I am a hot mess sometimes. Seriously. 😂
I have a habit of doing things I don’t really want to do, getting completely sucked into them, and then wondering how in the world I ended up there in the first place.
Take my mornings, for example.
I sit down with a plan. I’m going to eat breakfast, spend some time with God, work through my devotions, and get my day started on the right foot.
Simple enough, right?
Apparently not.
Somehow, I end up watching Facebook Reels instead.
And the really frustrating part? While I’m watching them, I KNOW what I’m supposed to be doing. There’s a little voice in my head reminding me that I have better things to do.
But another voice keeps saying, “Just one more.”
And then another.
And another.
Before I know it, an hour has disappeared.
An entire hour that I had planned to spend doing something meaningful has been swallowed up by videos I probably won’t even remember watching tomorrow.
WTH?!
It’s frustrating because this isn’t how I want to spend my mornings. I want to be intentional with my time. I want to start my day with God. I want to do the things that matter to me instead of mindlessly scrolling through someone else’s life.
Yet here I am, doing the very thing I don’t want to do.
Maybe I Just Need to Shut It All Down
At one point, I started wondering if the answer was to close all my social media accounts.
Facebook. Snapchat. Games. Everything.
If I couldn’t log in, I couldn’t get distracted by it. Problem solved!
Except, I’m not sure I really want to do that.
Social media isn’t all bad. I enjoy it, and it gives me a way to keep up with people I care about. Some of my family’s posts are things I genuinely don’t want to miss.
So, do I really need to give it all up?
I’ve already tried removing the apps from my phone, thinking that would solve the problem. But apparently, my brain is resourceful. If it can’t get distracted on my phone, it will find another way.
Now, instead of scrolling on my phone, I find myself doing it on the computer.
The problem didn’t disappear. It just changed locations.
And that got me thinking: Maybe the answer isn’t necessarily to eliminate everything I enjoy. Maybe I need to change the way I approach it.
Willpower Isn’t Always the Best Plan
Here’s what I’ve realized about myself: I can make all the plans in the world, but if I leave myself staring at temptation and expecting willpower to win every time, I’m probably making things harder than they need to be.
I don’t want to spend every morning fighting myself.
I don’t want to sit down for devotions and spend the next hour arguing with my brain about whether I should click on Facebook.
And I don’t want to feel guilty afterward because I let something unimportant crowd out something important.
I need a better plan.
Not necessarily a perfect plan. Just a better one.
So, instead of making a dramatic decision to eliminate all social media from my life, I’m going to try something different.
I’m going to put my priorities first.
A Little Structure Might Be Exactly What I Need
My computer is where I do my online devotions and reflection journaling. I love being able to type my thoughts quickly because my mind moves faster than my fingers sometimes seem capable of keeping up with.
I don’t want to give that up. These tools genuinely help me.
So, here’s my first change: I’m going to leave my devotional and reflection journal open in separate tabs.
When I turn on my computer, the things I actually want to do will already be there waiting for me.
No searching. No extra steps. No reason to open Facebook first.
Will that be enough to keep me from wandering off into Reels? I don’t know. But it’s worth trying.
I’m also going to stop worrying so much about finding the perfect time to check social media.
Instead, I’m going to establish a simple rule:
My responsibilities come first. My free time comes afterward.
I’ll take care of my work, chores, and regular self-care before sitting down at the computer for recreational time.
Once those necessities are handled, I can relax and do whatever I want online.
That includes Facebook.
And Snapchat? I’ll save that for my lunch break. That way, I can check in on the people I love without allowing social media to take over the hours when I’m trying to get other things done.
It’s a simple plan, but sometimes simple is exactly what we need.
I’m Not Trying to Be Perfect
Here’s the thing: I know myself.
I know I won’t always get this right. There will probably be mornings when I forget the plan, click on Facebook out of habit, and suddenly find myself watching videos about something I never knew I needed to see.
That’s life.
But I don’t want one bad morning to become an excuse to give up on the whole idea.
I’m going to try this routine for a week and see how it goes.
I’ll keep my devotional tabs open. I’ll save Snapchat for lunch. I’ll take care of my responsibilities before settling in for recreational computer time.
And then I’ll evaluate.
What worked? What didn’t? What needs to change?
I’m not looking for a perfect routine. I’m looking for one that works for me.
Because the goal isn’t to eliminate every enjoyable thing from my life. The goal is to stop letting those things crowd out the life I’m actually trying to live.
I want to be intentional with my mornings. I want to make room for God before I get caught up in everything else. I want to take care of my responsibilities without feeling like I’m constantly fighting myself.
And I want to enjoy my free time without feeling guilty about it.
Maybe that means I don’t need to shut everything down after all.
Maybe I just need a few boundaries, a little structure, and a willingness to try something different.
So, that’s the plan for this week.
One small change at a time.
And if I mess up?
I’ll adjust and keep going.
Because I’m not trying to be perfect.
I’m just trying to be a little more intentional with the life I’ve been given.
And honestly, that’s a pretty good place to start.
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