1. Wardrobe Remix.
Never be caught wearing the same thing twice. No one is expecting you to spend your earnings on new threads each week. Mix and match your clothes to wear items again in different combinations. Depending on how often you wear certain clothes, no one will ever see you wearing the same thing more than once. You could even wear the same thing over and over again to make it your personal brand. Fashion is a choice, let it be your choice.
2. Post less.
The internet is a surefire way to lose or build a reputation. The waves of trends and people to follow are bottomless too. You like to take the opposite approach of endless scrolling and trolling. Rather than swear off the Wi-Fi and live a gypsy's life, you shout into the digital void with one post a week. Posting once a month would up the ante. The idea here is to keep your digital health in check while leaving proofs of your comings and goings. There are no expectations except your own. Put some value in your post and leave the followers wanting more.
3. Say less.
People inevitably want to know what you are thinking. We are all social to a fault. But no matter where you fall on the chatting spectrum, you do not have to say much. Long-winded spiels can be attractive, but imagine getting all you need in 10 words or less. Saying what you need to say is always better than carrying on for the sake of filling dead air. Think before you speak and keep the speech light.
4. Appear and disappear at will.
GiphyYou are always the Punctual Pat or Patty. Showing up on time is just good manners. Why not surprise your friends with your unexpected presence? Say you have plans or act like you did not hear about their plans, then show up. Leave a party without saying hello or goodbye. People who do not expect you to show up might as well be underestimating you. The shadows are your limelight now, you men and women of mystery!
5. Announce nothing.
People are inquisitive by nature and sooner or later want to know where your next steps are going to be. Stop telling people what your plans are and take action instead. You are less likely to act on them if you reveal them too soon. Do them when the time comes and let people naturally be surprised by the steps you did take. The more opportunities you act on are going to create a positive feedback loop. You will get so busy that the attention you gain for yourself will become a part of the territory.
The best mysteries keep you guessing.
I Limited My Social Media Usage And I Challenge You To, Too
My worth is not defined by the amount of likes I get.
Every morning at 8 a.m., my alarm goes off, I roll over, and the first thing I do is check my Snapchat only to open a bunch of pictures of the top of someone's head, or the wall, or — my favorite — a black screen. This is something we're all guilty of, myself included. We all know that social media is becoming an addiction amongst us, so why do we still use them in an unhealthy way? Why are our friendships defined by who has the longest streak? Why are our perceptions of others based on the most perfectly posed presentations of people? Why is our self-worth dependent on the number of double taps or shares or comments?
My world used to revolve around social media.
Every time I posted a picture on Instagram, I would constantly refresh to see how many likes I had accumulated. The worst part about that is I would get upset if I didn't get any likes in the seconds between each refresh.
If I got bored or had some downtime between classes, I would spend hours just scrolling through the same posts, hoping to find something different.
So much of my life was wrapped up in the superficiality of social media posts to the point where I no longer knew who I was. I would see pictures of my friends who ended up at the same college and feel left out, I would see girls from high school joining sororities, I would see people looking so stunning and having so much fun, and I let that be the thing that influenced how I felt.
Social media consumed me. It made me forget all the wonderful things I have in my life. It made me value a photo opportunity more than just enjoying the moment for what it is. Let me tell you that a moment is no less valuable just because it isn't visually appealing.
I've recently started using the Screen Time feature on my iPhone. I set a two hour per day limit on my social media usage, and when that time is up, I can no longer open the apps. Since then, I've been spending more time face-to-face with the people I care about. I've reconnected with old hobbies. I feel less stressed. I stopped comparing myself to others. I learned to be happy with myself.
I limit my social media usage because all the time I've spent aimlessly scrolling through Instagram is time I could've spent going for a walk and enjoying the warmth of Spring.
I limit my social media usage because I value face-to-face interaction. I value hugs and laughter and all the other things you can't get from a screen.
I limit my social media usage because it hurts my feelings when other people are on their phones when I'm trying to talk to them so how can it be right that I do that to someone else?
I think about how dependent on social media we have become, and it makes me so grateful that the sun is too bright to see our phone screens outside and that the mountains raise too high to have good cell service. I'm grateful that my friends make me laugh so hard that I don't even think to check my phone.
So, I challenge you to separate yourself from your social media. Even if it's just for a day. See how your life changes.