07 Apr
Posted by Joshua Dorkin as Life Hack
It happens to all most of us . . . .
You’re living your life when all of a sudden you realize you’ve become a slave to routine and the mundane. In most cases we ponder our existence for a while, only to return to the grind moments later.
I’m not sure about most people, but I have these moments every few months or so. In these times I realize that I have so many things that I want to accomplish and learn, yet I become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of different things that pique my interest.
Here’s a small sampling:
Learn a language, travel, read, take more photographs, get into better shape, socialize, etc.
When I stop to smell the roses, I realize that one of the things that is holding me back is the television. I just get caught up in the mind-numbing blur of the stories, dramas, documentaries, news, and various other crap filling the airwaves.
It is not that I don’t want to watch that Seinfeld episode for the 10th time, I just think that I’m wasting away my life doing it - and so are you!
Television is not evil, and people who quit TV aren’t any better than the rest of us, but it would serve me and the rest of you well to stop watching and smell the roses more often. Maybe if we did, we’d have more time to do all of those things that we really want to do other than being glued in front of our plasma screened, high-def TVs.

25 Responses
eXtraNeT
April 9th, 2008 at 10:42 am
1Amen. Im glad I really only have 1 show that I like to watch, besides any sports games on. And my show isnt even on now… wont be until next year… ;( [24 is the show]
~Mike
Veronica
April 11th, 2008 at 8:19 am
2I completely agree!
I don’t watch tv anymore at all and I find time to do so many other things. It’s easier to get into these things when you’ve surrounded yourself with them - musical instruments, art (art supplies really aren’t that expensive), puzzles, etc.
Samanta
April 12th, 2008 at 9:31 am
3Yepp Veronica Agree with you and all the writters writting before. If things expensive they are expensive.
Derek
April 14th, 2008 at 6:59 am
4well i love TV but never get hooked by one!
it’s vile when you get hooked else if you have moderate TV time, it’s a enjoyable moment
Clothing Girl
April 17th, 2008 at 10:18 am
5I totally agree! I love to watch t.v., but then a few hours go by and I’ve got nothing accomplished! I always say that i’m going to watch less tv, but i never do!
Banks, Bill
April 19th, 2008 at 5:36 am
6I love watching TV but never got addicted by one! Its wicked when you get addicted otherwise if you have moderate TV time you can enjoy it.
ivy
May 10th, 2008 at 9:57 am
7I used to be addicted to watching TV but now TV is not the only thing that’s stopping me from smelling the roses–blogging and reading blogs such as this! Technology, can’t live with them, can’t live without them.
shawna
May 12th, 2008 at 7:52 am
8Agreed! I like to watch tv like everyone else. But when we had an experiement and turned off our tv for a week, we spent so much more time with our kids and each other face to face that we’ve continued to keep it off. We still watch it occasionally and it’s fun to do that but it’s not an every night of the week thing like it use to be!
Jill
May 15th, 2008 at 11:07 am
9I am not a big fan of watching tv myself, however my family loves it. Sometimes in order to spend time with them I will sit down to watch a program and before I know it the whole evening has passed me by and I have not done anything that I truly wanted to do. I refer to the TV as a life sucker and as do with most eletronic devices. I miss the days of my childhood where I spent afterschool outsides playing cowboys and indians, red light, green light, mother may I. I learnt hopscotch, jumpies and double dutch. I believe things in life always go full circle (it’s what keeps me going), therefore perhaps one day people will become board with TV and long for a simpler time.
andy wood
June 5th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
10I agree. Its amazing that without the internet and television noone knows what to do with themselves anymore. Smelling the roses can be good thing.
Ohio
June 11th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
11In nows tech world after the office TV is the main source of recreation.This habit has to be changed.
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June 14th, 2008 at 3:44 am
12I use my computer instead of TV for years. And I’m happy
Richard X. Thripp
June 15th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
13Wow, this is so true! If I want to watch something I’ll find it on YouTube or elsewhere, rather than being fed the drivel of network television. Or any television, for that point. It’s not the medium’s fault; video programming can be motivate you and challenge your thinking just as much as the printed word. It’s just not being used well.
On having too many hobbies… it’s often better to just focus on what you love and let everything else fall by the wayside. I’m trying to do that with my photography.
weight loss
June 17th, 2008 at 12:25 am
14Now we are living just like robots. our all entertaining matter is nothing but TV. It is making us sick. I believe this.
Chris | You Are Living
June 17th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
15Tv isn’t so much my problem, even though I’m sure it is for others. Maybe you could continue telling us the specifics on ridding our lives of things like internet addiction and other entertainment.
Michelle Sterling Las Vegas
June 18th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
16I used to spend endless hours watching cable tv news, mostly cnn and cnbc. One day, I picked up a copy of The Economist magazine in an airport and discovered the difference between real news and entertainment news. I still crave tv news, but now I watch Jim Lehrer on PBS. It’s much higher quality and comes in one 60 minute dose once a day! Now that I’ve successfully detached from cnn, I definitely do have more time for more things, you’re absolutely right.
Martial Arts
June 25th, 2008 at 3:52 am
17I am also addicted to watching TV .
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June 30th, 2008 at 4:02 am
185 years ago I was seriously addict with watching TV but now I am free from it. It took about 3 years to get rid frm it.
Bouncer
June 30th, 2008 at 4:58 am
19TV has been destroying many kids but I don’t remember when I last watched TV for straight 30 min
whats there to watch man??
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July 2nd, 2008 at 6:45 am
20watching t.v. is not a good thing, it increases the weight of persons.itis rightly calles idiot box.
hellenes
July 10th, 2008 at 3:19 am
21wow it’s so interested to look tv. at night.
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July 12th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
22watching tv is good for timepass… watching fashoin tv at night.
Weight Lifting Belts
July 20th, 2008 at 6:29 am
23Nice post. I watch way too much TV I know. Its a hard habit to break though. thats like relax time, when there are so many more productive things we can be doing to relax. Oh well.
nepali girls
July 21st, 2008 at 4:53 am
24It’s easier to get into these things when you’ve surrounded yourself with them.
Aromatherapy Essential Oils
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:42 pm
25thats what i did with my 12 year old tv. well, sorta. i dropped it off 2 stories and watched it go BOOM ^_^
-Jason
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Editor: Josh Dorkin
I'm the founder of the website BiggerPockets.com, and have been creating websites since the dawn of graphic browsers. The purpose of this blog is to share some things I've learned about the internet and life.
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