Don't Worry About What You Don't Know: Some Words of Advice

As many of my regular MNINB readers know, we're in the midst of a month-long platform challenge right now. It's been a pretty incredible experience for me to throw out a task each morning and see how everyone responds. Plus, I love it when my ideas are challenged or improved upon, as well as seeing people offer completely new advice. It's great.

Are you focusing on what you don't know?

Notice that I am not upset when I don't know everything. Also, notice that I consider myself in a perpetual state of learning from others. And after you notice these things, I encourage you to apply the same thought process to your writing, your writing career, and well, your life.

In the comments on this blog, on social networks, in our recent Twitter chat, I've seen writers comment upon how they don't know X, Y, Z, etc., and say how hopeless they feel that they don't know certain things. I understand wanting to learn more, but please realize you will never know everything.

That's not a threat or a put down. It's just completely impossible to know everything (unless you're this guy).

So what can I do?
Here's my best advice: Treat the process of improving your writing skills and building your career as if it is a process. There's no finish line. There's no set in stone checklist of things to complete. It would be nice if such things existed for writers, but the playing field is always changing.

If you treat your career as a process, you'll constantly spend some time learning new skills and applying those skills toward advancing your writing career, while spending a huge chunk of your time writing and producing great content. This is true whether you write fiction, nonfiction, copywriting, poetry, or greeting cards.

The trick is to change your focus from what you don't know and what you haven't done to building upon what you do know and what you have done. It's a small change in wording, but it's a huge difference in mindset and worldview. If you're currently doing the former, try out the latter. I think you'll like the change in scenery.

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Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.

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Use social networking tools to succeed in publishing!

Jane Friedman and Alice Pope lead the webinar Using Social Networking Tools to Succeed in Publishing. This webinar covers how to test ideas using social media, learn preferences of editors and agents, stay up to date on trends, build your personal brand, and more.

Click to continue.

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Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:

• 25 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic.
• Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2012.
• The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Writers.

How I Handle Social Media: Time Management Tips

Writers are busy people. If you don't believe me, check out my list of the 8 jobs of modern writers. We have to do our own promotion, networking, accounting, sales, negotiating, filing, and, oh yeah, there's that writing bit too. And if we're not robots, we've probably got real lives too--and maybe even a day job to pay the bills. How do we fit in social media?!?

Is there a way to add an hour to the day? Like leap hour?

As a parent of five kids between the ages of 10 years and 10 months (and split between two states) who has a day job and a real life, I can totally relate to this situation. Now, I think everyone has a different angle or strategy for handling time management, but here's what I do.

The Power of Making Lists
First, I make daily task lists--with each day's tasks on a separate piece of paper. It's taken some time, but I've figured out how much I can comfortably complete each day--with a few unexpected daily surprises thrown in for good measure. I try very hard to avoid overachieving each day, because that practice usually backfires and causes me a lot of stress.

When I finish each task, I cross it off my list. Then, I allow myself a few minutes (up to 15) to check my social media accounts. I'll jump on Twitter and Facebook to see if anyone's contacted me first. Then, I also do a quick scan of what's happening in the world via my social media streams.

During these small breaks, I might link to a blog post from one of my blogs. Or I might share an article from another person. Or respond to a tweet. But when my time is up, it's up; and I have to jump back into my tasks list. (By the way, this blog post is on my tasks list--as is my Cub Scouts leaders meeting later tonight.)

It All Adds Up
Over time, these small breaks add up to a big investment in social media. Plus, they are more meaningful, because they are spread throughout the day (as opposed to an hour of social media power).

I consider social media just one part of my day, kind of like checking my e-mail (which is a-whole-nother story altogether). In fact, it's such a routine and minute part of my day that I don't even include it on my task list. I just know that I'm going to do it.

How about you? Do you feel you're investing too much time in social media? Not enough? Be sure to share in the comments.

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Also, here are some other time management strategies that I've found helpful:

• The Secret to Finding the Time to Write, Market, Promote, and Still Have a Life, by Jane Friedman
• How I Became a More Productive Writer by Doing This One Simple Thing, by Carol Tice

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Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.

*****

Use social networking tools to succeed in publishing!

Jane Friedman and Alice Pope lead the webinar Using Social Networking Tools to Succeed in Publishing. This webinar covers how to test ideas using social media, learn preferences of editors and agents, stay up to date on trends, build your personal brand, and more.

Click to continue.

*****

Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:

• 25 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic.
• Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2012.
• The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Writers.