Some of the best life lessons can come from inanimate objects. In my case, it was from a Digital Video Recorder (also known as Tivo) that told me it was 99% full of TV programs and movies.
As you might guess, the full DVR is a symptom of being busy. The computerized clutter is also an indicator of a life out of balance. It represents some obstacles that block my path to success.
To Clear the Path of these challenges, let’s pull out the remote control, hit pause, and find some solutions:
The DVR doesn’t care about my excuses: The machine is based on hard drive space. Once that space is used, I either can’t record any more programs or the oldest programs will be deleted to make space for the new.
It can be easy to bend our own rules. You wanted to get more work done but you’re tired. So you don’t do as much work and you never make it up later.
Excuses are sometimes valid but they can become a convenient crutch. Keep the completion of your task in your mind at all times and mentally map out what you have to do to get there.
It’s easy to choose everything: Do I need to watch every program on my DVR? If something is more than six months old, am I really that interested in watching it? Do I have to watch the game or can I get my sports fix from the highlights? If I was that excited about it, then why wouldn’t I have seen it already?
It can be easy to fill our lives with lots of good things but we don’t have time for them all. You have to decide what is really important and spend the majority of your time on those things.
In life, one thing is rarely out of balance: A stuffed DVR may be a sign that you’re working too much and aren’t taking enough time for fun activities.
Working, instead of having some TV time before bed, may make you have a tough time getting to sleep. The next day you’re tired and you don’t get as much work done. So you work harder and longer. Your downward productivity spiral is now underway. Over time your remote control gains a new layer of dust and you’re well down the path to burnout.
Sometimes sitting in front of the TV and doing nothing is actually doing something. You’re allowing your mental muscles to rest a little bit. That allows you to come back strong the next day.
Change the game: You don’t have to watch TV on TV anymore. Many programs are available online. With laptops and tablets you can watch them during your commute (when you’re not the driver), on the treadmill, or while preparing dinner.
Just because people watched TV in the living room for years doesn’t mean that’s the only way you can consume your programming. It can be powerful to consider a new way for a fun activity to fit into your life.
Bottom Line: My DVR does more than just tell me what I need to watch.
