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Author, Blogging, Brinda Berry, facebook, Gloria Richard, Goodreads, social media, twitter, Writer, Writes
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Dodging the Time Suck Bullet
We’re talking about time management today. I have two confessions to make. The first is that I “borrowed’ that title from a phrase used by the witty Gloria Richard. Here’s my second confession: Juggling social media is just plain hard. Sometimes, it gets me down. Then I decide to suck it up and either do it or NOT. Whiners don’t make it far.
Sound harsh? A lot of what I put in these posts are my opinions. Oh, I try to show you all the data-driven decisions that I make. I also believe that you should prioritize with a list of things you think you can do well and that are important. Then, push the other things aside. If you can’t keep up with it and maintain sanity, then put it away for now. So, first I think you make a priority list of tasks that begin with writing and move on with #2, #3, and so forth.
Writing is #1 because if you have nothing written, what could you possibly be promoting? If you have a website/blog, then it may be #2. Then you might list Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, etc.
Here comes the problem. The HUGE problem. Some things can be a time suck. No, I’m not talking about the writing. Yes, you know I’m referring to social media. I suggest scheduling and restraints. And if you can’t control yourself, don’t even start it that day.
Let’s talk about my addictions for a minute. I have an issue with Nutter Butter cookies. If I buy a package, I can’t eat just one. You can put out the Chips Ahoys, the Oreos, and the Lays potato chips and I’m fine. It’s like a Nutter Butter disorder with me…peanut butter crack if you will. Therefore, I do not place them in my cart at the grocery store. Problem solved. Likewise, reality television sucks me in. I love The Bachelor, American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and Survivor. Time suck. No more television for me. In the social media world, Twitter gets me everytime. It sucks me into reading entertaining tweets from people I know and those I have no recollection of following. Therefore, I avoid Twitter at night when I’m writing. I don’t open it. You on the other hand may be able to write two pages, tweet five minutes, feel refreshed and go back to the manuscript. You may also be able to resist the open package of Nutter Butters. KNOW THYSELF.
So, my informal schedule is to check Twitter and Facebook while I eat breakfast. I do more tweeting and posting on the weekends or at lunch and work breaks. I use Hootsuite to see my list of tweeters I want to promote with retweets. I try to make comments with the retweets. All this adds up to a total of 15 minutes or less a day. If I’m on longer and at night, it’s because I don’t plan to write. Goodreads gets even less time from me. Google + gets an occasional glance. LinkedIn gets a visit maybe once a week.
The bulk of my time goes to writing and blogging. I also spend a lot of time reading other blogs. I think Goodreads deserves more time from me, but I will not give it right now. When I’m able to write faster, I hope to devote myself to book discussions and interactions. In the meantime, I have a reader and author presence, my blog posts feed there, and I check in a couple of times a week.
I have a friend who has asked me why I bother with blogging. I think she wonders about the benefit of spending so much time on this platform. I believe that this is the best way to build a network of writer friends who help you stay sane and support your writing, publishing, and marketing efforts. It’s also a way for readers to become interested in you as a writer. Editors and publishers seem to demand it as well. How much time do I spend on blogging? Between reading others’ blogs and writing my own posts, I spend at least an hour a day. Most of this occurs before I eat dinner. My nights and weekends are reserved for the WIP.
To summarize, I spend approximately one hour and fifteen minutes a day on social media type tasks. I work a full-time job and commute 2 hours daily. I go to the gym for 3-4 hours a week. I only allow myself to read while driving (audiobooks) and exercising (iPad on the treadmill). There is no easy answer to making it all work. You must find what works for you and your schedule. Which social medias do you use and how’s your time management? Do you have a time suck bullet you need to dodge?
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Gloria Richard 
What a great post! I think you’re right – you need to decide what your priorities are and focus on those. Period. Find a way to make it happen because you CAN find a way to make it happen. If you can’t, well, then, I guess it wasn’t all that important to you to begin with. That sounds harsh, perhaps, but think about it! It’s true! Take a father who decides that becoming partner in his law firm is most important, so he puts in 80 hours a week and never sees his family. Will he regret it one day? Maybe. Does he say family comes first and that’s why he does what he does? Probably. But is that true? Look at his actions. That’s a big fat no. Anyway…rambling. Great post!
Thanks for visiting, April!
What you say is so true. What I view as necessary MAY fall to the #3 or #2,178 spot when I prioritize.
I type fast, I think fast, why can’t I roll through social media quickly?
Out comes the timer.
Hi April. Thanks for your comment. I agree totally!
Thanks, Brin(da) for popping in with word’s of wisdom.
For those you who are new to Gloria Richard
GlobsWrites, Brinda gifts me with a guest post on Social Media platforms every other Wednesday.I chose not to add an intro for her because
it would be a big time suckher opener is better than any I could think of.With this comment I now cross, “Intro for Brinda” off my to-do list of Social Media tasks.
Happy WRITING all!
Yay! I’m so glad you are sharpening your saw for better time management. I need no intro because I’ve made myself quite at home here *plopping feet on coffee table and getting a soda from your virtual fridge*.
