After work tonight, we figured up our initial expenses, our new monthly expenses compared to our current monthly expenses. It was pretty much a no-brainer, so we called the realtor to make an offer. Unfortunately she wasn't home so we're waiting on a call back. If all goes well, we'll be moving our manufactured home to a nice lot about 200 feet from Devil's Lake in Michigan by the end of next month. Several "shacks" in the area are getting $700-$1000 per week in rental fees, so we should do quite well with a brand new (well, 2002) 4-bedroom manufactured home sitting up there.
As far as the boob-tube goes, I've been doing a great job of avoiding it, but I'm no longer spending much time in the same room with my wife. We ordered pizza tonight and I decided to sit in the family room with her while we ate. She, of course, watched TV while I glanced around the room or stared outside. Ok, I admit, the TV caught my eye about a half dozen times, but for no more than a second each time. I tried talking to Michele, but she was more concerned with the blinky flashy lights emanating from the idiot box. She even "Shhhh'd" me once and turned up the TV!
The more I'm able to observe her watching the tube, the more I'm convinced it is truly a sickness and a VERY powerful addiction. She's actually sitting there for hours upon hours passively watching someone else's life wiz by. It doesn't matter if it's a fantasy life on some sitcom, or the depressing real life of someone on a newscast. I guess it's all fantasy when you aren't living your own life. That was me just 13 days ago!!
That's all I have for now...my fingers hurt. :-(
Anyway, I suppose I'm on day 13 now and, I'm still TV free! In fact, it's getting noticeably easier, but I'm still not doing enough important stuff from my task list. When I'm bored, I find myself getting on the computer, or just laying in bed and staring at the ceiling. I guess "stir crazy" would be a good descriptive phrase for what I've been experiencing. I even stopped reading my stock market books and started reading about adult A.D.D. I'm pretty much convinced I have it.
The last couple days have been pretty busy anyway. After Father's Day, I actually took a personal day from work because of some stuff I needed to take care of. I would tell you about it, but it was, well...personal. :-) Last night, we drove up to the lake again and finally found a small empty lot we've decided to make an offer on. After work tonight, we figured up our initial expenses, our new monthly expenses compared to our current monthly expenses. It was pretty much a no-brainer, so we called the realtor to make an offer. Unfortunately she wasn't home so we're waiting on a call back. If all goes well, we'll be moving our manufactured home to a nice lot about 200 feet from Devil's Lake in Michigan by the end of next month. Several "shacks" in the area are getting $700-$1000 per week in rental fees, so we should do quite well with a brand new (well, 2002) 4-bedroom manufactured home sitting up there.
As far as the boob-tube goes, I've been doing a great job of avoiding it, but I'm no longer spending much time in the same room with my wife. We ordered pizza tonight and I decided to sit in the family room with her while we ate. She, of course, watched TV while I glanced around the room or stared outside. Ok, I admit, the TV caught my eye about a half dozen times, but for no more than a second each time. I tried talking to Michele, but she was more concerned with the blinky flashy lights emanating from the idiot box. She even "Shhhh'd" me once and turned up the TV!
The more I'm able to observe her watching the tube, the more I'm convinced it is truly a sickness and a VERY powerful addiction. She's actually sitting there for hours upon hours passively watching someone else's life wiz by. It doesn't matter if it's a fantasy life on some sitcom, or the depressing real life of someone on a newscast. I guess it's all fantasy when you aren't living your own life. That was me just 13 days ago!!
That's all I have for now...my fingers hurt. :-(
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Day 11 - Fathers Day, and still TV-Free!
Well, it's been 11 days since I started this little adventure and I'm still 99.95% TV-Free. Of course I pulled that percentage out of thin air, but I'm just figuring .05% will account for the movies (didn't really want to count them anyway) and all the times I unconsciously glanced at the TV or watched an entire show like "7th Heaven".
Confession time... Last night I went downstairs around 10pm with one of the books I'm reading and sat down on the love seat. Michele was already fast asleep on the couch after another long afternoon up in Michigan looking at properties. As you probably guessed, the TV was on and the remote was sitting within arms reach of Michele. For some reason, I figured I could sit there in the same room and read my book without being distracted by the tube. Boy was I wrong! Next thing I know, Billy Gillman (remember him?) was on some show singing one of his new songs. Well let me tell ya', this kid has an AMAZING voice and I couldn't help but be drawn to it. I sat there for at least 5 or 6 minutes watching the TV as Billy performed his song. As soon as he finished, I jumped up and turned it off.
