Today’s habit example is one I’ve had on my mind for almost a year now.

Finally decided it’s time to share it.

I think it’s especially relevant going into Christmas this week. Let me know if you think so too!

Enjoy 😄 

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“Ok dad, now can you just watch me instead of taking a video this time?”

…was what my daughter said while “playing drums” with some vitamin containers and our heater vent in the kitchen.

As a dad, I constantly struggle with this dilemma:

• I love the sweet nostalgia of looking back on photos and videos from when my kids were even little-er than they are now

• I love the times I’m fully present with my kids in the moment

In order to have pictures and videos to look back on though, someone has to take them.

Whoever takes them, necessarily was not 100% present.

So what do you do?

You end up with OCPD: Obsessive Compulsive Photo Disorder.

(yup, I just made that up)

A few months ago, while Ed Sheeran was on a tour stop, he surprised New Yorkers with an impromptu concert in the middle of a street in SoHo.

Notice anything in particular?

Of about ~100 people in the photo, I can only find 2 people not actively taking video. (see if you can find them too!)

So instead, they will forever remember this once-in-a-lifetime experience like this:

Was it worth it?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Imagine a different scenario where instead of remembering this place…

…you just remember this?

Was it worth it?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Now last one.

What if instead of experiencing this:

You experienced this?

You get to decide what moments are worth mostly missing in order to capture them instead.

Don’t get me wrong, I take photos and videos - and I fully plan to continue recording important moments of my life.

But there’s also many times I just choose not to.

In the 2016 movie, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Ben Stiller’s character spends weeks living way outside his comfort zone traveling around world tracking down a renowned photographer, Sean O’Connel, to discuss a lost polaroid.

He finally finds Sean at the top of the Afghan Himalayas - watching a rare snow leopard through his camara lens.

Sean lifts his head above the lense, just watching the “ghost cat” for several seconds.

Walter asks him, “When are you gonna take it?”

“Sometimes I don’t,” he says.

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What a blessing it is to have a camera with better computing power than what landed men on the Moon, sitting in our pockets everywhere we go.

And what a blessing it can be to just leave it there sometimes.

Y.

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Try it

As you notice the urge to record the moments of your life, practice pondering these questions to help you decide if it’s worth it or not:

1. Is the real life moment I’m missing worth the low res version I’m capturing?

2. Have I already captured enough photos to experience future nostalgia of this particular moment?

3. Can a less interested 3rd party take these videos for us, so those who most value this moment can be fully present?

4. What’s the likelihood I ever actually watch this video again?

5. What if instead of entirely missing this moment, instead I lowered my phone to chest level and watched with my own eyes while recording? (instead of watching your phone screen)

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Merry Christmas!

- Kody

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P.S. This took 5 hours to research, write, and design. It only takes you 5 seconds to share.