I’ve been looking forward to today, June 6th, for a couple of weeks.  Today was the day I got to change my phones.  So what does a person who is extremely focused on her internet marketing strategy and can barely focus on anything else get?

Droid? NO  iPhone? NO  Another Blackberry? NO! Palm? Guess again.

I don’t even know what I bought but what I do know is that there is no email, no internet, no 3G, no apps, no shmaps.  Just a phone with text messaging capabilities.  It cost me nothing, it has no data plan, and it does absolutely nothing special.  I’m back to 2001 standard of phone living.

It feels so good.  Oh, it was tempting to get the Droid with the fast internet connection and constant Facebook and Twitter access.  But that would run against my strategy.

First, it’s not good for the kids.  I hate myself when I check email in front of my daughter and her obsession with my phone tells me that I do it too much. 

Second, with constant access to the social media networks and email, burn-out is just around the corner.  There will be no down time, therefor no time to reflect, recharge, and get excited about anything.  It is stressful and inefficient.

Third, I believe there is starting a serious backlash against all the over-use of our wireless devices.  It has turned much of the social media sites to be full of dribble and people are addicted to recording their lives instead of living it.  Even small talk is lackluster.

What is this life of constant interruption?  Are we that miserable that the distractions are so necessary?

Communication will just have to wait until early mornings and late evenings.  Call me with anything urgent.

Today I feel burnt out.  With only a few hours of work I have available each week, it just seems the past couple of days were dragging.  Twitter is just annoying me and Facebook is overwhelming - but I guess it is my fault.

In the latest Entrepreneur magazine there is a short article with arguments pro and against Twitter.  I think it has something to do with my annoyance. Getting side tracked and getting sucked into conversations about the Flotilla also got me unfocused and enraged. 

It was a needle in the haystack search of forums and discussions that seemed relevant and meaningful.  So much of the discussion space is just so messy and simple doesn’t appeal to any of my senses.  Some of it is just plain stupid.

But I am finding excellent conversation space at Amazon Communities and various Facebook communities.  I’m learning a lot and joining conversations, soaking up niches.  This is the great part - this is the only space where it is acceptable and encourage to butt into conversations.  Wallflowers rejoice.

That’s something to work on: Staying focused on the conversations I want to have and the things I want to learn that won’t throw me off. 

Thank you Chris Brogan for the reminder on 6/2/2010: “Your Blog is Not Your Job.”  Check it out at http://www.chrisbrogan.com/

My reluctance with social media and making “friends” was a fear of being disingenuous.  Besides the fact that people see right through “it”, it doesn’t feel right.  But I am learning something very different in the past couple of weeks: I like knowing what’s going on in people’s lives and minds.  It is not all minutiae, and sometimes it is more interesting than the Economist weekly briefing. 

I’ve learned things about old friends that I didn’t know, and I’m learning not every “friendship” must be intimate and involved.  So if I want to know what’s going on with others, even if I don’t know them well, it is not inconceivable to think that others will be happy to learn what Ruth is doing, thinking, or even selling.

There is nothing unauthentic about my wanting to know what people think, want, worry about, and do.  And, in fact, I am excited at their business ventures as well.  I look at what friends are supporting or “liking” on Facebook.  (Twitter is a different animal I have yet to tame). 

But this is what our business is about - or any business for that matter - caring about what’s going on with people’s lives and why.  My recent involvement in  various social networks has actually increased my excitement over the business, so I must be on the right track.

Today I have 100 friends on Facebook and 21 Followers on Twitter.  Better hustle!

Also, I just finished reading Gary Vaynerchuck’s book, Crush It! which I found to have a lot of good tips (in the middle chapters) for entering the social media space.  He gave me some confidence, and the best reminder in the book is that this is an OPT IN world.  We can’t worry so much about what we post and if people like it.  Who cares?  Don’t like, opt out. 

This is my first attempt at a personal blog, which solidifies my status as a late joiner in anything Internet based.  I used to like that about myself, I’m having second thoughts.

Inspired by some reading materials, which will be mentioned at another time, and by a few friends (one, really), I’ve decided to make it a point to share my experience in building a brand online, building a business using the internet resources, especially social media. 

This blog is not about the business, per se, it will be the unfolding process of expanding it, but in an environment I find exceedingly confusing.

So here are a few lofty statements to begin with, and I figure if I make them public, I’ll actually have to live up to them.  So thank you Tumblr, and any lonely sole reading this post:

The goal: make lots of online friends!  1,000 on Facebook by December 2010, double that on Twitter.

The obstacle:  I am a self-proclaimed anti-social.

The reasons tap into my three passions: 

1. I want to get our business out there and built it into a successful enterprise. My first passion is to build something that works and I like private enterprise best.

2. I don’t think being anti-social is healthy for me. My second passion is good health.

3.  I believe our products and services can rid many people of terrible pain.  Passion number three - partaking in others’ positive life changes, adding more happiness and peace to their lives.

Inspiring Challenge: I have a 15 month old and I am 30 weeks pregnant.  This means I have some time and energy limitations but the best reason to make every bit of each count.

And perhaps, when I succeed, I give hope for all those who usually avoid crowds (whether online or offline) to still build something meaningful.  And I know the only way meaningful things can be built with the aid, cooperation and to the benefit of others.  For the people, by the people, yada yada, Licoln knew is Facebook.

So I will make this blog, as we do our company’s business, as useful as I can imagine - pooling the resources I use, the good articles I read and the great and not so great strategies I try.