Tag Archive - Twitter

Why Multitasking Reduces Productivity

December 8, 2010 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 4 Comments

I felt so defeated. Tasks and to-do lists stacked. The harder I worked, the behind-er I got. I wanted to quit. Doing nothing would produce the same results with much less stress. Why not give up?

That’s when I tweeted, (Twitter: @RobinBryce) “ NOT liking my busy, distracted, get-nothing-accomplished lifestyle. Please, can I have only one thing to do & permission to forget all else?”multitasked to death

The oversimplified spiritual response, “Love Jesus and that’s all you need to do” doesn’t help. It doesn’t get the laundry done, the Holiday efforts accomplished, my ministry tasks finalized or the family’s needs met. I need more than love for Jesus to do all the things calling for my attention.

I saved the world’s chocolate by taking my desperation to God. Sitting with my Bible and journal, I had a little talk. I mentioned my troubles and feelings then listened for God’s response. I asked him to show me one task to start with. Just one (hoping I could do one thing right).

Looking up from my Bible and at the tasks, I took my husband’s advice and organized my time to work on one job for 15 minutes. Amazingly, I got something done. It felt good.

I tweeted again. “Multitasking is overrated. Doing one thing well is better than many things half-hearted. ”

Others share my struggle with productivity. The Google search “Multitasking is overrated” found a study by Stanford University that reveals why doing more than one thing reduces productivity. The study shows a disturbing trend in our culture and defines my problem. They “found multitaskers are more easily distracted and less able to ignore irrelevant information than people who do less multitasking.” For more results read Boston.com article Maybe Multitasking is Overrated.  I’m not the only one living from one distraction to another.

I felt better knowing why I was ineffective and how to correct the problem. I began asking for God’s help to focus on the job at hand and to organize my time, allotting segments for each task. It’s working so far.

How do you deal with the pressure of your busy lifestyle? Comment below.

Subscribe to the blog feed feed-icon-28x28.
(Images courtesy of sxc.hu)

Called Away

August 31, 2009 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 0 Comments

 

 

Solitude. Even the word sounds lonely. I admit that sometimes I want to be alone, but never do I want to be lonely. A restricted solitude, like solitary confinement, would be extra brutal. No touch, no interaction, no…nothing from anybody. How can the will to survive remain? Could severe solitude be good?
 
Some examples in Christian history bear witness that solitude is very fruitful, and possibly more effective than the busyness of Christian ministry or doing good.
Called away
 
For instance, when Paul was imprisoned from his missionary travels and confined from the masses he desired to speak to, he wrote letters of teaching and exhortation to those he’d met along life’s journey. Much of the New Testament’s writing comes from Paul’s solitude and has delivered the hope of God to people for two thousand years.
 
Another example was a preacher named John Bunyon. While he was in confinement in a dark dungeon, he wrote Pilgrim’s Progress. It’s a story about coming to Christ and learning to live as a Christian, and is still read generations later making a difference in the lives of many.
 
Even Jesus withdrew to solitary places (Mark 1:35).
 
These examples show that when forced into solitude and limited interaction with people, many turned to God to fill the void. The resulting closeness to God made them more effective than if they’d remained in freedom and busyness. God used them to create works of great influence that lasts.
 
If God in human form needs solitude, I can’t imagine how much more I need it. But It’s against my nature to seek it intentionally. And I don’t like being alone. I pace the floor and become listless, feeling un…usable? It’s a feeling like I’m wasted or unworthy or something. Then doubt becomes a close friend.
 
I understand that in order to be effective I need solitude more than I need an audience. If my purpose is to make a difference, I must be different. I need to make peace with being alone. I’m called away.
 
Taken aside by Jesus,
To feel the touch of His hand;
To rest for a while in the shadow
Of the Rock in a wary land.
 
Taken aside by Jesus,
In the loneliness dark and drear,
Where no other comfort may reach me,
Than His voice to my heart so dear.
 
Taken aside by Jesus,
To be quite alone with Him,
To hear His wonderful tones of love
‘Mid the silence and shadows dim.
 
