Digital Quicksand
Just the other day, it dawned on me that I’ve allowed an annoying, counterproductive behavior to throw a monkey wrench into my well-being.
Damn data, anyway.
Even the realization that I’m not alone in feeling swept up into a whirlwind of data points won’t keep me from airing my grievances with my situation by essentially journaling my way to a more balanced approach.
Truth be told, I wasn’t drawn to data before I started self-publishing. But after releasing my first novel in 2022, then its companion in 2025, my whole world changed.
After receiving dozens of positive reviews for my second novel, I noticed an insidious tendency to check & recheck Amazon, Bookbub, Bookfunnel, & all the other promo sites I tried more times a day than I care to admit. Oh, then toss in the various & sundry social media platforms I joined to see how others handle the pitfalls of self-promoting & my conversion was complete.
No, problem, I told myself. I’m only taking a stroll through the data once in the morning & once in the evening. For a while, I even managed to discipline myself enough to delay my morning check until after a decent writing session.
And then…(cue the melodramatic music), a nefarious pattern emerged. In retrospect, the major disruption to my calmer demeanor started with an earnest attempt at simplifying (cue the monster approaches music) by, you guessed it, uploading apps & web links to my phone in an effort to improve efficiency & keep up with fluctuations.
Yeah, yeah, you’re right: Dumb move.
But in my mind, it was a natural progression, one that made sense under the circumstances & still has—
All right, enough of the handwringing. Now it’s time for the ask.
I’m tossing my confession out to the world to see if anybody has a suggestion that might work for my poor, frazzled brain that doesn’t involve some draconian move like giving my phone to somebody else for safe keeping for a month, joining a monastery, or cutting the cord completely.
You see, I just want to ease into a healthier relationship with data so I can return to being a functioning human who is reasonably aware of the progression of my work without sinking further into OCD quicksand.
I’m so sincere about this ask that I’m not even ending my post with the customary self-deprecating joke to lighten the mood.
Thanks in advance.
Drew
Latest review of Core Haven: Hope Amid the Ruins, 2-9-26
P.S. At the time of this writing, Core Haven: Hope Amid the Ruins has maintained its 4.9 out of 5 with 48 global ratings & 46 customer reviews on Amazon, along with 4.61 out of 5 with 127 ratings & 118 reviews on Goodreads. Not too shabby, right?
My first self-published novel, Pearl Fields and the Oregon Meltdown: A Tale of Survival, is currently available on the Kindle Store.
My companion novel, Core Haven: Hope Amid the Ruins, was released on July 31st, 2025. Available now.