I told a friend last week that from the outside looking in, people are probably thinking I've outlawed fun for the month. I'm doing Whole30, which means I've cut out a vast majority of foods, living on mainly fruits, veggies and meat. Goodbye donuts, cake, brownies, cookies, cupcakes, and pretty much anything else I love that contains sugar. I'm spending most of my free time writing or working on various home remodeling projects. Goodbye lounging around. And I also decided to cut out all movies and TV for the month. Goodbye being a couch potato and mindlessly watching movies.
Welcome to Courtney's house of fun! 🎉
But why?
Fair question.
For starters, doing Whole30 at the beginning of the year has become an annual tradition (although I usually do closer to Whole45 or Whole60). I started it in 2019 and saw such dramatic results that I was sold, hook, line and sinker. I usually do a modified form of it at various times throughout the year, but January/February is my all-in version. I get amazing sleep. I have more energy. My skin looks bright. I feel less stressed. It's.so.worth.it. So, yes, I'm willing to give up donuts for nearly two months in exchange for better sleep and all of these other amazing benefits. It's just a good way to start the year fresh.
Second, we've already discussed the writing situation. I got lazy. I needed a dose of discipline. Hence, the daily writing.
Lastly, the no-movies situation. Toward the end of last year I felt like I was just spending a lot of time mindlessly watching TV and feeling very unmotivated to do anything else. Yes, fall is a busy time for me for work, and it's easy to mentally check out in the evenings when I'm done, but I felt like my time on the couch was getting excessive. I would sit and watch a few hours of a TV show in one sitting (hello, Sweet Magnolias on Netflix) and then just feel gross, like I was wasting my life and being the world's most unproductive citizen. I did a similar form of a media detox once in grad school, only a little more extreme. I cut out all movies, TV, radio, music, and social media (which I had at the time) for three months. IT WAS AMAZING. I read over 30 books that summer, and that was when I read Lord of the Rings for the first time.
Robyn Davidson, the woman who trekked across the Australian desert with her four camels and a dog in 1977, once said, "I believe when you’re stuck in one spot for too long it’s best to throw a grenade where you stand, and jump…and pray."
It's probably been time to throw a grenade for awhile (although it's probably more of a smoke bomb in this instance). I have been feeling stuck in so many areas of life, bored and restless. I have been apathetic, procrastinating on projects I have had on my to-do list for months. I wasn't depressed (I've been that before and this wasn't it), but I had just gotten so complacent.
Something had to give.
I think removing the option of watching movies and TV has freed me up to do all this writing. I'm spending my evenings sorting out my thoughts, trying to get them into a coherent framework in order to write instead of just popping on the TV and trying not to think at all. And knowing that I'm eating well and taking care of my body just adds to the snowball. I haven't felt this productive or energized in awhile, and it has been so refreshing in a way that I didn't know I needed.
Who knows what February through December will look like, but January is no doubt a happening time. At least as much of a 'happening time' one can have without donuts or a good movie.
So, go ahead, throw that grenade.
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