Taken aside by Jesus,
Shall I resist to desert place,
When I hear as I never heard before,
And see Him “face to face”?   ~Streams, p. 329.
 
There’s a delicate balance between solitude and interaction. Sorry Facebookers, twitterers, and bloggers. Friends of all kinds. I’m not unsociable, but at times, I need to be called away.

 

 

Rules for Engagement Twittering Small Groups

June 4, 2009 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 0 Comments

Due to the response of Twittering Church, I’ve been questioning men to get their input on how twitter could help a men’s accountability group.

My husband suggested creating “Rules of Engagement.” Obviously, since twitter is social, the opportunity to a small accountability group is available.

But before I make suggestions for “Rules of Engagement,” I want to describe how I could see twitter working for a small group.

 

 

Runners: Small group in it together

 

 

I have a small group that can be mimicked.  My group is my family. My husband and two older children twitter along together. We set our “devices” to “on” so we can see what each other are doing when we post.

My husband may tweet something about being frustrated at work, or how he had an awesome lunch meeting with someone. My kids may tweet “About to take a hard test,” or “Not feeling so hot today.” One may say something funny. One may ask via direct message (dm) for a deep prayer concern.

We laugh making no response. We pray for something mentioned. We respond with encouragement. We direct message our love, concern, and jokes directly into their circumstances in real time. (On a side note, my honey and I send “love” tweets too. Maybe I should write an article on how twitter can help your marriage.)

“Devices” are our cell phones that receive text messages. Twitter sends their tweets to our phones as a text message and we can respond via text messages in three manners.

  1. A straight forward response goes to any and all who look at your twitter page on the internet and not directly to the one you want to respond to. Okay, but has the opportunity to be confusing to others not following along in the conversation.
  2. Using @twittername (placing the name of the twitterer you want to respond to after the @ symbol) sends it to your twitter page for all to see as well as a community notice of saying it to your intended person.
  3. Using d twittername sends a personal message directly to your intended person without posting your message to the social network. (A glitch may accidentally happen in twitterdom. I don’t advise getting too personal here. It may be a way to say, “Hey, call me at ###-####,” or “I got your back on this one.”)

There are more advanced methods such as creating groups and using hashtags (#), but the simple texting method keeps our family digitally connected and involved in one another’s life. I believe if your group creates “Rules for Engagement” and commits to increased digital accountability, twitter will greatly enhance your group.

(Twitter just hit Time Magazine’s front cover. Twitter is changing our culture. I really think the church ought to be involved and engaged in such awesome conversations.)

Rules for EngagementTwitter “Rules for Engagement” for group accountability and encouragement.

  1. Meet face to face regularly – Keep your regular meeting times. Smiles, handshakes, and the necessary “three pat” hugs shouts concern to a much greater degree than the digital connection. Twitter cannot replace this! (Incidentally, I applaud each and every man willing to invest in another man’s life in small accountability groups. My husband has been in and started several over the years.)
  2. Keep the most personal discussion personal in the face-to-face meetings. Never know when you might slip and forget to “dm” that detail resulting in shouting something meant “secret” to all internet eyes. And Twitter may accidentally put a “dm” in the main stream for everybody to see.
  3. Commit to be involved in one another’s life making an effort to be an encouragement. Don’t make all the tweets self-centered. Send out encouraging quotes, Bible verses, and tidbits of learning you’ve received from your life struggles, as well as the what’s-going-on-with-you kind of tweets. If you’ve read an interesting article online, send a link using the link shortening tool in TweetDeck along with a short description of the article for your group to read. (TweetDeck.com and other applications are free downloads for your computer to make Twitter even more functional.

 I welcome more input, especially from men who twitter and are a part of a small accountability group. Please respond for the edification of all.

 

Twittering Church?

May 5, 2009 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 8 Comments

Are churches engaging the culture, making changes to spread the news and share the hope of Jesus? Or are they just twittering?

