Unproductive time removed ≠ productive time gained.
Discipline V: Non-zero-Sum Efforts
I often see time being lumped into two major categories, where the actual categorization is flexible and subjective: productive (PT) and unproductive (UPT). PT activities include exercise, writing, working on side projects, reading, and chores. UPT activities include video games, watching television, watching YouTube/TikTok, and browsing Reddit.
Most self-improvers—and probably people in general—understandably want to a) minimize UPT, and b) maximize PT, but make the grave mistake of believing that every minute of UPT removed equals one minute of PT gained. They install website blockers, sell their televisions, and delete accounts into order to remove these so-called toxic activities from their lives without realizing that unproductiveness will manifest itself in other ways. Whether it's just lazing around more or adding more time to the unproductive activities that weren't eliminated, it is not and never be a zero-sum game.
PT—at least the kind where mental focus and effort is required—is finite within a waking period. Rest and recovery are required and very few things can raise or altogether remove the limit.
In my experience and off the top of my head, the ratio of UPT removed to PT gained is around 25-50%, or for every two minutes of UPT removed 30-60 seconds of PT is given back. Despite the seemingly low return, this is fairly substantial when thought about. For example, a "simple" (but not easy!) change of removing two hours of TV a day gives back 30-60 minutes of PT. From a different perspective, if seven hours is the average amount of PT per day, an extra 7-14% is gained by the elimination of an UPT activity. This gain is found very few other places.
Here are options for removing UPT from one's day:
A reminder regarding productivity systems: each system is highly individualized, so test individual components out and integrate them into a personal system instead of adopting an entire one.