Moving onto something new

"Holy shit, I don't have time for this," I said as I to myself deleting a response to a tweet. I was trying to explain a nuanced point in 280 characters to someone I have never met. As I put my phone down, I wondered if I had been in some dissociative fugue, removed from myself as I interacted on social media. I signed up for Facebook in college and Twitter in 2012. It's so easy to get caught up in it all, but how much time have I wasted on these dopamine-releasing activities?!

After putting my phone down, I found myself putting more focus into my new job. This is when I need to pay attention the most not to mention letting my co-workers know that I'm not a lazy piece of shit. A month ago, it was different. I was at a different job and I've checked out. The job was no longer a challenge and I just needed to put in the least amount of effort and I still get those checks every two weeks. Actually, what made me realize I was checking my phone more often than I should was a commercial for Comcast! Kind of ironic, but the catch was that the Internet and WiFi have changed the way we interact with each other, especially with our own family. Everyone usually laments that they don't have enough time, but how many times have you sat on your couch just scrolling through social media? Far too many.

As a long-time fan of the English Premier League, the time from Christmas and New Year's is packed full of games. Normally, my ass would be parked in front of multiple television screens at a bar drinking cheap beer. Not this year. My girlfriend and I decided to get a puppy. With her working nights and me having a 4 day weekend, I was tasked with the initial stages of housebreaking. He's definitely getting better but the first two weeks have been spent running up and down flights of stairs. Pounding beers in a pub is not in the forecast for the foreseeable future. I did not go without however. I was able to watch Manchester United eek out a point against Burnley. Actually, I had to record it because of the dog having to piss every half hour. I stayed off of Twitter so I didn't have the score spoiled.

"Saturdays are for the boys" is a catch phrase if you follow Barstool Sports. Thursday through Sunday nights for me have been for FIFA. I've explained what my FIFA experience is, drinking beers and scoring goals then waking up as rough as toast because I don't know when to put the bottle and controller down. I was really looking forward to playing especially when my girlfriend was heading back to work after a 10-day vacation. I got home from work, bought a couple of beers and I was off to the races. This time was different though. I wasn't getting the same enjoyment that I did. Whether it's because of the job or the puppy or both, I went to bed early. I put Millsey to bed and finished a book that I haven't been able to for a long time and it felt good. I have played since, even having a few more pops while I do, but definitely not as much any more.

You could really title this little piece "how to recognize procrastination and developing discipline." I've kind of lacked discipline throughout my 34 years of life. Typically when approaching a project or task, I'll start off strong then get bored and not finish it. Or I will half-ass the end. Anyone can find distractions from the things that need to be done. For me, it was beer and video games. Regretting that time spent isn't going to help me or anyone but keeping in mind that our time, for right now, is finite. In the movie Boiler Room, Ben Affleck's character, Jim Young, tells his employees "Act As If..." The adage is akin to "fake it until you make it." Pretend you know what you're doing until you understand what you're doing. Wasting time on social media, playing video games and sitting in a bar for hours watching soccer are not bad things but don't be surprised when things don't turn out the way you think they would. Often, those activities are better when they are earned.

As my valedictory, let me say this. Change is a constant. Sorry for the cliché, but it's true. Numerous times, I make the promise that the layout and content of this page is going to change and for whatever reason, it doesn't. With goals, they need a set date and small steps to achieve that goal. My other site's domain name, Redefining Form, will be expiring in February 2018 and I don't intend on renewing it. This site's domain renews automatically - so this will be the repository for my cultural and sports musings. My target is to migrate content from Redefining Form and have a new layout by the end of February. You may see more sport than lifestyle pieces in the future, but lifestyles change. As Dean Wormer said in Animal House, "fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life."

Thank you to those who visit this site! I wish you the best in 2018!