When I examine my own behaviors with the use of social media and online activity, I'm often struck by how immersed I need to be in order to gain Twitter "followers," keep my blog pageviews and RSS reader numbers high and, most importantly, to truly develop real or meaningful relationships that are augmented with all of this virtual stuff.

Lately I've been finding myself doing an "A" "B" comparison between time invested in anything online and time invested in my relationships. In some ways, I can't have it both ways and am working much harder at setting priorities.

This morning, I related this story about priority setting to a buddy about why I so strongly support his decision to skip a really cool and fun event this coming Friday evening, MinneDemo, in order to be there for events his kids are in that same night.

I was in a fraternity in college (Sigma Alpha Epsilon) and when my "brothers" and I entered the working world, a few guys started a
yearly golf outing at Madden's resort in Brainerd every May (Jim
Madden was an SAE in the 1940's so the crew up there really helped us and we got special treatment
too).

A few of the guys were married and starting families, and we single ones used to give them crap since many often wouldn't attend the golf outing due to some "family
event" of one type or another. Then my daughter was born on the typical golf outing May weekend and *I*
became one of those guys torn between heading up to Madden's or
sticking around for my daughter's "birthday weekend". Fortunately I
could usually do both, but then….

[Read more...]