Social Media (non) habits

In my avid twitter reading, I came across this new twitter follow list site:  TweepML, Share Groups of Twitter Users.  (I wish I could remember who tweeted it…sorry I can’t credit you)

I was interested in the list Top 250 Technology Influencers on Twitter.

So, I signed up, entered my twitter account and within minutes, I had effortlessly added many tech gurus to my list.

Easy right?

Well.. not so much.  You see, I’m a creature of habit.  (yes, human.. although there are days my friends who argue against it).  And when I go through my daily, habitual reading and responding on twitter I had all these new faces and tweets.  Normally I would follow a person here, or there.  Like, someone I met at #blogchat or someone who was recommended by another.  But, when there was tons of new people, it felt like an entirely new feed.

My response to all these new faces?

I swore.  Yet another new thing I have to get used to.  Do I really need all these new faces?  Grumble, grumble, grumble.

Within minutes (should have been seconds).. but within minutes,  I caught myself.  What the hell am I complaining about?  In the last 2 years I have moved from being  TV person only to a social media sponge.  I have tried 3 million new things, learned so much, and met so many great people.  All from constantly trying new things.

So, why am I complaining?

Because trying new things all the time takes a lot of effort.  Humans recognize patterns and fall into habits, because it requires alot less energy from us.  By venturing into something different, an unknown, we need to be conscious, aware and learning.  What a thrill and a pain all at the same time.

Have you ever run across this?  What do you do to stretch yourself everyday?

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