This post has nothing to do with my boots except that I took them off to write it

More blogging about blogging.

I rambled a little on Sunday about how blogging is like exercising. Or couponing. If you don’t do it enough your head gets overfilled with ideas, just like my dining table with coupons.  And starting up again — phew — that’s the equivalent of my hitting the treadmill for the first time in months. NOT a pretty site.

But sometimes there isn’t a trick to it — there’s  no magic calendar. No magic reminder alarm going off on my phone. No rubberband around my wrist reminding me that there was something I forgot to do (snapping it to sting yourself is also a nice Pavlov’s dog exercise by the way).

Blogging, exercising, couponing (although that’s a stretch) — are all the same. The only way to do it, is just to do it.  There’s no right way, there’s no wrong way, there’s just doing it.  I used to think I would start writing more when I got my blog page looking exactly the way that I want it.  Or I would start couponing more if I had the right binder. Or I would start working out more if I had the right pair of tennis shoes and matching ponytail holder (LOL — that’s a lie —  hahahahhaha…..)

I had a not so great doctor appointment  yesterday. Without getting into too much detail, I’m reminded of my health issues.  I sometimes forget. The pill popping and the pain become such a normal part of my every day life that I have learned to let it just happen in the background.  But blood tests bring it back to my attention and I’m having to think about my to-do list.  I have my every day tasks.  I have my children tasks. These overlap in many places. These things are important to me.  Most important to me.  But then there are my just for me tasks — and these are the ones that take the most effort.  And they shouldn’t. These are the things that make me feel most like me.  Sure I love the things I do with my children, and I love volunteering at the elementary school, and I adore watching my little one in swimming class. But every once in awhile we deserve to do things that exercise our minds and our hearts and our bodies. Getting those things in sync is my biggest challenge.  (I’m preaching to the choir here — I know it mamas.)

In the interest of self-preservation today, put yourself first and cross off a to-do on your me list. Even a small one.

Blog post. Done. : )

Intentionally Happy

I have the unique perspective of going from living a life almost exclusively controlled by other people — to living an intentional and happy life of my own.  Don’t get me wrong, life is still hectic.  My children rule my day and my schedule.  I’m no longer worried about keeping the water on, but financial stability is still something I worry about.  Occasional there is still blended family drama.  And there seems to  always be something waiting around the corner.  But the difference is me.

A recent visit to North Carolina reminded me how much of my daily life was controlled by decisions and thoughtlessness of other people.  The skills I have fine tuned in a year of quiet served me well during my ten day trip.  I’m realizing now that these skills will serve me for the rest of my life.  I tucked these reminders in my pocket, and pulled them out when my throat started to close, my neck started to get hot, or I felt the smoke coming out of my ears.  This is my New Year’s gift to you.

Resist the urge to react. That quote — Act, don’t react — is a great one.  But I changed it a little.  Instinct rules us, it’s natural to react to stressful situations.  But it’s the urgency that screws us.  Resisting a reaction, especially in the heat of the moment is almost always a better bet.  When the moment is right to deliver a response, you’ll know it.  And sometimes no response is better.

Say thank you. Here’s what I notice about people who are mean:  No one appreciates them.  Even if they don’t hear you say thank you, thinking it and feeling it makes you smile inside.  Having someone treat you badly or be unkind?  That’s just a learning experience, an opportunity to fine tune your coping skills, a chance to see someone for who they are and make decisions to eliminate them from your life.  So say thank you.  And move forward.

Breathe. Breathing does two things:  it physically calms you and it gives you a moment to evaluate the situation.  I realize now that I spent lots and lots of time subconsciously holding my breath.  Also — sometimes if you let out a long sigh you get to let the person know that you are pretty much tired of listening to them. : )

Be present. Obviously planning is important.  But if you spend all your time worrying about what might happen, or what happened before — you are NOT present.  This is the most difficult thing for me to do.  But after I take a long and cleansing breath, I think about where I am, what I’m doing, and that this moment will not last forever.  My only choices are to enjoy it, learn from it, or tolerate it until it’s over.  

Accept. There are things you cannot change.  So cliche, but so true.  I am a DO-er.  I believe in the impossible.  I am resilient, and patient, and I believe in hard work.  I truly believe that you can accomplish anything that you set your mind to.  But there are things and people and circumstances — that you cannot change.  And sometimes the accomplishment is accepting that that is true.

