Technology has been part of our world now for 20+ years. It’s hard to think back when we didn’t have email or Facebook. I wonder what we did with all of our time?!?
As I wait in public places (restaurants, doctor offices, the bank) and see people with their heads down staring at their phones, I think of the power which email and social media have gained on me over these past 20 years. Sometimes they feel like strong magnets, pulling me towards them!
Here are 3 suggestions for guarding your time so you don’t lose an hour of your life when your intention was only to do a “quick check”.
1. Give yourself permission. Each day spend 15 minutes in the morning and another 15 minutes at the end of your day to check in with your social media sites. Knowing you’ve allowed time for it at the start and finish of your day will prevent it from becoming the forbidden fruit during the rest of the day when you need to be focused on real work.
2. Be aware if you’re using social media to procrastinate. We all have had projects to work on, phone calls to make, or other tasks to complete in which we procrastinate doing in favor of reading the latest on Facebook or Twitter.
3. Manage your social media with one tool. Whether you use social media for personal or business, you can manage the likes of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn all in one place. Programs like Hootsuite, Everypost and Buffer offer free versions that can be accessed on all devices. These programs also provide the option of entering posts for a date in the future.
