LOW OR NO OR HARMFUL PAYOFFS
KNOW THESE AND MAKE A DECISION




One must identify what is of low or no payoff or is harmful.  The payoff I am referring to here is "value", that which benefits you.  These are always measured in value units.

While some of these are directly harmful, engaging in the ones that aren't harmful but are of low or no payoff are harming of life if you consider that they displace items that are easily of benefit.  A no payoff item doesn't have zero value in full context, it has a negative value because I could have spent the time doing something of value - say, with 5 units of value - so the net cost of my no payoff items is actually 5 units.

An item that appears to just be a mistake with no net effect may actually incur a hidden cost.  If one gets into a heated exchange about being right or about politics, but fails to convince the other, has actually incurred two extra costs that need to go into the net value computation.  The relationship has been harmed, with, say, a negative value of 1 unit - not enough to drive the other person away, but such units, except for extraordinary people, tend to accumulate until they get to enough (critical) mass to have the other person alienated long term.   Often the accumulated negative units in this one area get added to other area's accumulated negatives and pretty soon the camel's back is broken with just another straw. 

Anyway the point here is to come up with a clear list of what I judge as the low, no, negative, or harmful payoff actions and activities that one can engage in.  I included in the evaluation what are often "unintended consequences" and/or "unconsidered consequences".

Stop all of these!  Tickle to review this list every week.  Even 80% success will create huge impacts on your life and happiness and productivity.

These are the "FOR-SURE" LOSERS.  Stop them right now.  Free up huge amounts of time, physical energy, and emotional energy!

Watching TV, with few exceptions, has no value, plus a negative effect (mild depression, inactivity) and great opportunity cost.  It often is the greatest misuser of the most hours of all. (Enter "TV Or Not TV" into the search engine in Sitemap.)

Politics - I have no control over any outcomes and definitely have no effect.  Therefore, it is useless or at least not of true relevance to my life and will have no effect on my life in any positive way.
News
Trying to control people in general - Can also tick them off (see link below about how).  Low real value in trying to make someone feel good through no substance (empty flattery, false assurances, etc.) [Compassion can have true value, if it results in net positives.]
No payoff convincing, persuading, correcting - or a negative payoff - If these produce no real effect or an effect that is irrelevant to you, you are just being caught up in the costly game of "being right".
Thumbing through catalogs or even receiving them in the mail
Shopping with no true purpose (for relief, entertainment)

Random, non-harnessed reading

Thumbing through magazines, except for industry specific magazines to be informed of what is going on as part of one's job.
Reading articles about health, relationships, life, in a random, piecemeal order - you learn little, but you displace time that could be used to learn in an effective manner.  
Spontaneous bouncing from one item of interest, in a dilettantish manner, to another or to items that are of hardly any benefit.

No positive, progressive value

Most emails have no or little value - Let them go into oblivion, especially those from people who have no effect or much relevancy to you.

All mindless activity - It gets you nowhere and is not an effective way to distract oneself or to relax (you should use more direct ways to get relief, relax, or whatever is needed - learn those, such as getting Instant Energy From Something Good.)

Meaningless relationships of no value or which are harmful

Give no or minimal attention to people of zero or little relevance to your life.
Non-supportive people or toxic people must not be toleated in your life.  The price is too high.  Even rudeness is justified.  Don't even think about it, you know who has a negative effect, run for the exits.




Short term primitive good "chemical feeling" (a "hit").  No long term benefit.  Functional ability in short term and for a period afterwards drops so there is less ability to get benefit from life.

    Eating sugar, sweets 
    Eating refined carbs 
    Eating junk food 
    Taking in stimulating substances

Any addictive activity, games, gambling... (After Playing Guitar, I’m Filled with a Sense of Contentment…After Solitaire, with Self-Loathing.” Ian Ayres)

Stress, other than for true emergencies of sufficient importance, involving sufficient harm to have to get in gear to handle them.  Otherwise, incurring stress (meaning "distress" in this context) is useless, harmful, and unwise, poor strategy.  Stress, beyond occasional or mild, is NOT ACCEPTABLE!

Not misuse or abuse your "equipment" (body, brain)
    Inadequate sleep
    Imbalanced diet
    Not enough movement

The punishment, suffering misconception

Anger, other than for true physical threats where powerful action is needed.  All other anger is harmful physically (chemicals), relationshipwise, and to one's own psyche.
Guilt, shame, any inflicting of suffering on oneself or another, or any punishment is virtually always useless and/or net harmful.  (Planning to prevent future harm is, however, legitimate.)

"Getting even" does not produce any real benefit and is fictional.  Don't do any of these.

Big Problems I Cannot Solve could perhaps be a heading for things I should ignore!  Climate warming, changing people, education, politics, the world situation...

(Thanks for the phrase from Edward M Hallowell, M.D. in CrazyBusy.)