I think I'm actually doing pretty good on this TV fast, considering how addicted I am to the thing! A few moments of weakness are to be expected, right? C'mon, I need some assurance!
The absolute hardest part for me is still trying to figure out what to do with myself when I'm not watching the idiot box. Despite the fact that I have 4 gazzilion things on my "to do" list, I still find myself pacing around, upstairs, downstairs, back and forth and really doing a whole lot of nothing. Oh sure, I'm thinking about my list, but I just can't get into a good project yet. I suppose it's a little too early and I'm not going to beat myself up over it. Once the really strong withdrawal symptoms pass, I'm sure the situation will improve on it's own.
Oh wait, I did do one good thing yesterday... I washed and vacuumed my car, renewed my license plates (remember my birthday was last week) and took it over to an empty lot on a really busy road nearby to advertise the fact that it's for sale. I even put my bike in the back seat so I'd be forced to get some exercise by riding home. Michele has been bugging me for at least a couple weeks to get it out so people can see it. Once it sells, we're going to buy an older, inexpensive used car that my daughter and I can share.
Well, that's enough typing for today... For all you fathers out there - HAPPY FATHERS DAY! I'm going out to breakfast with my family.
Confession time... Last night I went downstairs around 10pm with one of the books I'm reading and sat down on the love seat. Michele was already fast asleep on the couch after another long afternoon up in Michigan looking at properties. As you probably guessed, the TV was on and the remote was sitting within arms reach of Michele. For some reason, I figured I could sit there in the same room and read my book without being distracted by the tube. Boy was I wrong! Next thing I know, Billy Gillman (remember him?) was on some show singing one of his new songs. Well let me tell ya', this kid has an AMAZING voice and I couldn't help but be drawn to it. I sat there for at least 5 or 6 minutes watching the TV as Billy performed his song. As soon as he finished, I jumped up and turned it off.
I think I'm actually doing pretty good on this TV fast, considering how addicted I am to the thing! A few moments of weakness are to be expected, right? C'mon, I need some assurance!
The absolute hardest part for me is still trying to figure out what to do with myself when I'm not watching the idiot box. Despite the fact that I have 4 gazzilion things on my "to do" list, I still find myself pacing around, upstairs, downstairs, back and forth and really doing a whole lot of nothing. Oh sure, I'm thinking about my list, but I just can't get into a good project yet. I suppose it's a little too early and I'm not going to beat myself up over it. Once the really strong withdrawal symptoms pass, I'm sure the situation will improve on it's own.
Oh wait, I did do one good thing yesterday... I washed and vacuumed my car, renewed my license plates (remember my birthday was last week) and took it over to an empty lot on a really busy road nearby to advertise the fact that it's for sale. I even put my bike in the back seat so I'd be forced to get some exercise by riding home. Michele has been bugging me for at least a couple weeks to get it out so people can see it. Once it sells, we're going to buy an older, inexpensive used car that my daughter and I can share.
Well, that's enough typing for today... For all you fathers out there - HAPPY FATHERS DAY! I'm going out to breakfast with my family.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Non-Scientific TV Addiction Test
This originally came from the Kill Your Television website, but I'm re-posting it here for everyone's benefit:
Test Your TV Addiction -- A Non-Scientific Quiz
Please try to answer honestly!
1.) I eat meals while watching TV.
a. Just about every meal
b. Sometimes
c. Occasionally (ed: er .. what's the difference between 'sometimes' and 'never'?)
d. Never
2.) When forced to miss a favorite TV show in order to spend time with friends or family, I would usually:
a. Find a way out of the social engagement
b. Suggest that the entire group watch the show together
c. Reluctantly agree to miss the show
d. Not be at all bothered by missing the show
3.) Without looking at a TV guide, I am sure of the channel and starting time for (not counting news programs)
a. 10 or more shows
b. 5-9 shows
c. 2-4 shows
d. 0-1 show
4.) I get irritated with others for being too loud or otherwise disturbing me while I'm watching TV
a. Frequently
b. Sometimes
c. Occasionally
d. Never/rarely
5.) In order to make me give up TV entirely for a year, somebody would have to pay me
a. A million dollars or more
b. Five thousand dollars
c. Five hundred dollars
d. Nothing - I'd do it for free
Scoring: For every "a" give yourself 4 points, 3 points for a "b", 2 for a "c", 1 for a "d"
16-20 - You're going to die a TV-related death.
