Last night Madam Secretary started up again. It is sitting there on my DVR next to half a season of Fear the Walking Dead, episodes of The Strain, Star Wars: Rebels, and a half dozen other shows of lesser importance. They all swim in the waters of my mind, compelling me to watch them. They are distractions, yes, but they also bring me a small measure of joy.
While these things are temporarily enjoyable they do take up a lot of time that I could be using reading, writing, heck even grading. It leads to a really important conversation about prioritizing inputs–much in the way I discussed Garbage In/Garbage Out. I cannot continue to watch 47 shows and have time for 47 books, games, etc.
So, what do I do? I have been reducing the number of shows I watch, raising the number of texts I consume, and learning to use my time a lot better. It has not made me a better writer yet, but I am becoming more discerning about my distractions, focusing on a better quality of activity and show than I have in the past.
Little improvements every day is the best anyone can hope for.
Some Thoughts:
- I believe most people have forgotten that Trump offered his initial vp candidate the keys to the castle. He intended to be a brash figurehead and let the VP run day to day operations like America is a corp. Now on the eve of the VP debate it is important to see what the VPs have to say–especially if Trump somehow wins.