More than once I have devoted a post to how I spend my time, how I show what I really prioritize. As an Achiever, this makes sense for me. Culture also places a high priority on what has been called the “grind culture.” Although I will not write about that here (perhaps later), I wanted to mention it because everything that surrounds me plays into how I perceive all of the inputs. After close to two months of this new school year, I want to take some time to reflect on and respond to teh changes that have come.
The biggest thing on my mind is my response to my task overload. As I have talked about before, more fills my plate than ever before such a full plate should prompt a response that best maximizes the efficient use of that time. however, I have developed a new and counter-productive habit. For quite a while, I have watched Brandon Farris videos, short clips that make me laugh, while only occasionally letting the autoplay work its sneaky magic. Some time towards the beginning of this year, I fell down the YouTube rabbit hole, finding at least four other channels to subscribe to and enjoy. I cringe when I look back on how many hours I have devoted to nothing more than watching these videos.
As I reflect, I realize that I responded this way directly because of the overload. I looked at the amount of this that I had to do and recoiled against it. Instead of digging in and accomplishing what I could, I rebelled against the pressure and sought out YouTube. Several videos later I would chide myself for wasting time and complain (to myself about myself) when evening came and I had no time for the other things I enjoy. In the end, I could blame only myself.
Last week I decided to do something about this time-waster, something more than chid myself each time. I messed up. For weeks prior I kept telling myself that I needed to stop watching these videos, which clearly had little to no effect. Instead, I decided to use my journal for accountability each day, writing how I did on the YouTube video front. I even got cocky the Saturday before last when I did not watch a single video all day. My YouTube rabbit hole the following Sunday showed me that I still have a lot to learn.
It’s still early days and I have not been entirely successful but this renewed focus and personal accountability has seemed to help. I have a long way to go but a positive mindset definitely helps the journey.