A month ago, I confessed. I admitted my social media addiction and pledged to do something about it. You can check out how I created some much-needed boundaries here.
The good news is that I was successful. My goal was to limit my social media interface to 30 minutes a day for the past month. While I didn’t clock my time; I feel confident that I hit my target, saving me hours each day from my mindless scrolling.
Some interesting things have happened in the past month as I’ve curbed my enthusiasm for checking the latest post, tweet and request. As I mentioned in my original post, I had decided that the time I saved would be put to better use by focusing some of my energy on my art, reading and important relationships.
Within 48 hours of starting my cleanse, I was contacted by a local gallery owner. He was curating a show and wanted to feature my abstract paintings. How’s that for putting something out to the universe and having opportunities come back to you? I didn’t have the inventory for the show, but I had three weeks to pull it together; which I did. I delivered eight new paintings yesterday to the gallery.
I have since had two other art show opportunities present themselves which could happen this fall. Both from being out and about (and not stuck behind my laptop). And if that wasn’t enough, I finished a book I’ve been writing on mentoring. Not too shabby.
Of course, there have been other positive developments from breaking my addiction. While more time for other interests and relationships are the obvious ones, I think the biggest value has been an internal shift. Breaking free gave me freedom. There is a lightness that comes with detachment. It’s almost as if a weight has been removed from my shoulders.
I’m not compelled to check-in to social media and see what is happening. We all know that it’s usually the same ol’ same ol’ anyway. And I certainly don’t miss the ego-driven posters who have to share their latest selfie or rant for the day.
I still get my daily fix, but it’s more controlled and certainly less time-consuming. What about you? Are you sucked into television, social media, your smartphone or an unhealthy relationship and need to shift priorities or create some boundaries? Trust me; you can do it. And just a small shift is worth it!
