What a Social Media Break Taught Me
I participated in my first ever social media fast and honestly, it was weird. LOL
It was weird because I have NEVER intentionally taken time away from social media. Since starting Miocoa in mid-2018, social media is a key part of my life–it’s my Google, it’s my search engine, it’s my lifeline and it’s also my job.
The first few days I found myself clicking the icon and quickly exiting the app. I say this loosely but I felt like an addict.
Other days I went to help clients with their hashtag strategies and realized I was no help to them without being able to find new tags. Note: Instagram has the best hashtag search feature of any network.
It really boils down to knowing how and why you use social media. Using it to escape your problems, validate your success, vent to strangers and tear others down is the wrong way to use social media. Using social media to connect with friends, family and people all across the world at lightning speed, well that’s the joyful part.
So what were the pros & cons…
PROS OF MY BREAK
- catching up on shows
- dealing with issues without insight from strangers
- stuck to a consistent sleep and work schedule
- received revelations about 2020 + my spiritual journey
- able to finish everything on my to-do list
- consistently delegated tasks I couldn’t do
- dealt with emotions internally
- stopped looking at everyone’s success and comparing mine to theirs
- more time for self care, cooking, professional development
- made the most income per month
CONS OF MY BREAK
- feeling isolated and out of touch
- unable to say happy birthday to people (no #)
- no control over the perception of me
- missed my community
- still no time to fold clothes after washing them
- felt like a 9-5 schedule: work, eat, sleep, repeat
- went back to mall shopping and thrifting
So what lessons did i learn…
Taking a break reminded me of 17 quick lessons I think we all should take into consideration:
1) The name of entrepreneurship ought to be patience-ship. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
2) Your audience will tell you exactly what they want if you listen or ask them.
3) What others think, say and believe about you is their own problem.
4) Comparing yourself to the next business owner is just a distraction.
5) Refilling your spirit is essential.
6) You need to believe in something bigger than you and your circumstances.
7) Your email list can make you money if you put in the time to connect with your subscribers.
8) The big things are sometimes little things, like watching new tv shows instead of drowning in work.
9) Decide what you want and go for it. Life is ok too short for stagnation.
10) Save and document your wins in a win-box. You don’t have to post everything.
11) You don’t know what you don’t know. Take professional development seriously.
12) If you don’t want to pay for information, spend hours searching for it on Google.
13) Building authentic community and connections is more important than buying followers.
14) All work and no play isn’t living—it’s existing.
15) Never underestimate who is watching.
16) If you delegate, you’re a better leader.
17) Look in the mirror and say “it was a choice and I forgive me for making that choice.