My name is Jim, and I look at my WordPress stats way too much.
Part of the problem is that I have the WP app on my phone, and it is just so easy to check my stats when I’ve got a few free seconds. And it seems like I’ve got way too many “a few free seconds” available to me.
So early this morning I took the bold step of deleting the app of my phone.
It shouldn’t be much of a loss, since checking my stats was all I really used the app for. On a rare occasion, I’ve used the app to edit a post that had already been published, but I can certainly get by without that feature.
I’ve now gone over 12 hours without using my phone to check my stats (I still check them on my laptop, but not nearly as often), and I don’t feel like I missed out on anything. My stats seemed to function just fine without my constant checking in on them.
So I think I’ll be good with this change.
The only problem will be figuring out what to do with the four hours I just freed up every day… 🙂
*image from 9to5 mac
Why, learn to play the guitar, of course! ; )
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I tried about 10 years ago, and failed miserably. I plan to try agin in a few years when I retire…
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Try a ukulele. Much easier off the bat. I gave one to a co-worker, a real backwoods-hunter type. Never thought he’d go for it – and he loves it! He’s been playing for a few years now. I was so thankful to be able to give him that joy in his life.
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thanks for the suggestion! I’ll take a look into it…
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Okay, this is a great idea. I’m sure you can find something to fill in the time…hey, maybe I can pay you to check my stats for me.
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please don’t tempt me… 🙂
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Haha, okay 🙂
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Hahaha 😂 this is the first time I laughed about blog stats. But congrats on having so much free hours. I wish I could beg you to share 1 of the extra to hour to me haha 😅
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thanks, Jessica! I don’t know where that free time has gone, but it’s gone! I wish I could spare you an hou!
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Tsk. You don’t need to make excuses… we both know you don’t want to give it to me 😑 Joke 😂
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I’m sure you would find a more productive use for an extra hour in the day than I could 🙂
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Oh yeah? I’ll use that for selfish reason. Like reading haha
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Come on Jim. You know you want to look at your stats more often. Now get on your phone and reinstall that app. You know you want to. The app is waiting. Waiting just for you, Jim.
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must get app. must get app. must get app.
I don’t know why I keep typing that…
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You are baaaad! Don’t listen to him Jim, he is just a doolally! 🙂 I am so glad he taught me that word! LOL!
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Schtupid.
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Ooh don’t be so hard on yourself! You aren’t “Schtupid” for teaching me that new word, it was actually pretty smart of you, I think!
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Since you are acknowledging that I am pretty smart, I guess you’re not as schtupid as you look.
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…mmm…!! Thats not what….! 😶🤚
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Now I can why you’re a idiot.
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I have not put the app back on my phone, but I don’t know what I’ve aI’ve done with all that freed up time…
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I believe this is a twelve-step program, Jim. Don’t forget to apologize to all of your loved ones whom you need to make peace with over this issue. 😎
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I’m happy stuck at step one… 🙂
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There are all those gambling websites out there just waiting for you…
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I think I’d rather go back to checking my stats 🙂
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Probably easier on the bank balance
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that’s for sure!
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“Sir, just put the phone down and back away and no one will get hurt!” I see you have taken the bold move of going cold turkey and facing your withdrawal symptoms rather than a slow, painful weening from your addiction. I have never used the app on the phone, but now I understand why checking your stats so frequently was possible. I check once in the morning and once at night. That seems frequent enough for me. I wish you well on your new stat sobriety!
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Yes, getting the app off the phone was a big help. At some point, I hope to get to your schedule…
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stepping in the right direction. why not pick up your juggling skills again and go pro?
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I’d probably start quantifying all of that too. How many throws did I get with five balls; how long can I juggle three clubs, etc. 🙂
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I deleted Facebook, twitter, insta and most recently APPLE NEWS from my phone with the same goal, to free up time and stop wasting time and brain cells on things I know are not good for inner peace… trouble is I can still go to Safari and check them!
I want to delete Safari from my phone but was told that would render it useless. But I do hate how 24/7 access to these addictive apps steals my time.
When I gave up Facebook for Lent a few years ago, I instead developed an addiction to Twitter, which is even worse than Facebook because it is where all the news first.
Pick your poison!
But the best way for me to break my phone addiction is to turn off the ringer and put it someplace where I forget to even check it … but then hours later I check it to find I’ve missed calls and texts I needed to respond to.
Oh well. The world keeps turning.
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who knew we needed our own phone with us 24/7? I deleted all my news apps as well a while ago, but just recently added NPR. I don’t check the news nearly as much as I used to. Hope all is well with you, Susan…
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Four hours a day? Surely enough time to write a novel. And if you do, you can keep on checking your word count as a form of cold turkey…
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as long as I have something to count, so this would work… 🙂
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It seemed a good plan for you 😉
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you know me well… 🙂
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Going “cold turkey” with the app is a bold step. It is good that you have stats that are constantly changing.
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so far, so good. I am glad I deleted it!
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See if viewing your posts on your phone now counts as a view in your stats. It does for me.
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I tired, and I didn’t see a change. Not sure how quickly stats are updated though. So does it count each visit as a separate view, or just the first time you visit the post?
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I ebb and flow looking at stats. The posts I expect to do well often go unnoticed and the ones I felt were mediocre get the higher stats. 🤣🤣🤣
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It is hard to figure out what posts will attract some views. I must admit it is nice not constantly checking my stats on the phone… 🙂
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Good luck with the program. Great post.
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thanks, Robbie!
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I’ve also had to detox from looking at stats lol. But for me it was with YouTube. I was checking every couple of hours, but now that I’m focused on WordPress I haven’t been thinking about YouTube as much haha
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I’m hoping I find something productive to distract me!
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😁😁😁 well at least we know you’re not spending all your time on Yelp
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I guess that’s a good thing! 🙂
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Wow! What are you going to do with the extra four hours? Hmm, I am sure the “imagination of Jim” will find something. As for playing the guitar, it’s even more challenging when you have two left hands.
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I guess that must be my problem – two left hands 🙂
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Now , I have a problem coming!! Yes I too check my stats in the morning and every other boring moment 🙂… No deletion now… till it’s a full blown addiction… An honest eye-opening account, thank you
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it can be quite addicting. I must admit it has been kind of nice not having the WP app on my phone… Good luck!
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Ahh! I had missed this post. But I will say Bravo to you again for cutting back, and look, you are surviving! A shocker! I have the WP app on my phone, but I don’t use it to check stats, so I think I am OK. 🙂
You have more time now to think of creative posts and hey wasn’t it you that mentioned in a post, about counting the bricks on your house? See, I remember your posts!
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Yes, I still have that to do. I am saving that for when I am desperate, which I am getting right now. But it’s too dark outside to go count bricks…
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Same here with me, too often checked my wp stat. I think I need to try to detox too
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I am on day 3, and it is going well. I’d certainly recommend you give it a shot if you think you are spending too much time checking your stats!
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Seems like am not alone,I also suffer this disease
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welcome to the crowd!
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Great idea I think
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it’s worked so far, and it’s been a week. 🙂
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Yay good luck 🍀! You could take a little walk outside; get some fresh air! 😄🍁
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thanks, what a great idea. gets me away from the stats and I get some fresh air!
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I totally check my stats regularly. I rely on the WordPress mobile app a lot. It’s very handy.
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