I have a Twitter account, but just can’t get into it. I do blog on my website twice a month, and on a group blog once a month. And read and reply to other blogs and do a bit on FB. Just yesterday, I decided to balance my time better by changing my schedule to write first, then blog. Except when I’m waiting to be picked up for aqua-fit class–like right now. Thanks for reinforcing the resolution!
HootSuite is the neatest thing since sliced tomatoes, Joan
Editorial note: I’m on a low carb and no cliche diet this month.
But, I must implement Brinda’s advice to set up a schedule and personalized streams to avoid sorting through the “EEE! I’m getting a pedicure and it tickles” tweets.
Hi Joan *waving*,
I have to agree with Gloria that Hootsuite is a good way to put your Facebook and Twitter streams in one location. Your change of schedule sounds like a fabulous idea. Also, I’m glad that you mentioned aqua-fit. I put exercise and physical health back on my radar in the past six months because I was ignoring it before. It’s mega important for writers.
It is a constant battle to avoid the social media time sucking machine. Otherwise known as the computer. Especially when you have to be on it to be writing. Every day I face the knowledge that I need to buckle down and stick to my schedule, some days I win. Some days I lose. But that is the joy and challenge of being one’s own boss and working at home. I’m with you, Brinda, no whiners! And no prisoners either. We either write or don’t write. Today I chose to write!
That’s the spirit, Jessica!
Today
IGloria chooses to write, too.This message comes to you from Molly…
A highly intelligent, two-year-old Lab who taught
herselfmyself to type.Jessica- You are definitely a power to be reckoned with when it comes to writing and social media. Some days I also lose the battle, but that is life. If the unexpected can happen, it will.
Brinda, I admire your resolve.
TV is my downfall, there are so many smart shows. Guilty, but I love my PVR. An hour is reduced to 45 when I FF thru commercials.
What? That doesn’t count?
Trying not to let Twitter & blog visits get the best of me. It is so easy to say, 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes later in the day. Next thing I know, it’s 8:30 and I’m still in my jammies, sipping cold coffee.
Here is where I won’t whine about how much I miss Vampire Diaries and looking at Damon (Ian Somerhalder) . 😦
My challenge is my morning time–when my brain cells (for some inexplicable reason) do their best creative happy dancing.
It’s also the time I check to see who missed me while I slept, which of my faves posted to their blogs (good post on your site today, Brinda!), and who MAY have become a faithful follower.
WHAT? Those folks don’t stare at their computers in angst over when I’ll check in? Who knew!
I MUST discontinue this poor time-management behavior. I can write, open e-mail ONLY to await a chat check-in with Sherry to set goals for the day*, and then off we go on timed write-a-thons.
In the evenings, I have my laptop with me while the television plays in the background. I CAN multi-task on social media in the evenings and during lunch breaks.
Let’s see if I’m up to that challenge.
I’ll report back next week.
*Okay. We DO chat about more than goals for the day. BUSTED!
Yes Gloria, the time suck and conundrum of social media gives all of us a major pain in the bum! I try to find a one our session in the early am, then again a short thirty minutes at mid day and end with another hour at night. Even with this, I can only manage keeping up with the blogs and comments on blog. I tweet inconsistently or not at all, I occasionally check out Facebook, but that is mostly to keep up with my kids and I don’t do any other.
I also agree with your concentration on the blog forum and for the same reason. I love having the support of so many of my writer/blog freinds and quite frankly, they often have insights that I need.
I have to second your statement about gleaning insights from the blogs you visit. I’ve learned more on blogs than in some classes I’ve taken.
Ditto on the blog support, Florence and Brinda.
Okay. Goal revised. Check BLOG faves after 1 hour of writing. I get up at 5:00 a.m.
Am I the only one who, when stuck on a plot problem, bounces over to email to make sure nothing urgent is pending?
I sure hope not.
In my imaginary world–where Sherry and Brinda live next door–someone smacks me when I make that intentional time-suck decision.
The big dilemma for me–finding time to blog enough to get myself out there and build that all elusive platform, read and comment on other blogs to form a community, help others with editing or blogging because I know I’m going to need help and I strongly believe in Pay It Forward, and putting the words on the page for my real goal–producing a finished product in the form of a full-length novel.
Ahh…tired now. Going back to bed!
Lori- Yes, it is a dilemma. I believe in schedules even if they are informal. I agree with the “Pay It Forward” concept as well.
Brinda, you are a blog series model of “pay it forward.”
I believe the worry over “out of sight – out of mind” causes many writers to get their priorities out of whack…myself included. Blogging was my biggest time-suck and I had to put limits on myself to prevent from becoming overwhelmed. Smart phones and iPads have made it easier to turn normally wasted time into a way to perform these activities.
Another nutter butter peanut butter sandwhich cookie? One of my favorite sayings. 🙂
What would I do without my iPhone and iPad? I can’t imagine. It makes sitting while waiting for my oil change a productive time. 🙂
LOL on the favorite saying, DL.
