How You Can Use Social Media Without Wasting Time Like Everyone Else (100 Facebook Friends Challenge)

Your network is your net worth.

Write this down and repeat it multiple times per day. You’re nothing without your friends. You need to help people and be humble enough to ask for help when you need it.

“I’ve come to believe that connecting is one of the most important business—and life—skill sets you’ll ever learn. Why? Because, flat out, people do business with people they know and like. Careers—in every imaginable field—work the same.” — Keith Ferrazzi

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Will they accept my friend request? I pondered this very deep thought.

It was about 2008 and I wasn’t the charming brute that I am today. I was nervous as I sent out the friend request. Would this person accept? Would they laugh at me? Would they even remember me?

A few days passed and there was no word. No update. Nothing.

Wow, did I ever feel like a loser.

Why wouldn’t this person accept my friend request? Was my profile pic lame? Was I not cool enough? What did I do wrong?

The person accepted the friend requested and it wasn’t a big deal at all.

Fast forward to today. I get more Facebook friend requests than I send out. I have an amazing circle of friends, I always have something to do, and I’m never bored.

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What’s the deal with social media?

I understand that social media isn’t perfect. There are many flaws to social media. There’s the inherent issue with spending all day creeping on Facebook when you have work to do.

I had a post go viral about FOMO and social media ruining your finances. This indeed is a serious issue. I find myself getting carried away on Facebook sometimes. I promote wrestling shows, get in character, and start berating my fellow pro wrestlers. I forget that not all of my friends are into the same scene.

According to Wikipedia (you can’t doubt them!):

“Fear of missing out or FOMO is a form of social anxiety — a compulsive concern that one might miss an opportunity for social interaction, a novel experience, profitable investment or other satisfying event. This is especially associated with modern technologies such as mobile phones and social networking services.”

That’s the downside of social media.

The positive of social media?

Keeping in touch with all of your remarkable friends.

When you live the Studenomics life you meet lots of interesting characters. You go on trips, you take on challenges, and you go out often.

Your network is your net worth.

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn

Your parents always told you that your friends will influence you and shape you. I believe in this 100%. I hang out with lots of miscreants and characters because of pro wrestling and my gym. I hang out with successful business owners due to my blogging. I’m always around unique individuals.

I go out of my way to hang out with folks that are better than me or those with similar interests.

Common examples include:

• Attending a BJJ class where everyone destroys me.
• Getting business advice from friends with successful businesses.
• Paying to attend events to meet others in the same field.
• Creating mastermind groups to learn from the best.
• Buying books from folks in industries I want to enter.

Long story short: I firmly believe in the idea that your friends make you who you are.

I try to be a good friend to those that I believe in.

If I don’t believe in someone, I don’t give them unsolicited advice. I wait for them to ask for advice. We all have our own dangerous habits to deal with and problems to solve.

I want to introduce you to the 100 Facebook friends challenge.

“Nah man, I’m not on Facebook.” — Said every pretentious jerk.

I know it’s cool to bash Facebook and social media. It’s really hip to not be on Facebook. We all know one of those people. I get it. I deactivate Facebook or avoid it when I have work. That’s cool. No need to act all high and mighty about it.

This is the 100 new Facebook friends challenge. I want you to get active and meet lots of new people over the next six months.

What’s the point of this challenge?

I want you to meet new people. I want you to join new groups. I want to see you step outside of your comfort zone. I want you to get out there. If I can join a salsa class, you have no excuses for anything!

I don’t want you to be lonely when the party ends. I want you to always have something to do, someone to see, and something to say.

If you’re already doubting yourself, I always refer to one of my favorite quotes when it comes to new challenges and doing something bold.

“In my experience, successful people shoot for the stars, put their hearts on the line in every battle…In the long run, painful losses may prove much more valuable than wins…Of course, the real challenge is to stay in range of this long-term perspective when you are under fire and hurting in the middle of the war. This, maybe our biggest hurdle, is at the core of the art of learning.” — Joshua Waitzkin

I want you to get 100 new Facebook friends. I want you to interact with new people. I want you to challenge yourself.

How do I use Facebook?

To be brutally realistic, here’s how I use social media. Keep in mind that my goal is to stay in touch with friends without wasting all day on creeping photos:

• Post fun updates from my life (wrestling, trips, daily adventures, and so on).
• Make fun of friends.
• Tag people in pictures to annoy them.
• Update my fitness page.
• Interact with the different groups that I’m in (from wrestling to bloggers to a UFC fight pool).
• Message friends.
• Post articles once in a while.
• Have fun.

Please, just have fun on Facebook. Don’t try to solve the world’s problems or go looking for arguments. You can spend all day arguing non-sense. Who has time for that?

[Check out : How my friend landed a job on Facebook.]

What’s the alternative challenge?

I know that everyone isn’t on Facebook. You can still challenge yourself.

Try this: 20 new numbers in your phone or 5 new friends to text with.

Become the kind of person that people want to be friends with. Make lots of friends and live the good life.

“Try never to be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people … or find a different room.” — Michael Dell