Yesterday, I took a major step in my fun-time to mommy to work ratio. I am happy that I'm going BIG with it. I created a Fantasy Football League for the first time. Have I ever played Fantasy Football? No. Have I played Fantasy Pick'em? Yes. My goal is to learn the game and kick some arse.
BE A PART OF THE TRIBE
Two of the great things about joining a group is connecting with new people and having a fun time with a shared interest. Not only that, you earn recognition and have a great sense of belonging to others. I've always wanted to play Fantasy Football. As the non-athletic kid in the family, I wanted to play sports in general, but sucking got in the way. Yes - it's true. I sucked at sports. I'll give myself some credit. I tried volleyball (decent), soccer (decent fullback), softball (sucked), and basketball (what the hell was my mom thinking when she signed me up for that one?).
That doesn't mean, though, that I didn't like sports growing up. I loved football and soccer. I can be entertained by baseball - or at minimum the people watching. Basketball - ugh. No thanks.
What draws me to Fantasy Football is the creation process, the ownership of a team and making them successful, the decision making process and strategy behind putting the right player in at the right time, and the business/leadership aspect of building a team. I also want to have fun during a dreary time of year, and I want to connect and interact with other people.
LEARN SOMETHING
Lately, I've been stuck in a personal rut. I'm still adjusting to motherhood which in turn makes me confused about what "fun" is supposed to be now. I am BORED and not challenged at home. I have a TON going on at work and at home. I learn at work. I don't learn at home. So when I get home, I go through motions. Feed the baby, feed yourself, change the baby, play with the baby, do laundry, vacuum, change baby, play with baby, wash kitchen floor, do the dishes, feed the baby.... Don't get me wrong - I love being a mom, which has it's own greatness and challenges. But at the same time, I want to learn something new.
Here are my lonely hobbies. I read. I take photography classes and take lots of photos. I watch movies and documentaries. I garden. I listen to music. I walk and workout.
Here are my people-interactive hobbies... golf, corn hole, swing dancing, blogging.
Here are my aspiration hobbies... crochet/knitting, guitar, piano, FANTASY FOOTBALL.
The point is: I need to learn, absorb, grow as a person, and the best way that I do that is by interacting with people.
FEED MY COMPETITIVE NATURE
I've taken lots of personality tests - no, not just the ones on Facebook.Clifton's StrengthFinders and Myers-Briggs both say I'm a driven analytic, with a futuristic, over-achiever mind set mixed with a responsible nature that has lots of WOO, extraversion, and judging. Yes - I judge. Not gonna lie.
That cocktail leads to competition. GAME ON! Bring it. Let's go head to head.
CONCERNS
I'm now commissioner of a league. Even before I started a Fantasy Football league, I was concerned about the time commitment involved, which is why I only did Pick'em last year - which was the first time. I'm also concerned about ignoring family, not being a great mom and wife, and potentially not keeping up with my home responsibilities. But then the other part of me says that I need an outlet to grow, learn, and have fun. that must be the devil
What are your current hobbies that take a lot of time commitment? Do you feel guilty? I know I have an issue with that.
However, Fantasy Football wins this year. We'll reevaluate this project in February 2013. Must be the devil. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
Learning for Life Balance
My day job is to work with sales professionals and their distribution network in order to grow and strengthen their skill set and knowledge base with the long-term goal to change and better behaviors. Each time I meet with customers, I'm amazed at how small to mid-sized business owners get it all done. I know I struggle with work life balance. When you add personal development, hobbies, and down time to my equation, it's a surprise that I sleep.
Besides having standardized go-to topics on sales, business acumen, technical information, etc., I do occasionally have one off requests for specialized topics such as SMART goal planning, creating customer touch points, and social media in agriculture. The interest in the last one is amazing to me.
Social media, as a connection to family and friends, is incredibly easy. However, many small to mid-sized companies haven't tapped into this touch point as a tool to connect with customers. I can understand as a business owner with several horses in the race, it's difficult to effectively designate your time on topics you're interested in but may not have enough time to "master" the skill needed to make the experience effective. But then what? Do you not connect at all? That would be a big fat FAIL.
