Phases

December 5, 2009

This past week was pure insanity in regard to number of obligations on my calendar. Usually the weeks following Thanksgiving slow down a bit and the focus turns to holiday preparation. Not this week.

In a nutshell, I was working part time doing some copywriting and proofreading; I had a marketing communications project due for a client; I was appearing on two radio programs and one podcast; I had a few doctor appointments; my car had been ticketed twice so I was taking care of those; there were a few random Tweetups in town I wanted to attend; I was planning to cover a technology conference; and the Movember Gala was on Thursday night.

Add to that the care and feeding of two cats, the importance of personal relationships and the day-to-day operations of the Bungalow, and you’ve got a week that’s too full for words.

Which brings me to the title of this post. Phases.

Each of us runs into times that cause us to refocus our energy. For me, this week was a wake-up call. I’m feeding content vehicles all over the Web. I have three client projects underway, and I’m attending Social Media events as if my schedule was completely free. That’s about to change.

The next phase of Jeff Cutler – not 2.0, but more intelligent – will feature an enhanced panel and speaking calendar; a diminished social calendar (within the Social Media space); and a focus on client and journalism projects.

It’s not to say I won’t show up at the random Tweetup, but that’s something better left to people who define themselves as Social Media Superstars. Let them ride the T to five events each night in an effort to be everything to everyone. I choose to be the best in my current endeavors.

I’ll be great on NomX3.com, in my role as Social Media Trainer for the Society of Professional Journalists nationwide, as a continuing education teacher (also in using social media tools to communicate), a conference panelist, a skilled writer, a dedicated reporter, and a guest on various broadcasts that cover media, lifestyle, technology and passion.

For most of you, this won’t change what you see on the blog or where you see me. Most of my readers have been smart enough to adopt this method themselves and are discerning when choosing which events to attend and when. I’m just following your lead.

See you at a Tweetup or two, a tech conference, or better still…let’s connect over tea and spend some F2F time together.

While social media is a great way to connect, if we do nothing to move beyond the superficial first hello, then we’re not really moving forward. We’re just running around the city smiling and waving, then moving on to the next fleeting greeting.

I’m choosing to make my presence more significant. And this post marks the start of that phase.

Keep reading!

**Oh, yeah. I’m working on a book too. That’s gonna take up some of my time as well. 🙂