Over the last few years, I have become very sceptical of things that create distraction and anxiety.
Especially when they come from email and social media.
As you may or may not know, I removed all social media apps and email from my phone a few months ago and it has been absolutely amazing.
My phone is a phone for contacting people and a camera/microphone to document stuff. (And a way to check facts when the kids ask me a question I don't know the answer to).
But, removing social media and emails from my phone hasn't removed the other issue and distractions that I feel from social expectations. "Have I replied to that message? Is it a friend's birthday soon? I haven't posted on social media for a while!"
So I still check my emails and some socials when I am on my computer.
Mostly, because I am worried that I will miss something of importance or just be completely inundated with more "work".
I thought I could handle checking during my work time on my desktop but it creates another problem, which Beau Miles sums up beautifully,
'Before I got to the workshop I made a huge mistake and popped into the office to check my emails and I was in two minds for the rest of the day. I wasn't properly focused on my work' (I am paraphrasing here)
When we check our emails and socials we are in two minds for the rest of that working period.
If I check my emails when I am composing I am no longer completely focused on my writing but also thinking about those replies and admin duties I "have" to do.
So what to do about it?
The first step is to stick to the practice of inbox zero, which means dealing with emails at set times, where I actually go through emails properly and don't just look through them. The ultimate goal - having no, or hardly any emails in my inbox.
Then I need to set other people's expectations and be clear about my boundaries.
I need to have an out-of-office on ALL THE TIME that states something like,
"I only check my emails once a week so I will get back to you as soon as I can"
I think that will work...
I think I need that on all my social DMs too: "I am not actively using these accounts so please don't expect a quick reply" type of thing.
By setting my own boundaries and other people's expectations I think this should alleviate a lot of my email/social-induced stress.
I am going to set my OOO right now.
📺 I’m Watching…
David Attenborough's Life in Colour. I'm gonna say what we are all thinking. David Attenborough's TV shows are the TV-show equivalent of a warm hot chocolate by the fire with a nice bedtime story. Me, Debs and the kids LOVE them!
📖 I’m Reading...
Hegarty on Creativity. This is actually a weird one for me as I don't think the author comes across well. He even makes a few points that I disagree with BUT he does make some points I totally agree with, like using Juxtaposition, Zagging, and his thoughts on Storytelling. Despite my misgivings, this is a nice little insight into the mind of a huge influencer in the world of advertising.
🎹 I’m Using...
The Woodland Piano. This is another brilliant free piano Kontakt instrument brought to us by Pianobook. Soft, delicate felt samples that are very versatile and totally useable.
🌟 My New Project
I have decided to start a public case study. I signed up for the Music Marketing Manifesto 5.0 course and have decided to put everything he says into action, publicly. I will be sharing my progress in this regularly updated blog post. I am very excited about this. The aim - to pay the bills by selling CDs! I'll be sharing the post imminently...
❝ Quote of the week:
"You can't just live someone else's expectation of a traditional business. You have to just do whatever you love the most, or you'll lose interest in the whole thing." - Derek Sivers in Anything You Want
Want to learn more from me? Check out my online video courses
The Ultimate Trailer Music Bundle → Learn everything there is to learn about Trailer Music
The Trailer Music Course → The perfect course to get you started writing trailer music
Trailer Music for Beginners → Learn to create trailer music with nothing but FREE samples
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