Posted on Jan 01, 2009 under Beth's Obs |
I’ve seen a lot if tweets, blog posts and newsletters on how I should should “adjust” my way of thinking for 2009. And I’ve seen what others plan to do. So instead of creating my “resolution” list that I hide away from prying eyes, I’m going to lay it out and then encourage you to do the same. I feel that the social community is not only an exchange of ideas, but a support group. We need to help each other, so this is my first step. Here goes…
I have two groups of “change” that I want to address in my life - TASK-ORIENTED change (ex. I will quit smoking) and MACRO change (thanks Brian Reich - great point). MACRO change is what I want to change about myself and my overall way of thinking.
TASKS
- Stop smoking. Yeah, I know. Everyone says this, but I’m doing it FOR REAL this time.
- Create a more effective plan for my personal social media tactics. I spend a lot of time dabbling around my own properties but not getting anything accomplished and its a time suck. This must change.
- Attend more conferences and workshops. Believe it or not, I’m not that social in person, so I’m going to make a concerted effort to change it. I need to get out of my comfort zone. So if you see me, please say hi so I don’t feel stupid. =)
- Delegate. Again, its a comfort zone thing. But I’ve been reading up on delegation and time management and this will be a must for me in 2009. I spend too much time on mundane tasks and not enough time on what matters. Already looking for a personal assistant or intern. MUST DO THIS.
- Spend more time working on GoodDogz.org. I love my organization and want to spend more time expanding our reach, putting out our message and ultimately helping homeless dogs. In light of losing my dog last month, this has become a very important goal to me.
I’m keeping my TASK list small. Tasks are daunting and I can easily sweep them under the rug. But I want to really try to work it through so that on Dec. 31, 2009, I can say “Damn! I made it happen.”
MACRO
- Enjoy my family and friends. I don’t do this enough. There is always work, a crisis or an excuse. No more. These folks are too important to be second tier.
- Stop wasting time. My time is incredibly valuable to me, but for some reason I’ve had a hard time managing it. This is a task AND an overall goal…yeah, its that big of a problem.
- Forgive myself (thanks Chris Brogan). If I don’t finish an initiative or something isn’t doing as well as I’d like, I tend to beat myself up about it. In 2009, I’m going to learn to let it go. What’s the saying? “Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s all small stuff.” I’m there.
- Give more than I get. For me, the second half of 2008 was more about giving back than the first half, and I want to carry that through 2009. I want to help someone each day - whether its you, or someone with dog problems or someone I know or don’t know. It feels good and I want to feel good.
- Live life. ‘Nuff said.
I hope that my list inspires at least one person to really think about what they want to get out of 2009. 2008 was a rough year for me both personally and professionally and, quite frankly, I’m happy to see it go. I’m ready to take 2009 by the horns.
What do you want to accomplish in 2009? Thoughts?
Posted on Dec 30, 2008 under Beth's Obs, General Social Media |
I just read this post by Chris Brogan and love, love, LOVE it. I found it particularly insightful as I just wrote about Twitter today and wondered to myself “haven’t I said these things before?”
I particularly like #6 - Stop trying to do it all yourself. I have been catching up on reading that I had been putting off and one of the items I read this morning was “101 Ways to Triple Your Income and Double Your Time Off“. It includes a great little exercise to help one-man (or woman) shows learn to delegate which is a skill that I am sorely lacking.
I actually hope that I have gotten an early start on #4 in the TO DO list by sharing this post with you. I personally think that Chris is right on the money. Do you? What do you plan to change in 2009?
I ran across this article which, I think, is a helpful tutorial for cause marketers trying to navigate the seas of Twitter. It not only provides helpful tips, but also makes some recommendations for folks to follow in the field (and you can of course always follow me!) I hope that you enjoy it!
Twitter for Cause Marketers from Selfish Giving
I’ll be on vacation until Jan. 7, but will try to leave you some tidbits of good info here and there.
I hope that this is helpful although somewhat of a cop-out for a real post. I’ll add news here and there as I have time and look forward to returning to you full-time on Jan. 7.
