For many people, this may be the hardest Challenge so far. It’s Day 6 of the Just For Today Challenge – 31 Days To A Better You and it’s time to turn off the TV, Just For Today.
Today’s Challenge will be for the entire day. There’s no cheating, either. From the time you get up until the time you go to bed, do not have the TV on at all today.
There’s no watching TV Just For Today. That means no coming home, flopping on the couch and zoning out in front of the TV. Read a book, have a conversation with your loved one, play a board game with your spouse/children, call up a friend to talk on the phone, paint your toenails, have a relaxing bath, work on your side business, study, basically do anything but watch TV.
We spend an average of 3 hours a day watching the TV. That’s an average – some people watch a lot more.
I know that I’m guilty of watching too much TV. I’m joining you on this Challenge today and I’m not going to turn on the TV for the entire day. That means that I’ll be missing some of my favourite shows, but it won’t kill me to miss them. Just For Today.
I am not one of those people who say get rid of your TV. No way! I love watching my favourite shows and I do learn a lot from some of the programs that I watch. But, it’s so easy to get into the habit of coming home from work, turning on the TV, and watching it on the couch until you turn it off before you go to bed. That’s such a waste of 3-4 every night.
Think of what you can do with all that extra time. So, no TV Just For Today. If you want to continue not watching TV tomorrow, that’s great. Believe me, you won’t die from not watching your favourite shows. Something that I’ve heard in the past and which I’m reminding myself when I watch TV is – those people have lives and we are just watching them live their lives.
If you turn off the TV, maybe you, too, will have an actual life to live. Hopefully, you’ll make it more meaningful.
Think of what you will save if you don’t watch TV.
- I’ve already mentioned the amount of time not watching the TV frees up. Having an extra 4 hours per night would make a huge impact on your life.
- You’ll be able to eliminate your cable bill. Do we really need all those channels and the added expense? If you are looking to cut down your fixed expenses, this is a great opportunity.
- You’ll be able to spend more quality time with your family. Why don’t you play a board game (remember those?), sit and talk (remember actually having a conversation?), read a book together, go visit friends, build a playhouse together, or complete a puzzle together. The ideas are endless. Turn off the TV and pick something else to do.
- Eating in front of the TV is really bad for your body and mind. Half the time I can’t even remember what I had for dinner when I eat in front of the TV. Not to mention the endless snacking while watching the mindless shows. We can really improve our health if we don’t eat in front of the TV and have proper meals with our families. We could even exercise during that time. Imagine that!
- Notice how those commercials all want you to buy something? If the TV wasn’t on for an average of 4 hours a day, maybe we wouldn’t get suckered in to buy all that Stuff that someone else has said that we need. Maybe we wouldn’t feel so bad about our lives since we can’t measure up to the fantasy portrayed in TV commercials. Maybe we wouldn’t feel so guilty because we couldn’t buy the latest toy that our child saw on a TV commercial.
- You can even start working on completing your list of 101 Things To Do Before I Die
TV can have a major impact on our lives. Let’s turn if off so not watching will have a better impact on our lives.
Make sure to let me know how hard or easy ( yeah right!) this Challenge was by leaving a comment. Were you able to last the entire day without watching any TV?
Tomorrow’s Challenge will be considerably easier so make sure you come back to see what I have in store for you next.
For a list of all of the Challenges, see the Just For Today Challenge page.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to my feed to have all the future articles delivered to your feed reader. Thanks!
PDF 
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Interesting but I already passed the no-TV challenge since about a year a ago.
I work as a teacher at a very remote area in my country. My job requires me and many others to be posted at a very remote place and I got posted at a school with no electricity. Usually, before going back to school after term breaks, I’d buy a lot of books to fill in my spare times. The internet connection I currently enjoy is powered by solar batteries which is just enough to power my the satellite disc, a small server and my mac book.
I don’t miss TV that much anymore. I’m getting used to no-TV. And I enjoy it because it omits a lot of distraction and I can concentrate on reading and doing things I like. I do miss to watch sports on TV but there’s a lot more valuable things that I could and should do other than sitting in front of the thing many called idiot box.
Really great post. *two thumps up*
Rick´s last blog ..New Year 2010 – A promising year
Lucky you! TV will be the hardest for me to kick.
Wait a minute! No electricity? Wow, now that’s what I call roughing it. At least you have plenty of sun for the solar panels.
Doubly thanks for stopping by and checking out the daily challenges then, especially since you have limited power.
Karen
Another easy one for me yay! TV has never been a big deal for me. Probably because my father monopolized it when we were kids. Since having a child though it’s really just noise to me barring one or two programs and the news. I’ve decided to one up you and go a week
We won’t talk about Day 4. That one was tough for me for some reason, still have not completed it truth be told. But I will.
A whole week without TV? Even I’m not that cruel!
Truth be told, this one is really hard for me. I came home and wanted desperately to turn on the TV after work tonight.
It’s a hard habit to break. The evening is going by so slowly, but I’m getting lots done. Which is one of the reason to turn it off and why I’m including it in the Challenge. I think I will implement a No TV Day at least once a week where the TV won’t be turned on at all. I heard somewhere that the TV should be like a microwave – do you use the microwave every day? No? Me either. The TV is an appliance and should be treated as such. The problem is that it’s become entertainment, a companion, a babysitter, a time-waster, etc.
Sorry to hear that you had problems with Day 4. Try for 25 things you’re proud of yourself for. It doesn’t have to be big, great things, either. I know – you add completing this Challenge so far to the list! You have so many things to be proud of, Trace. Believe it.
You’ll like what I have in store for Day 10, I guarantee it
Karen