I asked this question on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter:
“When you start your day to you get up, turn on your computer & then check your e-mail or your social networks first? And, which social network do you check first – Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter?”
I received many interesting replies and voila!, the idea for a blog post was unearthed.
80% of the people who responded said they check their e-mail first. Several of those folks mentioned how, when they check their inbox, they also receive Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter notifications in there so they have an idea of what’s happening in their social networks. However, they respond to e-mails first and return to social networks later.
Facebook came in second place with 33% of respondents saying that’s the first place they go after booting up their computers in the morning. Twitter and LinkedIn seemed to fall in 3rd and 4th places. And, a few mentioned that they simply go to Hootsuite to check all their networks in one spot. I’m a fan of Hootsuite. It certainly makes it easy to see who is mentioning you, schedule your posts and keep track of more than one network at a time.
Next, I got a kick out of some of the people who commented that they wake up and grab their smartphone or have it always at arm’s reach. Does that mean they’re sleeping with them at their bedside? How do their partners feel about that? LOL.
I’m one of those who checks my e-mail first each day. However, it’s not the first thing I do when I start my day. Unless I’m expecting a call from a client in another time zone, I take time to “smell the roses” – no, not drink coffee! On a good day, I’ll meditate, do a little yoga and write in my journal. And, I was pleased to see that several people also stressed the importance of making sure we’re not so glued to our computers that we work non-stop.
California-based Jim Teresinki wrote “I also try to get a bit of meditation in, if only a few moments to center myself, breathe and relax/release my body energy.”
Retired periodontist, David H. Dinner wrote, “I hope you are all brushing your teeth before getting into all this action. . . I try to remember to take breaks and have some fun throughout each day.”
Colleague Chuck Lasker of Social Kauai reiterated David’s comment with “Breaks are really important for creativity and productivity. It’s tempting to work nonstop…But there are diminishing returns and I have to just break off and relax.”
And, Marta F. in NYC made me laugh with her mantra, “I wake up each day and repeat I am not a robot, I am not a robot…”
So, what do you do when you start your day? Are you taking time to “smell the roses? Or, are you off to the races checking e-mail or your social networks? What do you do first? Please share your comments below. I’d love to hear from you.
