“Men have become the tools of their tools.”
– Henry David Thoreau
Because of terrible weather conditions I spent all of Wednesday at home. Rather than screwing around online or watching TV, I decided to focus all my energy into constructive projects. I read some short stories, wrote, exercised, and made my bed (which I never do). While my day wasn’t amazing, I found it enjoyable and went to bed feeling fulfilled. Had I merely consumed and not created, my day would have been much less satisfying.
When you simply rely on being entertained, you gain nothing of value. As the old adage goes: “nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Even though doing a menial task (like making your bed) might not seem as initially rewarding as finding an awesome meme on Reddit, it provides a greater return over time. My well made bed made me feel a sense of accomplishment, while remembering a mildly funny picture of a duck provided me with nothing.
For this weekend challenge I want you to spend less than 10% of your time watching television and surfing the web. Take all the extra free time that you’ve just given yourself, and go find a new way to be entertained. If you think this will be difficult, you definitely need to undergo the challenge.
Also, if you think the most exciting outcome of this challenge is going to be a nicely folded bedspread; I’ll provide a brief list of things to do when you aren’t in front of a screen:
- Hang out with friends
- Travel (it doesn’t have to be far, just go explore a different city/neighborhood for the day)
- Learn a new skill
- Read a book
- Date
- Go out to eat
- Meet new people
- Start a side business
Have a great weekend, and don’t check back until Monday.