I discovered a productivity tip this week that I just had to share.
So recently I had some vacation time, and I was mostly using it to stay home and fix up my place and take care of some errands. A college friend of mine invited me down to her place in the Washington DC metro area, so I went down on Christmas day and crashed with her for a week.
Now I should mention that apart from two days when my friend was working, she had a really packed schedule for us. Movies, dinner parties, theater, restaurants, salsa dancing, etc. Not that I minded, I think we had a great time.
But towards the end of the week, I noticed and pointed out to her something very interesting: I got a LOT of stuff done when I was staying with her. And I mean a lot. I upgraded one of my servers, I finished a graphics design project for a charity I work with. I wrote some code. I read. And so on.
In fact, I was so much more productive during my vacation, that I got more work done than when I was actually at work.
And I was really puzzled by this.
Even my friend was surprised, and we had a long discussions about why this was so. My first theory was that Virginia and the DC Metro area in general was so much more stress-free and relaxing than NYC, that I was in a mode to be productive. Her theory was that I was not at home and didn't have the usual worries I would have had I been there, so that relaxed mode put me in a state of super-productivity.
I wasn't sure what the reason was, but in any case, I was very pleased that I got so much stuff done on my break.
Then, two nights ago, I drove home. I came into my house and sat down. And it hit my like a TON of bricks.
My television was making me stupid and unproductive.
You see, as soon as I came in, I grabbed a soda from the fridge, plopped my arse on the couch, and started watching shows I had recorded on my DVR. This is something I usually do when I come home from work.
My friend in Virginia didn't have DVR. She didn't even have cable. I had 500+ channels coming in on Verizon FIOS, I think she had 3 or 4 terrestrial channels. I had a large screen tv, she had a dinky little 12 inch. When I was at her place, there wouldn't have been anything to watch, or watch it in any style, so I didn't watch any television.
I realized that so much of my life at home revolved around me spending HOURS sitting in front of the television. When I was at my friend's place, I didn't have that luxury (if I could use that word), so I did the next best thing, I did work.
How many times over the last year(s) had I just wasted in front of my television for no good reason? How much of my life have I sacrificed at this altar?
Now pardon me while I go to kill my tv.