• Word count: 95,000+ (equivalent to a 300-plus-page book)

• WorkFlowy embed: a shared list will be available for those who’d like to add to WorkFlowy

This book is for anyone who knows they're watching more than they should, and that it's been holding them back in life. It's for those who've realized that binge-watching has been a sizable hurdle to their happiness.

One of the neatest things about the methods and perspectives in this book, is that none of it requires willpower, or any remarkable sort of discipline. Just an openness to think and to critically engage. I'll be giving you the thinking and engaging tools, and you're going to make them yours.

Read this book from beginning to end, and you will not only have gotten your binge-watching under control – but you will also have figured out what it is that you're going to be doing with all the extra time on your hands. That's my expectation.

The book is divided into 3 parts:

The dynamics in Part 1 rescue us from the never-ending barrage of triggers (and the resulting watching habits) that got us into this mess in the first place. They cushion our binge-watching withdrawal symptoms and give us that much more of a fighting chance moving forward. Embedded within those dynamics are the seed of our de-programming – an inside-out deconstructing and dismantling of addictive mechanisms.

In Part 2, we kick things up a notch from predominantly managing and gamifying our binge-watching with mitigation methods, to building perspective. We switch focus from one kind of practicality to another. Part 2 is the resource engine where we generate our own means and motivation.

In Part 3, we explore the connection between binge-watching and our core values of being. We dig deeper to figure out purpose, as we dialogue about what it is we truly seek from video media, and—by extension—from life itself. We then look at a a small handful of building blocks – those essential things that make for a life lived purposefully.

I didn’t know I needed this book, but I did. I never intended to become a binge-watcher. For years, I had a love/hate relationship with movies and other digital content, but when I was introduced to the siren-like appeal of TV shows in my early 20s, I quickly realized this was an entirely new beast with which to contend. For many years, though I tried to curb my watching appetite with promises to myself, nothing cured my addiction to screen media. I lost days of my life—1 or 2 hours at a time, mostly sacrificing sleep – to different video-watching binges.

Then I came across this book, and just reading the prologue turned the light on for me. Though I read it weeks before I tucked into the rest of the book, even that short section gave me clarity, tools, and perspective I hadn’t had before. After years of trying and failing at self-imposed mitigation tactics, Frank plainly laid out where I was – and my perspective changed overnight. I no longer found myself compelled to try to keep up with everything, and the fear of missing out became almost a non-entity in my life.

This is a book my generation needs. I wish all the young people in my life could read it and take in its message – because if they did, the world as we know it would be shaken. Clear-sighted, powerful, insightful, science-based, and deliberately practical, this book has put the puzzle pieces together for me. I’ll never look at media the same way again. This book has literally changed my life!

— ESTHER FILBRUN, BOOK BLOGGER, NEW ZEALAND

Full disclosure: I received early access for free in exchange for this blurb and another of Frank's books as part of his mailing list.

I almost didn't take him up on the offer because I don't think of myself as having a binging problem, but after reflecting, I decided to, since there generally is room for improvement. Thankfully, the book is full of helpful dynamics and perspectives, and has been well worth my time.

For me, "binging" is watching more YouTube tutorials/reviews than I need to. Generally it's easy to justify, because "I'm learning something" but sometimes I lose sleep, which has never been worth it.

At other times, it's about something I am interested in, but then get distracted from what I am actually working on. Binging simply means doing something to excess. I know I need sleep, but watching a 4th review of some product is unlikely to give me any new insight – but a full night of sleep will.

At its heart, this is a book about doing things intentionally. As the title states, it's about living: filling life with worthwhile things doesn't have us watching things randomly, but with intention. Several of his strategies I already implement, but I have added a few more and have a more cohesive plan for deploying them.

An interesting dynamic that I thoroughly appreciate, is Frank marking the "story" sections so you can skip them if they aren't your thing. I did not skip any of them, because it was so helpful to see his backstory. Some of the writing initially felt like it crossed too far into hyperbole, but hearing his story and reflecting on my own habits, it does seem fair that some of the hyperbole could be an unspoken, implicit, inner monologue.

— PAT CORWIN, PROGRAMMER, SEATTLE WA

This year, Frank Degenaar's "The Workflowy Timeline" is the book that had the biggest impact on me. After reading it I changed my existing productivity/ planning as well as my notes/reference tool stack. The new system is simpler, yet more effective and I continue to follow the system and am getting deeper into it every day.

I have to confess that I was somewhat disappointed when I saw the title of Frank's new book. "How to Stop Binge-Watching" - "That's a book I won't need", I thought to myself. I haven't had a TV in more than 20 years and I don't subscribe to Netflix (or some similar streaming service), so was this even relevant to me?

