Why I Follow Less than 20 People on Medium
It’s not because I lack the time; it’s quite the opposite
Whether it’s on Medium or YouTube, I follow less than 20 people/channels/publications. There’s a very good reason for that.
As a productivity coach, one of the things I talk about frequently on my podcast and website is the idea of intentional and mindful affluence. It’s the idea that we have an entire day, week, or month that lies open and waiting, ahead of us. We now have the choice to decide how we’re planning to spend that cornucopia of abundance.
The Gift of Time
Most time management books will focus on the principle of scarcity —
You only have 16 hours a day; make the most of it
You don’t know how long you’ll be alive; seize the day!
However, I believe the opposite to be true. My reframing exercise goes like this:
I have the gift of 16 hours today to spend in any way that I choose. Today, I choose to focus on the 3 things that are most important to me personally, professionally and spiritually.
It’s why I begin every morning with both meditating and journaling. It sets the tone for my day. Even if the rest of the day doesn’t go exactly to plan, I did manage to start the day on a note of intention and self-exploration.
When I do this, my mind goes into a reset mode. Instead of stress, anxiety, hustle and worry, it now focuses on clarity, conscious action and meaningful consumption.
Back when I used to follow multiple people, blogs, and YouTube channels I always had this sense of overwhelm. Nothing I did ever seemed to be enough and the kicker? I always ended the day feeling that I had so much more on my plate than I’d signed up for.
But flipping the switch to time affluence made all the difference.
The Gift of Space
It’s the same lesson that I’ve observed when it comes to consuming content with a more relaxed approach. Learning to only follow a handful of thinkers, writers and creators gives you another valuable gift — that of space, to be yourself and to allow thinking to evolve naturally.
When we are in constant consumption mode, do you know what happens? We barely get time to breathe, let alone think for ourselves.
As part of my ongoing social media sabbatical, the most valuable gift I’ve given myself is the ability to embrace boredom. It’s the willingness to sit quietly and let the mind wander, something which I couldn’t do if I were to stay tuned in to the thoughts of a 100 or 1000 other people.
Focus on the meaning in your life, the value that emerges from the handful of people that you follow and apply what you learn from each of them.
That is the path to true and sustainable progress.
“It’s surprising how much free time and productivity you gain when you lose the busyness in your mind.”
― Brittany Burgunder
