Wasting time?

I love this post I read earlier today on Ben Arment's blog. It said,

"There were people who had the potential to [be the voice of this generation], but they went on vacation. So when Justin [Timberlake] went on vacation, I made albums." ~ Kanye West

Okay, Kanye isn't the best guy to emulate. But I do think we throw away a lot of our potential on wasted free time.

When other people are watching football, you could be writing one more chapter of a book. When everyone else is playing XBox, you could be dreaming up a new venture.

"I do think we throw away a lot of our potential on wasted free time." I think that is so true. Don't get me wrong, I like free time. I like to relax. However, do I need to relax for 3 hours in front of the television or looking at random websites when I could be reading, running, playing with my kids, writing or having a conversation with someone?

As I go through 2009, one of my goals is to be more focused and productive with my time. This means turning off the tv more and closing my computer sooner. One thing I've noticed is how hard this can be, and how easy it is to turn the tv on or flip open my computer. It's almost become 2nd nature - just something I do without thinking about it. I hate that about myself. I hate the fact that I love tv. There, it's out in the open.

Is there something about you that you hate and are trying to change?