These are the lessons I am learning thus far on my journey to give myself more grace.
Take the Pressure Off
Story A.
I was never under any pressure to share the same stuff on all of my social media channels. I have never automated my posts to ensure that what I write to one also appears on the other, for this reason. Early on, I recognized that each medium had a slightly different audience. And I rarely received the same reaction when I attempted to post the same thing. At times, it works, but it’s not something I do often. Each platform, to me, is its own. Therefore, what I post to TikTok won’t necessarily make it to Instagram, and what I post to Instagram won’t necessarily make it to Facebook. (Hardly anything makes it to Facebook. It is my least favorite platform.)
Story B.
This weekend, I am excited to attend my family’s annual BBQ. That’s right. My Chi-town homies are coming down for us to meet in Augusta, GA, for some family time.
We were all to stay at the same hotel until my cousin called and said a group of them would stay at an Airbnb.
“Okay cool. Imma cancel our room then and find a cheaper hotel.”
I’m not staying at an overpriced hotel that everyone else is suddenly not staying at. (Cause how ya’ll just gonna leave.)
Nope. Imma find something else. (And I did at a little over $100 cheaper with the same quality.)
What’s my point of these two stories?
- Take the pressure off yourself to do what everyone else is doing, appear polished and put together, or post eighty-six times a day.
- Take the pressure off yourself to show up in spaces you are not comfortable with to make other people comfortable. This includes spending money you don’t want to spend.
- Take the pressure off yourself to respond immediately to emails, text messages, and comments.
- Take the pressure off yourself to agree with everything, overextend yourself, or do more work than is necessary.
- Take the pressure off yourself to always go the extra mile, even when no one is going the extra mile for you.
Give yourself more grace by taking the pressure off.
The PBS Blog 
Absolutely! I was feeling pressured because I hadn’t finished writing book 4 in my Wolves of Vimar series. Nor completed a novella I started. Now I’m not pressuring myself. They’ll get done when they get done. There are more important things in my life. Like family and friends.
Not that I’m neglecting them. It’s just that I’ve stopped worrying if I haven’t written X number of words in a day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s exactly it. Good for you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great advice! Glad you’re taking care of yourself like that, and reaping the benefits. Isn’t it interesting how everyone else benefits when you’re taking care of yourself? Like you benefited by finding a cheaper, but equivalent, hotel when your cousin switched to the Airbnb, taking care of themselves. It’s a virtuous cycle!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed
LikeLike
I know this isn’t necessarily about social media, but to your first point, YES! So many people don’t realize that each platform serves a different function, and even within that platform, what you post, for example in your stories, doesn’t have to be what’s on your feed (and sometimes shouldn’t be).
Yes, also to doing what you want and feel, as opposed to “what’s expected.” The former will never steer you wrong.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, the first point probably deserves its own post in terms of posting strategically and intentionally.
I reserve my stories for personal and silly stuff to give my current supporters a glimpse into my personality and some behind the scenes. (Because your stories don’t attract new people except for spam bots.)
My feed is curated to appealing to new people while nourishing my regulars. My focus there is on providing value that aligns with my target market.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly. I wish people understood that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Where’s the big giant applause button? So much pressure from so many directions–I needed the reminder. Thanks for this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol 👏🏾👏🏾 You’re welcome!
LikeLiked by 1 person