No Tv For 30 Days!

[ZenBlue]

Day 12 - TV = 0         Me = 12

Had a relaxing day today. Got some much needed rest.

What I did today:

- Worked on an application that I need to file for personal events.

- Played a few video games

- Listened to music

- Browsed this forum

- Watched some YouTube Videos (mainly educational)

 

[ZenBlue]

Day 13 - TV = 0         Me = 13

I still have a lot of work to do on myself for my path to self-actualization. I realized though, it is going to be a long and slow process. I have accepted that, because that is the reality of life. Building greatness takes time, and in the end, transforming myself into a better person is all worth it.

After reflecting on my past, I thought about how I used to be so involved with my hobbies when I was just 16 years old. I was building and creating so much, but I discredited myself for a lot of the things I did because I didn't have a strong sense of self-worth. I subconsciously carried both a feeling of arrogance and low self-esteem about myself at the same time.

I didn't appreciate the things I had created, the amount of knowledge and skills I gained, and the hours of time I spent into my craft. To me, it all never felt good enough and that is why I also had tons of unfinished projects. Although, I did have a sense of pride on the few things I did finish, I also was never good at promoting myself and my work. Recently, I have gained a lot more confidence in myself and my abilities than in the past. I still have a lot of work to do, and I will learn to strengthen my self-confidence as part of my journey to self-actualization.

Now that I have cut TV for almost 2 weeks, I am starting to feel more productive again. I can't believe how much more productive I was in high school than I am now. I've always had a bit of a lazy personality type, but if I was having a lot of fun with something, I could easily focus on that activity for hours without taking a break. I used to enjoy doing so many things like: graphic design, web development, flash animation, programming, creating video tutorials, etc... Back then, I didn't believe in myself enough that I could make money doing those things, and I took a long break when I decided to go to University instead and became yet another drone with a business degree. Now, I realize it was only because I lacked self-confidence in myself that I held those beliefs.

I am currently working on side projects using the skills and knowledge I gained doing those things. I am combining it all together and I will keep working on these projects. I know at some point I will be able to turn it into a full time business that will allow me to build the life style that I want to live.

Edited March 25, 2016 by ZenBlue

[ZenBlue]

Day 14 - TV = 0          Me = 14

I'm starting to hit the point where it's very mentally tough for me. I have surprised myself in how far I have come at controlling my addiction. 2 weeks without any TV shows is monumental for me. I am substituting TV with YouTube videos, and videos shown around other sites. The things I watch though are mostly educational and I am using the material to gather knowledge and study the principles that will help me in my life.

I still get very strong urges though to tune in to some mindless TV show and zone out. Especially when I go around to places and I see people watching TV I start to think about all the different shows I want to watch.

It's also very difficult sometimes when I'm browsing YouTube and I see all these lists of videos popping up that have clips of popular TV shows. I try my best to tune it out so I don't click and focus on the educational things instead. I also watch some slightly educational, but entertaining type of videos to feed my need for entertainment.

I'm starting to realize I used to feel like I needed to have TV in my life. It was very hard for me to stop watching even though I had so much shit in my life I needed to take care of. I neglected a lot of the things in my life because I was too busy watching TV. My mind was enslaved to it, and I finally got a taste of freedom after so many years.

Side Note: I read an article online that said it would take about 90 days for the “the brain to reset itself and shake off the immediate influence of a drug.”

TV has affected my brain like a drug, so I decided the new challenge is to watch no TV shows for 90 days. Although, I do plan to make a life long habit of cutting out TV, I'm not sure if I can ever minimize it to zero TV in my life.

Source: https://www.duffysrehab.com/blog/how-long-does-it-take-to-break-the-habit-of-addiction

[ZenBlue]

Day 15 - TV = 0        Me = 15

Today I went to work and I looked through my book of notes that I started for writing down concepts I learned either through educational videos, or things that I read.

What I'm working on:

• Re-programming my mind. We have been conditioned since birth to think a certain way. That is why it is very difficult to change, but through repetition I can re-program my mind to the things that I want in my life. It would probably take several years to have a lasting impact.
• Getting more knowledge about a lot of different aspects.
• Getting my finances in order, and cleaning up the big mess I made when I took a massive financial risk that didn't pay off.
• Side projects that I want to grow to the point where I can generate enough income to transform them into businesses.

