I just ordered a projector screen from Amazon and wanted to make a note of my good intention with it: I want to watch TV less habitually by moving my projector TV out of my bedroom and into the living room. The missing piece is a backdrop to project onto.

It cost €123,66, which feels a little excessive, but if it successfully adds friction to our my TV habit while simultaneously letting us enjoy a good movie night once in a while, I’d say it’s worth it.

For the record, I was inspired to do this from Atomic Habits as one of the onetime actions that lock in good habits:

Remove your television from your bedroom.

4 Jan 2024 Update

It’s been 10 days and I have one thing to say: friction can be so fucking good for you.

The decision to buy a projector screen so that I can move my projector out of my bedroom is hands-down one of the my finer decisions.

How so? Well, in just 10 days, I’ve finished reading The Good Enough Job by Simone Stolzoff and re-read Atomic Habits by James Clear, and I read 15 percent of Elon Musk’s new biography by Walter Isaacson. That’s a great outcome in my opinion.

And I’ve so far only used the projector screen once. Once. Because it’s honestly a pain in the ass to setup, what with the pulling out of rods, inserting them, unrolling the canvas, stretching it across the rod tips, adjusting the projector’s keystone to project onto the screen correctly… bleh! That’s so complicated compared to turning on my Kindle!

So, I’d say there are two beneficial outcomes that I’ve successfully claimed here:

1. Time - because the projector is so troublesome to setup, I do something else (e.g. read on my Kindle)
2. Calm - because the projector is not in the bedroom

Would I recommend you to move your TV or projector out of your bedroom?

What do you think?

€123,66? Pfft. I think I’ve already recouped my losses and am on an upward trajectory in terms of gains.

Verdict: Good intention => Good decision ✅