Technology is moving so fast sometimes it makes my head spin. Remembering what life was like before I joined Twitter has become a dim memory. Communicating on a daily basis in 140 characters with people all over the world now seems like the norm — and my inbox is filled with updates from my many new friends: Direct Messages, Newsletters I’ve opted into, emails about new ventures they want me to know about or be part of, messages from their Facebook pages. None of this is spam — these are all people I have brought into my life because I am interested in what they have to say.
As my number of active friends increased, I began to spend more time keeping current with them. I devoted more time to looking for interesting information to “tweet” so I could provide value. I got into the #FF routine of telling people to follow my friends, and spent time acknowledging their #FFs about me. I found myself spending more time on my computer, and gradually lessening the time I spent meditating and working on longer writing projects. I found myself thinking in 140 characters.
Now, it must be said here that I have a tendency to be easily distracted, even before twitter. I am what Kathy Kolbe’s Kolbe Instrument describes as a QuickStart, and I’m also a Myers Briggs ENFP with a very high “P”. This means I like to grab things and run with them, that I am attracted to many different shiny objects. So I am exactly the type of person who can get addicted to twitter without even realizing it. Just my normal MO, amped up to a much higher level.
However, as my writing projects began to pile up and my more in-depth reading projects were stacked higher and higher, I came to my senses. Whatever happened to balance?, I thought. How would I write my next book if I could only think in 140 characters?
So I made a commitment to myself to track how much time I spend each day on Twitter. I made a commitment to meditate for one hour every day — to gently watch the thoughts flow through and become an observer rather than an unconscious participant in the steady stream of flotsam and jetsam.
After I regained my balance, I began thinking about how difficult it is for anyone to get through all this noise to reach those people who could truly benefit from what they have to offer. I had seen articles and posts about this before, but now I knew this was important. If I am to be successful in my business I must figure out a way to rise above the noise. If I am feeling this noise, I know others are too.
So when I received an email about a free teleseminar titled ‘Success Strategies for Everyday Thought Leaders’ and one of the tag lines was about how to rise above the noise, it got my attention. I remembered that I pride myself on being a Thought Leader — as a pre baby boomer, I was used to leading the crowd, not following it. I wanted to learn what Andrea Lee was talking about.
Guess what? Not rocket science. QUALITY CONTENT. Hmm, this is what I already do. But Andrea took it a step further. She talked about how to help your audience perceive you as a Thought Leader, how to help them see the quality of your content. She modeled what she was talking about, and I felt like I had found a kindred spirit, someone who was provoking deeper contemplation and, dare I say it, providing real wisdom that would prove itself over time. Andrea is holding a 3-day workshop in Vancouver in March. I recommend you take a look at The Wealthy Thought Leader. Andrea Lee is definitely above the noise.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Kat, I, too, found the “noise” got a little overwhelming and I was neglecting my blog. I find more refreshment as I manage time better. It certainly helps as one lives as a Thought Leader. Thanks for your inspiring words today.
Thank, Robyn. Andrea Lee inspired me to look more closely at how to balance being a Thought Leader and creator of Quality Content with learning how to be a more effective marketer. I spent most of 2009 researching sleep and creating quality content, and I loved doing this. Now I need to learn from a Thought Leader like Andrea about how to better convey my message to the market.
I laughed at “attracted to many shiny objects”. That’s a great acknowledgment of who you know you are. I personally am an ENJT – and also seem to be attracted to shiny objects, except that my shiny objects are all internal. I literally feel like an idea machine and always thinking about things – things to create, write, do, share, etc. I fill up whiteboards, notecards, notebooks and harddrives with ‘things’. *sigh* anyway…
This article really resonates with me. I find myself thinking in 140 characters more and more as well and every week I have a few more opted in emails too. The internet connects us to so many wonderful people and I can’t help but try to consume it all!
I find that thought leadership on the web really boils down to 1) clear communication 2) not being afraid to share 3) quality of content 4) sharing things that can help others and 5) being consistent.
Thanks for sharing.
Keep doing good.
Justin
http://www.twitter.com/leader4hire