I signed up for the Origins Blog-fest. Woo-Hoo!
Bonus! I don’t have to think of a topic for February 13th AND your write-up kicked a few memory baubles to the forefront. The article is half-written in my noggin.
READERS: Click here to connect to DL’s site, register for The Fest, and pick up your badge.
See how cool mine looks on the right sidebar?
And I won’t scare you with how many hours I spend blogging! Thank God for really cool workplaces.
Blogging has been the best platform for me. I think I finally have a handle on Twitter and Goodreads, but not worried about anything else.
I don’t spend as much writing as I should, but then again, this isn’t a life-long career for me.
I’ll bet your blogging hours don’t exceed mine in quantity, Alex.
I’ll also bet the QUALITY of your blogging hours far out-paces mine.
I know I signed up for your site, but I MAY have used the RSS feed, and Google Reader has become my black hole.
I’m off to find you and subscribe via email.
I’m praying Alex is not an air traffic controller at the day job. LOL.
Great advice, Brinda. We each have to find what works best for us. For me writing comes first. I enjoy blogging so that comes next, then Twitter. When I’m really busy the twitter and the blogging goes. I slot in the other social media sites as and when I can. I figure there’s no point stressing myself out. There are only so many hours in a day.
I think the key is that you enjoy blogging. I can SEE that in your blog. It’s great and your readers will be drawn to your interesting posts. It’s great marketing as well as networking.
Few people know how easily distracted I am, Shelley.
No. I can not say that with a straight face.
Thanks SO much for your visit. It gave me an idea on how to avoid my bounce-and-chase-shiny-bauble habit.
With twitter and comment-reply, I can automate the feed of those to a folder on Yahoo. They won’t be there IN BOLD in my inbox, like blinking lights of lines on hold.
Thank you!
I read this at at time when I’ve been struggling of what to hit on for the social media. I have my first book coming out in March and have been trying to get my name out there. I have a twitter account I try to go on daily and a FB page but I don’t blog. I just don’t see that I would have the time to maintain a steady blog. I’m still trying to figure out the best way for me. It will come eventually.
Hi Susan- Data says FB if you are trying to choose between FB and Twitter. There are 800 million FB users as opposed to 100 million on Twitter. LINK to poster: http://www.flowtown.com/blog/the-small-business-social-media-cheat-sheet
Congrats on your March release!
My blog feeds to my FB and Twitter. I’ve done other posts here with Gloria if you have time to look back at discussions about these platforms.
Blogging and networking are without a doubt the biggest time sucks that are just about “me”. After that it’s wrestling practice, Soccer practice, dog training, and laundry, and dishes, and laundry, and homework. ARGHHHH!. Sleep definitely suffers. (I need to go to bed right now, come to think of it.)
Anyway, I think networking is great. For one, it lets me interact with people who “get it” That’s important to me, because my husband just doesn’t “get it”. He understands that what I do at night might lead to something bigger, but the whole world of writing is a mystery.
Blogging is a place for me to spit out everything that I’ve learned to help out people who give a dern. Let’s face it… Hubby would not know a dangling participle if he were hit with one.
Let’s keep those participles to ourselves, people!
Oh, and Nutter Butters are a great way to sugar up for a good action scene. Girl Scout Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies are great, too… but you go through the box in three minutes and then you have to crave again until next year.
Jennifer- I don’t know how mothers with kids at home fit it all in. My son is a college senior and not living at home. You also mentioned the housework. Somebody has to do it and writers don’t have little housework fairies…so YES. Good point. My laundry suffers. My husband has grumbled a time or two over laundry (one of MY chores). 🙂 Girl Scout cookies….mMmmmmmm.
When my husband wrapped his brain around the fact that I NEEDED TIME to write, we agreed he would take care of all household chores that were not outside his skill set.
Folding sheets, making the bed, cleaning kitchen.
That list has grown. Did I delete things from his skill set? Noooooo.
But, I have discovered he’ll do the laundry if I wait long enough. SCORE ONE for strategic procrastination!
My problem is that even when I dodge the bullet, it seems to have it’s Lydia-seeking time suckers trained on me. I’m never able to dodge it for long.
Still, I do manage to get my writing done somehow. Not sure how that happens with all the bullets around…
Hey, Lydia! It’s the creative genius of your doodles that amaze me.
LOVED your column today about Goodreads. I can imagine how you felt to find your book listed with “no cover provided.” Today’s priorities? Step aside! I have Goodreads to fix.
Some great points. I love hearing how other authors deal with social media. One of my friends is closing her twitter and Facebook pages down today because she can’t fight the time suck.
I limit my blogging to around half an hour a day, and my tweeting and face booking to around an hour a day, but I feel that’s to much time on the last two.
Hi, Michelle! Thanks for stopping by. I would personally be happy with a total of 1 and 1/2 hours of Social Media per day. But, when you multiply it (grabbing calculator)…
A year’s worth is a ton of time, isn’t it?
It’s difficult for me to tally total time on each platform, b/c much of my on-line time is mixed with email check-ins. And, that’s where the time suck begins…