30 days of reading instead of watching TV

I started this year going back to reading a book on the odd evening here and there. It was only when I started to notice that on the nights I read instead of turning on the TV, I felt better and more alert the next. I also woke up before my alarm. This led me to experiment in the style of Matt D’Avella and a 30-day challenge.

I know there are many benefits of reading regularly, but there are also benefits to the TV as well. I am curious as to what the result will be, and the side effects on other aspects of my life and work from increasing the consumption of written media vs video.

Expectations

I do have some expectations from what I have noticed from the recent but random days I have not been switching on the TV in favour of a book. What the next 30 days will tell is whether these are long-term benefits or just a coincidence.

Better Sleep

The very thing I noticed from a few random days of reading instead of watching that prompted this experiment. I am expecting to be reporting back in 30 days that I have slept beautifully every night. Okay, maybe not every night, but more nights than I normally wake up feeling fully refreshed and ready to attack the world.

More Energy

As a side effect of getting better sleep, I should have more energy during the day and be able to achieve more in the 8 hours of business each day. With less time sitting around staring into space wishing it was 5pm already, so I can shut down.

Learning More

This is one is a bit of a cheat. I tend to read non-fiction books over fiction and as a result of reading more books I will learn more. Not everything I read is directly related to improving my life or business, for example currently I am reading The Idiot Brain which has no direct impact on my life but is a fascinated read nonetheless.

Feeling Happier

Finally, I expect to feel happier and generally better after this 30-day challenge as a result of achieving more, sleeping better and leading a more fulfilled day.

Challenge Accepted

For the next 30 days, instead of watching TV in an evening to unwind, I will be picking up my Kindle and reading for a couple of hours each day.

Let’s go.