There is so much to do and so little time!
If you are anything like me (and I hope that you are not) you find yourself with a feeling of being overwhelmed by the many options in entertainment. This sinking feeling of dread and stress appears when you are faced with the realization that you cannot possibly see all the movies, play all the games, or read all the books you want to, for you do not have the time.
There are simply too many options for things to experience. The entertainment industry is booming and new stuff is being produced all the time, at an alarming rate.
A couple of years ago I got into reading, you know, like books and stuff. I quickly found someone talking about books online, so I could get some inspiration and some recommendations. This is where the first problem appeared. You do not have to follow that many people to get a staggering amount of recommendations.
Since I did not read that fast back then all the books quickly overwhelmed me, I could not enjoy the book I was reading. I was constantly thinking of the mountain of books I had yet to read.
It does not have to be books, it can be movies, series, anime, and so on. I will be using movies as an example, but the point stands for art in general.
FEAR NOT! I am here to give you some advice on how to avoid being overwhelmed.
TIP 1 cut the crap
The first thing I am going to say is, almost everything is total crap! Okay, that might be oversimplifying a bit, but listen to this. Most things being made are straight-up not that good, to begin with. Most movies being made are either bad or generic. By cutting away these movies you save yourself a lot of stress.
TIP 2 choose wisely and reflect on what you like
The second point to keep in mind is that of all the good stuff, most of it is for you. It doesn’t resonate with you, either because it was not made with your demographic in mind, or you simply do not have the interest. Lord of the Rings is a masterpiece, but if you don’t really vibe with fantasy, well, then it is all for not. I haven’t liked any Marvel movies, so it would be stupid for me to keep wachting them. Clearly some people like them, but they are simply not for me.
Once you can differentiate pieces of art, then you will be golden. It takes a bit of time, and it is important to reflect on what you value in art.
When you cut out all the bad and generic movies, along with those who you simply do not have any interest in, then you find the amount of art and media to consume is a lot smaller than before.
But how do I know what is good and what is bad?
Well, you can’t know if a movie is good unless you watch it. What you can do is start to recognize patterns. Maybe you dislike most modern comedy movies and find them painfully unfunny. In that case, it would be safe to skip it, unless something special catches your attention. Maybe you dislike a certain director or actor, in which case just skip their movies.
TIP 3 popularity is not always good
This brings me to the last point; What is popular is trash and bad. You should not follow the herd when it comes to these sorts of things. When Game of Thrones was at its highest, it felt like everyone was talking about it, but if you do not like fantasy or violence then maybe the show isn’t for you. I know it can be hard to not be involved with what everyone else is into, but trust me you are better off spending your time consuming something you actually like. Do not let the HYPE get to you, stay strong. That means you have to stay strong when people around you get excited and start talking about the newest show they watch.