Did TV stations really sign off at midnight at one time? Before cable and satellite and Nancy Grace and her crowd of journalists, giving us no news all the time, yes, the TV day ended … at midnight or shortly thereafter, followed by the “Star Spangled Banner,” and then the test pattern.
The time seems so long ago, but You Tube shows the end of the TV day in Greensboro, NC in 1987 with the American flag waving in the breeze to the playing of the National Anthem (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1YOw4EDFhc).
What might happen for all of us writers if the TV day ended abruptly?
Well, for starters, we might get more sleep.
When I ask my dissertation clients what change in their life might be of the most help in their reaching their daily writing goal, many clients say that getting to bed at a decent time ranks close to the top.
Getting to bed at a not-too-ridiculous time can help you stick with your writing, do a decent job of writing, and actually move you closer to getting that project out the door.
What happens after you’ve had a long day or a long week, perhaps taught an evening class, or put the kids to bed, and now at last you have time to yourself? Do you sit down to put in a couple of hours on your writing?
More often than not, you sit down in front of the TV to relax for just a minute. Clicking the remote, you find it harder and harder to turn off the TV and get up out of that chair. You settle in to watch the umpteenth rerun of a Law and Order Special Victims Unit show.
One client says that she gets hooked on late-night viewing of the History channel. It’s hard to pull away from stories about the Aryan Brotherhood or Secrets of Underground London or New York.
If you don’t fall asleep in front of the TV, you finally drag yourself to bed, annoyed at the wasted time, and realizing what the effect will be on you tomorrow. And how easy it will be to avoid your work. Which might have been the underlying motive for sitting there.
More sleep= clear mind, less stress, AND improved productivity. A WIN!
But we need some help– wouldn’t it be easier to get that sleep if we had the American flag or a test pattern staring back at us when we turn on the TV? Maybe we could tape the sign-off and play it when we sit down. How about that link to You Tube?
Best to you,
Nancy
Nancy Whichard, PhD, PCC
Your International Dissertation Coach and Academic Career Coach
nancy @ nancywhichard.com
www.nancywhichard.com
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