{"id":5642,"date":"2011-03-02T22:52:54","date_gmt":"2011-03-03T06:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=5642"},"modified":"2013-09-05T09:43:48","modified_gmt":"2013-09-05T17:43:48","slug":"the-5-step-process-to-complete-tv-elimination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/the-5-step-process-to-complete-tv-elimination\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 Step Process to Complete TV Elimination"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

<\/a>
\n\u201cBut when television is bad, nothing is worse\u2026Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off.\u00a0 I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland.\u201d\u00a0 These words were said in 1961, by FCC chairman Newton Minnow.<\/p>\n

When he said this, there were only three channels to choose from; now there are hundreds.\u00a0 However, I think his words still ring true.\u00a0 How often have you flipped through the few hundred channels you have access to, but still can\u2019t find anything to watch?<\/p>\n

Why Give Up TV?<\/em><\/p>\n

I used to be an avid TV watcher.\u00a0 I have watched every episode of both older shows and newer ones.\u00a0 It\u2019s a comforting feeling to follow the lives of regular characters you get to know.\u00a0 The best part is that it is a one-way street.\u00a0 They give you entertainment and a sense of companionship, but you don\u2019t give them anything except your time.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s one of the reasons I wanted to stop watching TV altogether.\u00a0 At the end of a series run, I had nothing to show for it.\u00a0 Add up all the hours together and it turns out that I spent most of it sitting down, watching other fictitious people live their lives.\u00a0 I wanted to live my life, not watch others\u2019 live theirs.<\/p>\n

Stop TV Watching in Five Steps:<\/strong>
\n1.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Weed Out The Shows You\u2019re Watching<\/strong><\/p>\n

Figure out what shows you watch on a regular basis and stop watching the ones you don\u2019t care about.\u00a0 These are shows you catch here and there and watch only for something to do.\u00a0 It was only when I listed out all the shows I regularly watch when I realized how many of them were just killing time until something I really wanted to see came on.\u00a0 Eventually, you\u2019ll be left with your \u201ccore\u201d TV shows.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>2.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Don\u2019t Start Watching Anything Else<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watch these \u201ccore\u201d TV shows and immediately turn off the TV before anything else comes on.\u00a0 If it is out of sight, it is out of mind.\u00a0 This will be difficult when you listen in on other people\u2019s conversations.
\nWhen I was at work, I would constantly hear about TV shows and commercials people were watching.\u00a0 I had several shows recommended to me and all I could do was shrug and tell them that I didn\u2019t watch TV.\u00a0 It was hard because you couldn\u2019t interact with their conversations, but it also made me realize how dominant TV is in some people\u2019s lives.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Fill your new-found time with other things<\/strong><\/p>\n

As you slowly eliminate TV from your life, you\u2019re going to realize just how much time it actually took from you.\u00a0 At first, you might find it hard to figure out what to do.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve been watching endless hours of TV every night, you may be completely unaware of any hobbies and interests you might like.
\nThis is important to do.\u00a0 You can\u2019t just sit around and do nothing.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t find a hobby to do, then the pull of TV will be too strong and you\u2019ll just end up turning it back on.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Cut the TV Cord<\/strong><\/p>\n

Making the final transition to get rid of cable or satellite TV can be tricky.\u00a0 Those \u201ccore\u201d TV shows you\u2019re watching probably have several years left in them.\u00a0 But kicking a bad habit is hard work; this is no exception.
\nWhen I disconnected my cable TV box, I let it sit idly in the corner of my apartment for several weeks.\u00a0 I think I was like a recovering alcoholic who needed beer in the house just to prove that he could resist temptation.\u00a0 Eventually, I turned it in to my cable provider and was rid of TV for good.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>5.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Dealing With TV in the World<\/strong><\/p>\n

One amazing thing about getting rid of TV in your home is how much you notice it is pushed on you elsewhere.\u00a0 There are TVs in malls, airports, stores, bars and restaurants.\u00a0 I\u2019ve even seen them at a few gas stations.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not going to stop myself from going somewhere just because they have TVs, unless they have an obnoxious amount of them.\u00a0 However, I try to sit where there is little TV interaction.\u00a0 I even thought about buying a universal remote for my keychain so I can turn any TV off anywhere.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

TV and I, Today<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eventually, TV reasserted itself into my life.\u00a0 Eight months after I had given up TV forever, I moved in with my girlfriend.\u00a0 She\u2019s not much of a TV watcher, but wanted to keep it.\u00a0 I was okay with this.\u00a0 After all, she is more important than some box.<\/p>\n

Now that I\u2019m in a household with TV again, I realize how much I\u2019ve changed.\u00a0 When it\u2019s on, I can tune it out as I do other things.\u00a0 Occasionally, I\u2019ll turn my head towards it.\u00a0 But all that does is to remind me why I turned it off in the first place.<\/p>\n

And I have to admit that I started watching it again.\u00a0 I tend to think of it like candy or fast food now.\u00a0 It\u2019s okay in moderation.\u00a0 But chances are that if you were to stop in my house on any given day that my TV would be off.\u00a0 I have too many things I want to do in life to be sitting in front of it.
\nSteve is the writer behind Do Something Cool<\/a> where he blogs about personal growth, motivation, travel and adventure. \u00a0He’s always looking for ways to make life more interesting. \u00a0Get tips on living life to the fullest through his Facebook<\/a> fan page.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And I have to admit that I started watching it again. I tend to think of it like candy or fast food now. It\u2019s okay in moderation. But chances are that if you were to stop in my house on any given day that my TV would be off. I have too many things I want to do in life to be sitting in front of it. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":13074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[6],"tags":[259,66,4639,4629,1225,1226],"yoast_head":"\nThe 5 Step Process to Complete TV Elimination - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Figure out what shows you watch on a regular basis and stop watching the ones you don\u2019t care about. 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