I was chastised Sunday when the weekly report came through my watch to tell me that I spent an average of an hour and fifteen minutes of screen time per day that week. I’d had a nagging feeling that I was on social media too much, but I didn’t realize that those “short breaks” were adding up to that much time. That’s 8.75 hours of wasted time a week!
This was a challenge on my quest to “better myself.” What could I do with those short periods of time that I was using to scroll through my phone? My book contracts stipulate that I remain active on Twitter and Facebook to promote and connect with readers, but one post a day would achieve that, and I can often automate it through Buffer. Wouldn’t the time be better invested in myself? I decided that my challenge this week would be to invest that time more wisely.
So far, I’ve learned that I do a meditation in ten minutes, make a fifteen phone call on my commute to work, revise a short story or three chapters of one of my novels in twenty minutes, and read about 3-5 chapters of a book in thirty minutes (depending on how long the chapters are). That might not seem like much, but it adds up to finishing a revision of Revenant – Book Three of the Sentience Series, being on track to finish revisions of Broken Time tomorrow (with help from further work during lunch breaks this week), and completing a paid book review by Friday. I think that’s much better than scrolling through social media. Plus, it’s inspired me to become better organized in all areas of my life. I’ve gone to bed every night this week satisfied with what I’ve accomplished during the day.
I was worried about my schedule being too “rushed” when I resumed daily workouts, but the opposite has been true. In fact, I think I’ve been more productive in all areas of my life, and this discovery has unlocked a secret to managing my time more efficiently. I’ve even had enough time this week to watch TV for about an hour.
It’s amazing how much time we waste, and what you can accomplish when you reign it in. How much screen time do you log in? It’s ok to take an occasional break to keep connected, but be aware of how much time you’re actually investing. If the feed is boring or it leaves you frustrated, then it’s time to log off, and use the time to do something real.
That’s all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.
Bye!
This was a challenge on my quest to “better myself.” What could I do with those short periods of time that I was using to scroll through my phone? My book contracts stipulate that I remain active on Twitter and Facebook to promote and connect with readers, but one post a day would achieve that, and I can often automate it through Buffer. Wouldn’t the time be better invested in myself? I decided that my challenge this week would be to invest that time more wisely.
So far, I’ve learned that I do a meditation in ten minutes, make a fifteen phone call on my commute to work, revise a short story or three chapters of one of my novels in twenty minutes, and read about 3-5 chapters of a book in thirty minutes (depending on how long the chapters are). That might not seem like much, but it adds up to finishing a revision of Revenant – Book Three of the Sentience Series, being on track to finish revisions of Broken Time tomorrow (with help from further work during lunch breaks this week), and completing a paid book review by Friday. I think that’s much better than scrolling through social media. Plus, it’s inspired me to become better organized in all areas of my life. I’ve gone to bed every night this week satisfied with what I’ve accomplished during the day.
I was worried about my schedule being too “rushed” when I resumed daily workouts, but the opposite has been true. In fact, I think I’ve been more productive in all areas of my life, and this discovery has unlocked a secret to managing my time more efficiently. I’ve even had enough time this week to watch TV for about an hour.
It’s amazing how much time we waste, and what you can accomplish when you reign it in. How much screen time do you log in? It’s ok to take an occasional break to keep connected, but be aware of how much time you’re actually investing. If the feed is boring or it leaves you frustrated, then it’s time to log off, and use the time to do something real.
That’s all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.
Bye!
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