Friday

Tchau for Now {Deactivating my FB account}

We're 11 days into the New Year 
and I have an armful of bright new goals 
(let's face it, I end up recycling most of my New Year's Resolutions) 
that are staring me in the face.

I absolutely love the fresh start of a New Year
and the glowing hope of dreams that are at the end of a full page of scribbled out goals.

I started a new fitness challenge on Tuesday
(slow time getting into it...with 3 sick kids and the Mr. on the road...not a banner week for me)
which is good.  New goals. New focus. 
New dreams that are pushed to reality with deadlines.

Deadlines are helpful tools for goal-setting
because they help motivate us balance and manage our 
TIME.

We waste use our time, one little minute at a time--but those collective minutes are all used up by the time day is done and sometimes often I have no idea what I really accomplished. (Although admittedly, some days the most important things are having 
happy, clothed, fed children and I think I've got that down)

I think this is probably quite normal
(maybe especially for Moms of little ones?)
but I have been keeping track of the various baskets to which I am tossing my time and realizing I need to make some changes
in order to really find that
balance.

The balance that will help me push through the busy days to find focus,  reach my goals,
truly be a manager of my time (and my family's), 
and live this year to the fullest.

One of those baskets
that I have been wasting many (too many!) minutes
is on facebook.

Like many of you, I joined facebook back in the early days of the thing when you had to have a university email and invitation to join. I logged on at work but that was it.
 It has been a great tool for finding old friends, keeping up with family, sharing stories, receiving and offering encouragement, promoting my photography, becoming informed, connecting with new friends (in every new city we've moved to!), sharing snippets of my adventures, connecting through links,
 and sharing in the online community.

Now, though--instead of just logging on at work--
FB is on all of our devices (desktop, laptop, ipad, phones)
and I've become too dependent on it's constant stream 
and less in control of my own time.

This morning I decided I needed a break.
I will begin my official "facebook fast" tonight
unsure of how long it will last, 
but looking forward to filling that time with 
more focused mothering (less "liking"), more crafting (less pinning), more in-the-moment living (less "instagraming"), 
and a more focused energy on my armful of goals. 

Bring it on!



This is the note I posted to my FB friends:

Hi FB friends,
I will be taking a leave of absence from facebook for an undetermined amount of time (maybe I can last longer than a week without it!). With the freshness of the New Year, I have found myself requiring some changes to achieve specific goals. Like my need to declutter my house, I need to declutter my TIME as well.

If you know me at all--you know that I truly enjoy keeping up with you, your families, your photos, your posts. I have debated closing up my FB shop for a couple of years but have held back because of those little notes of uplift, the ease of keeping in touch, and the opportunities to share with others any positive encouragement I might have as well. 

If you don't already have my contact info, here it is--If you need to find me/be in touch, I will definitely respond to emails, texts, & phone calls!
sharalea@gmail.com      (if you don't have my # and want it, just shoot me an email!)

And don't forget the blogs :)
www.sharalea.blogspot.com  is where I do weekly Thankful posts, & extra writing, and the family blog which I will be spending some of my previously used FB time to keep up to date (since it is like a family journal for me!) www.tellmesomethingsweet.blogspot.com 


Please find me there!

~Shara



3 comments:

Kendra said...

Where is the dislike button? ;) I get it. I always feel like I'm on fb more and more when I have a wee one I'm feeding in the middle of the night. I go back and forth on "quitting" too. But I have a hard time leaving knowing that it connects me to so many of my friends that are long distance. Otherwise I would have no idea what is going on (since many don't blog or email, etc). Anyway...adieu. You better stay in touch!

Linda said...

I need some focus too...and I run to the computer far too many times in the day...in BETWEEN. but that in between time can get pretty long, and real life is awaiting. How many more important things do I not attend to while staring at this screen. Too many. And now that we are buying this new FRIG...I will put off buying a whatever it was going to be ( laptop, or pad of some sort...) Which I don't need. I don't like the idea that I would soon be strapping it on my body to go where I go! And that could happen! Can you imagine I start wearing a messenger bag in my own house to keep up with gadgets??

Linda said...

Oh wait, I think I just invented something. A super apron with places specifically for gadgets. I may be on to something.