I knew I had to make some changes in the way I thought, before I could move forward.

For one, I needed to spend less time worrying about what everyone else was doing. I needed to spend less time ‘keeping up’ with every single person I’ve ever met’s Facebook, Instagram, etc. The intake was just too much. Also, I could see myself as I’d sled into major comparison traps. I was doing everything I could to ‘blend in and be average,’ or stand out, but not too much. Screw Facebook. Screw Instagram. Screw social media. I needed to be able to feel that, even it was just for a certain time period. I didn’t like how I felt those things were controlling me. They’re supposed to be tools that we use, not devices that control us.

‘Keeping up’ with everyone else’s lives was not helping me. It was, instead, an sorry substitute for the level of patience, confidence, and care it would take to create long term meaningful work that I was really proud of. It was an excuse for me to continue living in fear.

I needed to be okay going against the grain, or else I knew I would remain stuck in the endless cycle of approval seeking behavior I was in. I needed to take in less information in, so I could spend more time creating.

I decided to delete my Facebook, which I’d had for 10 years and had all kinds of connections of that were potentially great for friendships and business. Then, I also unfollowed everyone on Instagram. For me, this was a risk, but it felt like one I had to do. I don’t want to be the same as everyone else. I don’t want to just spend my life watching from the sidelines.

Purging my online social life terrified me. It sounds stupid, but it really did. There were so many things I feared.

What if others don’t like it?

What if I lose friends? What if no one invites me to anything anymore?

What if I lose followers?

What if people think I’m a conceited jerk?

What if I miss out?

I was so fearful, but I took that leap anyway.

“Perfect is an illusion, one that was created to maintain the status quo. The Six Sigma charade is largely about hiding from change, because change is never perfect. Change means reinvention, and until something is reinvented, we have no idea what the spec is.”

- Seth Godin, from his book, ‘Tribes’