Is Keeping Up Holding You Back?

This morning...7am...me, at the computer. This morning...11:30am...me, at the computer. Holy crap! I haven't showered yet much less seen my kids. I think my wife said goodbye before she went to work? Did the dog get fed?

Admit it! This has happened to you. Especially if you work anywhere in the online, interactive, social media or IT space. You have to know what's going on, who's doing what, and have "they" released the next big thing?

I've talked about this all consuming online world into which we've entered before. The "time suck" is incredible and no amount of apps, systems, gadgets or gizmos will ever satisfy the need to know. This morning was typical for me if I allow myself to paste my eyes on my computer screen. I check my email, read my many newsletters, review the feeds in my reader, I scroll through the latest posts on Mashable, Engadget, LifeHacker, etc. I follow the links to the beta invites, try out the new apps, build an icon with the latest...er...icon builder. Yikes!

Every time I make a presentation, participate on a panel, or talk to clients it's the number one question: "Where do I find the time to keep up?" As I've said before and as Harvard Ph. D Alexandra Samuel noted in her post...You don't. And that's OK.

Samuel goes on to make a very important point. While I'm spending all this time keeping up, I'm only furthering someone elses project, system, app or gadget and not spending anytime on my own. The quote of my day was from Samuel...

"The minute you stop trying to keep up, you open a far more exciting possibility: getting ahead with what matters to you, your team and your business."

Wow, truer words were never uttered. The "time suck" will kill your plans for your business, family, or global domination if you let it. Cut your time "keeping up" in half. You'll suddenly find more time to spend furthering your own goals.

That next big thing? Believe me, if it is "big" enough you won't miss it. On the other hand, you might even be responsible for it...if you make the time.

Comments

[Tim Bursch]

Phil,
It seems like these tools help our need to belong and connect. They also make it really easy to be people pleasers too. Kinda makes sense that some people are pulling back at trying to follow everyone.

[Steve Borsch]

I'll bet you brushed your teeth though!

Great points Phil. I often wonder if the universe would even notice if I just stopped all online activity. I used to feel that way if I didn't read the Wall Street Journal & StarTribune every morning, and catch the evening news. Now they feel valueless and mostly irrelevant (and more entertainment than news).

The tough part for many with social media is seeing what everyone else thinks and is doing and then doing that vs. leading. I admire those who shut it all out and just go do what their gut tells them.

But, of course, if I was 25 again I'd probably be meeting hotties on Twitter and investing inordinate amounts of time tweeting with 'em! ;-)