In business, I’ve tweeted quotes of conference speakers. And, when attendance wasn’t an option, I’ve watched tweets of twitterers at the conference. Their twittering created a feeling of connection with the event and gave the most impressive information almost like I was there. I’ve also taken conference notes on my iPhone and scheduled noted events in my calendar all while listening to the speaker. I’ve seen speakers reading scripture from their Blackberry and following their presentation notes from the same. Mobile devices aren’t just phones to those who utilize their great functionality. They’re cool tools!

Should these awesome devices be used during church? For a long time I’ve thought how Twitter can be used to create a community that is involved rather than spectating during church. Christ followers want to interact, make a difference, and worship. They don’t want to watch church. They want to engage. Those who use mobile devices and Twitter in their everyday life will naturally want to do so during church.

Twitterers heralded the prayer request for the shooting of Pastor Fred Winters of Maryville, IL that happened during a church service.  My husband and I received the real-time tweet and brought the request to the attention of our church meeting a thousand miles away. Real-time prayer needs. Should we twitter in church?

I wonder if the question of twittering in church could be rephrased, “Should church engage the culture?” When we send missionaries into a culture, they study it to learn effective ministry in it. We live in a post Christian culture that needs engagement for the purpose of sharing Jesus. My previous post with great video, Twittering Ministry, shows how today’s business world has changed and the implications for necessary change in ministry.

Once I had a friend jokingly tap me on the shoulder during the service and whisper, “Are you texting in church?” Me, a preacher’s wife, texting in church? I’ll admit to nothing. At that time I was only taking notes.

It seems taboo to utilize a different way of making notes than scribbling on a piece of paper. Wasn’t there a time when scribbling on paper was considered prep for passing notes in church? Now churches have fill in the blank outlines and other methods of engaging attendees with note taking. Why not the PDA? It won’t get lost or tossed as scrap.

Churches could teach their parishioners how to engage each other and their community during church with these not-so-new tools and alleviate the stigma of “not paying attention.” The fact is users may be even more engaged in worship and ministry than those sleeping or staring blankly at the wall behind the pastor. (Do you know how many ceiling tiles are in your church?)

Time magazine released an interesting article worth reading, “Twittering in Church with the Pastor’s O.K.” Certainly our world gets it, and some churches are getting on board as well. Check out a worship leader’s perspective “Using Twitter the Phone in Church.” by Chad.

 “What is Twitter?” some ask. It’s micro-blogging, or broadcast texting. You can say whatever to whoever wants to listen in 140 characters. You can use text messaging on phones, applications on PDA’s, and online computers to Tweet. For a better description of the what and how of Twitter, check out Michael Hyatt’s step-by-step posts or peruse Social Media Strategies and Tools Explained blog by Beth.

Oh, and tweet me, @RobinBryce. Let’s engage for the glory of Christ.

Twittering Ministry!

December 27, 2008 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 3 Comments

Can twitter give your ministry’s effectiveness a step up? The church could learn alongside businesses that social media matters, because word of mouth can build or destroy a company or ministry’s PR impression, how people view them. Word of mouth is, after all, the way in which the gospel is spread—one beggar telling another where to find the Bread of Life.

It’s time for beggars to unite and network with others socially, offering something of value. For goodness sake, don’t enter the networks with a, “ya’ll come now, you hear?” attitude. This isn’t a place to issue blanket invitations to a church service or gathering. We’ve got to enter into a relationship with those we want to reach. Offer ourselves, friendship, a listening ear, an encouraging word, a big kudos for a job well done. Offer helps, tips, whatever, as long as it’s of value.

Should a church or ministry have a social media minister? Since businesses find great potential in social media as a cutting edge way to do business, it might benefit ministries as well. A ministry can make relevant connections and impact lives through social networks. I’m not saying all ministries or churches should engage social media as a method of reaching and touching people, but it’s a great way for ministries to engage and relate with those they want to reach and give them something valuable.

Here’s a video worth looking into. It’s Laura Fitton’s, @Pistachio, keynote address about twitter titled “Twitter for Business.” If I could rewrite the script, I would title it “Twitter for Ministry” and have every mention of business rewritten as ministry.

