I always feel a little guilty at Starbucks when I’m on my laptop, looking at Facebook. I feel judging eyes on me as they look at my laptop and think, “This guy’s taking a whole table just to check his Facebook.” At that point I’ll usually pull up my to-do list on the screen so they see how important I am… though I know that doesn’t change their opinion of me.
The thing is, though, that Facebook is a vital part of my business. Keeping in contact with people, knowing what’s going on in the church world, just listening… That’s so much of what I do. I use social media to grab a glimpse into what all the church workers I follow are doing. It’s amazing what you can learn by just being a fly on the wall.
More than that, it’s the relationships I develop through Twitter and Facebook that are worth far more than what I do through my sites or books. Those make direct money. But the chances I get to speak… The co-writing opportunities… The connections… The guest blogging requests… Those are the things that lead to long-term growth of both me and my company.
I know so many people who allow themselves to get “busy” with their jobs. They have far too much on their plates to respond to emails, do favors for people, or meet up for coffee. Consequently, they find themselves in the same job, in the same urgencies, a year later. Two years later.
I’ve found the way to take any career or any dream to the next level is through the friends you make. It’s through forcing yourself to be around people and communicate. It’s through taking time to get to know other people and add value to their lives.
I want to encourage you to make time for people. That might not mean wasting time on Facebook when you should be working. But engage with people. Don’t let it become a vice, turn it into an opportunity.