Instagrat

WRITTEN MARCH 2020 ON MY FIRST SITE ( never published) – ONE MONTH BEFORE I STARTED MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT. I HAVEN’T COME FULL CIRCLE YET……

For those in my newsletter here’s the piece I was talking about

“Your actions are a consequence of your thoughts. Your thoughts are a consequence of what you consume. And in the modern age, what you consume is largely a consequence of how you select and refine your social media feed. Choose better inputs. Get better outputs.”

James Clear Author bestseller, Atomic Habits Creator of The Habits Academy and the Habit Journal

Ok, it’s a rant….but here I go. Social Media. It’s everywhere. On every site, every page, every business, every brand, product, person, idea, group. I am bored and, at the same time, scared by it. Sorry, but I am and, at the risk of not following the norm, I have decided not to do it for SoberUpside.

There is a risk here of me getting on my soapbox (again), but I shall try not to. There are a lot of people who must find it helpful, informative, and inspiring, however for all the ‘good’ people may get I am much more attuned to, and convinced of the negatives.

Instant gratification. The need for immediacy. I know it’s got me into trouble in the past, and usually, it’s an action we take toward something (or someone) when we’re not really present, we just feel a need for it, and we chase it. It’s not just things ( drink, food, drugs) but people. Like my post! Comment on my photo! Link-in with me. Validate me! Connect with me! Make me feel acceptable! Make me feel anything….but do it quickly, because you can, and because if you don’t it will mean something….bad.

How did we get here? These days you have to be ‘Linked-In’ to get a job. If you want to be in PR you need a stunning insta feed, if you’re a small business you need to post daily about your UPD as well as come up with 200 different ideas a week to get people in the door.

It’s relentless and unforgiving, and personally, I think it results in people feeling more pressure and stress than any positives that may come from it.

In my other business (the paying one) I hire people to do my socials because apparently if I don’t have it, I’m doomed. But honestly, for the time, money, and effort that goes into it, what does it actually achieve? Another line in my P&L spreadsheet, the ROI of which can’t be quantified?

OK, OK, I’ll stop. But suffice to say with SoberUpside I don’t want to add to the noise. In the space we are in here I believe people who are contemplating any personal development resulting in real change should minimize the noise so that they can focus on what they start to hear within.

Perhaps more beneficial to spend the time reading a considered book or article instead of a host of Facebook posts that have been fired off by someone’s media manager in 2 minutes?

As you become more awake and start living in the present ( on the Upside) you will consider more carefully what you consume, how you feel when you consume it and how you contribute. You may discover that an anonymous like is really not that important to you? You may find that you don’t feel so great after an hour of your life has been spent looking at the fabulous-ness of another’s fakebook life. With that in mind I’ve just come up with Instagrat, although I’m sure I’m not the first.

Just as another thought. Maybe that 20 – 60 minutes would serve you better in the form of a short guided meditation on gratitude or inner peace or self acceptance? Surely it’s better than being judged or judging? Surely you’d feel better, and most certainly there’d be no social media regret ( wishing you didn’t post, comment or even look in the first place).

I thought about putting a quote in here, from one famous person or another, about FOF ( Fear of failure ) and the overcoming thereof, but basically doing anything against the ‘norm’ is simply bloody terrifying. It’s a risk, an invitation for disappointment, judgment and basically falling on your arse in a heap. I used to be someone who panicked about doing everything ‘right’, following the norm. I used to question my dislike for social media. Why did I dislike it so much? What was wrong with me? I should have it, do it, share it, like it, post it, etc. But for me and this project it just feels wrong, so, in a rather long-winded answer to the question why, this is why.

My hope is that I’ll find other like-minded people who are happy to find other ways to get to the good stuff without an @ or a #.

I’d love to hear what you think because I’m always very happy to consider others’ opinions. In fact, I love to be proved wrong ( and often am).
Oh and don’t forget to like, comment and share, so I don’t feel bad 🙂

Jan 2022 – well that has given me food for thought. And I do love a pivot!

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