Right Now I Am Not Sure I Can Walk Away From Netflix
Is this a hobby, habit, or favorite pastime?
I love Netflix. Many times, the thought of it makes me break into a smile. For years, I shared passwords with my siblings until it became inconvenient. So one day, I decided, I’ll do my own paid subscription. [Someone working at Netflix must be smiling now.]
I work 7 am to 4 pm. Once I get home, I settle down to Netflix. I’ll binge till I fall asleep. I do this every workday unless I make a detour after work or something else comes up.
On weekends, other than grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning, I fill my time with Netflix. When my friends wonder about my whereabouts, I am on Netflix dates.
It’s worse when I am watching a series. I am determined to get to the next episode, then the next episode, and the one after that, and viola, we are at the next season. I guess they designed them to keep people hooked.
Don’t let me start on those Korean movies. I find them so enjoyable, especially the period pieces. Those writers have a thing with long-running episodes. Imagine a season having 40, 50, or 60 episodes. And guess what? I am determined to get to the very end.
My dilemma
I have been talking forever about writing my board exams. It’s partially why I have stayed in my current role in a doctor’s office. I do not want to lose touch. But then, my transition depends on passing my boards.
Am I studying? Yes, I am. But you bet my time and dedication to Netflix is nothing like what I do with my studies. Nope, nada!
I keep trying to convince myself that at least I am consistent. So every morning before I go to work, I study for about an hour. Then at work, when things get monotonous, I listen to audio lectures. This is my weekly routine unless something unusual comes up.
A few weeks ago, a lady who studied and passed the same exam I am prepping for said she studied 12 hours every day. Frankly, I almost fell out of my seat. WTF!
She said she did 4 hours of question bank morning, afternoon, and night. Well, it clearly worked for her cos she passed. She also said she wasn’t working.
The first time I prepped for the exam, I was doing casual work. I only worked when I felt like it. There was no schedule. I had more time to study. I did the exam and missed the cut-off mark by 11 marks.
Now, I work full-time. You guys know what my study schedule looks like. I am not very fazed about it, as in I do not feel deficient. But I can’t help but remember my colleague who slugged it out 12 hours each day.
I am not fazed because I think everyone has a path and walks in their path. You discover who you are and know what works for you.
Obvious next step
You could say, reduce your Netflix time so you study more. TBH, I know I spend an insane amount of time on Netflix regardless of my upcoming exams. I considered watching only movies or worst-case scenarios, watching shorter series. But then, the best of those Korean dramas are not short. And I really love them with all their absurdity.
Hubby noticed my binge and said to me last night, “you need to divert some of that time you spend on Netflix to study.” That’s stating the obvious.
Here’s what’s likely to happen. I will not stop my Netflix habit. I’ll instead focus on movies that average 2 to 3 hours and series that have relatively fewer episodes. After each view, I’ll reward myself with a study session.
This is possible cos I like experiments. That’ll go well till I fall into my old habit again. You’ll probably hear from me then or when I have blasted those bloody exams.
Thanks to Jason Edmunds.
