How to Waste Time?

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2020!

Why should you read this? Why would you possibly want to know how to waste time? Though I won’t claim to be an expert on the topic, wasting time, I rate myself ‘above average’.

I will be explaining how I used to waste time, and from knowing about it, you can, maybe, use that scarce resource, Time, meaningfully.

One of the prime ways I waste time is by watching TV Shows/Series. I would like to list the TV shows I have watched and the corresponding time I have wasted in doing so. Please bear with me.

(If you are looking for TV Show recommendations, take notes!)

TV Shows I have Watched

1. Supernatural – 315 episodes – 9 days, 20 hours, 15 minutes.
2. House – 176 episodes – 5 days, 12 hours.
3. Castle – 173 episodes – 5 days, 9 hours, 45 minutes.
4. Arrow – 167 episodes – 5 days, 5 hours, 15 minutes.
5. The Big Bang Theory – 279 episodes – 4 days, 20 hours, 15 minutes.
6. Elementary – 154 episodes – 4 days, 19 hours, 30 minutes.
7. The Mentalist – 151 episodes – 4 days, 17 hours, 15 minutes.
8. Two and a Half Men – 262 episodes – 4 days, 13 hours, 10 minutes.
9. The Blacklist – 143 episodes – 4 days, 11 hours, 15 minutes.
10. Suits – 134 episodes – 4 days, 4 hours, 30 minutes.
11. Modern Family – 241 episodes – 4 days, 4 hours, 25 minutes.
12. FRIENDS – 236 episodes – 4 days, 2 hours, 20 minutes.
13. The Flash – 122 episodes – 3 days, 19 hours, 30 minutes.
14. Psych – 121 episodes – 3 days, 18 hours, 45 minutes.
15. How I Met Your Mother – 208 episodes – 3 days, 14 hours, 40 minutes.
16. That ’70s Show – 200 episodes – 3 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes.
17. Burn Notice – 111 episodes – 3 days, 11 hours, 15 minutes.
18. Dexter – 96 episodes – 3 days, 8 hours.
19. Person of Interest – 103 episodes – 3 days, 5 hours, 15 minutes.
20. Fringe – 100 episodes – 3 days, 3 hours.
21. Seinfeld – 180 episodes – 3 days, 3 hours.
22. Supergirl – 96 episodes – 3 days.
23. Game of Thrones – 73 episodes – 2 days, 18 hours, 55 minutes.
24. House of Cards – 73 episodes – 2 days, 18 hours, 55 minutes.
25. Prison Break – 88 episodes – 2 days, 18 hours.
26. Last Man Standing – 152 episodes – 2 days, 15 hours, 20 minutes.
27. Just Shoot Me – 148 episodes – 2 days, 13 hours, 40 minutes.
28. White Collar – 81 episodes – 2 days, 12 hours, 45 minutes.
29. Leverage – 77 episodes – 2 days, 9 hours, 45 minutes.
30. Brooklyn Nine-Nine – 130 episodes – 2 days, 6 hours, 10 minutes.
31. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow – 67 episodes – 2 days, 2 hours, 15 minutes.
32. Lucifer – 67 episodes – 2 days, 2 hours, 15 minutes.
33. Billions – 48 episodes – 2 days.
34. Hustle – 48 episodes – 2 days.
35. Community – 110 episodes – 1 day, 21 hours, 50 minutes.
36. Wizards of Waverly Place – 106 episodes – 1 day, 20 hours, 10 minutes.
37. Melissa & Joey – 104 episodes – 1 day, 19 hours, 20 minutes.
38. Anger Management – 100 episodes – 1 day, 17 hours, 40 minutes.
39. Hannah Montana – 100 episodes – 1 day, 17 hours, 40 minutes.
40. 13 Reasons Why – 39 episodes – 1 day, 15 hours.
41. Mr. Robot – 45 episodes – 1 day, 13 hours, 30 minutes.
42. Marvel’s Daredevil – 39 episodes – 1 day, 11 hours, 45 minutes.
43. Arrested Development – 84 episodes – 1 day, 11 hours.
44. Spartacus – 33 episodes – 1 day, 9 hours.
