Being a completionist

Do you remember when, two years ago, I wrote about forming habits? Well, there is one habit I want to un-form this year: being a completionist. The term “completionist” generally describes someone who tries to fully complete a video game. I have positively spent too many hours trying to do just that – weirdly, as I don’t actually care about video game achievements. This, in combination with my being too lazy to pick up a controller most evenings, is why I managed to complete a mere three video games last year (one of them being Life is Strange with its beautifully confined world and playtime). But that’s not where being a completionist stops for me: I also tend to finish watching every movie I start, even if I find it dreadful. It’s even worse with books: Reading the first two pages of a book equals taking a blood oath to finish it, no matter how long it takes me. This is why I am so happy to have numerous books from my to-read list in my bookcase these days. Being a completionist is fantastic whenever I find a story that I love. But if I don’t, the fear of being haunted by all the stories I didn’t finish almost forces me to still search every corner of a virtual world. Or to spend hours (of unhappiness) finishing a book or movie I don’t enjoy. I wonder if you could call my habit of turning entertainment into a chore “FOMO for lazy people”: a fear of missing out on (more or less) fictional adventures rather than all the cool and active things your friends might be doing while you’re lazing around in your bedroom, arguing with your feathery friend about whose turn it is to get the next round of tea…
Tackling this unwanted habit will be another step toward perfect laziness. Because what fun is lazing around if you compulsively try to finish stories you’re not enjoying (anymore)? The duck must be extremely happy that I’m finally listening to all that whispered night-time advice.