Jun 16, 2015 |
Before leaving Blue Ridge, we were cautioned.
“Once you leave the mountaintop,
there’s only one way to go ~
Into the valley.”
~Alton Gansky, Final Keynote Speaker,
BRMCWC 2015
We were told what we learned was to be shared. We were being sent out to be springs in the desert, which in my case is quite literal.
Life Can Be Prickly
As wonderful as the Blue Ridge experience was, as foundational as these new friendships have proven to be, coming home was hard. Reconnecting to the world I left behind was difficult.
I’ve been trying to make sense of the blender in my head, chopping and refining and mixing all the information and activity and life that continues. I’ve been trying to put all the new, and old, life into the same container.
Etc., etc., etc. . . .
Surprise ~ it doesn’t all fit.
I needed a way to better manage the new roads that are leading me to greater things.
In particular, I’ve been further developing my Social Media Management.
How To Do Social Media For People Who Are Antisocial
But I wasn’t working it as well as I could have. I was inundated with the thought that I had to learn more, prep more, explain more, before I had something worth sharing.
The immensity of all that lay before me was overwhelming.
And then I remembered what Edie Melson taught us.
Social media is always changing.
Sounds like a “DUH” moment, right? You would think so.
The real “DUH” moment came when I realized because social media is always changing, it’s impossible for me to learn everything about it. My task is to share my current knowledge while growing. Not stop growing and then share stagnant information.
I don’t have to do everything all the time, as long as I do something when I can. My friend Tony put it this way:
“Consistency trumps intensity…better to work 20 minutes 6 days per week for 90 days than to work 40 hours per week for two weeks…it keeps you from burning out and the magic of your own biz is the ‘part time’ effort…imagine if someone went to the gym 8 hours in one day and called it good for the month…”
I’ve been asked to join several group blogs and share my social media knowledge. I don’t know as much as others, but I know more than some. That doesn’t mean I have to know or do everything all at once.
So I changed my mind.
I’m no longer crushing through hours each night, trying to flood my laptop with links and posts and media connections and classes and learning and teaching.
I’m no longer waiting until I know it all. What I already know is worth sharing. What I already do is worth doing for others.
Instead of trying to do it all, I look at what needs to be done now.
I don’t always like To-Do Lists. Those never ending beasts are an evil necessity with their continuous trails and side paths that often lead you away from contentment. As soon as you mark off one item, there’s another five to be added.
I’m starting a new To-Do List. One that makes it easier to manage everything else. So far, I’ve got one task.
1. Don’t Overdo the To-Do List.
It really can be that simple. Today I have things that have to get done. Blogging, NOLA Chapter 2 third draft, laundry, housecleaning, dinner. I have social media clients I need to take care of. But I can do it, just for today. Just for this week. I don’t need to schedule posts that are a month out. Not yet.
Burnout is too easily achieved when we try too hard to ignore ourselves.
It’s okay to take things one puzzle piece at a time. It’s okay to not have all the answers. It’s okay to not be the best at everything.
And it’s okay to take things one post at a time.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
TWEETERRIFIC: Tweet: Social media always changes. We should too. #SocialMedia #FranklyMyDearMojo @RealMojo68 [Click to Tweet]
Aug 8, 2014 |
Five Things Friday at Frankly, My Dear…
The calendar tells me it’s been nearly two months since I last blogged.
Inconceivable!
Without going into dramatic detail, suffice to say life with all its twists and turns has been a great distraction from blogging. It’s been full of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. And we’re all learning to exchange beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3).
The calendar also tells me the year is about two-thirds behind us. Now that’s crazy! I look back on my resolutions and I’m so happy I had just one.
BETTER! 2014
I’m proud to say I’ve continued to do what I can to make life Better for those around me, and yes, for myself. I’m not proud to say I’ve put blogging on one of the back burners. It’s one of those things that I have great aspirations for, yet lately seem to not have time. So today, I’m taking time. I’m making time. I’m blogging. And I feel better because of it.
This week’s Five Things Friday theme is Start/Stop. It’s about those things in life that we either need to step up to, or let go of, or find a happy medium to make them better.
Here’s my Five.
1. NOLA. Is that really such a surprise? I hit a very tall Writer’s Block wall over two weeks ago. Thankfully, my writing mentor, Aaron Gansky, talked me through it. Based on feedback from Aaron, The Wordsmiths (the critique group I belong to), and several other beta readers, I’m going back to the beginning. Just the beginning. The plot itself will remain nearly the same, with just a few more twists and turns than I originally mentioned. But I need a better diving board, so I’m rewriting what I have and moving on from there. [Thank you, Aaron, for pointing out that my murder mystery novel has yet to include a murder.]
