I have hesitated to post about using Twitter because I am very new to the Twitter scene and because I am pretty sure Twitter can be used as a method of Procrastinating, rather than a resource for avoiding Procrastination.  That said, I am pushing forward with the post because Twitter is my new favorite thing.

I, of course, Procrastinated on starting Twitter because in my very funny circle of acquaintances, no one uses Twitter.  Yep.  I’m in that crowd.  Then, I started blogging, and well that crowd uses Twitter.  I, of course, still Procrastinated on starting Twitter because I couldn’t fathom how to communicate in the small, alien language of 140 characters.  But, I was increasingly curious and because of the kind mentions (called “retweets”) from my blogging guru Courtney Carver, I was in.  I made the initial Twitter mistake of tweeting an empty message by accident and was also struck by the fear of making a social gaffe while tweeting.  Then I realized what I typically realize — nobody cares about these things and I should keep moving.  I also found myself intrigued.

What I quickly learned after a bit more tweeting is that Twitter is a tremendous resource.  It is:

• immensely personal as you choose whom to follow and whom to hear from
• immensely communal as you connect with others when you follow them and when they follow you
• immensely useful as a way to get recent, relevant information curated by people you look to for that information
• immensely easy on your time
• immensely powerful as a learning tool

Here’s a list of some articles that may help you get comfortable using Twitter:

• The Beginner’s Guide to Twitter by Michael Hyatt
• Twitter Tips for Beginners by Jeff Goins
• How to Use Twitter by Brandon Widder
• All You Need to Know by Dar Alena

Here are some ideas for what to do next:

• Sign up and send me a tweet @ChristineLiPhd and I will get back to you to help you get started.
• Follow me on Twitter (@ChristineLiPhd).  It’s great each time you get a notification of a new follower.  I can’t explain it, but you will understand what I mean when you join up.  You will be the first to know about my newest posts.  You will also get relevant, useful information about fighting Procrastination as I come across it via Twitter.
• Follow your friends and family on Twitter.
• Explore people and topics you are interested in.  My recent fascination with Imagine Dragons led me to look them up on Twitter (@ImagineDragons), just to peek at what people were saying about them.  I discovered I am their oldest fan, but not their loudest.
• Keep up with different companies you might want a job with by following the company on Twitter.  Ear to the ground, people.
• Get inspiration from authors/authorities/bloggers you admire when you are feeling unsure of how to spark your own writing.
• Download the Pocket app to keep articles you'd like to read later in your “pocket” and to make sure you don't use Twitter as a way to distract you from what you want to do.

I am sure you will find ways of engaging with Twitter that are useful to you specifically.  Be creative.  Have fun.  Join in the conversation.  Remember your goofs will soon be forgotten.  See you there.