But when you get away from the mental image you might have formed of binge-watching—you know, vegging out on the couch watching multiple episodes of a series in succession—and rather factor in YouTube videos, forwarded links to other videos on a variety of platforms or any kind of non-essential content, you start to realize how much of an issue even "regular" day-to-day media consumption has become.

Frank's book does not disappoint. It's not just basic "hacks" and tactics that you could find on a typical blog. Yes, it does describe and present various tools you could use to get the ball rolling, but it goes much, much deeper.

Written in a very engaging style, there are personal anecdotes and journal entries showing what challenges Frank had to overcome and how the insights he shares formed over time. There are references to Greek mythology (the Minotaur, Daedalus & Icarus) and Philosophy with Plato as well as Marcus Aurelius. Not to show off or to make the book seem more academic. All the examples serve a purpose and add to the narrative.

Frank peels away layer after layer of the proverbial onion and guides us through a deep-dive into personal philosophy, finding one's raison d'être, reflecting on what to do with the finite amount of time on Earth and what one could achieve when NOT getting suckered into the latest overhyped TV series du jour.

Again, this is a book I didn't know that I needed. I'll definitely re-read it to catch whatever I missed the 1st time in order to help me get even more out of it. Be prepared to put in some "work", to think about the concepts that are presented, to do some soul-searching, to make changes. It isn't effortless, but with more time for life as a prize, it's well worth the effort.

— MARKO ZIRKOVICH, MUSIC TEACHER/COMPOSER/PRODUCER, SIGLESS, AUSTRIA

Frank's book has been really eye-opening for me. See, when I think about binge-watching being a problem, I only think about watching TV series on Netflix and Prime in the evenings. I might only have 1 to 2 hours of free time a day – and I had been thinking that watching series was preventing me from reading books, and that that was the only problem I had. Now I see so clearly that scrolling through Youtube Shorts is another problem—and a big one—because that's a really massive time sink for me. So I really am a binge-watcher!

— ESTEBAN UMEREZ, LAWYER, BILBAO, BASQUE COUNTRY OF SPAIN.

Frank has taken a deep dive into a habit that so many of us fall victim to, and one that we often feel powerless to know how to change. Pretty much all of us watch way too much mindless video entertainment – or at least it's a temptation that threatens our quality of life and wellbeing. Thankfully, Frank's book gives us strategies and tools to do something about it, with a combination of thought-provoking perspectives and practical advice. He remind us that it's not just about stopping the habit of trading our valuable time for entertainment – it's about finding our way back to living life again, the way we did before we had a constant supply of video on tap.

I liked the way Frank have given practical points illustrated by anecdotes and stories from myths and popular culture. And I do love the phrase "all Hulu breaks loose!"

I found How to Stop Binge-Watching and Start Living to be a practical and thought-provoking guide to rediscovering awareness and developing new habits for a better quality of life.

Frank hit the nail on the head when he wrote,"our work-life balance has been substituted for a work-watch routine." It's definitely time for us to switch off the screens more often. I think anyone who wants to choose life over passive entertainment needs to read How to Stop Binge-Watching and Start Living.

— MELANIE PHILLIPS-BLAIR, CULINARY INDEXER, BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA

I have been an admirer of Frank's thinking for a while now. His new book on binge-watching is is very well done. I am excited about what I have learned and about the positive impact it will make in my life.

I knew I was wasting time watching endless YouTube videos and streaming series, but Frank Degenaar's book helped me realize what it's actually costing me. It helped me snap out of a sort of hypnosis of entertainment. I am excited to begin using all of the tools that Frank has described, especially the various strategies to "spoil it good and proper". These strategies were there all along for me to use, but I was a little too distracted to notice. I will be using my reclaimed time for those I love and for my own writing projects.

— MARK CASEY, MANUFACTURER REP, GEORGETOWN, TEXAS

I was struck by how sincere, practical, and well-researched the book was. I work with dozens of professionals and college students for one-on-one coaching and most have some level of binge-watching addiction. Often they understand the negative effects it has, but don't have the practical recommendations Frank gives to nip their desires in the bud.

Especially for the professionals, Frank makes a great argument about News in the YouTube section as to the worthwhileness of sacrificing happiness for a vague "informedness". I hadn't run across the "slow journalism" movement before.

I was intrigued by Frank's offering of reading as a "band-aid" cure rather than a similar phenomena to "slow journalism" to satiate the need for stories of the human experience. However, his treatment of the financial rewards and deposits was quite detailed and stood up to close scrutiny.

Most of all, I appreciated Frank's deep dive into the root causes of binge watching – a lack of engagement in life, and thus an absence of motivation to stop.

— JOE ARCHER, DATA ANALYST AND NON-PROFIT FOUNDER, DALLAS, TEXAS

The day that you finish reading Frank’s book, How to Stop Binge-Watching and Start Living, is the day that you will turn at least part of your life around.

