There is quite a difference in our behaviours when we go to the cinema and when we watch TV.
Going to the cinema is like having a journey. It needs to be planned ahead, it starts at specific time and has specific duration, it has a reason, and it has an outcome.
Watching TV on the other hand is basically spontaneous time killer: turn it on, switch through the channels until something catches an eye, watch or listen a part of some show or movie.
Going to the cinema is proactive. Watching TV is reactive.
Similarly a life can be proactive or reactive.
Cinema Mode
Living a life in cinema mode means understanding what you want in life, having a plan how to achieve it, and taking action.
Of cause this doesn’t mean that you spend all your time working on those proactive actions. Similarly to going to the cinema which doesn’t happen every day, working on those actions takes just a small part of the time available in the week.
At the same time, just like going to the cinema is scheduled beforehand, those actions are predefined for the week, month, and beyond.
What happens when you’re late to the cinema? You won’t fully enjoy the experience.
What happens when you get derailed from a proactive task? You won’t fully enjoy the day.
However since you go to the cinema with friends or your spouse, it’s a social event. And even if you spoil movie experience (or the movie is beyond your expectations), the social part of the event can easily make your day.
Your tasks unfortunately do not have back side. They are either done or not. What you need as your backup for hard situation is a margin. Having a margin in the day means having flexibility to react to unexpected issues.
What about living a life in TV mode?
That’s living in fully reactive mode: tasks come unexpectedly from others, you handle them when you have time or when they are already on fire, you do just enough to get rid of the task or deal with consequences of handling it too late.
It’s a busy life without meaning. It’s full of random actions. And most importantly this will never end until you switch to the cinema mode.
If you see yourself living in TV mode, I strongly encourage you to find your way to cinema mode life. Make a switch for 6 months and see what happens. I’m sure you will have less stressful and more fulfilled life. The simple fact of being in control of day-to-day tasks instead of firefighting them feels great. You don’t have to have a big goal to make the switch.