There is a great quote that I came across today that seems to really “say it all” when it comes to those down days when we may find ourselves wondering where we are at with ourselves, our companies, and our brand. After all, when it comes to something like social media marketing, it helps if we know all three of those things: ourselves, our company, and the brand that we are presenting to the rest of the world.
The Quote That Started Me Thinking
So, what is the quote? Here it is:
“There is a flip side to everything. And it’s in those subconscious moments of vulnerability that we compare ourselves to others.” – Cynthia Bonitz
If we turn that quote around (do what we programmers call “reverse-engineer” it, we could extract several points:
- Maybe we have too much time on our hands to think about things we shouldn’t (ok, that isn’t really a subconscious thing, is it?)
- We are allowing ourselves to feel and go to a vulnerable spot (sometimes that is hard to control, isn’t it?)
- We have somewhat of a basis of the WHY we compare ourselves to others, whether we are “supposed to” or not.
So, what can we do about it? You may be sitting there, as a social media manager, social media director, content developer, or simply a person who enjoys social media. (You can still read this article if none of those descriptions fit you!) Either way, even if it is walking into a 20 year class reunion or graduation from high school, there is an urge for most (not necessarily all) to present themselves well. Whoever it is that you are, however you define yourself, you want to do it well. We aren’t necessarily saying to go out and “over-achieve” (although some of us are known to do that anyway!). It is much simpler than that. Well, to some extent.
Ok, so if we are talking business, there is some basic business logic that needs to be in place, like a media kit, brand kit, etc., so we know how to present our company and specifically our brand. That goes for social media, as well, and presenting a consistent brand image across all social networks. But, that isn’t really what we are talking about here. We are talking about the subconscious and the “human side” of the equation.
It doesn’t matter how well we can “perform” business or how well we can present ourselves at the next cocktail party, if we are struggling with things that are going awry in our subconscious. That is where we need to sort of find ourselves and help direct where we are going mentally. That includes the aspect of feeling vulnerable. Maybe we can’t stop it when we are in the thick of it, but we can take some steps to help navigate where we take our brain (in other words, “focus”) so that we have a better chance of not falling off the tracks and getting distracted by those annoying subconscious thoughts that interrupt us from what we are supposed to be doing.
Refocusing the Subconscious Mind (to do what you want it to do!)
There is a great article out there that goes through 7 steps (or what I would call 7 strategies) to help “Recharge the Brain.”
These seven steps (or strategies) are almost so easy (and dare I say “obvious?”), that you will wonder why you didn’t think of them yourself (and write your own article about it). Seriously, though, visit the site and read through these strategies and you will see for yourself.
I’m going to call this a case study, as this particular article uses a case study of a diabetic (doesn’t really matter whether the person is a type 1 or type 2 diabetic) who is trying to cut back on the sugar that he or she is consuming. Even if a diabetic is allowed sugar in his or her diet, sitting down and eating half of a pie in one sitting is not necessarily something that comes high on the list. It produces a lot of work for the pancreas (if there is still a functioning aspect of the pancreas) and a lot of work for the medicine to offset that type of sugar consumption.
So, back to our case study article, these are seven steps/strategies that could be applied to the case study of a diabetic who is struggling with the consumption of sugar and how to minimize it. One of the most important strategies that caught my eye, is the first one that is a reminder that this doesn’t have to be accomplished all in one day. Remember, we started this article talking about the subconscious and how to re-train that subconscious. The very nature of how the brain works dictates that this is a slower process. Yet, when done correctly, that slower process is what will cause the process to “gel” and become a part of your life (if you are the focus of the case study), and do you know what that means? It means that you will have retrained your subconscious and you are getting back on that track!
I also love the last point in that article, which is “Enjoy Eating.” Ok, for most of us, we would think, “Of course!” Why would we want to do anything but enjoy eating? But, remember, this is a case study with the diabetic in mind. Maybe that diabetic wants that half of a pie or a few chocolate bars. Suggesting that they “Enjoy Eating” without further explanation could be misconstrued. However, the point in that tip/strategy is that this does not need to be a horrid experience! If you are the diabetic, find ways to enjoy food. Maybe you didn’t realize that you enjoy salad, live it up and create that salad and veggie delight. That is less likely to raise that blood sugar.
What Do I Get Out of All This
Ok, so you are not a diabetic. This article is not really about diabetics. That is a case study and an excellent, concise, easy-to-understand article about retraining that subconscious. It is just that if we spoke in vague terms and tried to make it make sense, it might sound like a lot of mumbo jumbo. At the least, with the use of a case study, we have the opportunity to apply it to our own situation and learn from that process (Can you tell I teach graduate and doctoral level students?).
So, what is the next step? How do you get down to business retraining YOUR subconscious (so you can get out there and be a success in business and your social media presence)?
As an example exercise, grab the article we have been talking about as a case study and see where it fits you and your situation. Maybe you are not a diabetic, but many of those tips/strategies apply to all people. Figure out what it is that causes you to hiccup in your daily life (no, I’m not referring to the real hiccups). I’m talking about the hang-ups and those things that if left unattended, could throw you off-track and spending time feeling vulnerable, like we pointed out at the beginning of the article. If you haven’t thought of it yet, that is ok. Go do something relaxing or something fun and let your subconscious percolate and you will come up with something that needs some balancing or a little bit of work.
Final Thoughts (a.k.a. Keep It Simple!)
When you do, create your own list of tips/strategies. The first tip, about setting smaller goals is one that fits almost any situation. Work through other ideas and strategies and create that list. Now, if you are going to be true to the first tip/strategy, that means you need to keep it simple. Don’t make a list of 49 things you need to do or it is no longer a matter of helping to retrain your subconscious mind, but rather it is an adrenaline-bound list of activities that you will feel you need to accomplish by next week. That would not be the point in this case. So, whatever you do, keep it simple. And, just remember, we are training that subconscious mind to do just that, keep it simple.
