The Time I've Wasted...Accidentally on Purpose!

I love television. I am a big fan of all types of TV from the 1970's onwards and will stop just about everything if there is a rerun of ‘I Love Lucy’, ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’, ‘MASH’, ‘Hill Street Blues’, ‘Mannix’, 'Frasier, or ‘Barney Miller’ on the box. Back then you got out the TV Guide to select your weekly dose of an episode and then life went on until the next installment. If you managed to see the next one it that was great but if you missed it life didn’t stop. With technological advances came an even more alluring and additive form of television watching, complete with its own unique name of ‘Binge Watching’. I have sat through lost weekends of ‘The House of Cards’, ‘MADMEN’, ‘Better Call Saul’ and ‘Peaky Blinders’. Even worse than watching new shows is my unforgivable time-wasting habit of re-watching ones I have already seen (aka ‘The Sopranos’) just because they are available in binge-format! I know, I know, how can I talk about binge-watching anything without mentioning ‘Breaking Bad’, 'Billions', ‘Game of Thrones’ or ‘Orange is the New Black’ but I’ve got to show up for work once in a while so something has to give!

I have also found that my attention span is getting shorter (not helped by a commercial break every 3 minutes!) and that ‘sound bytes’ are taking over my needs for what used to be a real debate on important issues covered by the daily news. My solution has been commercial free, e.g. Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc., television but of course that comes with its own issues of being in an entertainment safe-room.

When I think of all of those hours spent on the couch and absorbing all of that great television, through my surround sound 55 inch super high-definition flat screen (which, by the way, makes televised life look so much better than real life!), it felt like absolutely the right thing to do. Unfortunately, in hindsight it feels like many wasted hours as each TV show came to its conclusion (they must use data analytics to create just the ‘right’ending!) and I had a sense of television loss and started thinking about what I would do now to fill the void. 

I once read that the average life is made up of around 29,000 days and nights and I can state, with hand firmly upon heart, that I like the concept but do not live a life of ‘Carpe Diem’! Like most I do reflect on life, it's fragility and shortness, but mainly when I learn about the passing of someone I have known. Then there is the melancholy state about doing new and exciting things because life is so short. At these times promises are made with others, in mutually agreeable knowledge that it won't happen, about getting together more often. Normally this state of mind lasts about 3 days before the groove of life has me firmly back on track and that includes watching television in large doses.

No more. I have realized that watching all of that TV has not made much of a difference to me or my life. Sure I can remember TV characters, situations and superb one-liners from but it has not really transformed my thinking or my physical persona in any way. Okay, while still in a slightly defensive mode, I will say that MADMEN was superb as it brought to life all the brands and historical events with which I grew up but that’s about it!

Here’s my plan for exchanging television binge-watching with participation with real life.

1.      I’m going to get into the best physical shape I can. This doesn’t mean ordering another ‘Bow Flex’ system but just going out for a walk more often and getting up earlier to use that gym membership I pay for anyways;

2.      I’m going to learn new things. I have always talked about learning Spanish and Italian and with technology I can do so through Apps or online;

3.      Learning new things about things I don’t know anything about. I’m going to finish watching the famous ‘Artificial Intelligence’ online learning program delivered by Professor Andrew Ng and while I’m not planning to change careers, I will be able to have more meaningful conversations about the topic;

4.      I’m going to find an organization that will allow me to help young people in any way I can whether it is to assist kids to read or explaining the finer points of business restructuring. They are the future after all (and future tax payers as I would like my government-backed pension promises fulfilled at some point!);

5.      I am going to read more, a lot more. I’ll start with the classics and move beyond just being able to quote a line or two from a famous book…’It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Netflix had arrived in both London and Paris!’

I’m not against television, quite the opposite. But there is so much out there to learn, do and experience that no matter how many great Sir David Attenborough nature television shows I have seen I bet seeing nature up close and in person is so much more fulfilling.