45. Marvel’s Jessica Jones – 39 episodes – 1 day, 8 hours, 30 minutes.
46. VEEP – 65 episodes – 1 day, 8 hours, 30 minutes.
47. Continuum – 42 episodes – 1 day, 7 hours, 30 minutes.
48. Hannibal – 39 episodes – 1 day, 5 hours, 15 minutes.
49. Young & Hungry – 70 episodes – 1 day, 5 hours, 10 minutes.
50. Silicon Valley – 53 episodes – 1 day, 2 hours, 30 minutes.
51. Sense8 – 24 episodes – 1 day.
52. True Detective – 24 episodes – 1 day.
53. Marvel’s Luke Cage – 26 episodes – 23 hours, 50 minutes.
54. Marvel’s The Punisher – 26 episodes – 23 hours, 50 minutes.
55. Ballers – 47 episodes – 23 hours, 30 minutes.
56. Marvel’s Iron Fist – 21 hours, 5 minutes.
57. Stranger Things – 25 episodes – 20 hours, 50 minutes.
58. Westworld – 20 episodes – 20 hours.
59. Sherlock – 13 episodes – 19 hours, 30 minutes.
60. Joey – 46 episodes – 19 hours, 10 minutes.
61. The Good Place – 46 episodes – 19 hours, 10 minutes.
62. Young Sheldon – 54 episodes – 18 hours.
63. Black Mirror – 21 episodes – 17 hours, 30 minutes.
64. GLOW – 30 episodes – 17 hours, 30 minutes.
65. YOU – 20 episodes – 16 hours, 30 minutes.
66. Limitless – 22 episodes – 16 hours, 30 minutes.
67. The Event – 22 episodes – 16, hours, 30 minutes.
68. American Gods – 16 episodes – 14 hours, 40 minutes.
69. Coupling – 28 episodes – 14 hours.
70. The Girlfriend Experience – 27 episodes – 13 hours, 30 minutes.
71. Easy – 25 episodes – 12 hours, 30 minutes.
72. Stone Cold Podcast – 12 episodes – 12 hours.
73. Master of None – 20 episodes – 10 hours.
74. The IT Crowd – 24 episodes – 10 hours.
75. Endgame – 13 episodes – 9 hours, 45 minutes.
76. American Vandal – 16 episodes – 9 hours, 20 minutes.
77. The Grinder – 22 episodes – 9 hours, 10 minutes.
78. Sex Education – 8 episodes – 6 hours, 40 minutes.
79. Bless This Mess – 15 episodes – 6 hours, 15 minutes.
80. Fawlty Towers – 12 episodes – 6 hours.
81. Marvel’s The Defenders – 8 episodes – 6 hours.
82. Mr. Bean – 14 episodes – 5 hours, 50 minutes.
83. Selfie – 13 episodes – 5 hours, 25 minutes.
84. The End of the F***ing World – 16 episodes – 5 hours, 20 minutes.
85. Mrs. Fletcher – 7 episodes – 3 hours, 30 minutes.

In total, it adds up to – 85 shows – 6,673 episodes – 169 days, 16 hours, 30 minutes!

That’s it! Is this too many? I think so, in hindsight. This list doesn’t include some TV shows which I started watching and stopped following mid-way. It doesn’t calculate the additional Time I have wasted in re-watching certain TV Shows or episodes!

For the last few days, as I was contemplating writing this blog post, I realized the magnitude of Time I was wasting on this habit. I can justify to myself that I enjoy watching TV Shows, so for entertainment and relaxation this is Okay. But is it really?

“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself – and you are the easiest person to fool.” Richard Feynman.

Become aware of how you are spending your Time. If you are wasting time in a particular activity, be it watching movies, playing video games, chatting with friends, scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, whatever it may be, be honest with yourself – that it is a waste of time, and try to manage it.

Become aware of your Vices, then manage it, so one day you would be able to eliminate it!

Stay Alstoned,

Randy Alstone!