Effects of minimizing tv time

Having sifted through my twitter feed last night, I noticed a tweet in which I commented on a particular reality show, The Challenge, which I love, back at the end of September, I think it was. It was in regards to the reunion show. That was when I was weaning off of tv. I had gotten down from several hours of television per night to about two to three hours per week. Since then, my television schedule has reduced further. I watched the season of The Ultimate Fighter for the past month or so and now that this has finished, I am not committed to any shows during the week and only watch UFC fights some evenings, on weekends. I have noticed the passage of time is much slower, even if it seems to pass quickly. When I was watching loads of television as part of my regular routine, time passed much more quickly and I'd be looking back of months of inactivity wondering where in the heck the time went. Now that I have not been watching television, I have accomplished more. I have exercised more, met people, and made progress in writing my novel. Also, I've written more blog posts. I've also meditated more. In essence, I've done more with my life and am more cognizant of time. In looking back at the past two months, it seems like the passage of time has been slower. I'm not as regretful and not thinking 'crap, where did the time go?' I'm thinking, a lot has happened since that time, since the end of September, that would not have happened, had I not relinquished my television habit. For me, watching television is not productive. It's a form of entertainment on weekends only, and only for a few hours on Saturday night, for the most part. I don't even miss it. In the beginning, it was a struggle trying to figure out what to do with all the free time on my hands. It prompted me to find other means to keep myself occupied. It required that I re-evaluate my priorities and make strides towards achieving my goals. For this reason, minimizing the amount of time spent mindlessly staring at the black box has been of great benefit for me and has contributed to greater awareness of where I need to be and what needs to be done. It's been a reminder to experience life rather than expecting life to liven before one's eyes without any effort. Sure it takes effort, to get off the couch and take action, but it's well worth it. It's living. It's appreciation of what life has to offer.