A Contrary View of Social Media

There is no question that social media is a powerful communication tool not only in this country but around the world. My focus in "The Writing Life" has been on helping writers tap into this power to promote your books. To that end, I have recently posted a series of essays on understanding and getting around the giants of social media—Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube.

I am frequently amazed at the amount of time many of my friends and colleagues spend on these networking sites, as well as staying current with countless blogs, news outlets, and forums. To tell the truth, I often fail to keep up with "friends" and "connections."

Why? Because my daily life is a juggling act of responsibilities and to-dos, and social networking is just one of the many balls I'm trying to keep in the air. I know I have lots of company in this lament.

There is one blog I subscribe to: Zen Habits by Leo Babauta. While I am striving to maintain my personal juggling act, Babauta is urging me to get rid of some of those balls and simplify, simplify. What a neat but seemingly impossible idea. To underscore his message, he has made available his latest book, called focus. It's online and on Kindle, and it's free—not only free but uncopyrighted. Use or copy or forward any part of it he urges, but please attribute the work to its Leo Babauta.

His point is that social media, blogs, everything online, and especially e-mail are addictive. If you can't stay away and you feel empty when you're not online, you are addicted. Breaking an addiction is tough but possible. Babauta is not advocating that you trash your computer, disconnect your Internet access, or close all your accounts. He is simply saying that all this addictive activity is time consuming and counter productive to the creative process. If you are a writer, that is not a good thing.

focus is a practical little book on how to break addictions, shed the superfluous in your life, and get off the gerbil wheel. I think it's worth a try.

What to do first, what to do next

More than anything, I want to work. I love what I do and always have. In fact, I am addicted to it. It’s like chocolate or, in my case, strawberry shortcake (my other addiction).

“Do you have time for a project?” someone asks, and I automatically reply, “absolutely.” “I am writing a book and need some help,” appears in an e-mail and, without a moment’s hesitation, I respond, “What kind of help do you need? Why don’t you give me a call?” The phone rings with a request for an editor. If the caller says, “I’m looking at your website right now,” I’m a goner.

Lately, my website and little videos on YouTube seem to have hit the charts, and people are actually finding me. It’s a heady feeling to be needed — so heady that I tend to forget time and energy are finite. When it runs out, and I fall off the chair, I'm pretty much good for nothing. Nonetheless, I find it difficult to say, “No” or “Not at this time” or anything that might make the other person think I don’t want the work or can't handle the work or don’t have time for the work.

I mentioned this to my Web marketing guru, who seems to work 24/7, and asked her how she does it. “Priorities,” she said. “You have to set priorities!” I looked it up.

priority |prīˈôrətē|
noun ( pl. -ties)
• a thing that is regarded as more important than another : housework didn't figure high on her list of priorities.

I am taking her advice very seriously. As soon as I finish this post, I’m going to empty the dishwasher, fold the laundry, clean off my desk, water the plants, and set some priorities.