I shudder when I think of all the shows I binge-watched and all the ones I wanted to. Even though most of my binge-watching took place at the end of a workday, I still stayed up way too late, and got up way too late the next morning without feeling that I’ve had a good night's sleep.

Frank makes a solid, detailed case for seriously evaluating the consequences of time spent binging because you’re sucked into procrastinating, or afraid of missing out (FOMO) on great shows. This reasoning can be extended to other areas of your life where you procrastinate, and instead of doing difficult creative work.

My favorite part of the book is where Frank quotes Marcus Aurelius, author of "Meditations". When teaching students how to overcome procrastination, this quote was one I always used.

"Do not act as if you had ten thousand years to throw away. Death stands at your elbow. Be good for something while you live and it is in your power."

How to Stop Binge-Watching and Start Living will inspire you to take action that can’t help but improve the quality of your life.

This book was provided to me by Frank in exchange for an honest evaluation, and I believe it to be among the best personal development books I've read.

HUGH O’DONNELL — EDUCATION CONSULTANT , BEND, OREGON

As a retired addictions counselor, you might think I wouldn’t be one to have lingering addictions. But I've been considering for a while how to deal with my excessive news-consumption. Add to that the multiple TV series I've downloaded. Your book has given me a number of ways to salvage time that would otherwise have been lost.

I just finished the book today, but I intend to unsubscribe from most of my news feeds, delete some TV series that actually don’t interest me (though I'd watch them, just so I could finish and delete—crazy, I know!).

The book was an eye-opener for me. I find myself asking the question, "Am I prepared to waste this one life I have, or am I going to free my time and my mind to do what I've been put on this earth to do?"

— ROD HARRINGTON, MOOSE JAW, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA, RETIRED PASTOR AND ADDICTIONS COUNSELOR

I find Frank's analysis to be very thorough, and found his mitigation methods really fascinating. I would naturally have thought of more radical methods from the start, but I guess they would be too demanding in terms of willpower. Frank's book is original and effective in tackling the problem of binge-watching the way he's laid out.

The second and third parts of the book make for an exciting program that addresses the problem in depth. Frank's book is very dense (especially the third part) and deserves careful and active rereading.

— FRANCOIS PLOQUIN, ENGINEER, PARIS

"How to Stop Binge-Watching and Start Living" sounded like a very specific subject – and not one that affected me particularly badly. But having read a couple of Frank's previous books, I had a feeling it would be useful and entertaining. It did not disappoint. I found it to be very well presented, taking the reader on a logical journey while steadily filling a toolbox with ideas and tools to help divert the mind and build resilience.

In particular, it struck me that Frank's thinking is not only valuable in the fight against binge-watching, but also very applicable to, for example, anyone trying to replace "bad" habits with "better" habits. I found myself thinking that I would have to pass the book onto my sons – both deep into their studies at university, as it will surely be a helpful tool in building excellent studying habits when there are so many distractions close at hand.

— STEVE WILLIAMS, “WAYS OF WORKING” COACH, HELPING TECH TEAMS IMPROVE THEIR PROCESSES, UK

First an admission - I read the majority of the book while watching football games. I felt wrong about that until the section, "Sports TV: Live a Little." I can cut myself a bit of slack since I only watch live games and quick highlights. I may still apply some of the tips to limit my football viewing, but Frank is correct in that it is generally hard to binge on live sports.

Overall, I enjoyed Frank's book very much. Some of my favorite areas were on "delayed gratification and saving it for a rainy day", "read instead", "journaling", and "solitude and escape". Some of these I’ve already used. I like to read and I’ve kept a journal off and on. Being an introvert, I appreciate my solitude. But really bringing all of these practices together to slow my intake of information, process it more thoroughly, and then do something with it, is the next step for me.

Perhaps the best piece is Frank's juxtaposition of FOMO and JOMO. Somehow it had escaped me that we are always missing out on something. Rather than fearing that, if I make the best choices for myself and my family, I can truly find joy in leaving some things behind – especially the more mindless TV, video, and social media scrolling.

I also greatly appreciated the the chapter on "10 life questions". I’m sure I’ll return to these (and the book as a whole) many times.

Finally, my big takeaway was a thought that developed through the course of my reading, and solidified with David Goggins' quote. Essentially, if someone else were wasting that much of my time on a daily/weekly basis, I would be angry with them. Now I have to come to grips with just who is wasting my time and how angry I should be.

— JEFF HAND, CHURCH ADMINISTRATOR, CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA

Instead of spending my weekend binde-watching, I spent it binge-reading Frank's book. A really good book that opened my eyes in many places and served as a wake-up call. There were so many new insights for me that I almost got stuck taking notes. What I enjoyed were the many small stories that made each topic really tangible, and the many concrete methods and suggestions for new routines, of which some are low-threshold.

— SILAS POHL, STUTTGART, GERMANY