If your favorite TV show releases once a week, and you want to binge watch it, here’s a simple tactic: wait until the whole season is out. All it takes is restraint. We live in a time where there’s no shortage of distractions, so that can be useful here as well. Here’s how I apply it:

One of my favorite manga series publishes a new chapter each month. The chapters are long, but not long enough. Every time I was done reading, I felt sad that I’d need to wait another month until the next one.

A couple of years ago, after reading and feeling disappointed, I decided not to read it for three months. Three months later, I could read three chapters in a row.

A second decision: I only read two chapters. This way, I could also save the third in case I really wanted to read it anytime. 

This has been a much better way for me to approach this series. Nowadays, every two months, I read two chapters in one go. There’s always an “emergency” chapter I can turn to at any point. I’ve never done that, but having the option makes waiting easier to bear.

A publisher’s release cycle doesn’t have to be your consumption cycle. Your restraint and ability to delay your craving creates this new option for you.

You can apply this way of thinking to all sorts of occasions. The moment something happens doesn’t have to be the moment you participate.