Are You Really Wasting Time? Stop Judging Other People’s Escapism.
If your goal is to have fun, then you’re not wasting time.
Whether your playing a video game, watching a movie or just talking shit with some friends if the objective is that very thing you set out to do, then your not wasting time.
So many times in my life I have judged another for not being ‘productive’. I looked at my own ideal for being productive and would compare it to another’s actions. In those moments I admittedly looked down upon those people. I erroneously compared my own expectations for myself with their actions. I cast those down who weren't moving forward in my eyes to be wasting time. I am not the only one to do this, just the only one I’ve seen admit it. I have since learnt how wrong I was and want to explain the true definition of wasting time is to me.
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”
~ Gandhi
I believe this to be the definition of wasting time:
When you plan action towards one goal and you end up doing another that takes you farther from your goal.
In those moments you’re neither being productive or having fun. Your body is pulled one way while your mind is somewhere else.
On the other hand, if your plan is to watch a movie every night to unwind your problem solving mind before you sleep than you do that. Entrepreneur, investor, best selling author Tim Ferris has done that frequently. But please do not complain about you not having enough time or money to do the things you want when you so willing give it up.
It’s very easy to superficially judge the action of watching an entire series of Game Of Thrones as a ‘waste of time’. But if the result you intended of entertainment, fun that makes you feel better about your life is achieved than who is anyone to judge that as a waste of time. You achieved your goal for said task.
Let’s stop laying judgement on other people’s escapism.
This is a message to me as much as it is to you.
However, there is a flaw in this logic.
It can be used to rationalise nearly every action we take. Thus making us complacent and uncritical between determining things we really NEED to do, and things that are simply mindless bouts of erratic behviour that have no end goal. Don’t be foolish and and start rationalising a string of activities that got you nowhere.
Critically observe why you should do every task you set out and what purpose it serves. Determining this should only take a couple of seconds to distinguish whether it’s truly something you should do. Go with your instinct.
