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Every few months I do a self-evaluation. When I self-evaluate I am running a checklist on personal growth. This has been extremely important to me because life can become full of repetition.

It really isn’t anyone’s fault. Okay, I may be telling a little white lie there. But, honestly, repeating an everyday cycle isn’t always the easiest thing to stop.

I remember as a teen, having a conversation with a friend of mine about being caught up in a daily system. Every day we would wake up at the same time.

We would also prepare for school the same way, too.  We would even get excited about seeing the same people at the same meet-up spots at school. I also vividly remember getting hungry around the same time, which still kind of happens. My friend explained how that feeling or system made him feel. He expressed it was like feeling trapped in a video game. He also expressed how unlikely that would be his adulthood.

Many people battle either living or surviving in this system. The system I am referring to is being complacent or comfortable in your everyday living.

Often times I ask myself what have I accomplished within the last few months that I never thought I would. It is very beneficial for someone like myself to have this self-check.

At times, I can get caught up putting a lot of energy in the same things and then get frustrated when I do not experience new results.

That is what I like to call “unfortunate repetition.” When I do find myself getting caught up indulging in “unfortunate repetition” I often find my mood to be fatigued. That affects my decision-making, happiness, and how I interact with the people I love. And when unfortunate repetition kicks in overdrive I immediately stop everything so that I can watch my necessary reality-TV channels.

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Over the past years, I have discussed the importance of self-love. One can participate in pursing self-love by reading, writing, cooking, or simply finding space for infinite laughter.

Lately, I have been enjoying Netflix. So while I was working hard during the first six months of 2020, staying up on the many different goals I was trying to achieve, of course, I would get hit by the “unfortunate repetition” bug and the best cure for me was binge-watching shows such as Black Lighting and Raising Dion. And how could I forget The Last Dance?

Now for some binge-watching tv shows is a sign of being lazy. But on the contrary, it gave me the chance to not not only slow down, but also to be still and step away from my everyday step and repeat lifestyle. Watching content that was both and evenly balanced with both laughter and attitude always gives me something to think about.

Now I am not saying TV shows should be everyone’s go-to. But if it is already in your monthly budget, why not take some time to get away from your everyday reality and enjoy a good comedy show, find time for a decent horror, embrace a good romantic film? And definitely take the necessary steps and watch a great docu-series.

Bingeing on TV is only one form of self-love. Another way to recalibrate your energy is by doing something spiritually.

A few strategies I still enjoy partaking in is walking, praying, and finding time to rest more. These strategies also help me with balancing how much friction I may have embellished from all of the shows I watched.

One of the most important things I find hard to escape is being inside my own head. When I am working on something for a long period of time and I do not see the results I am seeking, I become frustrated, anxious, and hard to be around.

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This is why I often take walks and have talks with myself, and God. Staying in tune with the self is one of the most important things anyone can accomplish. It is okay to step away from your everyday activities and talk things through with yourself.

Life is tricky and goals can be hard to achieve. I am a firm believer that everyone achieves more than they may think.

So when you get hit with the unfortunate repetition bug, take the necessary time for some good old self-love.

Opinion contributor Anwar Curtis tells the stories of the people of Pennsylvania’s capital city. His work appears biweekly on the Capital-Star’s Commentary Page. Follow him on Twitter @ACTheMayor.