When talking to people about my
participation in online social media, the question I’m most frequently asked
is, “how do you have time to do all this?” And while they might deny it,
the questioner asks it with a tone that implies You are either a total social misfit or a slacker in other parts of
your life.
My initial reaction is usually defensive,
as if have to prove I actually do real work
and spend quality time with my family.
I then spend the next 20 minutes stewing
over the question - regretting I didn't have a prepared answer. So I
never have to go through that process again, here is my response from now
on. Would love to hear your builds, and of course any other thoughts you
would like to add.
- I have an 18 month old son.
I’ve become a time management ninja. While the kid takes up a
lot of time and energy, my new found discipline has given me more hours in
the day.
- I get up at 5am on weekdays, 6am
on weekends. While I don't get up and start Tweeting at 5am, I do
use that time to deal with administrative issues at home (bills, etc.)
which gives me more free time in the evening.
- I don't watch a lot of
TV. When I do, it's almost always on DVR thus saving me around an
hour a week on commercials. When I watch sports (the only TV I don't
DVR) I am usually multi-tasking.
- I enjoy it. Just like you
enjoy birdwatching or reading WWII novels.
- I use my mobile phone to
participate in social media during otherwise wasted time. I Tweet,
upload photos to my Facebook page and text message friends during my
morning and afternoon commutes - time that might otherwise be spent
staring out the train window.
- Besides on airplanes, I never
read the newspaper. HOWEVER, I am better informed than I've ever
been, with much less of a daily time commitment. I must tell people
this five times a week - if you're not using an RSS reader to get your
news feeds, you are not consuming information in the most efficient and
effective way available. Sign up for a Google Reader account and
spend the 30 minutes to figure out how it works. It will change the way you think about news
consumption.
- I view social media
participation as a professional survival tool. It keeps me current,
connected and informed.
The net-net is that I make the
time. Just as a marathon runner makes the time to run; a celebrity junkie
makes the time to read Us Weekly; an amateur photographer makes the time to
take photos. It's no different. There I go again sounding defensive – I must break that habit!