The Wordsmiths Critique Group
2. My budget. I had a long talk with God about my finances and to be honest, I didn’t like what He had to say. Because He said “Trust me.” It’s scary to trust a God I can’t physically see, for money that I physically need. I’m learning to be still, to not force anything, and to communicate. I stopped going from paycheck to paycheck, and started to really use my Mead OrganizeHer Expense Tracker. No, I’m not trying to be a commercial for them. But if you were to ask me a year ago how I keep track, I wouldn’t have a clue. Now, as soon as a bill comes in, I put it in the Bills pocket. Each month has an expense list, suggestions, and blanks for me to include my own. I’m learning to call my creditors before the due date if I can’t make the full payment. And you know what? They work with me. I’m no longer afraid of my finances. And that’s a good start. I’m still praying for a way to cut down my Sycamore tree, as it’s leaching into my watering system and I found out I’m highly allergic to it. And Beckie and I are hoping to attend next year’s Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference in May. There’s a huge correlation between my prayer life and peace about my finances.
3. Who’s Beckie? She’s the Newest member of The New Inklings, the writer’s group I formed around my company, New Inklings Press. Beckie and I know each other nine ways ’til Sunday and are just now realizing how many connections we have. I met her over a year ago while promoting The Unemployment Cookbook, and she recently reached out to me for a writer’s get-together. She’s been published in magazines, completed the Institute of Children’s Literature (ICL), and inspires me to keep going when I want to quit. Because of her, I’m going to start the next lessons at ICL and finally complete the course I signed up and paid for so long ago.
4. Complicated. In May/June, I was thrilled to have met up with an old friend and we had the idea to pursue a relationship. The relationship aspect didn’t work out, but I learned a valuable lesson through it: Don’t Leave. Period. While our romantic intentions didn’t flourish, I learned better communication skills. I prefer writing, of course. He prefers speaking. Long texts and longer phone calls were the norm between us. And no matter that any long-term romance was never a really good idea between us, the friendship has remained. As has my determination to not walk away from the fundamentally most important parts of life. He and I haven’t left each other, we just left behind an improbable romance. And I’m okay with that. Because, fundamentally, he’s still here for me. And I’m still here for him. No matter what.
Don’t Leave. Period.
5. Social. At the beginning of this post, I alluded to some, shall we say, challenges in the past few months that have sapped my attentions and my strengths. Because of this, I’ve had to evaluate my social calendar and make some changes. I momentarily stepped down as Social Media Manager (SMM) for my writer’s club. Aaron hired me as his SMM for a reciprocal mentoring agreement. I’ve taken as much off my plate as I can, and I’m still paring down. I’m learning to fit dinner and socializing into the same event. I’m learning to say “no” instead of “let me try”. I’m learning to rest. I’m learning what and who the important socials are. And I’m learning to let go. It’s not my favorite thing. But it’s important.
5b. [BONUS] Social. Aaron is teaching me how to nerd it by playing Magic: The Gathering. Stay tuned for his guest post on the subject. I enjoy the complexity of strategy, the lottery-feel of opening a new pack to search for random “rares”, and that while he’s always winning at Magic, he’s also mentoring me on my writing. It’s a win-win-win situation, in my book.
5c. [DOUBLE BONUS]. Social/book. If any of you bloggers reading this are interested, Aaron is giving away five free copies of his newest book, THE BARGAIN, (either digital or audio) in exchange for a thorough/heartfelt review on your blog. Just leave a comment below and we’ll be in touch with further details.
The Bargain by Aaron D. Gansky
Well, now that I’ve started blogging again, it’s time to stop this post. It’s your turn to comment, like, link up, and otherwise share what your FIVE THINGS FRIDAY: Start/Stop items are.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
MoJo Book Review and Giveaway: The Bargain by Aaron D. Gansky
It’s Complicated, Part One: My Relationship
FIVE THINGS FRIDAY: The Experience.
2014: BETTER.
Doing the Write Thing: Writing Conferences Fundraiser
Jul 6, 2013 |
I write this in anticipation of the weekend. It’s Friday night, but you’ll be reading this on Saturday morning.
Dot and I have decided to unplug. I’m not sure how long I can go without any internet, smart phone, social media, television, Kindle or computer.
It’s so automatic for me to wake up and check my phone before my eyes are fully open. I fall asleep to Netflix.
I’m really not sure how long this will last.
I have a list of tasks and treats to keep us busy:
- Clean the house
- Bake more cupcakes
- Listen to old records
- Plant a shrub
- Remove the dead jade plant
- Clean the patio
- Play board games
- Look at photo albums
- Start a new scrapbook
- Balance the checkbook
- Finish reading Louie L’Amour
- Start reading Anne Rice
- Plan July’s Menu
I’ve been wanting to do this for quite a while, but the truth is, I’ve been chicken. I’m afraid I might find out I’m incredibly addicted to my electronics. Oh, heck. Let’s not pretend. I am incredibly addicted to my electronics. And that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing. I need to remember there’s life beyond the keyboards.
Dot might have a hard time giving up the television. She loves the noise even if she’s not really watching it. And she plays the PlayStation during summer break. But I’ll keep her busy.
When I go to bed tonight, I’m going to box up the phones, remotes, and Kindles. I’ll keep the laptop so I have something to fall asleep to, but come morning it’s all hands off.
It will be interesting to log back in on Sunday (or even Monday) and see what we’ve missed.
I’m thankful there’s plenty of paper and pens around me so I can write old-school style when the Muse hits.
And with that, it’s time to go offline. Wish me luck…
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
