Because.
I’m in school again. I’m going to WanaCon this weekend (5am Webinar this morning about Twitter. OMG…but Marcy Kennedy made it worth while!), I’m taking the two month author platform course by Kristen Lamb (she calls it a blogging course but it’s much, much more than that), I’m taking a class tomorrow IRL about – oh too funny, I had to look it up – but it’s called Understanding Comedy – The Rules. Plus I’m probably going to sign up for Marcy Kennedy’s month long Twitter course, which is in March.
Can You Say Busy??
In spite of the busy-ness, this all feels good. It feels positive. The last time I took so many classes in such a concentrated time was about six months before I sold my first novel; so I’m loving this groove right now.
I’m also really loving the Age of Social Media, mainly because it opens up so many opportunities to me for classes taught by amazing people that I’d otherwise never get to meet due to costs/time constraints/location issues. (I don’t understand people who don’t take web classes. Seriously. They are SO missing out!)
It allows me to meet people like Rhenna Morgan, who lives in Oklahoma and is also a paranormal and contemporary romance writer. I can get caught up with family and friends through Facebook, and ooh and ahh about the Royal Wedding on Twitter (okay, so I’ve been MIA on Twitter lately. I’m working on it.).
The Downside…
Unlike the Dark Side though, the downside of social media has no cookies. But it does have a LOT of noise. When I got home yesterday from the Day Job, I had a Skype interview with a fabulous author, and then a WANACon social webinar gathering. After two hours of that, I shut down and did not look at email.
Big. Mistake.
When I finally went online this morning to get my email, I had 236 unread emails waiting for me in my inbox. Which is a warning flag to me, especially because as I went through them, I deleted most of them unread. That tells me I’m subscribed to too many things and I’m on too many lists. The unimportant things are drowning out the important ones, and I need to spend some time fixing that. Again.
Kind of like getting your teeth cleaned twice a year, I guess. Twice a year I need to thresh through my email and social media lists and part ways with those that don’t nurture me. Let me say that again, but in a different way.
Keep only those email and social media lists that Nurture your Fabulous Self.
What about you?
How do you keep your social media in check, so you aren’t overwhelmed and truly enjoy your experience? Because if we aren’t enjoying the experience, we probably shouldn’t be doing it. Right?
I’d love to hear from you! Oh, and here. Have a cookie.

Okay, so they are unfrosted Christmas cookies. They’re still cookies! Have a snowman and leave a comment, lol!
~oOo~
Demon Soul and Demon Hunt are both available for both the Kindle and Kobo! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
Congrats on all the classes. I love when I have time to do that. Right now, I’m working on deadline, so I can’t. But I’m looking forward to the next time! I hope you enjoy yourself and learn lots. Maybe even share a little with us.
I was thinking the same thing today about email when I deleted over 100 without reading them. I seriously need to clean that up. But there are blogs that I’m subscribed to that I read when I have time. Sometimes I just don’t and those are deleted for that day and I try to catch up with the next posting. But there are soooo many others that I really need to do away with and keep those that “nurture” me. 🙂
Rhonda, right now all my deadlines are self-imposed and the classes are helping – so I’m letting some of the deadlines go slack. A luxury that I hope I won’t always have, lol! I, too keep on those blogs that I hope to read. By day 3, I usually trash them due to lack of time. I’m so there with you! Keep the ones that nurture you, and wave the rest goodbye.
I enjoy online classes, too. But I tend to take craft classes and have learned a lot.
When it comes to social media, I barely keep my head above water, and basically feel like the left behind.
Just can’t keep up and don’t want to. I’d rather be writing.
But GO YOU!
Lynne, you gotta do what works for you. I think you’re amazing! And I love your facebook posts, lol! Hugs honey!
I haven’t taken an online class in a while but thoroughly enjoyed Lani Diane Rich’s webinars. I learned soooo much. It’s a balancing act isn’t it? Social media, classes, volunteering at your chapter, writing, promo and marketing. I don’t think I’ve been this busy sine I was an ICU nurse back in the late seventies. : )
It’s definitely a balancing act! And some days we need to “turtle” – pull our head in and regroup. Nothing wrong with that!
239 emails?! I’m stressed out just thinking abou that! Your post was very inspiring though. I’m not sure how you find the time to do it all, (family, job, LARA, blogging, writing, classes, social media, wine shopping), but it shows me I ought to be able to so a a fraction of it without complaining. I choose family, blogging, writing, LARA and, of course, wine shopping!
Oh Sam! Like you aren’t just as busy as me, lol! Cheers hon!
I’m with you, Christine. If I miss one day of email, I usually have about 250 to go through from the previous day. And that’s just my ‘main’ email address!
I’m slowly trying to weed out some of the content that seemed like a good idea at the time, but instead, became a time-suck.
I agree with everyone else, you are an inspiration!
Ah Kathy, you make me laugh! And thank you. You have more than one email? I’d freak, lol!
I have a hard time with social media; I just can’t seem to get into it and stay. I like blogs a lot better. So I just get on Facebook/Twitter a couple times a week – that’s plenty for me. And I’m on digest on most email lists, so I can just skim the topics. When I’m busy, I just delete ’em like you did. Have fun at WANACon and your classes!
Jenette, lovely to see you here! Unfortunately,WANACon hit on my work day (friday) and my anniversary (saturday) – so I didn’t make many sessions. Even missed pajama con! Sigh…but at least there are the recordings.
You said, “I don’t understand people who don’t take web classes. Seriously. They are SO missing out!)” That is so true, C. More broadly, people who don’t use social media to meet new people, experience new things, are missing out big time, also. Look at you and me. We don’t live very far apart, but we never would have met if it weren’t for this thing called the Internet. I can’t imagine life without it, and when I become mobility limited, it will be a lifesaver.
Yes, about twice a year is right. I go through and unsubscribe from lists that I have somehow managed to get onto. Have you noticed that some sites make it difficult to do that? I’ve had to go into my email manager and block their emails in order to keep them out of my inbox.
I agree with above comments. I am in awe of your tremendous energy and enthusiasm. How do you do it all? Hope you enjoy your classes and have delicious bits to share with us. Loved the Christmas cookies (I only took one).
Sarah! I have friends like you who point the way to being productive and energetic – that’s one way I do it, lol! So happy to have found you. I treasure our friendship, and one of these days we’ll have to meet for lunch. Hugs hon!
I had a wake-up call not long ago when I couldn’t access the web for a couple of days and had a slew of emails as well. I’ve started unsubscribing from everything I can. Great reminder, Christine!
And I have loved online learning too. Learning about what you like with people you like is fun!
I totally agree, Julie – that’s how we became friends! So glad you stopped by. Hugs hon!