Just recently, NASA scientists discovered a galaxy 300 TRILLION times brighter than the sun probably caused by a massive black hole in the galaxy's center.
In other news, TV sucks too many people in like a black hole.
How about you? Do you watch a lot of TV? Of course you do. Otherwise this page would probably not be of any interest to you, right?
Maybe you have cable TV. Maybe you watch free movies online. Maybe you have Netflix or Amazon Prime. Doesn't matter. And maybe you're a news junkie or you binge watch Game of Thrones of reruns of Giligan's Island. Again - doesn't really matter. Can we admit that this is a truly unproductive use of our time? Our own version of a black hole?
So given that we engage in this guilty pleasure, here's a simple idea that might give you some of your time back.
Multitask. I know that multitasking has been given a bad rap lately. Maybe this is valid; maybe not. But if you are engaged in something unproductive anyway, then what can it hurt? For example:
1 - You can combine multiple unproductive activities in a wondrous feast of unproductivity: While you're watching your favorite binge show, play a game on your tablet or phone, too. Read the news. Catch up with the latest gossip on Facebook or Twitter.
The value of this kind of multitasking is easy to understand: since you are already engaged in an admittedly unproductive activity, then engaging in one more unproductive activity at the same time will save you the time you'd spend if you did these activities separately. When you have finished watching TV, you may also have played 20 rounds of your game and thus be tired of it. (And if you're not, you'll be 20 games closer to being done.) That will free up your time.
2 - Alternatively do something that is actually worthwhile, but doesn't interfere with your ability to watch the show. My wife walks in place while she watches, thus getting some exercise in. If you don't need to see what is on-screen, you can do chores while listening to your show. I have been known to wash the dishes while watching the rerun of a favorite
show. I do sacrifice a little bit by not watching and only listening. But if it's a rerun, that's OK.
If you do this, then when you have finished your show, you will have also completed a chore. How sweet is that?
What's Next?
Well, hey - don't you have other things that need to get done? And how about that blog post? Or that conversation with a friend you've been putting off. They're not going to get themselves done. Get a move on! 🙂
Do you already do this? What other unproductive activities do you combine? How else do you give yourself the gift of time when being unproductive? Let the world know by commenting below.
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