It's difficult to stick with my commitment when TV is everywhere, but just being more aware of the potential traps keeps me on my feet.

When I get the urge to watch TV, I watch educational videos on YouTube instead as a substitution method. I am replacing a bad habit with a good habit, which is easier than just trying to eliminate a bad habit.

[ZenBlue]

Day 16 - TV = 0          Me = 16

Relaxing day today.

What I did:

• Went to a nice park that had a great view. (Almost stepped on a snake that was lying in the grass)
• Watched a couple of Leo's videos.
• Went over my daily affirmations.
• Worked on my side project.
• Browsed through FaceBook

[ZenBlue]

Day 17 - TV = 0          Me = 17

Today's activities:

• Went to work
• Read my daily affirmations 
• Played a video game for 30 min
• Browsed Facebook 
• Worked on side project
• Watched Leo's video about mastering emotions

My mind is still very disorganized and running around with a lot of thoughts.  I still have a lot of my old belief systems inside of my mind. I have a lot of work cut out for me in terms of making spiritual, and personal growth. I will set aside time to meditate for at least 5 minutes a day, and gradually increase it.

[ZenBlue]

Day 18 - TV = 0         Me = 18

I didn't post yesterday because I got into a car accident. It was completely my fault and I take full ownership for it. Car had major damage and is not worth repairing.

Day 19 - TV = 0          Me = 19

I made a very stupid and emotional choice today. I let my dad's opinions get in my head and I purchased a lease agreement for a new car I don't really like. The deal was horrible and I knew it was yet I still went through with it. This shows me I have a very long way to go in terms of controlling my emotions, and not letting outside circumstances affect me. This is the worst financial decision I have made in my life so far. I'm upset at myself because I don't know why I made such a stupid decision. I'm trying to just be aware of my negative thoughts and emotions. I want to use this as a learning experience so that I won't make the same mistake in the future.

[ZenBlue]

Day 20 - TV = 0          Me = 20

• Went to work
• Worked on my new business
• Played some video games
• Read my daily affirmations

Day 21 - TV = 0          Me = 21

I'm feeling calmer today. I thought about how glad I am that no one was injured in the car accident. I'm looking at the positives and am taking this opportunity to enjoy driving a brand new car for the first time in my life. (Although very irresponsible of me financially)

• Went to work
• Ate dinner and spent time with my girlfriend and her family
• Read my daily affirmations

Keeping this journal updated consistently is helping me with my goal. So far I don't miss TV, and my life feels very busy, even without it. I don't know how I had time for it before when even now I feel like my time is being stretched.

Edited April 2, 2016 by ZenBlue

[ZenBlue]

Day 22 - Still on track with my goal

Life is keeping me so busy that I don't really have time to think about TV. Now the urges have mostly gone away. I don't feel the need to watch TV and I don't even miss it. It's crazy to think that my life used to revolve around it for so many years and now I don't need it.

I'm grateful to be alive and healthy. Health is wealth. If anyone is fortunate to have a fully functioning body with no major issues, that is like winning the lottery in life. I have been taking such poor care of my health for a long time, but I want to change my bad habits. I know it will take me a long time for me to replace my bad habits with good ones, but it is all worth it in the end.

Also, the feeling of driving a brand new car is quite amazing. I feel so much calmer and at peace when I'm on the road. I live in Los Angeles, and the drivers here are very aggressive and there is always a sense of road rage and urgency around here.

My life isn't perfect, but I feel so blessed and have so much in my life already. I understand that I don't need more of anything in my life, but I want more out of life because I am no where near my full potential. I just want to be the best that I can be. I feel like it is my duty to push myself to the limits and reach a level of greatness. Transforming myself into a better person isn't just for my sake. It is also for the sake of my family, friends, and society in general.

[ZenBlue]

Day 23 - Still on track with my goal

Nothing interesting today. Just went to work and then went home. I recently started the Life Purpose course and I'm going to focus on doing that for a while.