One of my favorite experts on the topic of "agvocating" for agriculture through social media is Michele Payn-Knoper. I have never met Michele or attended any of her sessions, however her web site and blog, Cause Matters, are incredibly thorough on the topics on creating customer touch points through social media. I refer to them quite often.
In one of Michele's more recent articles, "Is social media dead in the food & farming discussion," she talks about a headline she came across, "Why Social Media is Dead." No one wants to use old technology or mediums - well, unless you'll always love a printing press and an actual book in your hand like me... (ah, Anchorman... "I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.) I digress.
Michele links to Logic+Emotion: Social Business: Where It's Been & Where It's Going, and an article written by David Armano, EVP of Edelman Digital. Armano provides an excellent essay and image (Edelman is known for their amazing visual thinking graphs/charts/imagery) of how social media started as a digital/interactive realm and is evolving into a social business: connected, adaptive, intelligent.
This is absolutely the way we're headed, so there is no question as to "why" you shouldn't be connected with social media as a business owner. Yet, in an era of super connectivity, this is where it gets tricky. Many areas still struggle with any connectivity. Not all of rural America has a great connection (unless you're South Dakota - you over-achiever, you! That place is wired.)
So how does a small business owner manage? How do you stay engaged and connected with customers who can instantly "Like" or "Dislike" you and share their opinion of your products and services to masses in seconds? My customers ask this question daily as they only have so much time dedicated to training and growing their existing knowledge and skill set.
This can only mean that - at least for now - I have job security. I will keep training individuals in agriculture how to advocate on behalf of our industry.
What are your thoughts on how to manage professional and personal time, training, development, and life in general? How are you learning about new ideas and topics? What are some tips and tricks I can share with my customers that you recommend?
Besides having standardized go-to topics on sales, business acumen, technical information, etc., I do occasionally have one off requests for specialized topics such as SMART goal planning, creating customer touch points, and social media in agriculture. The interest in the last one is amazing to me.
Social media, as a connection to family and friends, is incredibly easy. However, many small to mid-sized companies haven't tapped into this touch point as a tool to connect with customers. I can understand as a business owner with several horses in the race, it's difficult to effectively designate your time on topics you're interested in but may not have enough time to "master" the skill needed to make the experience effective. But then what? Do you not connect at all? That would be a big fat FAIL.
One of my favorite experts on the topic of "agvocating" for agriculture through social media is Michele Payn-Knoper. I have never met Michele or attended any of her sessions, however her web site and blog, Cause Matters, are incredibly thorough on the topics on creating customer touch points through social media. I refer to them quite often.
In one of Michele's more recent articles, "Is social media dead in the food & farming discussion," she talks about a headline she came across, "Why Social Media is Dead." No one wants to use old technology or mediums - well, unless you'll always love a printing press and an actual book in your hand like me... (ah, Anchorman... "I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.) I digress.
Michele links to Logic+Emotion: Social Business: Where It's Been & Where It's Going, and an article written by David Armano, EVP of Edelman Digital. Armano provides an excellent essay and image (Edelman is known for their amazing visual thinking graphs/charts/imagery) of how social media started as a digital/interactive realm and is evolving into a social business: connected, adaptive, intelligent.
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| Image Credit - Edelman Digital |
This is absolutely the way we're headed, so there is no question as to "why" you shouldn't be connected with social media as a business owner. Yet, in an era of super connectivity, this is where it gets tricky. Many areas still struggle with any connectivity. Not all of rural America has a great connection (unless you're South Dakota - you over-achiever, you! That place is wired.)
So how does a small business owner manage? How do you stay engaged and connected with customers who can instantly "Like" or "Dislike" you and share their opinion of your products and services to masses in seconds? My customers ask this question daily as they only have so much time dedicated to training and growing their existing knowledge and skill set.
This can only mean that - at least for now - I have job security. I will keep training individuals in agriculture how to advocate on behalf of our industry.
What are your thoughts on how to manage professional and personal time, training, development, and life in general? How are you learning about new ideas and topics? What are some tips and tricks I can share with my customers that you recommend?
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