Tips for 2008 -- #1 -- Budget your time
Today begins a five-part series on tips for 2008.
Although we tend to make big resolutions, it can be the small changes that we make that have the biggest impacts. This year, I want you to make small changes to how you use the various social networking tools in order to gain more from the tools (and that includes making better connections with others).
With that in mind, tips #1 is to budget your time. Often we find that social networking tools can consume our time because they are fun. For example, we dive head first into Facebook, try out many of the widgets, connect with people, play games, etc., and soon find that we're spending too much time in Facebook without the correct level of payback. Although an initial deep dive into a tool is necessary in order to understand what it is, you should decide how much time you really want to budget for that tools and then stick -- as close as possible -- to that budget.
Perhaps you feel uncomfortable budgeting your time. How about deciding what functions you'll do on a regular basis and which ones you'll delay? For example, you may decide to read/skim specific blogs and RSS feeds each day, but only read/skim less critical ones once a week.
One of my resolutions for 2008 is to not check all of my RSS feeds everyday. Instead, I will check those that are most important to my business on a daily basis, then check the others a couple times a week. I know this will take discipline to do, since curiosity may kick in. But I also know that it will save me time and keep me from being distracted 9and then going off-track).
As for budgeting time in specific tools, one of the things I decided early in 2007 was that I didn't derive the same level of benefit from all of the tools. Therefore, there are some tools -- e.g., Ning -- that I use infrequently (on an as-needed basis).
As we begin 2008, take a moment and look at the tools you're using. Consider if any of the tools seem to be controlling your life, and then think about how you can budget your use of them. Not only think about how you'll limit the time spent in those tools, but also think about what you'll do with that time. It could be valuable time found for use elsewhere.
Technorati tag:
Social Networking Tools, 
2008, 
Tips
Although we tend to make big resolutions, it can be the small changes that we make that have the biggest impacts. This year, I want you to make small changes to how you use the various social networking tools in order to gain more from the tools (and that includes making better connections with others).
With that in mind, tips #1 is to budget your time. Often we find that social networking tools can consume our time because they are fun. For example, we dive head first into Facebook, try out many of the widgets, connect with people, play games, etc., and soon find that we're spending too much time in Facebook without the correct level of payback. Although an initial deep dive into a tool is necessary in order to understand what it is, you should decide how much time you really want to budget for that tools and then stick -- as close as possible -- to that budget.
Perhaps you feel uncomfortable budgeting your time. How about deciding what functions you'll do on a regular basis and which ones you'll delay? For example, you may decide to read/skim specific blogs and RSS feeds each day, but only read/skim less critical ones once a week.
One of my resolutions for 2008 is to not check all of my RSS feeds everyday. Instead, I will check those that are most important to my business on a daily basis, then check the others a couple times a week. I know this will take discipline to do, since curiosity may kick in. But I also know that it will save me time and keep me from being distracted 9and then going off-track).
As for budgeting time in specific tools, one of the things I decided early in 2007 was that I didn't derive the same level of benefit from all of the tools. Therefore, there are some tools -- e.g., Ning -- that I use infrequently (on an as-needed basis).
As we begin 2008, take a moment and look at the tools you're using. Consider if any of the tools seem to be controlling your life, and then think about how you can budget your use of them. Not only think about how you'll limit the time spent in those tools, but also think about what you'll do with that time. It could be valuable time found for use elsewhere.
Technorati tag:
Social Networking Tools, 2008, TipsLabels: 2008, Social Networking Tools, Tips
posted by Jill Hurst-Wahl at
8:26 AM
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