40 Days of Focus for Lent

It’s Easter weekend as I write. My 40 Days of Focus for Lent is coming to an end. It’s been enlightening. Life-changing? In some ways. Was I totally successful? No. I did, however, interact less in social media overall. I also developed some new habits.

I’m not really into Lent as a tradition; actually I don’t totally get it. (I’m into Jesus but not religious rituals or liturgical formalities.) However, productivity is one of my top values, so Lent was a good opportunity to see how productive I could be when I shut down distractions. The idea was to:

Limit use of social media;
Sacrifice the urge to constantly be part of the conversation;
Spend more time offline with friends and family (and on my bike);
Develop new habits;
Get stuff done!

Social Media Candy

Don't Feed the Social Media Monkey Candy

Some people give up candy for Lent. For many, social media is just like candy. If one sucks on it constantly, it’s a time suck.

Can a constant social media diet cause mental cavities?

Are we like the monkey shown in this picture?

Social media candy can kill productivity!

Eating social media candy hours each day will absolutely kill your productivity. You’ll kill your financial bottom line if you work off billable hours, UNLESS you’re there for marketing purposes. If social media candy is your hourly diet, you may also be sacrificing and possibly killing healthy relationships.

There is a time for candy in one’s social diet.

Social media candy, admittedly, can also provide a boost of energy. It satisfies many social needs according to Maslow’s hierarchy. For online marketers, it is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL for keeping up with latest trends in search, networking, and connecting with communities. One must, however, find a balance and not get distracted by the lure of the candy outside those activities.

Experiment Results

The following are results of my little “4o Days of Focus” experiment:

When I shut down Twitter, Facebook, instant messaging and email, I got a heck of a lot done. I felt very satisfied – productivity soared!
When I kept multiple windows open, my brain misfired. I felt dissatisfied and unproductive.
When I determined to “be in the social mode” and scheduled time for social media with a marketing or socializing purpose, I learned a lot and strengthened friendships.
When I got on my bike, I rode longer, enjoyed the time with my co-cyclists without feeling like I had to get back to the computer – more friendships strengthened.
I also spent a lot more time interfacing with people in-person and on-the-phone – hearts bonded closer.
I also started reading books again!

I drew a number of conclusions about the value of online and offline friendships and the effects of social media.

CONCLUSION: I learned I’m like the monkey. Don’t give me too much candy!

The following tweet by Dave Rohrer, an Online Marketer, is thought-provoking.

Twitter: Melting your brain in 140 characters or less

Melting your brain in 140 characters or less every day

Is social media melting our brains ?

Balance. Just like a daily diet, all intake must be in balance.

There is a season for being social and a season for getting things done (aka GTD).

40 Days of Focus Ends. Now What?

I am taking lessons learned from this little experiment to make some changes.

New habits were developed.
I’m blocking off time for focus in which I’m closing windows of distraction.

When you see me online, it’s because I’ve scheduled that time to be there, to enjoy its social sweetness. When I’m not socializing, I’m optimizing another aspect of life.