A calm life suits me.  I hope it suits you too. Happy New Year!

Keeping It REAL

A few years ago a very good friend of mine gave me the opportunity to manage the Twitter account of a fairly large business. Given that Twitter was still relatively new and businesses were still working out the details of how the platform could work for them, letting me do this was a pretty big risk for him. Then I read about this conference called TWTRCON in San Francisco, where businesses would be sharing information about exactly this topic. I wasn’t sure about what direction I was going in with this project, but I knew that this would be the place that I would learn.

I wrote a heartfelt letter to ask that I be considered for their Go Standby program, where people could attend for what they could afford to pay. I explained that Twitter had been an incredible outlet for me as I was fighting the foreclosure on my home.  I wrote about the people I had met on Twitter that had encouraged me, others who had been through the same thing, and how the resources that I found through shared links changed my life.  I wrote about how I had gone from being hopeless and nearly homeless, to someone with a purpose and a community of people to support me. 

I added that I hoped to develop my own business model to utilize these resources to help others. The topic of social media for business at that time was still very new. I understood the basic concept but I had NO idea what to expect.  I simply knew that I had the professional background and marketing experience to make a business of my own successful.   

The brand has recently been changed from TWTRCON to The Realtime Report – to better reflect the scope of how the realtime web is redefining PR, marketing, customer service, and product development.  No matter where you are in business — if you are utilizing social media, mobile marketing, or any other platform that works non-stop and in real-time, REALTIME NY 11 is the conference for you.

Three years after that first conference, I’ve created a small business as a virtual marketing assistant – managing social media profiles, maintaining small projects, providing administrative services, and consulting on digital media resources. Am I going to get rich? Probably not. Am I happy? YES. Am I an expert? Nowhere close.  Am I doing what I said I would do? Absolutely.  I attribute my accomplishment and my continued motivation to The Realtime Report.

I hold this conference to the highest standard and use it as a benchmark for any other event that I even begin to consider attending.  When you work for yourself, you must choose professional development wisely and spend your resources on the things that will bring the most value to your business. 

Here is what I think you will walk away with:

Be inspired.

Big business, small business, freelancers — every group is represented. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about how people at all levels of business are creating new technology, implementing innovative ideas, and utilizing these resources on an every day basis to connect with their clients in a way that matters. It will inspire you to do the same.

Meet incredible people.

So, I waved at MC Hammer at the first conference I went to, and I chit chatted about nothing of value with Martha Stewart’s technical assistant at the second. That was the closest I got to famous people and I am absolutely fine with that. Obviously I did not absorb the greatness that these people had to offer — but that was my fault, not theirs.  I was overwhelmed at both the San Francisco and New York conferences by the big business names around me and spent lots of time soaking it all in.  I did meet some incredible people who did not intimidate me, including @jpeez & @tonia_ries. The networking opportunity at this event is AMAZING.

Learn.

The people presenting at this conference are the best of the best from their respective businesses. While some of the technical aspects are beyond what I will ever understand — the presentations on marketing strategy and broader implications of social media on business and commerce are invaluable.  It will keep your wheels turning for weeks after the event has ended.

Create value.

So here’s the question that is asked over and over again in this field:  How do you measure ROI? Lots of people will have different answers,  depending on their business and how they are utilizing these resources. The return is sometimes measured in number of followers, number of interactions, number of retweets. Translating this  into profit is the key to creating value for business. In this conference, you will hear how others translate this for their own businesses and consider how to create value  for your own. We’re not all going to be responsible for starting a revolution, but the value in social media is just as diverse as the businesses and people who use it.  I learned that and continue to learn that from The Realtime Report.  

Hope you will too.  The next conference is Realtime NY 11.  It is an all day event and will be held on June 6, at BB Kings Times Square in New York City.  There are still ways to save on the conference fee.  Contact me for more details or visit the website to register. 

Peace.  

Disclosure:  I currently work as a Community Manager for The Realtime Report.  I was not paid to endorse the conference in this blogpost.  Amen.

Image Sources:  Karen Stadler, The Realtime Report FB Fanpage