The alarm sounds, it’s 5:30 am.
What do you do first? Grab your phone, of course. You open the bird app to find people already well into their day and see heated, intellectual conversations up and down your timeline. Then, you join a twitter space with a seemingly interesting topic, and as you swing your legs out of bed and onto the floor, you throw up a few emojis to show people that you’re actually listening. And now, the countdown to “real” life begins.
A quick breakfast, possibly a cup of coffee, and you’re moving as fast as possible, prepping lunch, doing your hair…all while your phone rests in your hand. That’s the new norm for many. It’s the silent understanding that your phone and twitter is your lifeline and direct connection to the world of web3, and in order to not miss anything or fall behind, you must stay engaged. One day of not interacting on the TL feels like a week of missing important news, tons of new releases, but what about your day-to-day life outside of your phone?
The kids jump out of the car and run into school and now you’re off to work. As you pull in your parking space, a bit of panic sets in because you don’t know how you’re going to make two to three midday spaces without disengaging at work. You set your reminder and decide to just do the best you can. A few hours go by, and everything is going great! You’ve managed to juggle it all and yes, you’re exhausted and struggling a bit but who doesn’t struggle, right? Your reminder goes off saying your fellow creatives' space is set to begin in five minutes. That means you have five minutes to prioritize what is in front of you while balancing being a speaker on stage too. You feel obligated to stay engaged and tied to the happenings of the space.
With one minute to go, the anxiety is becoming greater because work looms, but of course you have to be in spaces to support your friends. After all, you don’t want anyone thinking terribly of you. So, you attend the space, catch up on stage, and when you look up…a full hour has flown by. Your IRL deadlines are rapidly approaching, and you’ve lost so much time scrolling and engaging URL.
This is only Monday.
Friends, did we forget that we are all humans fighting to make it work? When did web3 become so transactional that you can’t miss one thing, in fear of fumbling relationships you worked so hard to build? Expectations should be reasonably attainable for both IRL and URL. We need to take the time to exhale, to be present and in the moment, and that means coming to terms with the fact that we can only extend ourselves so much. My advice? Do the best you can. Be realistic about the idea of being omnipresent and give yourself room to not be perfect or “on” at all times.
The beauty of web3 is that it assists creators in fostering financial independence and expanding their reach at the click of the button. With this being so new, we must acknowledge that the system is not perfect. We are battling burn-out, balancing families, and working in web2, while fighting to make a name for ourselves in this blooming space. I believe it can all be done if we continuously remind ourselves that life looks different to everyone, and we are all simply working to create a life that we’re proud of.
