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dancinmama's Blog

On Track?

So in the midst of being connected, I find myself swamped with deadlines for grants, for performances, for work. I wonder, is this kind of networking something that you aside time for in your workday? Do you get to it when you have time? How do you stay in touch and connected when it seems that the days/weeks can often go by incredibly quickly and for the self-employed work never really stops.....

And in thinking about my online relationships, I start to think about the physical ones. When was the last time I had lunch with; went to a movie with; spent some time on the phone with some of my (extended) family and/or close friends. How do I do that differently if its what I want?

How do the rest of you keep this going?

4 comments so far...

Thanks for the input. The through-line is commitment and scheduling, which I am working on.... I have recently begun (in the last 2 months) giving myself an actual lunch time where I do nothing else for 45 minutes. I almost went insane the first few times, but its getting better. I hear you all about the long term planning. I am putting together a master calendar as we speak. I think it may be my new years resolution. .....

Flag as inappropriate Posted by dancinmama on 9th December 2007
Dancinmama!

It's really hard. I am part of another wonderful online group and we do try to get together a couple of times a year, either on a Saturday morning for coffee, or for a scrapbooking weekend, or what we call "Thanksgivingfest" which we do the Thursday before Thanksgiving every year. I also try to maintain my friendships with fellow school moms by going out once a month to a Girls' Night Out. I think that for the physical aspect of actually getting together with someone, you have to make the commitment, mark it in your calendar as if it were a work appointment, and stick to it. I rarely plan things spur of the moment...I give people plenty of advance notice. Like months in advance. You can't be all consumed with work and miss out on the important things in life. A friend of mine recently had a cancer scare (she's okay) but before we knew she'd be okay, nothing really seemed to matter. Nothing at all except the possibility that her three children might grow up without a mother. It really put things in perspective. I think the key is to make the commitment and don't let anything else get in the way. Make sense?

Flag as inappropriate Posted by kathy on 7th December 2007
I hear you! I just got into really networking and found this site a few months ago and then became the busiest I've ever been work-wise. On top of everything else, of course. But I've found that general networking is probably beneficial and I deal with it once or twice a week. This site, however, has become a refuge. I haven't thought of it so much as a networking tool for work yet but as a place to learn how other women like me are handling their lives. It's been inspiring in a lot of ways, too, and maybe that's why I'm busier now. Plus I've made some new friends here. My family and old friends know I'll get to them when I can and it's a two way street. Life keeps moving you forward and it's a great place to be going. If you want to make the time for these special people then you will. I'm betting they need advance warning and planning, too, so there's no reason you can't say - hey, next month, let's get together at XYZ. I know if I don't narrow down all of the logistics ahead of time then it doesn't happen.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Mandy Nelson - Dandysound on 21st November 2007
Hi, dancinmama - I know I am a bit biased since, well, I run Work It, Mom! but I can relate to what you're saying. Self employed work never does stop and time is precious -- I hate realizing that there is a friend I've not seen in months or even talked to.

The way I handle being connected online - here and a few other places - is by setting times during the day to do it. I am also working on doing this with my email - limiting the number of times a day that I check it instead of doing it too frequently.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Nataly on 21st November 2007