I spend a lot of time on my phone, and I acknowledge that I’m addicted to scrolling and refreshing. So I’m challenging myself for 30 days to stay off social media. Do you think I can do it? I know it will be hard in the beginning, but I’m in it to win it.
I challenged myself a few years ago, and you can read about it here.
I’m following Cal Newport’s recommendations in his book, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. (Affiliate Link)
Digital Minimalism Preparation
A month ago, I deleted the Facebook and Twitter apps from my phone. At the time, I had no clue that I would be heading back down the road to digital minimalism, but here I am, giving it another test.
Last night, I grabbed colored ink pens and a spiral-bound notebook to jot down the steps and rules I’m following to stay off of social media.
I have tremendous success when I write down my plan, and I am ready to knock out this 30-day challenge.
My 30-Day Plan
1. Start Date: September 9, 2021 – No social media
2. Remove social media apps and other optional apps from my smartphone. (declutter)
-YouTube, YouTube Studio, Instagram, TikTok, Rumble, Telegram, Bible
3. Publish two blog posts per week.
4. Send out a newsletter once a week.
5. Upload new videos to YouTube weekly.
6. Check emails once per day and answer emails once per day.
7. Reply to comments on YouTube videos once per day and support other video creators (about 10 creators, 1-3 times a week)
8. Block time for reading blogs/news and listening to podcasts/audiobooks.
9. Catch up on reading, walk, write, and work on projects.
10. Turn on the phone at a specific time.
11. Turn off the phone at a specific time.
But You’re Still Blogging and YouTubing
I left blogging and video creation open because it’s something that I enjoy doing, plus with both, I can get paid.
I realize that YouTube is social media, but I have a plan to help me utilize the platform more effectively.
Limiting the time I spend on YouTube will be challenging because it’s easy for me to get sucked into watching many videos in my feed.
However, since I don’t have the YouTube app on my phone, I won’t be tempted to scroll and refresh my feed for new videos.
Weekly Updates
I’ll keep you updated about the challenge by publishing a weekly blog post. So be sure to subscribe to the blog to stay in the loop.
Questions: Have you tried Digital Minimalism or something similar? Let me know by leaving a comment.
