I have been on the losing side of an epic battle with my right-hand man for better of eight months. He has been on my very last nerve and if I could, I would throw his annoying behind right out of our second story window. He’s there, glaring me down in the morning, distracting me at all hours of the day and he’s sitting there, watching me as I try to settle down for the night. I can’t stand that I’ve become so dependent upon him. I’m a strong woman, raised by a single mother who did everything in her power to support me and raise me to be powerful and free-thinking. I don’t need any unnecessary distractions standing between me and my greatness. So, I’ve decided that we’re breaking up. 

Even as I write this, he’s sitting next to me, mocking me, saying, “I know you can’t quit me woman! I DARE YOU!” Well ya know what, I am!

BYE FELICIA!

Well, sorta. You see, my right hand man is also my lifeline, my view into the world beyond these infinitesimally small four walls. He is my escape, my opportunity to step into the shoes of someone different from me. He is a source of information, a source of inspiration and also a saving grace in times of need. So you see, to quit him completely would be foolish. As a mother of three small children, it would not only be selfish, but it could be dangerous. Who knows what might happen should he not be here when I’m in need? Who would I turn to? What would we do? He provides a protection that I must keep with me at all times.

Hopefully by now you’ve caught on, I’m not talking about my husband! I’m talking about my smartphone. This amazing yet aggravating, brain-draining yet priceless little purple gadget is both a lifeline and a succubus, depending on the moment. As a slay-at-home-mom, my phone provides me the opportunity to connect with clients, teammates and prospects from the comfort of my own home. It allows me to attend training sessions and meetings in my pajamas and conduct business and sales while bathing my littles. My phone provides a connection to emergency services for when my middle-o begins showing signs of allergic reaction and enables me to reach out to my partner when I’m feeling lonely or in need of some grown-up talk.

My phone is also a major headache. The almost endless hours of typing and texting cause my eyes to cross and my head to spin. The most draining thing however, is the scrolling. The endless, useless, pointless, time-sucking scrolling. It’s so hard to jump on social media to run my business or respond to client messages without getting sucked into the social media vacuum. Just this morning, in the midst of putting some finishing touches on one leg of a major project I’m working on, I got sucked into watching Kanye West’s monologue on Ellen. For what?!?! Sure, it was a great little break today, but yesterday and in days past, little jaunts like that have surely taken hours, HOURS away from the tasks at hand namely; playing with and loving on my kiddos and embracing and using my God-given gifts and talents.

So, that being said, today, I officially quit (semi-quit) my phone. I commit to focusing only on the tasks at hand. Create content, post, respond to comments. Conduct business, attend meetings and trainings, engage with my clients and done. No scrolling. No perusing. No immersing myself in lives that aren’t my own. No comparing other’s successes with my own shortcomings. No idolizing or judging, no pretending or vicarious living. I’m tuning out the noise and turning on the focus. So, if you see me (Vernon, this holds especially true for you) feel free to slap the phone outta my hand and remind me about my priorities. Remind me about my why and remind me where my eyes really should be! 

Do you struggle with the social media succubus?

What are some strategies you’ve employed to keep yourself from falling into the brain-drain of the dreaded newsfeed?