11-15 - Not quite as bad, but turn off "The Bachelor" already.
9-10 - Still not great -- I bet you're unwilling to give up "Will and Grace," huh?
6-8 - You're getting there, but you still have to deal with your unshakable crush on Peter Jennings.
5 - Nice work. Now don't be one of those people who brags about it in every conversation.
My score: If I were to answer these based on my life before this personal TV-turnoff campaign of mine, I would have to say I'm definitely going to die a TV related death! As far as giving up TV (question #5), last month it would have cost you a million dollars, but today I guess I'm doing it for free. And I gotta tell you, it's worth every penny!
Test Your TV Addiction -- A Non-Scientific Quiz
Please try to answer honestly!
1.) I eat meals while watching TV.
a. Just about every meal
b. Sometimes
c. Occasionally (ed: er .. what's the difference between 'sometimes' and 'never'?)
d. Never
2.) When forced to miss a favorite TV show in order to spend time with friends or family, I would usually:
a. Find a way out of the social engagement
b. Suggest that the entire group watch the show together
c. Reluctantly agree to miss the show
d. Not be at all bothered by missing the show
3.) Without looking at a TV guide, I am sure of the channel and starting time for (not counting news programs)
a. 10 or more shows
b. 5-9 shows
c. 2-4 shows
d. 0-1 show
4.) I get irritated with others for being too loud or otherwise disturbing me while I'm watching TV
a. Frequently
b. Sometimes
c. Occasionally
d. Never/rarely
5.) In order to make me give up TV entirely for a year, somebody would have to pay me
a. A million dollars or more
b. Five thousand dollars
c. Five hundred dollars
d. Nothing - I'd do it for free
Scoring: For every "a" give yourself 4 points, 3 points for a "b", 2 for a "c", 1 for a "d"
16-20 - You're going to die a TV-related death.
11-15 - Not quite as bad, but turn off "The Bachelor" already.
9-10 - Still not great -- I bet you're unwilling to give up "Will and Grace," huh?
6-8 - You're getting there, but you still have to deal with your unshakable crush on Peter Jennings.
5 - Nice work. Now don't be one of those people who brags about it in every conversation.
My score: If I were to answer these based on my life before this personal TV-turnoff campaign of mine, I would have to say I'm definitely going to die a TV related death! As far as giving up TV (question #5), last month it would have cost you a million dollars, but today I guess I'm doing it for free. And I gotta tell you, it's worth every penny!
If this don't make ya' quit TV, nothing will!
Here's an old article I found about an experiment done back in 1974:
TV Addiction: "In 1974, the Denver Post persuaded 25 families with young children to participate in an experiment: Go one month without watching any television. The 15 families that managed to stick with that boob tube blackout reported that, after the initial adjustment, their homes were more peaceful and relaxed . . . the children helped out more (with the dishes, in the garden, etc.) . . . they played together better and played outside more often . . . they became more involved with crafts, puzzles, family games, reading, and model building . . . the parents spent more time on their own projects, such as sewing, woodworking, and reading . . . meals were more leisurely and enjoyable . . . everyone got more sleep . . . they all interacted better, and generally felt much closer as families. It was as if someone had given them all a gift of extra hours in the day."
Read the full article here...
TV Addiction: "In 1974, the Denver Post persuaded 25 families with young children to participate in an experiment: Go one month without watching any television. The 15 families that managed to stick with that boob tube blackout reported that, after the initial adjustment, their homes were more peaceful and relaxed . . . the children helped out more (with the dishes, in the garden, etc.) . . . they played together better and played outside more often . . . they became more involved with crafts, puzzles, family games, reading, and model building . . . the parents spent more time on their own projects, such as sewing, woodworking, and reading . . . meals were more leisurely and enjoyable . . . everyone got more sleep . . . they all interacted better, and generally felt much closer as families. It was as if someone had given them all a gift of extra hours in the day."
Read the full article here...
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