Until then, have a safe and happy New Year!
Posted on Dec 23, 2008 under Beth's Obs, Guilty Pleasures |
I just received an email from JetBlue announcing a new travel service for pets called JetPaws. I’ve always admired JetBlue’s customer service ethics and have enjoyed traveling with them for years. I always choose JetBlue over other carriers when I can. In fact, I’m flying with them on Friday to Ft. Lauderdale!
The new JetPaws program includes specific instructions on flying with you pet on JetBlue, pet travel tips, pet-friendly destination information, etc. As a marketing ploy, they are also selling JetBlue travel items - hey - everyone’s looking to make a buck.
Now, if only they would use this new program to support animal welfare. My fingers are crossed. =)
I’ll be taking Dec. 22 (oooo…that’s today) through Jan. 7 off for Christmas and a vacation to FL to visit with family. I am going to do my darndest to post a little something everyday to keep you interested. There are a lot of good webinars and educational series coming up in 2009, so I’ll let you know about those as well.
For now, I wanted to let you know about a fantastic series that NTEN and TechSoup Global are presenting in late January, early February called Social Media and Storytelling.
The topics are relevant and it looks like a great series for folks still getting their feet wet. The first webinar is called Building Blocks and is on January 21. Register today!
Posted on Dec 17, 2008 under Animal Welfare, Beth's Obs |
I’ve been off the radar for the past few days due to the death of one of my dogs and I apologize. As a little self-therapy, I’d like to dedicate this post to my best friend, Max.
At 7PM on Sunday night, we had to make the painful decision to put our ten-year-old Pit Bull/Lab mix, Max, to sleep. He had developed a large mass in his belly that was bleeding out and making him anemic, lethargic and sick. The prognosis was poor and we did what we felt was the best thing for him. He didn’t suffer and died peacefully by our side at the emergency vet.
The folks at Valley Emergency Veterinary Clinic were kind and sensitive to the situation. The vet on duty, Dr. Haase, gave us an honest assessment of Max’s condition and was very understanding throughout the process. The clinic even followed up with a sympathy card which I thought was very thoughtful.
We are trying to cope but not very well. We buried Max today on our property and I ordered a beautiful blue stone memorial for his grave. We are going to have the landscapers come back and plant tall, ornamental grass on the grave site as Max liked to go potty in the tall grass. He was very modest like that.
We adopted Max in June of 1999 from the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. He had been found at 8 months wandering the streets with a chain hanging from his neck. The woman at the shelter said that we shouldn’t adopt him because he was a “spaz”, but we didn’t listen and took him home anyway. It turns out that he was just a fantastic dog. He was a great companion for our Jack Russells, Katie & Willy, an his brother, George, and was a wonderful friend to us. Just a few things we loved about Max:
- He was always very regal and carried himself in a reserved manner.
- The top of his head smelled like perfume. I could never figure out why.
- His ears were always warm.
- He was very loving and liked to stick his head in between your knees to get petted.
- He loved to ride in the car.
- Up until 2 weeks ago, he ran like a bat out of hell through the backyard.
- We called him the “prince” because he got to do whatever he wanted.
- He would stand at the door, tail wagging, when you pulled into the drive way.
- Even at the end, his tail was still wagging and he still eager to please.
- He was just a wonderful dog.
This is a very sad time at our house. While the Jack Russells don’t seem to notice a difference, George, Max’s playmate is very whiny and needy for attention. I feel really bad for him.
After the holiday, we are considering adopting another dog so that George will have a friend. It’s a little early for me, but I think that we will all be better off in the long run with a new playmate for George.
I appreciate the outpouring of support not only from friends and family, but from my online family as well. It’s comforting to know that we are not alone. We don’t have children, so our dogs are our family members.
Please feel free to share your stories of the pets you love and give them a hug for me.
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Beth consults with businesses and non-profits on social media tool selection and strategy and helps her clients find effective ways to leverage these new mediums to meet business goals.