Think of

  • the ways a ministry team could benefit with instant communication,
  • the knowledge and understanding of the people you work with and those you want to reach, and
  • the opportunity to share your vision and keep focus on your mission.

After watching the video, please share your opinion of the benefits social media can have on your ministry. Have you seen a social network ministry be effective, build relationships with opportunity for life change?

To view @Pistachio’s power point presentation.

I look forward to hearing your ideas.

Social Networks & Kingdom Influence

December 16, 2008 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 1 Comment

Social Networks & Kingdom Influence

 

When we offer something of value in networking, we gain influence. We all have something of value—an opinion, an experience, or a warning, and we can find a voice in social networks to increase our influence.

Several companies influenced me recently. I joined twitterland without knowing much about it or it’s powerful connectivity to the real world. After signing up for iContact’s free opt in e-mailing account, I had some issues getting the thing to work. I pursued the old route of e-mailing support and began waiting. Waiting. And waiting. Then I tweeted, “trying to figure out iContact.” It was a status update with no expectations. But amazing results happened. I got a response back from James Wong, @CommunityMGR, with iContact offering his assistance. He wasn’t blowing smoke either. I told him my problem, what I wanted to do, and he went above of his job description and helped me get up and running with my e-newsletter. iContact Support got involved after Mr. Wong worked his magic. Twitter allowed real conversation and assistance with a friendly/community atmosphere. A company is only as good as its real relationships with its clients. As a result, I paid for an upgraded account. This same scenario was repeated this past week. I sent a query to support then remembered twitter. I tweeted and Mr. Wong was at the rescue once again, long before support responded with a blanket that would never have given warmth—a useless response. Twitter replaced support hotlines and sold me as a client.

ESC finally did it!!If only Blackberry had the same kind of service. I got nothing from Blackberry when I twittered, Googled, or asked in the AT&T store. Arg! Hate the lack of customer service. It felt like no one cared. Grrrr! I wanted to throw the thing through AT&T’s window. Satisfaction guaranteed! Wonder if iPhone’s people have better service?

Two examples of influence, one is great. The other’s horrible. I want to be a customer of those with great influence and I want to be a person of great influence, offering value to others. It’s important that we use our influence for God’s best interest especially in social networking. (ie. Don’t throw the Blackberry.) Kingdom people should use Kingdom influence to glorify God and we have a great opportunity to do so in the arena of social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

Ed Stetzer, a man of Kingdom influence from LifeWay, posted a great blog about Social networking. He expounded his best practices—what he does and what he doesn’t do in social networking.  Check out Anti-Social Networking.

Here’s a couple of links to free resources that may be useful to help spread your influence:

•    Downloadable e-book about Facebook for use in ministry influence Facebook for Pastors.
•    Downloadable e-book about Twitter for use by non-profits Twitter Jumpstart: The Complete Guide for Small Non-Profits
•    Downloadable audio book about marketing for your message or book PyroMarketing

 Let’s be Kingdom influencers of God’s good! Our best foot forward in the most relevant systems. God is awesome!
 

Social Networking & Spreading Good News

November 6, 2008 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 0 Comments

I’m passionate about sharing God’s love and I’ve found a marketing truth that applies to the spreading of anything. Social networks have proven their ability to share news. I want to share some of what I’ve found in the way of links, books, and webinars to help you understand this new world of marketing where advertizing doesn’t work as in the past.

I heard Seth Godin at the Catalyst Conference and received a free copy of his book, Tribes. It’s a great eye-opener to the thought processes of spreading news today. I recommend Seth’s book.

PyroMarketing by Greg Stielstra, VP of Marketing at Thomas Nelson Publishing, is available as a free audio download. He builds a good visual with fire that helps understand marketing in today’s world.

Twitter is micro-blogging. Get twitter educated with blog posts from Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, or Terry Whalin, a literary agent.

Facebook, a social network, works great to connect people. To learn how to spread news and use it to touch lives, read free download e-book, Facebook for Pastors.

Looking for a webinar to teach us more. (Coming soon)