Report from FLAWD Offline Month (FOM) January 2015

For the 3rd annual straight year in a row FOM – FLAWD Offline Month in January has taken place. What is FOM? Read more here. In essence it is one of two months out of every year where WE, people who want more of life and try new things push limits and the norms and status quo are OFFLINE from Social Media during a month. This “movement” is starting to get more and more traction and this January at least 2 good friends joined in, in their own way.

Me personally took the time to add additional challenges like NOBNOM, No Coffee on Coach.me (previously known as LiftApp) just for the sake of it.

Reading – I finished 8 books.. What did I read? Check it out on goodreads
Pockets – crushed 257 pockets
Connected insanely much deeper with closest friends. Thank you!
PR in Deadlift (200kg), BACKSQUAT (160kg), Overhead Squat (100kg) and got my first strict BAR Muscle Up! :)
Coached more then 20 hours of CrossFit.
Played squash for the first time in 6 Years

Overall the experience is humbling and the anticipation of drinking coffee. I bought real Bulletproof Coffee and Brain Octane Oil (MCT Oil) and the curiousness of this (now) mystical thing of social media..

Don’t take my word for it..

Carolines experience from FOM1 2015:

“I have to admit that challenge Quitting social media during january was a bit intimidating for me. I consider myself as a frequent user of social media. However I didn’t consider me having an addictive relationship to it. I didn’t use it more than anyone else. I could easily do this. Or could I? The very first day of January I woke up, grabbed my phone and a huge amount of notifications popped up on my screen. Photos I’ve been tagged on, mentions, likes and news that made me over the heels of curiosity. I struggled hard suppressing the impulse of tapping the notifications – instead I un-installed all social media apps. Seemingly out of nowhere I felt aloneness.

My friends disliked the idea of me quitting social media, I’m not sure if they were afraid of losing contact with me or worrying about how i was going to manage it. However I realized that I felt connected with all of my friends through social media. It could go weeks between hooking up with them or even call them. My life during this month has been filled up with perceptiveness and I feel more aware. I do things I enjoy for myself. Because everything I do is always for someone else – too much or too little, but when I do my thing I feel more alive and I became inspired without needing the confirmation from others – likes, comments etc. I meet my friends more often, reading books and I don’t worry about what I’m “missing out” in the social media. My expereience tells me that it will alwayse be something that I will miss out on, and there is no point trying averting this fact.

My references has changed as well. I notice my environment more and when I do, I see real human beings with varieties of body shapes and lifestyles. I also realize that people update their social media when something positive or UNcommon in their lifes occur. I learned that my life does not lack special occasions and peaks. This was a very important lesson for me.

So THANK YOU Peter mr. Flawd! You challenged me to live my life and be more AWARE. And the return to social media was such an anticlimax.”