Not to many think very hard on just how much an impact Christmas presents make on our everyday lives.
For example, I posted yesterday that I got a Computer monitor for Christmas. Although this has been a great gift as I mentioned yesterday, I hadn’t really realized until now how much of a difference it has made in my life.
Here’s why…
When I replaced my old computer monitor with my new one, I moved my old computer monitor to the left. Previously, my TV was there. Now I do find myself a creature of laziness to some degree, so often times when I am frustrated programming, or something like that, I will pop the tv on to my left and watch Frasier, Friends, Star Trek, or whatever happens to be on at the time. Lately though, I haven’t had the ability to do this because I have been to lazy to find the right cables to hook my cable box up to my PC, and then to lazy to find drivers that work for vista again (I had them before I formatted a month or two ago, but never took the time to get them back after the crash).
That said, I have discovered two things that have happened that are strangely interesting. The first thing: I have been playing a lot more wii at night than normal. Relating this back to the laziness, I have decided that it must be easier for me to go and play wii, than it is for me to attempt to watch television on my computer. I also find myself watching less reruns, again, because it takes more effort to go and watch TV in the other room, than it did to just turn it on in here.
Now odds are, I will fix my TV card soon enough due to frustration with not being able to watch it while I work, but until then I’m going to enjoy the fact that I can’t program and watch tv at the same time.
Let me give you another example:
I wrote about multifunction printer I got for Christmas as well. This to has had a positive impact on some of my behaviors. No, I’m not printing more… But I have taken a more active position in filing things.
To be more clear: when mail comes in, I’ve now developed a process of scanning it into my PC (because it’s just so easy). Sending it to whoever I need to (if it needs action). And then taking it off the scanner bed and filing it away. Why I’m doing this, I can only think is because either I enjoy scanning so much (really it is kind of fun), or because I’ve seemingly developed and overridden my old bad habbit.
The old habbit you ask? I would stack the papers on the floor, my desk, and sometimes even on Joe’s desk, until I spent a full day organizing them… What a waste of time. My new habit is much much better. Not only am I saving myself the time filing it, but I’m also taking action more promptly than I used to (namely with my taxes ;-)). All a very good thing.
So yeah, next time you get a great gift, just realize how it keeps on giving… If it’s new clothes, you look good day after day in them. If it’s eletronics, realize how every new device improves your life. If it’s nothing more than togetherness with loved ones, remember all the great memories created.