Social Media Isn’t a Time Suck – You Suck at Time Management

Before you dismiss this, here me out.? There is a ton of good research around deep focus work .? So that you don’t have to read it all, essentially the recommendation is to work for 90 minutes uninterrupted then take a break.? That’s it as easy as that.? So why is this so hard?? The key word is “uninterrupted.”

It is these interruptions that break out focus. Make us lose our momentum.? Get off track.? Whatever you call it, getting interrupted is the killer and that’s where social media shines. Notifications rule here and it’s those tiny pings and buzzes like mosquitos swarming around you, that are enough to cause focus-dropping distractions.

If that’s the case, then how is it that we’re the problem and not social media? Because people have free will.? We have agency. And there’s a thing called “turn off notifications.” There are even apps that shut this down for you.? Sorry to say so, but it hurts because it’s true.?

Don’t Suck Any More

Here are three simple tips to help you not suck at your own time management and get to enjoy social media again.

1. Set time blocks on your calendar.? Have work blocks for about every 90 minutes to two hours, AND put your phone on silent/turn off notifications/leave it in another room if you have to. Then set a break between 15-30 min.? In that break, check social media, go for a walk, get a coffee.? What ever it is that you need to do to recharge.? This can be especially helpful if you’ve just come out of a particularly brutal meeting.
2. Apply the Ivy Lee method . STEP 1: Write down the six most important things you want to accomplish the next day. List these items in order of importance. STEP 2: Do each item until it is completed. DO NOT start the next item until the first one is done. STEP 3: Move any unfinished item to the next day’s list. (See daily shut down) Charles M. Schwab paid Ivy Lee $502,256.62 in today’s dollars ($25,000 in 1918) for this advice.? Now you’re productive and rich. You’re welcome.
3. Do a daily shut down. I actually have a time block for this as well, but the point is to set time aside at the end of the day to tie up any lose ends.? Send those final emails, write your to-do list for the next day, or say a thank you that you made it through.? Again, do what you need to do to close the work day.? Think of it like the end scene of a movie, except this is your movie and you get to end it however you want.? Hopefully this tip will help you get a heroic finish.

Bonus Tip for Leaders - CELEBRATE FOCUS

To correct that “always-on” misperception, talk to your colleagues about how how much better you feel by how focused you are - not how busy you are.

If you’re a leader, model the behavior and ask your managers to do the same.? Have them talk more openly with their team about what they can do to create more focus for their people, be that minimizing flurries of urgent emails or Slack/Teams messages, or creating team norms around quite hours, or maybe even incentivizing boundary setting like this one tech company recently did. If you have a global team, remember to respect the focus hours of everyone on the team even if they are not the same as your own.

Bottom Line

You get to write your own daily story. How your start your adventure. How you face the sirens and monsters. How your come out victorious doing more of what you love and sucking less, AKA maximizing your #ReturnOnMinute.

Need More?

If you're still reading, congratulations! For your efforts, here are a few resources if you really want to dive in.

• Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
• How to reduce 'attention residue' in your life
• Pomodoro Timer