A couple of weeks ago, I was blessed to have several days to myself for a writing retreat. I stayed at a place that didn’t have Internet connectivity, and it was an eye-opening experience. Without the distraction of the web, and especially social media, I realized how drastically my habits at the computer have changed in just a year or so as I’ve taken on more and more social media on behalf of myself, my writing career, my “real” job, and a couple of organizations to which I volunteer.

I had begun to worry that I couldn’t concentrate anymore. It turns out I’ve just been distracted – tweeting for 3 different accounts; managing or co-managing Facebook accounts for 5 different identities;  and keeping up with several email accounts and blogs on behalf of my personal, business and volunteer pursuits.

As telling as it was to see my productivity-sans-social-media skyrocket, it was even more telling to visit the local coffee shop and take advantage of their wifi: it took me an hour and a half to catch up on what I considered was just the minimum of email, a tweet or two, Facebook, etc. An hour and a half.

Ironically, when I spoke to a group of writers about social media back in January, I admitted to them that doing a lot of social media leaves me feeling frenetic. I advised them to find their own personal philosophy about the time versus benefits trade offs of social media. I realize now that I’ve failed to develop my own philosophy. I’m not yet sure what it will be. Perhaps I’ll decide to give up Twitter or Facebook or blogging. Perhaps I’ll cut back my volunteer work on social media. Perhaps I’ll give it all up. Right now all I know is this: While I think that some level of social media is enjoyable (connecting with friends) and some level of social media is essential (promoting your business/service/product/message), I’ve let myself become way more reactive than proactive.

So since my retreat, I’ve still been operating in retreat mode, with a minimum of emails, status postings, tweets, etc. By all indications, this has not caused the earth to stop rotating on its axis. I think I have a friend or two wondering what’s happened to me (and I’m going to answer your emails soon, I promise!), but quite honestly, I am sure that for every 1 who’s missed me, there are 100 who haven’t noticed I’ve been rather quiet. Such is the nature of social media.

Of course I worry: if I’m not putting myself, my writing, my business, or my cause “out there” as much, what will I lose? Exactly what is the risk? Certainly it’s difficult, if not impossible, to quantify, but I’m happy to report that I’ve had some great interactions in REAL time and space the past couple of weeks. Less social media equals more time for creativity and personal interaction with others. That’s a risk I’m willing to take!

What’s taking time away from the activities that are truly important to you and your sense of personal peace?

Kory Wells would like to say she brazenly tossed aside her twenty-year career as a software developer to forge a lucrative career in poetry. She’s content to report that she now writes poetry, prose, corporate communications, and the occasional snippet of software code in a life-work balance that functions pretty well most of the time. Author of the poetry collection Heaven Was the Moon, she’s been recognized by Ladies’ Home Journal for her “standout” writing in the anthology She’s Such a Geek. Visit Kory's website.
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