We’ve come to my final installment on habits to create time and spaciousness in your day. Here’s one you may resist, but you probably know you need to do it: reduce your email, on-line, and television time. Many people tell me that after a long day they just want to unwind and veg out either online or watching tv or movies. I get that. But if you find that you are not connecting with your partner, or that you are feel like your personal growth is stunted, or that you’re out of shape ….. ask yourself if American Idol or Facebook are worth the trade-off.
What values are you honoring and what values are you stepping on by engaging your screen of choice? What values would you honor by turning off the screen and tuning into your real life? Try it. Calculate the minutes you spend on these media and reduce it by half for at least a week. If you habitually turn on the tube or check email first thing in the morning, do something else first. And when you sit down at the computer, set a timer to keep you honest. It will be helpful if you get your partner to buy in, too. If you typically watch the tube together, instead, try playing a game of cards, doing a crossword or sudoku, or reading the op ed page aloud. And don’t let the computer (even a pithy little blog) suck you in. Set limits. And, if you are really feeling crazy, take a complete vacation from tv and/or email. Go on, I dare you!.
