Focus on Real Life Most of the Time

A couple years ago, I started playing this game on the computer, and it was addicting. I remember one weekend, I spent a few hours on the computer without even thinking about it. Have you ever had that experience? Maybe it’s a TV series on Netflix that you’re into, and you always need to watch one more episode. Or maybe it’s video games or fantasy football. Maybe you’re a social media junkie, spending hours browsing through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

I’m not against video games or watching TV. We all need some time to unplug and unwind. There’s nothing wrong with entertainment. The problem comes when we get sucked into the fantasy, and focus more on that than real life.

Entertainment Isn’t Real Life

Entertainment isn’t real life. That’s actually kind of the point of entertainment. It’s something that takes us away from our difficulties and worries. It allows us to escape for a bit. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that per se. The problem comes when we spend more time escaping than is good for us.

Escaping Doesn’t Help Us in Real Life

Escaping from real life doesn’t help us solve problems or improve our situation. We might play a badass character in a video game, but it doesn’t help us improve our actual strength or confidence. We might win at fantasy sports, but it doesn’t help us be successful at our real job. We might spend a lot of time on social media, but it doesn’t necessarily help us deepen our relationships in real life.

Real Life vs. Fantasy

If you’re struggling in your life right now, or if you want something to be different, check how much time you are spending each day in real life vs. fantasy. How much time are you spending on real-life things, like going to the gym, learning new skills, improving your job performance, or having real conversations with people? On the other hand, how much time are you spending in fantasy, like watching TV, playing video games, or browsing social media?

Limit Time Spent in Fantasy

If you want to improve your life, you have to shift the scales. Put a limit on how much time you spend in fantasy each day (e.g., 30-60 minutes). If you want to take an extreme step, cut out time in fantasy completely. With the extra time and space in your life, focus on improving your health, skills, and relationships.