Lately my mind is focused on:

• Finishing a personal task that I started months ago (Been taking a long time to finish, but it's almost done)
• Start up business
• Self-Actualization (Life Purpose Course)
• Improving my health and physical fitness
• Personal Blog (Branding)
• Obtaining financial wealth

It will take a lot of effort and a long time to get all this to a high level, but I am committed to making it all happen. No matter what happens, I will keep going.

[FinnishJon]

I am doing a similar cold turkey for facebook.  Just eliminated all my friends, all posts, all likes, all everything except the account name since it can be useful for security verification.  Feels like addictions of today all surround facebook, so my idea is to start living the real world more and less in virtual space.  Same applies to these forums, when it's otherwise not a relevant topic.

[ZenBlue]

@8LanguageStud Yea a lot of Internet activities can be addicting. Luckily I don't have a big problem with using Facebook. I mainly use it for the news feed feature so I can get a quick scan of things going on with my friends, and current news.

Day 24 - Still on track with my goal

Slow day at work. Mainly did a little work on my start up and played video games with my girlfriend.

Day 25 - Still on track with my goal

Opened a joint bank account for me and my girlfriend today. Re-designed the header image for my start up site. Spent most of the day relaxing. I'm not good at organizing my time and keeping myself on a schedule. I need to improve my time management skills. I would like to get more free time for myself, but it will be a while before I can make it happen. In the meantime, I should learn how to maximize the current time I have now.

[ZenBlue]

Day 26 - Still on track with my goal

I watched the video about vision from the Life Purpose course. I saw the documentary that was recommended to watch. It's interesting to see the side of the story we never hear. The man with the vision who was so close to making it happen, but it just slipped right between his fingers. Yet even though the project wasn't fully developed, the work that was put into it has taken roots into a lot of the work we see today.

[Extreme Z7]

@ZenBlue I haven't bought the life purpose course yet. Can I ask what this documentary is?

[ZenBlue]

16 hours ago, Extreme Z7 said:

@ZenBlue I haven't bought the life purpose course yet. Can I ask what this documentary is?

I PM'ed you.

Day 27 - Still on track with my goal. Only 3 days left for the initial goal!

There are perks with my job that I like, but there are also parts about it that are just draining the life out of me. It's a low paying job so I'm just getting by with my finances. The accident put a dent in my wallet, but once I take care of a few things I will have some extra money coming to me. In the mean time I'm going to look for a flexible job that will let me work from home full time or at least part time.

I will work on building my business as well, and I want to turn that into a full time income.

I haven't been very productive lately. I'm feeling drained and stressed out right now. I'm sure I will get things settled in a few weeks.

 

[ZenBlue]

Day 28 - Still on track with my goal

I'm nearing the 30 day mark, and although I still have urges to watch TV, it is a lot easier for me to ignore the urges. I am able to quickly block TV out of my mind and instead focus on other things in my life.

[ZenBlue]

Day 29 - 1 more day left for the initial goal! Although I'm still going to keep this rule in place for at least the next 2 months.

I find the longer I keep this up, the easier it becomes. I have to be careful though that I don't fall back into my old habit. I'm going to avoid watching TV shows for as long as I can.

I'm still not as productive as I want to be. I realized my biggest problem with productivity is my energy level. I usually have low energy levels throughout the day. It is very rare for me to wake up with a lot of energy and maintain that through out the entire day.

I need to raise my energy level through a better diet, and regular physical exercise.

[ZenBlue]

Day 30 - Today is the final day of my initial goal.

Yay I did it! Although I'm going to keep the no TV rule for as long as I can, this concludes the end of this journal.

So far cutting TV out of my life for only 1 month has brought me some high yield results. In the mean time I will continue to write daily on my meditation journal. Now that I have cut out a passive activity, it is time for me to implement a positive habit that I actively do on a daily basis. That first step is with daily meditation.

[Natasha]

@ZenBlue Congrats on your achievement! I'm going no TV 'cold turkey', called my provider today and told them to cut the U-Verse connection off. Feels  really good to have done it! 

[ZenBlue]

@Natasha Thank you That's awesome I'm glad you decided to take the plunge as well! Good luck with your challenge, hope it all goes well. Let us know how it works out for you