Refocusing: Why I’m Saying Goodbye to Distractions
Trying to make a more Productive Me
Let me tell you a secret…
I’m somewhat of a self-help junkie. I find myself constantly drawn to the words of icons like Tony Robbins, M. J. DeMarco, Richard Rumelt, Michael E. Gerber, Robert T. Kiyosaki, and many others who grace podcasts and author insightful books on wealth building and honing business acumen. Yes, I am that guy, constantly on the lookout for wisdom nuggets to fuel my passion and productivity.
As I delved deeper into this world, a recurring theme began to resonate with me: the art of quitting unproductive habits to hone one’s focus on what truly matters. While the thought of completely overturning my lifestyle is daunting, I am trying to take a step towards bidding farewell to a few things that are no longer serving me: video games and irregular sleep patterns.
Take a look at this screenshot — not exactly my proudest moment, to be honest.
It’s not a record-breaking number; it’s stretched over 12 years, and yeah, there are definitely people out there with even more hours logged. But playing Risk of Rain 2 and Crab Champions — as much fun as it has been (especially with friends) — it does make me pause and think: “What could I have achieved if I had just half that time back?” It’s not just the games though; add to this the TV shows I’ve binge-watched and the never-ending reel of social media scrolls… could probably name many others.
I’m not saying it was all a waste — far from it. Many of those hours were packed with genuine fun, hacking and slashing through games with buddies or cozying up on the couch for movie nights with my partner. Those are the moments I want to hold onto. But I am saying that maybe it’s time to be more deliberate about how I spend my “fun” time, especially now in my early 30s.
Not that I’m getting that long in the tooth, but they certainly aren’t getting shorter.