Thanks for the post. I’ve borrowed the four questions and now they’re becoming a part of my lexicon.

I used to be a charge full-steam-ahead person, but lately — as I’ve begun to let go of my perfectionism — I’ve developed a new (new to me, anyway) “neuroticism”: procrastination.

Of course, I’d like to order your Procrastination program, but finances don’t allow it right now. In any case, the four questions you encouraged your poster to ask her/himself are a good first step for me.

Here’s to a peaceful and *more* productive ’09.

I never watched TV until my husband had a stroke and bought a 42″ plasma set that he could watch in lieu of other things he used to do and because mindlessness felt good. He now watches less but I’m still escaping into it. I also love medical dramas and crime shows and I know there are tie-ins to feelings I’ve not let go (e.g. regrets and sadness of not going to medical school because I was really f’ed up emotionally). Maybe there’s something in the particular shows you watch that resonates for you and which is encouraging the addiction over dealing with the issue.

On the other hand, I have friends who watch a lot of TV and movies, and most of them do it simply to relax. A lot of them are therapists who need time in “la la” land after listening to 12 hours of other people’s problems. Maybe you need some plain ol’ veg time, too.

There are really educational things on the tube if you watch the history channel, the science and nature stuff, and public TV. I sometimes watch those instead of a series because the subject matter interests me but I know I’ll never pick up a book about it. Maybe you can substitute some of these for the series you watch. I find the educational shows less addictive; maybe they can serve as your “nicotine patch” as you wean yourself off of TV. (Of course, that doesn’t answer the “why” part of your question, but I’m a big proponent of behavior modification).

byw, not knowing show names/actors etc. really sucks for crossword puzzles (my true avoidance/addition) and Trivial Pursuit, too.

Good luck!

Nancy

It’s neat to see how many different ways (including ones I never would have thought of) there are to bring mindfulness into the whole “my relationship with television as a mirror reflection of my relationship with myself” thing.

Sorry to dive into Shiva Nata terminology there with the mirror reflections but you know what I mean.

It’s like, there are so many ways I can practice kindness with myself.

Sometimes it’s going to be like what Dawn is talking about: can I consciously give myself comfort through this thing and can I also consciously choose to receive comfort through other things.

Sometimes it’s going to be Taking Steps and Preemptive Measures like what JoVE and Shawn and Ankesh were suggesting.

Super interesting the whole thing.

Also fun to meet other “deprived childhood” suffer-ers and fellow culturally inept folks. No, I never know what anyone is talking about!

But to answer Karen’s question: do we need to be in touch with that culture to be successful marketers? I think it depends what kinds of people you’re marketing to.

In my case, since my Right People are all kind of nutty, quirky individualists, not at all. But if you’re talking to 20-somethings, then maybe.

Though I like to think the internet *is* a sort of shared culture, in a very broad way.

@Kelly – I am so completely sold on the idea of embroidering smart things onto pillows. Maybe I’ll start with Twitter witticisms and move on from there.

Embroidery kits! Genius.

Also – I’ll just add that I’m fine with outing myself as a non-TV person. Between that and living more than a third of my life abroad, there’s just no way I’m going to catch all cultural references. So stuff can just keep flying over my head and I’ve learned to be okay with that. :)

This morning, I’m still on vacation and at my bf’s place, where there is no tv, so I logged on to hulu.com (sorry, don’t mean to inadvertently advertise on here, but it’s tv-like in that there are brief ads, but you get to choose what to watch) and viewed a couple episodes of The Office to start the day laughing.

I grew up much like it sounds like chas did — tv was on constantly. there was one in every room, including the kitchen! So it’s been a hard habit to break b/c it’s very comforting and familiar. But I *have* found ways to feel *less* guilty about watching so often.

1. I use it as a reward. If I’ve done what I committed to during the day (exercise, projects, etc.), I get to watch a couple episodes of a show I like. It’s a lot more mindful and enjoyable that way.
2. I keep the tv on and do other things around the house, esp crafting projects that I often neglect (but really want to do) b/c I want to veg out in front of the tv. Best of both worlds.
3. I watch hulu or DVDs on my laptop. Literally turning OFF the tv was SO hard at first, b/c the entire mood and tone of the living room seemed to shift when the tv was off. That’s when I really realized I was addicted to the light, sounds, and *feel* of tv, rather than to any particular programs (most of which you can find online for free these days).
4. I forgive myself for seeking out the comfort of tv by noticing what my day was like and why I’m craving tv in the first place. Then I watch a program or movie that will bolster my mood, esp a silly comedy.

BTW, I really love the comments on this blog — they’re chock full of fascinating and useful stuff! And I love that people don’t mind reading or writing long blog posts and blog comments!

Dawns last blog post..The Source of My Angst

All you want to do is unplug the TV and place it in a room where there is no cable connection. And everytime something is going on that you really want to watch – you’ve got to pick up your TV to the room with the cable and plug it back in.

This extra work will make sure that you’ll only watch good important stuff.

But you do have to be disciplined about unplugging the TV after watching it. (If you have a cleaner or someone who comes to your house regularly – give them one more responsibility: unplug and move the TV if they ever see it plugged back.)

Ankesh Kotharis last blog post..The Black Magic of Rumour and Reputation

I’ve been off TV for some 16 years now (tough do have a TV for movies) and don’t miss it at all. Really, considering there are so many things I feel like I don’t have time for, I’ve no idea how I’d fit it into my schedule anyways.

@ Joely — I’ve been in those situations too, where a client will say, “Oh did you see such and such last night!?” expecting a launch of conversation that hits a wall dead on. At this point, I’ll often say, “I don’t watch that one” if the client has any kind of defensive persona.

One thought for weaning off might be to engage the ole bait and switch like pick up what is sure to be a compelling read or some other super fun activity and do that instead of grabbing the remote.

Shawn Tuttles last blog post..I’m now a podcast listening fiend

chass last blog post..monday morning motivator! 5, the big theme edition