Mar

So long, TV

It seems my life has become busy. I am blessed to work full-time as a network systems admin for a small pediatric home care provider. I volunteer at my church, where I have served as an elder, play for the orchestra and other worship music teams, teach and provide leadership for young adult ministries, and do whatever else I can to help. I am studying full-time in seminary for an MDiv. I take, and occasionally teach, taekwondo (though not as much as I would like). I’m the guitarist for an 80s cover band. And most important, I’m the husband of an amazing woman and father to two little girls we adopted last fall. In other words, I’m a Renaissance-man wannabe. I’m a Christian, Husband, Father, Theologian, Musician, Martial Artist, and Geek.

I do not say this to brag. If you ask me if I’m crazy to juggle all this, I’d say YES! What I want to share with you is HOW to do this without going completely mental. (In reality, this schedule is far too busy, and I don’t believe it’s sustainable for long-term health. Lord willing, it will only be this nuts until I complete my graduate studies.) What’s the secret?

TURN OFF YOUR TELEVISION

That’s it. Don’t believe me? Then listen to someone with more cred: Seth Godin knows this, too. Not only that, he gives a nice starter list of things you can do that are far more valuable than putting yourself in a coma in front of the TV for another night. Here’s what he offers:

Now, though, you could:

Run a little store on eBay

Write a daily blog

Write a novel

Start an online community about your favorite passion

Go to meetups in your town

Volunteer to tutor a kid, in person or online

Learn a new language, verbal or programming

Write hand written thank you notes each evening to people who helped you out or did a good job

Produce small films and publish them online

Listen to the one thousand most important operas

Read a book or two every evening

Play a game of Scrabble with your family

None of them are perfect. Each of them are better than TV.