Equal Time

It's been obvious ever since I thought about it that if I spent even a significant fraction of time on studying or even just focusing on the spiritual side of life as I do with the non-spiritual, I would probably be a different person in ways that I'm not sure I can completely anticipate. That was a long sentence.

Sure, I try to get in some regular scripture reading. I pray. I go to church. I ponder spiritual things, sometimes with great intensity. Still, when compared to how much time I spend watching television, reading about BYU sports, following current events, reading novels, mindlessly surfing the web (blogs don't count, though!), and so on, the amount of time seems like a drop in the bucket. Why?!

To be fair, I have improved. I really enjoy talk radio (should have mentioned this in above paragraph) and I have traditionally spent my driving time listening to it. But in the last year or so, I have listened to my iPod instead. Yes, I know what you are thinking--wow, he's listening to his weird 80s music--that's a step up the spiritual ladder! While that may not be an untrue comparison, what I have been listening to is General Conference and "podcasts" from BYUTV (this is a great resource--on byutv.org there are recorded round table discussions of BYU professors discussing the standard works, several chapters at a time--I finished the Book of Mormon discussion and just started the Doctrine and Covenants). I have appreciated this change. It helps focus a few more minutes of my day on spiritual matters that matter.

I am clearly not giving such matters "equal time" with the non-spiritual. I haven't mentioned time with family, working, and other things that I think do have spiritual connotations. But taking all that out of the equation, I don't dedicate enough time toward things that really matter.
Here's the rub. I can and do choose to not go out of my way to study and ponder spiritual matters, but I can be very passive and still be influenced by non-spiritual and even anti-spiritual matters. They are everywhere and often very subtle. It takes dedication to even come close to equal time, and I admire those who do it. The thing is, I've had this conversation with my self so many times, yet I don't make radical changes. I frankly find it hard to get motivated to set aside all my other pet interests for the sake of reading a church publication or the scriptures on a consistent basis. When I finally do make such a choice, it feels good.

Do you have any secrets, tips, wisdoms, or experiences that illustrate how one can make a radical change toward equal time? Maybe one of these days I will finally head the call and do it.