I got a nanny...for myself

"Last year, I deleted my personal Facebook account...Harsh?  Maybe...
     I deleted it because, for me, Facebook had become a time and energy sucker.  A five-minute Facebook break in the middle of a writing or blogging project would turn into twenty-five minutes or more.  I'd get sucked into this virtual world of viewing other people's pictures, commenting on their statuses, reading through conversations (sometimes I didn't even know any of the people--pathetic, I know!)...
     Facebook had become a time-wasting distraction for me, so I finally got rid of it."
                              --Crystal Paine, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode (pg 18-19)

Reading these words was a comfort to me; the internet is my weakness, but I'm often afraid to speak that truth aloud.¹

But it is true, and I will say it again: I struggle with falling down the internet rabbit hole and wasting entirely too much of my day {read: life} down there.

And those days I fell down the rabbit hole?  My house stays messy, my kids get crabby, dinner doesn't get the attention it deserves, and I end up crabby.

That sounds like survival mode to me...I was ready for this book.

Luckily, the book that pointed out my weakness to me also offered a solution: installing an online tracker, a tool to monitor my internet usage and block websites altogether.

{via}

And that screenshot?  It's entirely enough motivation for me to walk away (or get to work, as the case may be).  I never thought having a Net Nanny would work for me, but it is.  And I'm so glad.

Currently, I have things set up this way:
6:15-7           ALL websites blocked (should be reading Bible, praying, etc.)
8AM-5PM        Facebook blocked
8:30-11:30     ALL websites blocked (should be focused on my girlies)
1:30-3           ALL websites blocked (should be focused on writing or editing)
3:30-5           ALL websites blocked (girl time, housework, starting toward dinner prep, etc.)

Admittedly, I haven't started working toward many of my goals for the year yet.  January always seems to be a difficult month for me, what with the dreary weather and the post-holiday letdown and all.  I let myself take extra time to snuggle the girls and watch movies, sleep more, keep projects to a minimum...basically hibernating.

But even though I've "hibernated" as usual this January, it's been more productive than most:

• Pookie hasn't been as stir-crazy because I'm more available when I'm not in front of a screen.
• We made granola that has become the toddler equivalent of crack in this house...not sure if this is good or bad, but at least it's delicious.
• I'm caught up on the laundry.  Say what?!
• I've been far more consistent in Bible reading.
• The girls have given me more space.  For some reason, Mama-chopping-onions isn't as inviting a playground as Mama-reading-blogs.
• I've found that the time I've given myself is "enough": playing a mindless Facebook game for a few minutes seems like more of a treat than when I get sucked into it for ages, and I'm reading just the blogs I really want to read rather than hopping and hopping and getting nowhere.

There are so many other things that I've gleaned from Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, and I'll share them in due time (when my hibernation is over)...but for now, my Internet time is drawing near an end.  And there are babies who need me.

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode:

9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion for Life

Would you like to feel healthier and more energetic, eliminate stress, get more done, and rediscover your passions for life? 

Crystal shares practical ideas, big-picture perspective, and 9 simple strategies to help you stress less, sleep more, and be inspired to live life on purpose. 
To celebrate the release of her book this week, Crystal is offering a collection of amazing prizes for those who buy the book. Simply go to www.GoodbyeSurvivalModeBook.com now for details. You can also pick up the book anywhere books are sold, including Amazon.

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1 Except when the issue of smartphones comes up...then I blurt out, "I couldn't handle that much temptation at my fingertips." And as I have worked in recent years to get my blurter tendencies under control, it must be a pretty strong feeling to come bubbling out.^↩