The run-up, the hype, the media coverage has been almost unprecedented. People have been talking about it for months. The media is ready. Apparently, the viewers are ready. And tomorrow, people around the world will be glued to their televisions, attending viewing parties, and putting their lives on hold to watch one wedding in London.
Yep, tomorrow is the day, and I’m already exhausted by it.
Don’t get me wrong. I am happy for William and Kate (as happy as I can be for two people I don’t know and will likely never meet). I like weddings and certainly believe in weddings and the beauty of marriage. I wish them all the best, and given the high profile life they will lead, they will need all the good wishes they can get.
But I won’t be watching.
I realize I am in the minority. While I can’t find a definitive guess as to how many people will be watching, the smallest number I’ve seen is 1 billion – and I’ve seen estimates online as high as 3 billion.
So if I’m not going to watch why am I even writing about this?
Because, unless you are in the wedding dress, catering or wedding planning business, I’m not sure you need to be watching. I understand the entertainment and curiosity factor, but let me be a bit more clear.
As best as I can tell, the major news outlets in the USA are going to cover 7 hours of live coverage tomorrow.
Seven hours!
Think of the national productivity lost as millions watch. The numbers are staggering even if people only watched one hour each.
Ok, my rant is over, but my point is still to come.
Here in the USA to watch this event, most people will get up earlier than they would otherwise get up. I’m suggesting to get up then, but don’t turn on the TV. Trust me, you will be able to see all the highlights on the evening news – that will be all they cover then too.
So if you aren’t turning on the TV, what should you do? While everyone else is watching, take one hour to do one of these things instead:
- Read a book and learn something. Pick up a book “you’ve been meaning to read” or a classic you never quite get around to.
- Write a letter to a friend. It could be email, but how about a real letter?
- Review your goals (or write them down if you don’t have them). Time spent doing this is never wasted.
- Learn ten new words. Vocabulary is an under-appreciated key to success. Here are tips on how to do it, and here is a list of 1062 to start – I’ll bet there are 10 you don’t know.
- Spend a focused hour on a major project (personal or professional). When was the last time you spent a focused hour on it? You’ll be surprised how much you will accomplish.
- Write short notes of appreciation to your co-workers, family or friends. Short notes letting people know how much you care about and appreciate them will lift their spirits, and yours!
- Plan your next week. Look carefully at your calendar, think about the major tasks you need to complete and strategize on how to make your week your most productive ever.
I’ve shared these seven suggestions as an alternative to watching the Royal Wedding. If you were planning to watch the full coverage, you could actually spend an hour on each of them!
Of course any or all of these investments in yourself and your future could be made anytime, not just during the blessed ceremony. And, isn’t improving your life, your results, and reaching your goals at least as important as watching someone else reach theirs?
Watch the wedding if you must, and please invest some time in yourself too. The wedding will happen without you. Your best future won’t.
Kevin,
There really is no need to lose “valuable productivity time” tomorrow! Most of the real action will take place between 5am and 7am Eastern – when most Americans would be in bed anyway.
This is far less time that those same Americans devote to watching Superbowl?
And certainly much less than tuning into twelve months of Presidential election news every four years.
Nothing compares to the pageantry of a royal wedding – believe me. If you cannot actually be in London, then TV is the next best thing.
But this is more than a wedding: It is the marriage of the future King of England, and we old royalists will be very proud – yep, even this old sceptic!
I realize that you don’t have your own parade tomorrow, but don’t rain on ours! 🙂
JF
These are all excellent ways to spend an hour. We often forget that we’re “spending” time, just like we spend money. If we had to pay for each hour of coverage, we wouldn’t watch the wedding. But we don’t make the time is money connection when it’s OUR time we’re wasting. Nice post, Kevin. Thanks for sharing.
Kevin – I am with you. I wish the couple well, but will not be watching. I wonder how many companies are going to roll out the TV’s or switch over communication boards to add some viewing of the royal wedding?
I have a couple of books on the shelf (well, in the Kindle) that need reading.
Ah, Kevin. . . the dress (and Kate) were stunning, and we DID in fact get to hear from some leaders in the church during the actual ceremony, which was lovely. You are reminding me of a friend of mine, when I expressed interest in seeing the movie “The King’s Speech” and she replied that it was a true story, and she has a preference for “real” entertainment. My reply was “what part of the monarchy resembles your day to day life?” Point being – we don’t get too many opportunities to watch history unfold. . . and yup – I was up at 5am. And I am also, of course, very wisely spending my time reading and replying to your thoughts!
Thanks Kristin. My comments of course weren’t just meant for the Royals…. I could have picked Super Bowl, American Idol, NFL Draft, stc., stc, stc. It is really about making conscious choices.
I’m glad you enjoyed it.. And The Kings Speech? Fabulous!
Kevin 🙂
Thank you, Kevin, for reminding us that time is precious and we do ourselves a disservice if we fritter it away doing things we don’t need to do or are not really committed to.
As it turned out, in Eastern Australia, the live feed of the royal wedding took place on Friday evening, at the end of a week of work for most people. Some worked because that was the time they normally worked or the time they were rostered on for work. No doubt, others were uninterested in the wedding and focussed their energies on the goals they had set themselves.
For those who stayed home, the royal wedding presented a dilemma for Australian Rules football lovers. The game and the wedding overlapped in time and in many families the wife was keen to watch the wedding live whilst the husband would rather have watched the footy! Of course, many people socialised and visited places of entertainment or sport events as they normally do on a Friday evening. Others watched the wedding on the big screen in Melbourne’s Federation Square.
For me, watching the royal wedding was an opportunity to spend time with my family sharing something of interest to us. It was an easy decision to watch such a joyful and spectacular event at the end of a busy and difficult week of work and study. My teenage son was rostered on for work that night, but he was interested enough in the wedding to watch a replay when he arrived home after his shift.
The wedding was important to me as I am a royalist at heart. I would like to see Australia retain the monarchy as part of our system of government. A republican movement exists in Australia, but it hasn’t yet gained sufficient commitment from the voting public to change our political system.
Having said all that, I found your list of alternative activities very helpful. I know that when I have spent an hour or so doing similar things, I have found great satisfaction in them.
Andrew – thanks for your comments and perspective. You got my point completely… and it wasn’t about William and Kate, really.
Thanks again!
K 🙂