We spend a lot of time on social media day in and day out. We are doom scrolling on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms, and there is no end in sight. We all knew this already.
I already shared why social media is addictive and convincing ways to get rid of it and I recently posted about how to rewild your attention and interest in social media.
Here today, I came up with a new one for those who tell themselves, “I am using social media in a productive way.”
Even if you think you’re consuming wisely by listening to book summaries, watching stock tips on YouTube, or following on Instagram about fitness and diet.
But you forgot the fact that you’re still consuming content on social media.
We make a mistake here, and once we learn from it; we must stop there. Instead, we are starting to follow from that point on and consume them daily, which is not needed.
If you’re one of those people, what I would advise you to do is to STOP CONSUMING and START CREATING! and this post is about it.
Let’s get started.
Starting with me
I would take in a lot of information, but none of it seemed to help me.
If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you might know that I am an active investor in the Indian stock market.
So, I used to be updated on the news about the scripts I’d invested in and how the market is performing daily. Along with that, I’m following a YouTube channel about investing; I watch it during dinner every day.
These two things, watching videos and checking my portfolio news became my regular routine…
However, I decided not to follow both for the last four weeks.
Stopping them for a month didn’t make much difference in my portfolio… except for one thing – my mind became free when I take those two from my schedule.
I am realizing this now after stopping; I was just watching them for the sake of consuming more information.
FOMO effect
Most of us do this frequently, we tend to consume more in the fear of missing out (FOMO) on any information out there. Thinking about that missed information can be helpful for us.
We all think that we consume a lot of information, and this makes us better as a person.
But unless we practice what we learn, it’s just a waste of time, no matter how useful the information can be.
The FOMO effect causes us not to act; sometimes, analyzing what we’re supposed to do is a way of making ourselves feel productive, and this is preventing us from taking ACTION.
Do we have to be updated on all the things we follow, how the recently released movie did at the box office, or about daily stock news? These items are not going to make you wise as a person.
Not only on social media, don’t let FOMO play a role in your life.
Why do I’ve to be a creator?
I have a few perspectives on why you must start creating.
- You may be a creative person already, but deep down you might have a burning desire to create something on your own and show what you’ve got.
Then no more excuses for you, enough with your muffling. Start right now. - Consider this as another way to reduce our social media usage because you are at another end of social media called “creator.”
Now you have a purpose to be on social media, and you’ll be spending most of the time thinking about your next content rather than dooms scrolling.
- Once you start to create – you’ll be sharing your experience most of the time. That can be useful to anyone out there.
You’ll never know who you’re going to impact.You’re just leaving your footprints for the future generation to follow.
What to create ?
You don’t have to be a “guru” in your domain, but you can still be a creator in it.
If you can drop a piece of useful information, you’ll be able to solve a problem or create a discussion about a problem. Just go ahead and do it…
Create a Twitter thread about something you’re interested in, make the videos that you’d want to watch, and write down what’s on your mind.
Just make things that you love to make… simple as that.
Just take a selfie video with your smartphone and upload it to YouTube, announcing that you’re going to make videos here every week. Alternatively, create an Instagram post or a Twitter thread about your interest and post about it daily.
Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
– Howard Thurman
Stops you from creating
Now, you might be convinced to become a creator. However still few things will be stopping you to create like,
Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome is a thing in the head where you tell yourself, “You’re not compatible with what you’re doing,” “You’re not in the right place now,” or “You’re acting here like a different person.” Don’t believe any of those; nothing is true…
Your mind manipulates you when you’re out of your comfort zone.
Even your friends and relatives will say you do not belong in the place where you are. You always belong to the place where you are.
You must convince yourself that you belong there, rather than waiting for someone to tell you. Nobody will do anything for you.
Do you feel that you don’t have any skills to flex, but you still want to be a creator?
No issues Just post whatever crap you’ve got. who cares about that…
What will my friends and family think of me? Nobody is thinking about you; they don’t even have time to look at their own lives… Even if they do, you’re at least trying to make progress. So, you’re all set.
Taking Numbers into consideration
Don’t care about numbers when you’ve started to create, that I’ve only got fifty views on my YT video, a few likes on my IG post, or only a few of them have read my blog…
Beware of this trap, numbers will not drive you long at your initial stages, it makes you stop if you consider them seriously.
If it helps, when I first started blogging, I had no visitors for the first five weeks. This is my thirty-first post. I still have less than 50 readers and am happy about it… Still, it’s a step forward…
You’re just going to make what you love with no strings attached… Trust the process.
Closure
Answer me this – In your dreams, are you a producer or a consumer?
Are you on the sidelines and watching things happen, or are you on the field and making things happen for you?
The answer to this will tell you whether you want to be a creator or not.
Make your own path and leave your mark… Give it to the world. Take Action!
Until next time,
Peranesh xx
Creation is not only constrained to popular social media apps.
You can even build your own audience by creating a website and writing a post about whatever you want to share, as I am doing now, or by creating a weekly email newsletter and building your own audience using platforms like Substack or Medium.
Speaking of the substack, I’ve launched my free substack weekly newsletter. (If you’re interested, sign up.)
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