Over the past weeks I have been helping you create your brand online from square one. I have provided tips and tricks for using social media to get noticed in a positive way. Last week I provided you with a Quote Flow that can not only be applied to using social media, but to life in general. I want to take some time now to elaborate on my last post. The main point I was trying to illustrate by carefully selecting and grouping these quotations was the idea of ‘Focus’. By now, many of my readers probably have some idea of the direction they plan to take for their careers, hobbies, volunteering, passions, etc. My advice to you is to do everything in your power to go forward and minimize the frequency of going backwards. All of you have decided to use social media as a channel of communication. For instance, you have used some form of SM to find this blog entry. Now, how do you use social media to help you towards true happiness? Use it to help you grow as a person. This means having goals and staying focused on these goals. I find myself coming across tons of articles on how to make money on Twitter, increase your follower count (or lists is the new follower count), donate to my Movember cause, and so forth. The big picture is that all these people have a goal of personal growth that they are achieving through social media. How about we simplify this idea with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a model.
People are using social media to achieve anything from safety to self-actualization, and you can too! For example, the individuals using Twitter to make money are looking for financial security in their lives. Increasing your follower counts can be classified under esteem. You may have a passion for curing prostate cancer, just feel like growing a mustache, or Movember can be your way of trying to move towards self-actualization. There is nothing wrong with just using Facebook to connect with friends/family – without realizing it, you have achieved the goal of providing and receiving love/belonging from others. What is your goal? If your goal is to connect with friends, maybe try messaging everyone that is important to you bi-weekly. It does not matter what the goal is, you can use social media to help you get there. This can include finding employment, getting into shape (health), becoming an industry leader (gaining the respect of others), executing a marketing plan (creativity and resources), etc. 
The first few quotations illustrate the way to reach your goal and other things to remember. You will never achieve your goal without the help of other people. It is thus important to build relationships and add value to the conversation in order for these people to listen to what you are all about. Everything should be done with the understanding of the power of words/images – once something is said, it is extremely difficult to correct or take back. In a roundabout way, I have just answered the reason why so many people stop using Twitter or another form of social media. They have not come up with a goal or do not know how to follow through while on the channel. This has turned out to be quite a thought-provoking post, and I would love to hear your thoughts on whichever channel you feel like chatting!
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