Writing Off the Grid

Fear of Missing Out

April 29, 2024 by Marcus Leave a Comment

When I decided to, once again, step back from social media, something that almost stopped me was the fear of missing out (FOMO). I had spent several weeks working on my social media content, creating and post more videos and slowly (at a snail’s pace) watching engagement climb. Yes, I made progress but I wasn’t truly committed.

Still, that didn’t stop me from reaching for my phone to check for views, likes, and comments. And after months of working hard to reduce my screen time, I watched it soar—and struggled to rein it in. That was when I knew I had to get past this, often perceived, fear of missing out. [Read more…] about Fear of Missing Out

Becoming My Best

April 25, 2024 by Marcus 1 Comment

I am a lot of things, but I am not perfect. But I am always learning, always trying to do better and be better. That’s not always easy because, while I know I’m far from perfect, I chase perfectionism. That means that I set high standards and am hard on myself when I fall short. But in everything that I do, it’s about becoming my best self.

Self-Discipline

I’m counting down the days for the year (it’s a bit more than that, actually) that I’m stepping back from social media. It’s Day 371 (counting down, remember) on this journey. The goal isn’t just about cutting out the noise. It’s also about developing the discipline—the self-mastery, if you will—to keep the main thing the main thing. [Read more…] about Becoming My Best

Patience as Virtue

April 22, 2024 by Marcus Leave a Comment

Patience is a virtue. Growing up, that was something I heard often. And although I understood what it meant, it wasn’t something that came easy to me. I couldn’t wait for the school year to end to enjoy the freedom that the summer break afforded. I couldn’t wait to escape my awkward adolescence and become a grown-up. And I definitely couldn’t wait for the day when I would be able to leave my parents’ home for a place of my own. I was always in a rush to move to the next stage, always running ahead to an uncertain and unforeseeable future.

Learning to Go Slow

As I focused more on my writing, and specifically as I transitioned from short-form to long-form fiction, I struggled again with patience. I wanted to write the first drafts quickly so that I could get to my favourite phase: the rewrite. Then I wanted to speed through the rewrite(s) so I could send the manuscript off for editing. And while the manuscript was with my editor, I’d start on another project, still anxious and thinking about what my editor thought. Because I wanted to move the project to the next stage. [Read more…] about Patience as Virtue

The Hardest Part of Change

April 18, 2024 by Marcus 3 Comments

In the few short days that I have been off social media, I have already noticed a shift. I don’t feel overwhelmed. Because I’m no longer trying to do things that aren’t important to me. I’m not rushing in the morning to record, edit, or post videos for social media—or worrying about their possible virality. I’m also not scrambling to squeeze in some writing time, or wondering if I can get out for a run or to the gym. Instead, I am focused on doing the things that matter. But I need to share with you the hardest part of change… [Read more…] about The Hardest Part of Change

Writing Off the Grid

April 15, 2024 by Marcus 14 Comments

As April began, my focus was on change because, as I recently explained in my last newsletter, I had a feeling that something was off. Life had been speaking to me, but I wasn’t listening even though I knew, knew, that if I changed my habits I could change my life. And I have a vision of what a better life can look like. A better life beyond the big dreams and goals I’ve been chasing. A life filled with calm, joy, love, and purpose. But to create that better life means changing my mindset, which isn’t always easy. It also means making sacrifices. That’s why I’m going back to writing off the grid.

The more I talked about change on social media, the more I thought about what seemed to be missing from my life. While I was creating lots of content for my social media accounts, progress on my writing projects stalled. What happened to the passion I had for writing? I realized that I had let it be derailed by less important things. [Read more…] about Writing Off the Grid